I am irked me about Pay me for my Content. I am irked because while he might be making some good points about creators not getting paid, and he might have some points about how advertising isn't the answer- but he has no real suggestions for what could be a solution.
If you want to be part of the solution, perhaps come up with some suggestions as to what could be done to rectify the situation?
Now, advertising more isn't the answer. I doubt there's hardly anyone left out there who will still click on ads anymore, and we've trained ourselves to ignore them while we explore the interwebs. Perhaps subscription fees for certain products could be successful, but oftentimes they just make viewers annoyed, because they can simply find the content elsewhere.
However, I think there is a group of people out there who have the right idea, and they are webcomic creators. At face value, they seem to be giving their content away for free- but are they really? Many webcomics have areas in which you can donate to them, which many people (including myself from time to time) have done. Another option they use is to create special content for people who donate, or subscribe. For some, special desktop wallpapers for your computer, others, such as PvP, have a fan club that someone can join for a small monthly fee, which then gives the subscriber access to special content, such a videos, and applications. Webcomic creators also try to connect and interact with their readers, by going to conventions, and selling sketches and products.
At face value, they're giving away their content for free. But they have an array of pay-to-see options that extend their content. Most profitable ones sell tshirts, hard copies of their comments, figurines, and the like. Perhaps a similar business model could be modified and applied to journalism, giving the basic content for free, while enticing the reader with more deluxe options.
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