"Premium" service won't work (was: Question for Clay and others)

[Russell Turpin]

In my opinion, Web publications will not survive on the model
of charging for premium service. Salon is now trying this,
practically begging its readers to pay up for a premium
service that exclusively serves some of its juicier articles
and graphics. I'm a big fan of Salon. I read it every day.
But what am I supposed to do? Give my credit card to them,
Slashdot, and three or four other Web publications? Thanks,
but no. That's too many charges to track and manage.

I'd be happy to pay $40 a year to subsidize my favorite Web
publications. But not $10 four times. In other words, it's
the hassle, not the money. There's a big play for anyone who
can figure out how to eliminate the friction. And for
consumers, it has to eliminate the friction for *all* the
premium content for which they pay. Until then, I think
individual publications are spinning their wheels trying to
come up with a pay model.

Russell

PS: Rudy, this was a FoRK thread, right?

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