But at this time, there are no visible investments that we endorse right now. Free Internet access could be another victim of the retrenchment, Clibanoff said. They include pure plays like NetZero, which announced it's going to start charging some of its members who surf more than a certain number of hours a month. Market conditions have already shuttered other free Internet access companies. And portals that offer free Web access to entice customers may soon convert from a hosted buffet to a no-host bar, analysts said.
Consumers already pay for newspaper advertising.
But there are still some services that Web companies will shy away from attaching dollar signs to, such as free email, instant messaging or chat. To pull it out of that and isolate a user service makes it not do-able. Inc. All rights reserved.