In 2008, Wired editor Chris Anderson brought in circa $2 million in speech fees. His forthcoming book, "Free: The Future of a Radical Price," says the promotional materials, "makes the compelling case that in many instances businesses can profit more from giving things away than they can by charging for them."
"From a business perspective, Wired is being hurt by both those phenomena. The Web site is free, but it has not convinced most visitors to subscribe to the magazine. As for the “long tail,†Wired is not big enough to be a can’t-miss advertising buy for national marketers, nor niche enough to have a narrowly defined audience of, say, auto buyers or watch enthusiasts."
oh, well. at least the trend canapés are yummy, right?
And he came up with an awesome name for the strategy: 'razors and blades.'
Pretty much nails 21st century American Economics in 50 words.