Journalism Topic
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Subscriptions & Registration
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New York Times free again
The New York Times is dropping its online paid-subscription plan two years after launching it (and four after The Globe and Mail launched the model The Times used). The spin is the online advertising boom change the rules of the game. However, advertising revenue would be a pittance compared to the potential revenue generated through annual subscriptions. -
The New York Times flirts with paid subscriptions
Rumour has it that the The New York Times is planning on doing what The Globe and Mail did (partially) four months ago: introduce a subscription fee to read it online. Unlike here in Canada, the critics are quite vocal. -
Bye-bye BugMeNot
Well, it was bound to happen: BugMeNot has vanished from the Web, apparently ending the first big public attempt to circumvent online registration walls. MetaFilter has some eulogies and speculation. -
Links, links, and more links
Since I’m getting a bit hammered at work by projects whose deadlines conflict with my planned escape paddling the near north, posting will be of sporadic frequency, and like this entry, quality. -
Willingness to get personalized
A “personalization technology platform provider” recently surveyed some Americans and found that a large majority wanted personalized content online. Not surprisingly, their desire dropped when asked if they’d be willing to supply information about their preferences. When asked about supplying demographic data, interest dropped even more. -
Registration pro and con
Registration is a buzzworthy topic these days, and there’s some fresh evidence for and against it. -
Ironically, it bugs me not
In a delicious blend of irony and self-protection, BugMeNot requires registration for people who “are an employee, partner, affiliate or legal representative of any site which enforces compulsory user registration.” The form itself is model registration form -
Securing registration
Another note on registration: DeWayne Lehman mentioned on online-news, in a detailed post, the extreme weakness of most registration systems. Few newspaper sites do the following: -
Adding value to registration
A passionate thread within the online-news list has encouraged two co-workers to post their well-informed responses on their personal sites. Adrian Holovaty talks about how registration isn’t adding value and Simon Willison explains why BugMeNot is not the bad guy. (I’ve also thrown my somewhat restricted thoughts on this inevitable trend online.) -
Registering your voice
As more and more new sites move toward registration, who really benefits? -
Registration doubts
As the wave of registration-only Web sites roll forward, questions about registration’s benefits are seeping into the mainstream -
Meet Sympatico/MSN, register at the Globe
The Canadian Web is changing: Sympatico is MSN and get ready to register at the Globe and Mail’s sites -
Getting them to register and pay
With so many sites considering registrations and subscriptions (Reuters business news is the latest), it’s worth heeding some tips for getting users to pay and remember why they would even want to. I wished CBS MarketWatch followed some that advice as I was forced to register in an error-inducing process just to read a piece on MSNBC -
Shutting the gates
Online newspapers are rushing to set-up registration systems, but at what cost? -
Google Deskbar; reasons against registration; cross-ownership in the media
For those who can’t get enough Google, there’s now a tool to search the engine, browser-free, via the Windows toolbar. Pretty clever. -
Toronto Star doing registration; new media type proposed; invalid mayours
Here comes the predicted changes: the Toronto Star looks like it will be implementing registration on its site — it will be using Tacoda Systems’ Web audience management and the new registration system. -
Was Wired right? Analyzing canada.com’s subscriptions
Some quick hits: -
CanWest’s subscriptions; new WebDesign-L policies; interviewing Clark
CanWest has unveiled its some details about its subscriptions for canada.com, although there’s no obvious mention of the changes on the site. The news portal will become a pay-to-view site next Monday, with four planned levels: -
CanWest embraces registration
This should be interesting: in an effort to stem the losses from the National Post, the brain trust at CanWest Global is moving to a “a paid subscription model in November for the online versions of its [eleven] newspapers” now found on canada.com. -
OJR supports Mozilla; Amazon selling subscriptions?
OJR has finally — I sent my first note to them last June — fixed it’s style sheets to properly support Gecko-based browsers. Unfortunately, on its blog, they still see the browser as Netscape 4.x and as a result serve an empty file. Were Mozilla to get the same CSS the site serves to IE, everything would be fine. Maybe it will get fixed, after all, I only mentioned it to them last October… -
HomeSite update; sins of free content
For those who still use (and love) HomeSite, deep within Macromedia’s site is an update for version 5 the Dreamweaver MX version. HomeSite+ 5.2 offers an improved spell-check and search highlighting, customization of the toolbars, as well as some minor XHTML problems. And two of my big pet peeves are fixed: convert tag case no longer converts the DOCTYPE and files now preview properly with Mozilla. -
CSS filters; better headings; WSJ stable
Kevin Smith has done a tremendous amount of organizational work to clarify where all the various CSS “hacks” work. While other sites are listed from it, his CSS Filters page will likely become my one-stop hack shop. -
CNN charging for video
With every new announcement, the sense of inevitability grows stronger. Yahoo is considering charging for content, and CNN is ready to do the same. -
Slashdot subscriptions
This is it. Slashdot.org has decided to do the subscription-thing, and as expected from the site, its a unique system. Instead of a flat monthly or annual fee, subscribers pay US$5 to read 1,000 pages. -
Paying for content
Looks as though 2002 will be the year the free-ride ends and people begin paying for content. The list of sites moving toward a pay-model are numerous. Most are doing so by offering a teaser of free content, and charging for the good stuff. -
Newspaper subscriptions
Following on the heels of a study saying Canadian news sites lost ground to CNN post-September 11, The Globe and Mail reports the Winnipeg Free Press is moving to a pay model. -
Subscriptions might just work
If the right kind of sites adopt them. -
Salon as syndicator
Egad. The plan behind the rumoured hostile takeover bid for Salon.com seems downright loopy. The 24-year-old spearheading the plan (who ran his own syndication company for two years until it folded last year) believes he can make Salon (SALN:Nasdaq) profitable in 30 days thanks to its brand and traffic. -
Big ads and subscription
Salon.com’s made what could be a bold step. By