I'm speaking as an entrepreneur and business owner here - not an end consumer of the download who will, quite reasonably, take something they want for free, if given the choice not to pay for it.

If the goal is to be financially successful, it's really important to ask what the purpose of the business communication is - including an offer of something for "free".

In reality, if the management of the business is honest, they'll recognize that they will nearly never give something away truly for free. There are strings attached that at least potentially can be used to increase revenue and profit. Otherwise why do it. That is why I put the word free in quotation marks above.

(Exception, sometimes: doing something for public relations reasons. That's uncommon compared to what we're talking about here.)

If a website requires you to give them an email address before being able to download, I think most people here will recognize that the download is not truly free, despite you not being required to give them any money. You have given them your contact info, raised your hand (identified yourself) as a potential customer, and given them the right to email you in the future (until you opt out).

Another idea, which I've implemented recently in my own business, is to structure things so that the "free" offer is structured in a series of emails delivered over time (so 10-minute spam email boxes won't work). Each email has sales copy encouraging the recipient to buy the for-pay product. The email sequence has continued value, so they mostly choose to stay subscribed.

Some people won't do this. Guess what: they unlikely to give you money anyway. If you read the comments of the original post, some poster calling himself "Heavy Battle Wombat" explains how basically he'll do everything he can to get around the strings being attached to the free offer. And if he can't he will go somewhere else instead.

So my uncircumventable mailing list will repel him. Excellent. He is very unlikely to ever want to pay for anything to begin with. Now I don't have to waste time and other resources trying to sell to him, and can focus more on serving those who have identified themselves as more willing to pay for goods of value.

Let me be clear, I don't mean to cast HBW as spoiled or "bad" in any way. He just has a certain value and belief system with regards to free-as-in-beer software downloads, and IMO there is nothing wrong with how he's choosing to move through life. Really. At the same time, it implies he is less likely to be a profitable customer for certain kinds of businesses. So I'm sure not going to bend over backwards trying to get him as a customer.

I'm being a little more pointed and blunt here than usual, because frankly this is important. It's obvious some people are thinking with their emotions rather than their heads, enchanted by a romantic notion that it'd be wonderful if everything would be free. (It would, and I'm working towards that world of great abundance-for-all myself. But the notion is not realistic yet.)

If you disagree, I welcome your comments, but please don't expect me to reply if you have not actually done it and can clearly support what you're saying with successful experience. (To edw519, who said "Make something so compelling that you won't need to collect emails" below: My friend, I am talking to you :)