I think the issue of search being free greatly depends on who is providing the content / doing the work. If the links are provided by the public than yeah it should be free, but if the links are provided by a singular entity who had to do the work then the question is did they provide you a service and what is it worth to you? I would argue the core issue is less a monetary issue and more a public domain vs corporate ownership issue. We need a publicly owned web search so that the ethics involved with using said search can be better enforced.
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Thoughts on Kagi? It's a paid product which slows down network effects. However, I'd argue search being "free" is part of the problem.
I think the issue of search being free greatly depends on who is providing the content / doing the work. If the links are provided by the public than yeah it should be free, but if the links are provided by a singular entity who had to do the work then the question is did they provide you a service and what is it worth to you? I would argue the core issue is less a monetary issue and more a public domain vs corporate ownership issue. We need a publicly owned web search so that the ethics involved with using said search can be better enforced.