micropayments and sports journalism

[fishwrapper]

To pay it, or to whom?

 

[RickStain]

To pay it, or to whom?

To pay it.

"Hi, I'm representing all the newspapers in the country. We'd like you to pay us $1 for each of your customers."

"No."

Now what?

 

[fishwrapper]

And, on the specific issue of "micro" or "burst" or "a la carte" payments, read this piece by Michael Kinsley, "You Can't Sell News by the Slice."

It pretty much puts the debate to rest. If the numbers don't work for the NY Times, where would it work?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/opinion/10kinsley.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=michael%20kinsley&st=cse

 

[fishwrapper]

To pay it, or to whom?

To pay it.

"Hi, I'm representing all the newspapers in the country. We'd like you to pay us $1 for each of your customers."

"No."

Now what?

That's not quite how taxes are levied.

 

[RickStain]

To pay it, or to whom?

To pay it.

"Hi, I'm representing all the newspapers in the country. We'd like you to pay us $1 for each of your customers."

"No."

Now what?

That's not quite how taxes are levied.

Okay, a tax then.

I guess if you get the government to hold people up at gunpoint and give you money, that works.

There's a lot of problems, first and foremost that you are now beholden to the government for your continued existence, but I guess it actually works from a revenue standpoint.

 

[fishwrapper]

I'm not saying it is right or wrong.
Professionally, I would love it. As a citizen, it would give me cause for concern. But, it is a viable option available. No other model -- no other currently being discussed -- is viable.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Until you guys get over your issues with story comments, you're just going to keep digging the hole deeper.

"Issues"?

That is the easiest way to make money right now.

People's egos won't allow them to be silent on a story that spawns mass discussion.

How many people would drop off this site if it charged $5 a month?

Are you kidding? There are enough places to bench about stuff for free. Making people pay to comment is not a solution.

But you go ahead and try it, if you like. I'll be over there with my partner, waiting for you to buy our business model.

You absolutely need firebrand columnists to make it happen.

But, no, I wouldn't go somewhere else. I would pay to stay with the crew.

 

[Pendleton]

I thought this thread title referred to the salaries journalists would be getting soon

 

[AMacIsaac]

Until you guys get over your issues with story comments, you're just going to keep digging the hole deeper.

"Issues"?

That is the easiest way to make money right now.

People's egos won't allow them to be silent on a story that spawns mass discussion.

How many people would drop off this site if it charged $5 a month?

Are you kidding? There are enough places to bench about stuff for free. Making people pay to comment is not a solution.

But you go ahead and try it, if you like. I'll be over there with my partner, waiting for you to buy our business model.

You absolutely need firebrand columnists to make it happen.

But, no, I wouldn't go somewhere else. I would pay to stay with the crew.

There's one of your biggest problems. You define your business model by what you, a journalist, would do.

Not by what a reader would do.

 

[mustangj17]

Don't charge for the content. Charge for the ability to comment. Give each IP address 1 freebie per week, then charge them a quarter apiece after that.

Won't make anyone rich, but it'll get rid of some of the assholes.

Great idea! Except screw giving them one free one. Charge them $0.99 for the first 250 characters, $.01 for each additional character.

What if SportsJournalists.com started charging ass holes for comments? Man some people would be screwed on here.

 

[AMacIsaac]

Don't charge for the content. Charge for the ability to comment. Give each IP address 1 freebie per week, then charge them a quarter apiece after that.

Won't make anyone rich, but it'll get rid of some of the assholes.

Great idea! Except screw giving them one free one. Charge them $0.99 for the first 250 characters, $.01 for each additional character.

What if SportsJournalists.com started charging ass holes for comments? Man some people would be screwed on here.

Moddy could retire.

 

[RickStain]

Don't charge for the content. Charge for the ability to comment. Give each IP address 1 freebie per week, then charge them a quarter apiece after that.

Won't make anyone rich, but it'll get rid of some of the assholes.

Great idea! Except screw giving them one free one. Charge them $0.99 for the first 250 characters, $.01 for each additional character.

What if SportsJournalists.com started charging ass holes for comments? Man some people would be screwed on here.

This asshole, along with all the rest, would just go find somewhere else to be an asshole. That's the beauty and the horror of the internet.