In today’s society, dictionaries and encyclopedias have become irrelevant when compared to the simple and direct service online search engines. We all have used a search engine to look up a historical event, proper spelling of a word, favorite hobby, celebrity news, and other frequently pondered on material. Through the power of Internet connectivity, people of today rely strongly on using popular sites such google to fulfill their gap in knowledge and solidify information. We think, we question, and we search online. That is simply the pattern we have fallen into. Our Internet service providers for the most part are receiving payment monthly. In yesteryear, we would turn to those heavy giant almanacs, encyclopedias and dictionaries for our answers. We would pay for these books that fulfilled our quest for knowledge. Now that search engines have far surpasses that, why are we not having to pay for those too? Should there be a subscription fee for the use of search engines?
For many, search engines have become the ultimate almanac. They are the butler that seeks to fulfill our request and the map that guides us in the right direction. With such fulfillment in hand, why not put a price on the ultimate online tool? Currently, we pay for subscriptions that many of us never use to their fullest or are unsatisfied with. Putting a price on a resource with guaranteed satisfaction would lead to outstanding amounts of subscriptions and a profit so large that future expansion would be available instantaneously. If we were paying for a source of knowledge in the past, why is an extremely enhanced source of knowledge any different?
Many search engine providers now face the issue of change. If a price was suddenly slapped on service that has always been free of charges, the user outrage could be quite detrimental. By not initially charging for these services, sponsors like Google and ask.com have backed themselves into a corner. Additional add on subscriber based services of these sites are now starting to pop up. Though future enhancements may involve payment, the initial service looks as though searching the web will always remain as a gift. There is always room for change, but what once could have been the largest subscriber based page on the Internet is forever flawed to the advantage of the user.