Comments on: Johnston Press dropping its paywall says nothing about the Times’s plans http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/johnston-press-dropping-paywall/ Where to find Malcolm Coles, reviews, and tips on how to do things I couldn't do. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:22:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: James Garner http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/johnston-press-dropping-paywall/#comment-9188 James Garner Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:46:25 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=4250#comment-9188 I agree with your argument that the implementation of pay wall at Johnston Press was so bad that it tells us nothing about anything. However, I still don't believe that a pay wall will work for Murdoch, however well they implement it (and the examples you give are far better!). My view is that this is the wrong solution to increasing the profitability of newspapers, its old traditional thinking and disregards new opportunities for a protectionist philosophy....so how ever well you design and implement and sell your pay wall, it ain't going to work. I agree with your argument that the implementation of pay wall at Johnston Press was so bad that it tells us nothing about anything. However, I still don't believe that a pay wall will work for Murdoch, however well they implement it (and the examples you give are far better!). My view is that this is the wrong solution to increasing the profitability of newspapers, its old traditional thinking and disregards new opportunities for a protectionist philosophy....so how ever well you design and implement and sell your pay wall, it ain't going to work.

]]> By: Malcolm Coles http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/johnston-press-dropping-paywall/#comment-9184 Malcolm Coles Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:13:43 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=4250#comment-9184 True. But I just know people are going to say that JP's paywall didn't work so paywalls can't work (enough people slammed the experiment before it even started). But I think all they've really failed at is elementary web usability and marketing ... that and thinking about what sort of local information people might be willing to pay for. (Not <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=50&q=site:northumberlandgazette.co.uk+cats" rel="nofollow">cats</a>, that's for sure). True. But I just know people are going to say that JP's paywall didn't work so paywalls can't work (enough people slammed the experiment before it even started).

But I think all they've really failed at is elementary web usability and marketing ... that and thinking about what sort of local information people might be willing to pay for. (Not cats, that's for sure).

]]> By: Robert Andrews http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/johnston-press-dropping-paywall/#comment-9183 Robert Andrews Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:03:42 +0000 http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/?p=4250#comment-9183 Not to mention - The Times and the Northumberland Gazette are in entirely different markets. Not to mention - The Times and the Northumberland Gazette are in entirely different markets.

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