New York Times Makes Itself Irrelevant

[MADem]

The New York Times Announces TimesSelect - New Online Offering to Launch in September (AT FIFTY BUCKS A YEAR!!!!!)

They even provide us with a handy list of all the crap we can NO LONGER LINK to, or even read, without coughing up:

TimesSelect's features include:

-- Special Voices - Access to some of the most influential and
insightful voices today, including David Brooks, Maureen Dowd,
Tom Friedman, Bob Herbert, Nicholas Kristof, Paul Krugman,
Frank Rich, John Tierney, Dave Anderson, Peter Applebome,
Harvey Araton, Dan Barry, Clyde Haberman, Gretchen Morgenson,
Joe Nocera, Floyd Norris, Joyce Purnick, William Rhoden,
Selena Roberts, George Vescey, Roger Cohen, and John Vinocur.

-- TimesPast - Easy and in-depth access to The Times's extensive
archives.

-- Exclusive Multi-Media - Unique features for TimesSelect
subscribers including audio and photo essays, video and
podcasts.

-- TimesFile - A new tool that helps readers tag and organize
articles from The Times.

-- Ahead of The Times - A first look at articles that will appear
in sections such as Real Estate, The New York Times Magazine,
Travel and Sunday Arts.

-- TimesNewstracker - An e-mail alert that enables readers to
track news important to them. This successful product is
currently sold separately but will be included as part of this
new suite of benefits.

Well, screw them, I reckon! Off to the blogs!! Arianna Huffington picked a good time to launch her little effort!


http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=NYT&script=411&layout=-6&item_id=710365

[bklyncowgirl]

1. My library pays big bucks for Times back issues--maybe yours does too

We subscribe to Proquest's historical NYT (PDF format going back to the 1800s up to two years ago--absolutely one of the coolest databases around) We also get their current service which goes covers the interrum. If I can't get my Krugman, MoDo and Herbert fix for free on their website I'll just get 'em a day late from the library.

Check it out, lots of libraries have replaced microfilm NYT with the online service. Maybe yours is one of them.

It still sucks that they're doing this but there are alternatives.