Bowler Hat alumnus Cassie Richoux has written up a nice op-ed piece regarding … well … e-books, young adults, and piracy.

I personally think that the ease of pirating makes ebooks far more dangerous to traditional publishing than the idea that “paper books will go extinct.” Many of us like reading a paper book more than one on a screen, but if the one on the screen is “free” and the paper one is still costing us $10, its easy to see why some people would give in to temptation. Especially poor teens or those who live in other countries.   [More at Bookwyrm Chrasylis] 

Cassie makes several good arguments that challenge my own view that free books and previews on the Web is a great way to introduce new material to an audience.

What do you think? Are free books on the Web a good thing? If you enjoyed a book for free online, would you still consider purchasing a physical edition of the book for yourself or a friend?