NYT Pay Per View Articles -- A Terrible Idea

John posted below about the New York Times' decision to start charging for online access to sections of the paper. Here's my two cents.

I think the NYT decision to start charging for certain sections of the paper is a terrible idea -- and not just because they serve a public function and it would be noble, blah blah blah. Billions of dollars are flowing into Internet ads. The New York Times is making money off of that. And what's happening online? Literally millions of blogs are DRIVING TRAFFIC to the websites of the major newspapers. Traffic at the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times and more must be through the roof. Literally MILLIONS of people are likely to see a NYT article trumpted by the blogs (or simply accessed by people with internet access overseas) than ever before in history.

The NYT -- without any effort on its part -- is gaining a massive new audience, a ton of eyeballs either going to or being urged to go to its website. If they can't make money off of that, they don't deserve to stay in business. And erecting a wall to keep out all the people you could be exposing to ads and making money off of is just stupid. It makes sense for the Wall Street Journal and its very select, wealthy readership. It makes absolutely no sense for a mainstream newspaper like the NYT.

The notice also mentioned they'll be making their ENTIRE ARCHIVE available...to people who subscribe. Again, old articles are gathering dust on library shelves and anyone can check them out for free. Now the NYT can cleverly leverage that remarkable database and GET MORE READERS to come to its website and make money off that increased traffic via web ads. They make virtually NOTHING off those articles that are decades old but imagine how often they could link to them from current articles or simply make them available and watch bloggers and students and the curious explore that database and get exposed to ads again and again and again. How shortsighted and stupid can the Grey Lady be? Very stupid, apparently.