Let me get this straight.<p>Your contention is that if companies did not have to buy advertising to sell their products, they would subtract the advertising cost from their sales price?<p>You have a very unusual definition of being &quot;fooled&quot;. Paying for something you can get for free is what most people would recognize as being a fool.<p>That companies decide to choose a different business model to offer for free what their competitors make you pay for is just innovation. It has zilch to do with being &quot;honest&quot; or &quot;straight up&quot;.<p>Here&#x27;s an interesting question: how come people buy bottled water when they could just drink tap water? I mean, shouldn&#x27;t  people be &quot;fooled&quot; by all the &quot;free&quot; water? How come the &quot;straight up&quot;, &quot;honest&quot; water bottle company that sells its product at a price manages not to die? (Hint: it&#x27;s not because they&#x27;re not advertising).