A pox on premium content

摘要

It's a pattern we've seen over and over again--and sometimes we're guilty of perpetuating it ourselves: a Web-based content provider, after having provided quality content for free, makes the decision to bolster declining ad revenues by charging for stepped up "premium" content. Suddenly, detractors leap out of the woodwork. It's analogous to a Hollywood scandal. Humiliating shortfalls in revenue are dug up, lavish parties and office space are derided in hindsight, shareholder bickering is exposed. But above all, the very idea that a company can start charging for product that was once free is a definite career-ender. Never gonna work. Where does this behavior come from? Purists may claim allegiance to a democratized Internet philosophy where everything should be free and open and Corporate America should keep its dirty hands off it. But very few of us could actually prove we really belong in that camp. The easily offended, or perhaps just cheap, may be hurt that they will have to pay for something that they've actually been quite lucky to be getting for free. But if the content business keeps going in the same direction, these folks won't have much choice. Lastly, there's the ignorant. A group that sadly thinks they'll simply go elsewhere and find the same free stuff. Options will quickly run out for them, too. So maybe pundits are just angry that content sites are beginning to branch off into different money-making strategies at the expense of their wallets. What's that cycle you learn in Psych 101? Denial, anger, fear, acceptance? Perhaps some folks are in the anger stage. Salon is a perfect example. That was never given a chance, though last I checked, the site was still there. Yahoo! is another more recent example. The search directory giant is an interesting target. The more precipitous the fall, the better.And Yahoo! was about as high-flying as they get--and still not too shabby by today's standards.