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Please explain how it is sleazy?

They have a service which they are providing to you for free. They need to monetize this service and they're trying out different things.

In this case, it's not so much about monetization as it is about cutting spam, and erecting a monetary barrier which is huge in cutting down spam.

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People don't have defenses like spam filters for FB like they do on email, because that channel was relatively clean of unwanted messages.

It's sleazy because they have weaned people off open and free protocols into their walled garden and now they are going in for the kill. It's like how Nestle gave baby formula to African mothers so that they would stop lactating, then they cut off the supply and charged the mothers ridiculous prices so they could continue nourishing their babies.

They made it cost money and limit the rates in which such paid messages can be posted.

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