I have been using it for the past few days and it works just like it is advertised. The downside that with a free account you can only link to 5 other blogs. So its usefulness is really limited in this scenario. I emailed the company to discuss this issue for bloggers like myself who are cash flow challenged, and he said it is the cost of a cup of coffee a day. Fair enough. Everyone needs to be paid for their work. However there are times where giving people a trial session for free will pay off even greater.

If you are like me, then this recession has hit you pretty hard. For many of us we are depending on the generosity of our family and friends to help us through this period. I am not trying to cause tears here, everyone has been challenged. I am just stating a fact. For a company to ask someone to purchase something without a trial period for free is a great leap of faith that many of us can’t afford. I was not going to tell the developer that the only money I had been given to me by friends. That isn’t his problem. But it will certainly factor into my decision on where to allocate resources once I get a job. I will not purchase the product when I can afford it.

It seems so silly doesn’t it? If someone can make money, then they can share their good fortune with others. So why do we set up the rules so that we don’t try to help them make money first, and then get paid ourselves? If I fail to fix or make money for a customer I don’t get paid. So many companies want you to pay first, and then promise you that their effort will help you make money. I am currently trying out 4 different kinds of advertising on this blog to pay the bills, and so far only one has really been worth it. Being paid by the company for the banner ad on my homepage. It is not a great deal of money, we are talking double digits but at least it has been worth the time. Every other advertising thing that I’ve done hasn’t paid for itself in the time I invested. One of them I have made $1 with last month. Their payout is 10 cents, and I had 10 people click on it. Another advertising I tried a few days ago and I haven’t seen anything from that, and there is an affiliate program that only pays me when someone follows the link and buys something. Tough times for blogs huh? :)

What is a fair price for the effort and work that someone does? I don’t know, but if it wasn’t for the charity of others I wouldn’t be writing this.