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Lets not come up with a crazy assed WRONG meme like "free is not a business".

Free IS a business, and has been proven time after time over the last few centuries if not longer.

Companies don't fail because they chose to offer something free, they fail for other reasons.

From the very little I've read about Ning, it's clear they took way too much funding for a start.

"..has been proven time after time over the last few centuries"

Could you come up with some examples of this? Not trolling here, but I can't come up with any pre-internet free models off the top of my head.

Broadcast radio and television.

Of course! Stupid me...

Advertising has been around for quite a while.