Okay, I realize that complaining about pricing makes little sense, but $150/month for the "full" course, with the free option labelled as a simple "textbook"?

That changes the mooc positionning somewhat. In my case (student) I would not take the full course.

Seems that Coursera is doing something right in that respect: you can get a verified certificate for $49, or pay to get a capstone project graded individually. You also get to complete a substantial part of the course before committing to a certificate. That brings value to individual students while keeping the price affordable.

/end of pointless rant