The Price of Information
If I subscribed to every email newsletter and information service that was offered me, there would not be enough time to read them all.
So when a newsletter offer appears in my in box, which frequently happens, I give it only the briefest of consideration before pressing delete. Last week, however, I paused long enough to give one such solicitation serious consideration.
As a magazine publisher, a newsletter about publishing seemed worthy. I looked at the sample issue. It was a PDF file of 8 pages in length. Eight pages is a bit too much to read online, yet I dislike printing a document merely for the sake of portability and convenience.
I scanned the contents. One article was of great interest and a second of passing appeal. Perhaps, I considered, this newsletter might be worthy of my time. I clicked on the "subscribe" link and was shocked with what I saw. It was not a free publication, but one with a cost - $945. Not 9 dollars and 45 cents, but nine hundred and forty-five dollars! When I assumed it was free, I was mildly engaged, but at $945 I was appallingly disinterested.
How can someone have the audacity to charge for news that is freely and readily available? What impudence.
Yes, information does have its price, but unless it's unique or protected, the appropriate price in today's information ladened society approaches zero.
So when a newsletter offer appears in my in box, which frequently happens, I give it only the briefest of consideration before pressing delete. Last week, however, I paused long enough to give one such solicitation serious consideration.
As a magazine publisher, a newsletter about publishing seemed worthy. I looked at the sample issue. It was a PDF file of 8 pages in length. Eight pages is a bit too much to read online, yet I dislike printing a document merely for the sake of portability and convenience.
I scanned the contents. One article was of great interest and a second of passing appeal. Perhaps, I considered, this newsletter might be worthy of my time. I clicked on the "subscribe" link and was shocked with what I saw. It was not a free publication, but one with a cost - $945. Not 9 dollars and 45 cents, but nine hundred and forty-five dollars! When I assumed it was free, I was mildly engaged, but at $945 I was appallingly disinterested.
How can someone have the audacity to charge for news that is freely and readily available? What impudence.
Yes, information does have its price, but unless it's unique or protected, the appropriate price in today's information ladened society approaches zero.
Posted by Peter DeHaan at 3/19/2008 6:34 PM 
Categories: Publishing, Marketing, Financial
Tags: magazine subscription costs Peter DeHaan blog author Peter DeHaan Peter DeHaan Musings Musings of Peter DeHaan
Categories: Publishing, Marketing, Financial
Tags: magazine subscription costs Peter DeHaan blog author Peter DeHaan Peter DeHaan Musings Musings of Peter DeHaan
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