March 23 2007

As a nation, in fact across Western Culture, we have come to expect more and more for less and less.

The thought struck me twice yesterday, the second time was on arriving home to find all the neighbours in the street and up in arms as the house across the road had been burgled in broad daylight.

Two men in their early 20s had fancied a couple of large flat-screen televisions and hadn't fancied paying for them, so they popped into someone else's home and helped themsleves, also doing a bit of impulse shopping and picking up a PS2, some games and some jewellery. All this at 2.30pm as the neighbours were watching. Of course they were supicious, and of course they approached the men and took down the car registration so the two may not keep hold of the gear as long as they had hoped. Everyone wants something for nothing.

A similar thought had occurred to me earlier in the day, pondering on how the hi-tech Internet had regressed us all to a free-love, free world, pre-tech 1960s. Admittedly, the thought occurred while sat in a dimly lit cafe listening to reggae munching an organic cheese and ham toastie and banana smoothie in the middle of Totnes, but that's not the point.

The reason for this thought? As newspapers across the country begin to focus increasingly on the Internet, the company accountants are looking at how they can make money from a platform that traditionally gives everything away.

Since its inception content online has been free, and we as users expect it to remain free. As soon as someone tries to charge us for something, we go elsewhere.

Newspapers in various places have tried to run subscription services, and have found just handfuls of people signing up, while the masses go elsewhere to get their content for free.

It doesn't stop those accounts and sales types trying to squeeze the extra penny out of users when they can. And why not, newspapers are, on one very important level, a business, and businesses have to make money.

Some newspapers will offer the content for free, and then offer premium services on top which you pay for, but again it doesn't seem to generate a huge deal of interest. Every day we here at thisisplymouth look at what services we can bring you, some go looking to see what services they can persuade you to pay for, others go looking to see what services they can bring to improve the site. Hopefully at the end of the day the result is the same, a bigger and better thisisplymouth for all users.

So what is the answer, how can we make money from the net while providing content people will want to keep coming back for, and maybe even pay a little for? Answers on a postcard please. I would pay you but...you know how it is.