You don’t get something for nothing
You can’t have freedom for free
Lyrics © Neil Peart
My son bought a Blackberry Tablet from Curry’s a few weeks ago. Included in the sale was a three month trial subscription for The Times. This was of no use to him so I grabbed the prize. I’m not sure if anyone here is a Times+ subscriber but I’m sure most of the UK Charioteers will have bought a copy of the newspaper at some time.
The package in the deal includes full access to The Times website and a daily downloaded copy of the whole newspaper to your android (I have a simple Acer). There are other bonuses exclusive to Times+ subscribers but I won’t go in to them here.
I’m getting to the main point now; the thrust of the blog, if you like. There seems to be a number of news and magazine sites that are introducing a pay wall or limited access to their home. The new generation don’t have the same liking for paper and some older readers are “genned” up in the digital age which means that producing a paper copy can be unprofitable. I believe the American current affairs magazine Newsweek is available online only. Will there come a day when all newsprint is vanquished?
I hope not, I prefer the paper version. Turning and folding the rustling, creasing pages with big inky fingers, spilling tea on it, drawing moustaches/glasses on random figures and finally, shaping and constructing elaborate paper planes to fire at hostile family members. Great fun these newspapers, one of these days I might get round to reading one.
Boadicea's Chariot 