Free. We think we know what the word means. 'Free' can mean 'not imprisoned'..."It's wonderful to be a free woman again now that the divorce is final."...or not otherwise occupied..."Sure! I'm free on Tuesday night!". But the 'free' I'm talking about is monitarily related. Specifically speaking, those sites online that proclaim that you can get 'free' stuff, 'free' cars, 'free' software, 'free' products, etc. But are these things really 'free'? Read the fine print! We've all heard that there is no such thing as a 'free' lunch, and we find that abundantly so online! I'm so sick of receiving emails telling me that I can get a 'free' DVD player by signing up for 'free' services or software. But, when I read the fine print, I find that the 'free' services aren't actually free...they require a credit card, checking account, and a shipping and handling fee. If a product or service is 'free', then why am I required to pay for shipping and handling. This really negates the whole 'free' issue! It's not really 'free'. Or we have the 'free' CD advertisement waved under our noses. But again, read the fine print. They charge .99 per CD for shipping and handling. How much does it really cost to ship and handle a CD? Certainly not .99! These CD's are massed-produced, mass-packaged, mass-mailed...all for probably less than $1.00. What is the other .99 for? Profit! So, what is so 'free' about this? "Free" means "costing nothing or gratuitous". Not 'free' for .99!

I'd like to see online advertisers put a little truth in advertising! If you advertise that something is 'free', then don't charge any fees! Actually send the product to the consumer without charge! Is this too hard to understand? How did we get to the point that 'free' doesn't include shipping and handling? And while we're at it, I'll take that free lunch!