What's that saying? Sometimes you don't see the forest for the trees? I think that's the case when it comes to not realizing just how free information and entertainment you can find on the internet. (And if you're thinking about porn, you're a dirty, dirty person.)

This really first started hitting home when it came time to renew my ESPN Insider account. A $40 yearly charge, it gains me access to exclusive content from top writers, streaming for ESPN Radio and an unwanted subscription to their ESPN Magazine. However, I honestly haven't used the resources in months. Why? Because in the limited amount of time I have per day, I head to sports blogs for the bulk of my information and opinion. If there's important enough of a column, ESPN will make it free and there's enough great thought out there that now paying for it seems foolish. With the 'net, no rumor can stay hidden and the exclusivity of information to a single login-style news source is obsolete.

How about music, always a hot button item when it comes to the online world? The Rhapsody service I subscribe to has been unaccessible to me for over three days because of some 'technical issues' they are having. Issue is an understatement, however, as they claim they can't find my information anywhere in their system despite me being a paid subscriber for over three years. So without my Ipod and no Rhapsody, what am I to stream all day? How about Last.fm, Pandora or any of the hundreds and hundreds of stations now live streaming? In a time when every dollar saved is important, paying for streaming rights seems to now be pointless as well. Rhapsody costs me $156 per year, roughly the cost of 1040 songs on GoMusic.ru.

But if you're not into music and are more of a talk radio person, take a stroll through the Podcast section of ITunes. Wow. There is so much there to listen at no cost that it's scary and it's all "to go." I can pick up with NPR in the morning, jump over to some comic talk in the afternoon, perhaps delve into some UFC in the late-afternoon and finish it off with a little sports at night...not costing me a dime. Seriously, go check out the podcasts and you'll be amazed.

Marketers that currently offer premium or insider benefits for a fee are probably a bit uncomfortable these days because of the sheer amount of info you can get other places. Instead of adding more value to those pay-to-play sections, the first instinct is to restrict the free section which isn't the right philosophy. It's an exciting time to be a marketer for the sheer amount of different mediums you can broadcast your message across. Why not let it all out for free, engage users deeper in your brand and have such a high standard for quality that others won't need to go anywhere else?

If you'll excuse me, I think I need to cancel a few accounts.