Today, I read that Google just released yet another service: This time, it’s a free 411 service via a 1-800 number. Now I can’t remember the last time I actually called 411, but I’m pretty sure the main reason behind that is because of all the surcharges I remember getting the one time I did call 411. The other reason is that my GPS lists the phone numbers of all nearby points of interest, but that’s another story.
It sounds exciting though. For those of us without GPS units or who don’t want to pay Verizon $15/mo for web browsing on a 1.5″ screen, a free mobile 411 service sounds pretty intriguing – especially when it’s powered by Google. I’ll certainly give it a try, and Google will make me a customer of yet another one of their products, along with GMail, Calendar, Docs & Spreadsheets, and Analytics.
Except … I’m not really a customer, am I? I definitely don’t actually send Google money for any of these services. I don’t even view ads on any of these services (though that may be due to the fantastic Firefox plugin, AdBlock). I’m sure Google collects some nice statistics from me using their Analytics code on my websites, but besides that I’m not sure what they get besides my continual use of their services. Then again, maybe that’s all they want.
Of course Google isn’t the only one doing this. I use traffic.com fairly often, including in the car when I can call up their free number, name them one of the routes I’ve drawn out on their website, and get the latest traffic report. I’ve begun using Jott to send myself reminder emails when I’m at a bookstore and see an interesting book I’ll check Amazon for. Most recently, I’ve used Highrise to keep track of all my contacts – for free.
All of this reminds me a lot of the internet heyday in 2000, when you would actually get paid for most of these types of services. Does this type of this confirm that the internet really has made a comeback, and that web 2.0 is here to say? Time will tell, as they say, and I’ll be curious to see in six months if I’ll still be making such great use of these free services.
