The TimesSelect Toolbar just ate my first draft of this post — more specifically, an inadvertant click of the Save to Times File button — but I’m going to try not to let that get in the way.
Wooing subscribers: Times execs knew last week the home-subscriber sign-up process for TimesSelect was flawed. They added a last-minute toll-free number and tried to make it easier but the potential for confusion between the registration needed to see Times content and the home subscription online process is still too great. (via Scripting News) Making life difficult for the subscribers who can get the service without oaying extra is like skipping the low-hanging fruit in favor of using a rickety ladder. On the plus side, the company is offering a 14-day free trial.
Tools: The aforemention toolbar has six different site and web searches, drop-down choices for various Times and TimesSelect pages, and a “save to Times File” button. The latter allows users to save pages from anywhere on the web to a central location and to organize them. A social network element — sharing the file — is slated for later. I haven’t tried the archive yet; I don’t want to use up one of my 100 articles for the month. TimesSelect has its own staging page.
The content The 22 columnists are moving from a mostly flat online presence to multidimensional, adding features and enhancing reader access in some cases. (So far. Maureen Dowd appears to be taking the minimalist approach.) Hard to gauge yet. Meanwhile, enterprising readers still can find free access ro some columns.
React: No one should be surprised that much of the reaction is negative and centers on the columnists. I expect a little more dismay later this week when people realize the Sunday previews are available only to TimesSelect subs. But Jon Garfunkel responded to an OJR request for predictions about the date the Times would give up with a contrarian view: “‘I’m absolutely delighted to have TimesSelect. I’m a paid subscriber, and I’m happy to have that relationship recognized. I like having more access to the archives now.”
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