Google to limit free news access

[Tunkamerica]

Source: BBC News

Newspaper publishers will now be able to set a limit on the number of free news articles people can read through Google, the company has announced.

The concession follows claims from some media companies that the search engine is profiting from online news pages.

Under the First Click Free programme, publishers can now prevent unrestricted access to subscription websites.

Users who click on more than five articles in a day may be routed to payment or registration pages.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8389896.stm

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Not sure if this is worldwide, since this is the BBC... but I'm assuming it is. I guess Murdoch does have some pull.

[sudopod]

1. Their loss

lol

[cliffordu]

2. Buh Bye google.

[pam4water]

3. Jaw drop.

[jtrockville]

4. I didn't realize this was new.

Can Google grant me free access to subscription sites now?

[The Straight Story]

8. Yes (nt)

[tuvor]

5. Like it's 1999.

I'd've thought they'd've sorted this sort of thing out by now.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

6. I don't mind little newspapers like my hometown paper in MN

Doing a subscription fee for their archives (if you subscribe to the paper, you get a password and code for the archives). They make the current news free for a week or so... which is fine with me.

Murdoch is wrong in this case... he's just being a baby here. Can't wait for faux news not being on my Google stream!

[Robb]

20. Small papers have exclusive content.

Big papers sometimes say they do, but the little ones actually did cover the elementary school spelling bee.

It remains to be seen if the small ones can survive this.

[Sinti]

7. It's funny as can be

They are going to make people pay for the propaganda... priceless. I wonder how it will all pan out.

[ShamelessHussy]

9. if the m$m is not savvy enough to attract enough eyeballs to generate $$$ e.g. google

via ads, then they probably got an unappealing product on their hands, and this model will only serve to discourage further viewers and therefore exacerbate their problem.

fools

FYI: make sure to clear your google cookies periodically ;>

[tomm2thumbs]

10. he wants to further isolate the fox audience from real news

probably working on a 'FoxNewsoogle' so they can only find links that fit their reading level and belief system

[Marthe48]

23. faux readers would need someone to push their buttons--

more of the same!

[FrenchieCat]

11. So is it Google, or is it Newspaper Publishers doing this?

Newspaper publishers will now be able to set a limit on the number of free news articles people can read through Google.... :shrug:

[Tunkamerica]

13. i believe google is allowing the publishers the option n/t

[eShirl]

17. newspaper publishers

misleading headline, I agree

[sofa king]

12. Unless one deletes one's cookies.

Which isn't terribly difficult to do.

[L0oniX]

21. FireFox could make it so that is automatic rather than having to close the browser.

[boppers]

14. Limit your source to 5 adverts per user.

Gun->Foot->Shoot

[dipsydoodle]

15. Mention of Murdoch is incidental

If you were in the UK you'd know that the issue was covered in our TV news on the subject of our regional newspapers - not with mention of Murdoch.

Hence this para : Earlier this week Johnston Press, the UK's largest regional newspaper publisher, announced plans to to begin charging for access to six of its titles online. The move follows a 42% slump in advertising revenues at the group over the last two years.

Loss of advertising due to online alternatives has been compounded by a general reduction in the level of advertising due to the worldwide financial situation.

If the newspapers go bust there won't be any such news online anyway so maybe its time to be thankful for small mercies.

And BTW - when you go into the BBC page your side do you get adverts priced in US$ ? It's technically illegal for the BBC to advertise so who's skimming ?

[Tunkamerica]

25. The only ad on this page was for a uk company

though it had an American actor and I think an Australian. Capgemini was the name.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

26. Since we live in the UK and already pay for the BBC's access

As a result, we don't get the advertisements, kind of like subscribing to DU and getting rid of the adverts.

I visited America recently and whenever I looked on the BBC there, they had American advertisements. I think it's okay because since Americans don't pay the licencing fees in this country, they pay for access by generating ad revenue for the BBC. As a result, they can look at the videos, etc., things that were previously inaccessible for them.

[Steerpike]

16. Google "Bad"

I try to use Ixquick...there are other search engines too...

[ixion]

18. people who restrict content are only limiting themselves

because there will always be sites out there that offer free news in exchange for your spending time on their domain.

[Frisbee]

19. I get pretty much all of my news from...

DU anyway. :)

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. Someone else will step in and fill the vacuum

[showpan]

24. Has anyone else

had any problems with google lately?

Now when I do a search, I seem to get a large number of results that are opposite of what I'm looking for and then some of the results that I'm interested in, time out, so I have to take the link and open it without going through google. I realize that a lot of right wing sites are using more tags to make them show up, but sometimes I can't even get an honest result anymore and have to use a different approach. This also occurs on searches that I have done in the past (I added most sites to favorites) and know what the results should be. If I go directly to the site itself, I can find what I'm looking for but not through google anymore, which is how I found them in the first place.

What are some other good search engines?