Something for nothing?

Tell me this: How can I be a part of FaceBook and now the blogosphere without paying for the privilege?
It seems like something for nothing. Surely there's a catch. Are the host sites secretly sucking away my identity??? I haven't seen evidence of that.
One thing I've already discovered about blogging is that I don't feel as if I have to find all the answers before I post something. As a newspaper writer (and even an editor), I hated to let anything go until I felt as much research as possible had been done and the information or stories were being presented as accurately and completely as possible.
Here, I feel more free to muse and wonder. But I won't be surprised if it also inspires me to search for answers to some of the questions I raise.