So much information is available for free on the web that you might think it a waste of money to pay for access to a site. But there are reasons that, in some instances, it might be worth your while.
Imagine that you are a newsstand owner. You have one customer who comes to the stand every day, picks a newspaper from the pile, reads it from cover to cover, then replaces it and leaves the shop without a word. Sooner or later you would be bound to tell the customer to stop doing it, that if he wants to read a paper, then he should buy one and take it away. If your favorite news provider announces that it is going to start charging readers to access its content, then it’s up to you to decide whether you are prepared to pay. There are some questions you might like to ask yourself:
• Can I get the same information for free elsewhere? For example, if it is sports news you are after, are there other sites that provide the same breadth of information, and that you could enjoy just as much? If so, you might as well change your allegiance and save the money.
• If you regularly buy the print version of the publication in question, would you theoretically be happy to switch entirely to the digital version? Or would you miss the rustle of your morning paper?
• If you are happy to read your paper online, how many times a week or year would you have to buy the print version to equal the cost of an online subscription? If you buy the paper only once or twice a week, a subscription may not be economical.
• Would the online version of your paper suit the way you use it? Do you read your paper on the train? (If so, you may have to factor in the additional expense of a laptop or tablet unless you already have one.) Do you, say, like to do the crossword? (You might find it’s not quite the same when you have to fill in the answers on-screen.)
• Are there aspects of reading your favorite newspaper online that may be a boon to you, even if you have to pay for the privilege? Say, for example, you have trouble with your eyesight. You could benefit from “accessibility” features that are built into your computer, such as the ability to increase the size of type.
—and the clip will launch in your browser.