some random reflections of a "Python newbie": (1) books, and free sites

[Robin Becker]

In article <slrn852pjq.sn.warlock at raven.myth>, Jim Richardson
<warlock at eskimo.com> writes
...
>>
>>how do people support 'free' sites? Via advertising?
>>-- 
>
>That's one method, also by tracking where you go (market
>research, the "evil twin" of advertising :)
>
>Or they give away a basic service and hope to tempt you to buy
>the "full" service pack. Or basic service is free, but any extras
>cost money.
>

Over here a friend reports that currentbun.com has an IE customised so
that you can't actually enter a URL directly; you have to use their
search engine and all the while adverts are flashing up and telephone
time is ticking over. Apparently freeserve, btconnect et al aren't quite
so nasty, but all are getting kickbacks on the telephone time.
-- 
Robin Becker