The Myth of Free Services: The Case of Listbot

The Rise and Fall of Listbot

Several years ago, I embarked on the journey of creating an email newsletter. After extensive research on internet promotion, it became clear that a newsletter was a crucial component of any successful advertising campaign. My initial choice for an email list service was Listbot.

Listbot was a user-friendly platform that allowed me to create as many lists as I needed. The cost of a small advertisement at the end of each newsletter seemed a fair trade-off for the service. However, after about a year, I outgrew Listbot due to its increasingly cumbersome user interface. I then migrated to Bravenet's mailing list, which I eventually outgrew as well due to its 500 email address limit.

I then moved my list to my own server, freeing me from the constraints imposed by other list services. Despite leaving Listbot, I maintained my account and continued to receive occasional updates from them. One such update announced the discontinuation of the central Listbot service, effective August 20, 2001.

The Corporate Takeover of Free Services

This trend of large corporations acquiring and subsequently ruining or shutting down excellent services is becoming increasingly common. These companies often disregard the fact that their services and products are used by real people. A prime example of this is the destruction of the Webring system by Yahoo! in September 2000. Read more about this here.

Listbot, which had always been a free, advertising-supported service, was purchased by Microsoft a few years ago. Despite its popularity among small businesses and list owners, Microsoft decided to monetize the service, charging about $269 per year for the sending of 10,000 emails per month.

The Human Cost of Corporate Decisions

This disregard for the human element in business decisions is not limited to the tech industry. A similar situation is unfolding in Pasadena, California, where the government is attempting to build a 2-mile extension to the 710 freeway, despite strong opposition from the local community.

Just as the government seems to disregard the wishes of the people in Pasadena, large corporations often overlook the needs and desires of their users. The argument that "free services no longer work" is flawed. Listbot was free before the surge in internet advertising, and with competent management, it could have remained free and profitable.

The Aftermath of Listbot's Demise

The demise of Listbot has left tens of thousands of listmasters scrambling to find alternative list hosting services. Some will opt for paid services, some will find free alternatives, and others will likely abandon their lists altogether. This is the most tragic aspect of this story - lists that have been carefully curated and maintained for years will simply disappear, all in the name of corporate profits.

In conclusion, it's important to remember that behind every service, free or otherwise, there are real people who depend on it. The disregard for these users in the pursuit of corporate profits is a sad testament to the state of the tech industry today.