Sign of The Times

[ewx]

The Times are going to start charging for access to their online newspaper shortly. (This includes the Sunday Times.) The cost will be £1 for 24 hours or £2 for a week.

[Poll #1569396]

Comments

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. I rarely do read, but I'd be happy to pay something in recompense for browsing even a couple of articles (assuming I actually think they'd be useful -- if I don't then I obviously wouldn't), even though a few years ago I probably wouldn't, being still of a "poor student" mindset.

However, I'm not really fond of the model (although I admit there may not be one which appeals better to my preferences).

[(Anonymous)]

That looks like very mild outrage to me, but maybe I'm misinterpreting 'I'm not really fond of the model'.

S.

[grendelyn.livejournal.com]

I don't think that's outrage, and I don't like the model either, both from a user and a business perspective.

For example, I happily pay about $150 a year for full access to the Wall Street Journal. If I had to pay every time I wanted to look at an article or access a chart, I doubt I'd be bothered to go through the hassle of paying for it. Unless they have some
system of payment that doesn't require you to get out your credit card every time, I don't think people will go for it. Even using paypal, it's still several page views before you get your information.

It's got to be more of an iTunes model, where you can purchase with one click once you activate your account.

[(Anonymous)]

It looks to me like you can set up a subscription account (for £2 per week) that does indeed mean you don't have to get out your credit card every time.

Do you like the model now?

S.

[grendelyn.livejournal.com]

Yes, if one decides to subscribe and can do it on an ongoing basis/by direct debit, then that makes a lot of sense. (I took it at first as a one week subscription, as opposed to a weekly paid subscription.) I also realize that the UK market is much more used to this model than the US would be, so it's partially my own prejudice to prefer a longer subscription time.

It could go either way for the paper. If they get a critical mass of subscribers, then great. I would be very interested to see their market research and how they came up with the one day pass idea. It makes sense logically but I wonder how their page view numbers will go, and how that will effect advertising revenues. Most other papers that charge allow some articles for free or only charge for special services. We'll see what happens.

[tigerfort.livejournal.com]

I'm not really fond of cabbage; that doesn't mean I'm outraged by it, even a tiny bit. I haven't seen anyone here being outraged, they're just saying that they don't regard the Times Online as worth the money/effort.