Hi all,
What are your opinions on offering free stock photography? does it degrades ones self as a photographer, or the community efforts as a whole?
I started my site newbielink:http://texture-city.com [nonactive] to offer my stock textures for free at full resolution, after having less than desirable results at the big micro-stock agencies. I do have ads on the site, although they don't make much.
So is it better to only offer photos for pay?
How much to solo stock sites typically charge for usage or size?

If you can't get your files accepted at the micro agencies (or you can get them accepted but they don't sell), I don't think you'll be doing any harm to those of us who sell images by giving yours away. There are already many sites that do that - give away photos - and by and large the people who use those sites aren't customers for stock images anyway. For those who are, the differences between the free and the paid are sufficient that they pay.

Well, being a forum mostly filled with people who sell stock images for money, I think that's going to be the majority opinion.  I can see giving away the odd photo for promotional purposes, but not giving them all away.  Have you considered setting up a site to sell for a modest fee?   

Answering to your question: yes, it degrades oneself as a photographer. It brings you back to the amateur field.

I would think you'd figure out a way to at least OFFER something for a price on a free site beyond the click-throughs.

1. Photoshop tutoring for a fee
2. Image editing -- customizing/optimizing the free image for a fee
3. CD with all your images for a fee
4. Other of your talents

This could be a future iStock pricing model...

Well I am in the charity business!  I even give pics free of charge to my best competitors, the very thought of charging for pics have never even entered my head.

LOL!