Paying for On-line Argus

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

I don't know if it's too steep or not...I just said it SEEMS steep to me, but like I said, I'm sure they didn't just throw a number out there...I'm sure they did some research to see what the "going rate" is.

Even so, going rate or note, as cheap as I am, it seems steep to me.

It's 2 drinks and a tip at a bar. It's 2 pops and 2 popcorns at an SDSU basketball game. Per month.

That's not bad at all.

[goon]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

Paying 100 bucks a year for something that use to be free seems steep to me. At the end of a year I could find a better use then reading the paper online.

[mango4]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

Paying 100 bucks a year for something that use to be free seems steep to me. At the end of a year I could find a better use then reading the paper online.

It never should have been free in the first place. It was handled incorrectly from the get go. My understanding that a lot of ESPN.com content is going to go way of ESPNInsider sometime soon.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

Not many people are going to like this but -- it's about time newspapers start requiring people to pay for the online content.

Seriously, $9 a month is too steep? How? You get everything that is in the paper, the only thing you don't get is the hard copy that you get to hold in your hands, in addition to videos, photo galleries, blogs and what have you. That's a lot of content for $9 a month

Newspaper have been dying because of the Internet and not being ahead of the curve and requiring people to pay right away, it's about time the fight back.

++++

I agree with you. It's either make people pay for it or the Argus won't be able to afford to be around very much longer. I'll be buying a subscription for Jackrabbit content.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

I'm torn on this... on one hand, I can understand this. After all, newspaper sales are down across the nation and I have several friends, colleagues and family members that work in that business. And I'd sure hate to have them lose their jobs.

But at the same time, if I'm going to shell-out hard-earned money, I better be getting something good for my money (better writing, no typos, and NO POP-UPS).

By the way, my radio station doesn't charge for readers to read stories on its website.

[Prairiehaas]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

If the Argus can make an online suscription model profitable they'll have accomplished something rare. It is very difficult to have people pay for something that can be had for free elsewhere. Such is the conundrum of the information based economic model.

[BTownJack]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

This isn't just the Argus Learder...it's the Gannett Company who owns the Argus and I'm sure MANY other papers around the region/country. I'm willing to bet all the papers the Gannett company owns is making this same move. I can't say for sure but I'd bet they are. Hopefully if Gannett was smart they would be rolling this out in conjunction with other mass media outlets.

I agree...getting their content for free online only sets them up for failure. Papers should have done this a long time ago! It is no wonder they are struggling - anyone could have figured that out a long, long time ago!

[goon]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

It never should have been free in the first place. It was handled incorrectly from the get go. My understanding that a lot of ESPN.com content is going to go way of ESPNInsider sometime soon.

Probably should not have been free but I would guess that a lot of people who read it now won't which means if I can't read it I can't be subjected to the adds that people pay to have me read when I am there. If it made it faster paying and got rid of the pop up adds it would probably be worth it.

[NebraskaJack]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

I don't know anything of the Argus situation, but it makes me think. If they are losing money like most newspapers and they don't charge for online or get more online advertisers eventually they will have to cut expenses. I would hate to think that someone like a Terry V. could be a potential casualty. He is the only reason I go to Argusleader.com, but something tells me that all newspapers will be forced to make tougher choices as time goes along.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

Actually started out as a j-school major in the cambrian period. Took two courses from Paul Jess, who was probably one of the top ten instructors I ever had. Remember three things from the early sixties.

1. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was a top five paper--- certainly not the case any more. Owned by the same company and about the same quality as the Rapid City Journal. Maybe it would have stayed better if I'd kept paying for it.

2. Real newspapers had no connection between the writing and advertising side. Elevators should even be separated. Think quite a bit of journalistic ethics have certainly come under fire.

3. Newspapers, including newsprint, cost more to print and distribute than the selling price and relied on advertising, not copy sales to make money. That's where the pay model for e-press brings questions. When I decided to get my unemployed step-son a prepaid cell phone and several months of service, the Argus knew that and Google made every look and advertising peak for prepaid wireless. I also get lots of St. Louis specific advertisements, something I wouldn't get if I subscribed to the newsprint edition. Certainly there has to be a way to work on this model rather than throwing out. On the other hand, one of the Post Dispatch's Pulitzer prize winners got too rich for the Post and is now in Chicago.

I blog on Tumblr myself and can subscribe to each of the Argus's blogs, including Terry, on Tumblr. Like Twitter with extra room to express yourself and easy to re-Tumbl, although the subject of my blog, Old Pissed LiBEARian doesn't lend itself to it.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

See that KELO-TV is running a chat during the womens' game tonight. Can't tell me that's not related to the Argus pay decision.

[bigticket1]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

See that KELO-TV is running a chat during the womens' game tonight. Can't tell me that's not related to the Argus pay decision.

I would be surprised if KELO does this on a regular basis. I don't think they have the manpower in the sports department - plus if they do it for SDSU,they would have to do it for USD,Augie,etc... TV was asked tonight if live chats would count towards the 10 freebies per month,and he wasn't sure,but didn't think they would.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

See that KELO-TV is running a chat during the womens' game tonight. Can't tell me that's not related to the Argus pay decision.

They did it a couple times last year for sure. So it's likely not related to the Argus' decision.

I wonder if we will still be able to access TV's blog since it's not on the Argus website?

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

If you set up a Tumblr account you get it sent to you with all your other -Tumblogs. Fastest growing social media. Of course the Argus could use another blotting platform. Don't think their news blogs are Tumblr.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: Paying for On-line Argus

Love Tumblr. You can customize so many things and it's a great way to keep up with different blogs.