Okay, not all of it.

In 2006 I opened Google Apps for Your Domain accounts for several domain names (six, to be exact). The name of the service changed to plain old Google Apps, then G Suite, and most recently, Google Workspace.

Through all those name changes, the service remained free for those of us who opened accounts in the early days. Now Google would like very much for us to pay for those accounts instead.

I already pay for Google Workspace for two other domains, so paying for the six “legacy” (formerly free) accounts in addition to that isn’t really tenable. Not when all I use them for is email.

But I can’t complain too loudly about receiving 15 years of free email service across six domains. That would seem ungrateful. Really though, what would it cost Google to continue to comp the old Google Apps for Your Domain accounts?

That’s a rhetorical question.

The answer is nothing. At least nothing on the Google scale of life and money.

The addresses I’m keeping – in addition to those I’ve always paid for – will run me a little less than $50 a month, which still seems high for email service (considering I could run them all for free on my Dreamhost VPS). But I suppose it’s a bargain if I average in the 15 years of free use.

I’d be lying if I said I never thought this day would come. But somehow, it was still a bit of a surprise.

WRITTEN BY A HUMAN