Taking on pay web-content

On CNN.com I read the following earlier today

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The New York Times announced "digital subscriptions" on Thursday, revealing the long-awaited details of its paywall plan. Starting March 28, non-subscribers will be able to read only 20 online articles for free each month.

Home delivery subscribers can continue to access online and app content for free. Non-subscribers can choose from three packages: $15 per month for Web access and smartphone content; $20 for Web plus access to the Times iPad app; and $35 for Web, tablet and smartphone access

 

Now I'm not one who believes all internet content should be free but realize that a lot of content is now free so they must know they could seriously get hammered to their hits.   I realize that the Journal charges for their content but it's about the only place I know where this model has worked so far.. look at the porn industry, they are giving it all away for free...and some.  

Anyway the CNN article does go on to say that you can get around the 20 free articles when clicking on a links posted on social-networking sites so the 20 articles per month is not a hard limit as long as you don't actually go-to NYTimes.com

TOR has the following observations

·         The monthly cost seems steep.. not sure how you go from free to a minimum of $15 per month in one day.    I'd think they'd stick their toe in the water first to see if they can keep their readers and then move up slowly.  I'd have to think that there is a much bigger drop-off of readership by moving from free to $1 than it would be from $1 to $10.   The internet is filled with people who don't believe they should have to pay so getting them to take out their wallet might be the biggest step

·         It's pretty sad to note that the first time I read about this was on CNN since I get most of my news today from the Times and I have yet to see a real article about this… the only real mention I saw of it was when it was mentioned by the Public Editor in response to this very criticism.

·         This whole concept of a wall with a back-door seems ridiculous.. how long before a webpage is set up where people just post links to every article in the Times?   Won't be long that's for sure..  hell why don't I set this up, sell ad-space and make more on the Times than the Times will..