{"id":256,"date":"2023-03-14T16:21:30","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T16:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/?p=256"},"modified":"2023-03-22T18:13:15","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T18:13:15","slug":"thoughts-on-free-web-software-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/thoughts-on-free-web-software-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts On Free Web Software \/ Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I work marketing one of the web\u2019s most popular applications by day, I\u2019ve come to see many recurring things that everyone\u00a0should<\/em>\u00a0understand about free software (but frequently do not). So today I\u2019m jotting down thoughts to keep in mind about free web services that should help in your use of them.<\/p>\n

Free services likely can\u2019t scale support (especially via social) but that doesn\u2019t mean support is non-existent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First rule: don\u2019t get frustrated, you\u2019re using a free service (how often this is forgotten is incredible). But most popular free services have taken the time to create plenty of help pages (in addition to having user forums). Your issue has likely already been solved and has a dedicated page outlining the solution.\u00a0Search for it. Additionally, if the service is large enough or is technical there are almost always consultants \/ agencies you can hire to help. In fact many free services won\u2019t help you because there\u2019s an ecosystem behind them that is serving clients. Look to those who are qualified and endorsed by the service itself. And realize that just because a product is free doesn\u2019t mean everything that comes with it is free.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to try things \u2013 it\u2019s doubtful you\u2019ll break anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is how I\u2019ve learned to do basically everything I know how to with technology. As a digital native, this was the only way to operate. The earlier generations of web services were messy and that was something I always liked. Unfortunately, I\u2019m a bit saddened how in the past few years we\u2019ve moved from a culture of \u201ctry things and fail\u201d back to a place where many are afraid to do this. This is either due to a new generation coming of age or people getting used to a \u201ccleaner\u201d online experience. Either way, test and tinker \u2013 that\u2019s the best way to learn.<\/p>\n

Provide (constructive) feedback: we\u2019re listening.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you do have feedback certainly provide it to those responsible for the software. We are definitely listening and will see it if you offer it through the right channels. A blog post or letter on the open web is always the best way but email will work too (don\u2019t assume your\u00a0platform pings\u00a0will be seen, they\u2019re probably the worst way to get anyone\u2019s attention).<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be a jerk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is really nothing to gain here. Remember you are using a free service that many have put a lot of time behind and is frequently a labor of love. You\u2019re always free to change and use a new piece of software (potentially a paid version of that product or other free product). But openly being a jerk doesn\u2019t do anything but hurts your\u00a0digital reputation: remember, not only do the providers see this but your industry will see it too (everyone monitors competitor key phrases).<\/p>\n

Do share what you like.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you love free software \/ services that you use, no matter what it is, share your love for it or how you\u2019ve used it creatively. This is easily the most motivating thing you can do for the creators and also will likely get your ideas shared with the whole community. Plus, it is an easy way to get exposure for your skills in using a platform (for example, the girl who\u00a0turned her resume\u00a0into a Pinterest board). If you\u2019re skilled at something, show it.<\/p>\n

Understand why it\u2019s free.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think critically why a brand is offering the free service in the first place (in many cases it is part of a strategy, in others it is a labor of love) and keep that in mind. Understanding this will greatly benefit you and how you go about using the service. I think it\u2019s good for everyone as it won\u2019t cause any surprises about things later on. Besides, understanding of digital ecosystems is a\u00a0requisite\u00a0for anyone in media, marketing and technology.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I work marketing one of the web\u2019s most popular applications by day, I\u2019ve come to see many recurring things … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz","category-digital-marketing-and-pr","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions\/257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursucretleri.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}