You have a point, but there may be other valid reasons.
In business, sometimes you want "also-runs" to avoid the appearance of monopoly. Google may like "diversity" or the appearance of such, like most colleges and universities do.
Good software is often offered for free use (at least initially) to test customer needs, responses and gain improvement tips.
Sure, it could be a scam but the contrary is not impossible.
Which boards? I'll check them out and tell you what I think.
