Remember: good stuff costs money.

As you travel the wealth of free content available online, it’s good to keep in mind a basic tenet of economics that the internet has not been able to change: good stuff costs money. When your favorite band isn’t singing, they need to eat and pay the rent. Ditto for your favorite blogger, v-logger, and other online content creators. The good thing is that the internet has made it easier than ever to support your favorite creators directly, without wasting money on middlemen. So do that. It feels good!

Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).