Reblogged from Margie: Pros and cons of free software and sites

A couple of weeks ago we discussed in class the pros and cons of free software for web design. Here's the list we came up with as a group.

Pro:

It's FREE!!!!!!!
It's simple
It's user friendly
It's well known
Gives you a good platform to share your message - creates a ready made community
I don't have to worry about the technical stuff
I trust the security is good

Con:

You can get hacked if it's not a reputable supplier
You have to follow their rules
It's not always clear about what they do with your information
It's not always clear what they do with your images etc
I have to look at advertising
The software is often limited and I have to pay more to get the good stuff
I'm often constrained by what I can change in the software
Less choices about what I can do
Poor customer service
They could close down at any time
It could go out of fashion and not be updated
It's often hard to get your information and content off the sites to transfer them somewhere else

These lists aren't exclusive, and as I think of more things to add, I'll edit this post.