Listen now (49 min) | Noah Smith & Brad DeLong Record the Podcast We, at Least, Would Like to Listen to!; Aspirationally Semi-Weekly; Aspirationally an hour or less.
The phrase "information wants to be free" has always irritated me. Information requires resources for is production. Therefore, it is not free, I.e. It has an opportunity cost. Information also has the properties of a public good, non-excludability and non-rivalrous consumption. Therefore it should be freely available. All three of the participants in this podcast are economists and know this. It's disappointing that you resort too the tired cliche.
The phrase "information wants to be free" has always irritated me. Information requires resources for is production. Therefore, it is not free, I.e. It has an opportunity cost. Information also has the properties of a public good, non-excludability and non-rivalrous consumption. Therefore it should be freely available. All three of the participants in this podcast are economists and know this. It's disappointing that you resort too the tired cliche.