[bko]

> There are plenty of ways to evaluate that without charging a fee. You can track utilisation without needing to charge for it.

The point is that utilization is dramatically different when something is "free". Many times the marginal user values it just above 0, and having that person on reduces the value for everyone else. Charging something, anything, weeds out the very marginal people you don't want using the service. Same concept with emails. If we had a marginal fee to send emails (fraction of a cent) it would love spam pretty much overnight. Things shouldn't be "free".

That student in your example would gladly pay as he has no other options.

[manarth]

    > "people you don't want using the service"

That's a subjective evaluation, which doesn't have a clear criteria.

[DemocracyFTW2]

> Things shouldn't be "free"

More good reasons to hate this government.