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by Veen 2746 days ago
> I think in terms of the internet, you get what you pay for.

I'm coming round to this perspective. After years of reading "free" news sources I decided to experiment with paid sources. I subscribed to the Times (UK newspaper) and the Economist. The difference in content-quality and design is immense. I particularly like the Times's website compared to the Guardian and other free online newspapers.

As an example, the Times publishes stories in daily editions, much like a traditional newspaper. They may be updated throughout the day, but, as a paywalled publication, there is no pressure on it to publish a constant stream of hot takes and low-grade commentary (as you find in The Guardian) throughout the day to get eyeballs on adverts.
2 comments
0x445442 2746 days ago
It was apparent to me a long time ago that most of the web was just a massive direct marketing platform. At the moment I pay for email and news but I expect the set of information and resources I pay for in the future will expand.

However, paying for news doesn't really solve the "fake news" issue as fake is in the eye of the beholder.

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Mindwipe 2746 days ago
You're kidding right?

The Times is nothing but poorly researched clickbait or got take opinion columns preying to the bosses of its readership.

I think you can find high quality paywall content (the FT for example), but yeesh, those are very, very bad examples.

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Veen 2746 days ago
> poorly researched clickbait or got take opinion columns

Sounds more like the Guardian than the Times. Why would the Times need to publish clickbait? Its articles are behind a paywall and it doesn't have advertising?

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Mindwipe 2744 days ago
It certainly does have advertising - it's comment is written for the print version, and readers can still read two articles a month (with advertising) without subscribing.

It has the ill researched bigotry from the likes of Janice Turner whipping up populist hatred of sexual minorities, and a series of impossibly bad technology reporting echoing the lobby lines of the current government based on nothing more than a vendetta against online companies for business reasons.

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