Dispatch.com Now Limiting Free Access to Some Online Articles

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Dispatch.com Now Limiting Free Access to Some Online Articles

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Started 10 months ago by arualpalm
Latest reply from musicfan2

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Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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Walker said:
We actually see an extremely tiny loss in ad display through blocking software when comparing our site analytics to our advertising analytics.

You might actually be the only one going out of your way to block ads on CU. I hope it gives you warm fuzzies. Thanks for the support.

Its not "going out of the way" it's "click here to install this extension" and it runs for years without effort.

CU is not as much of a problem (I've seen the ads on my Dad's computer) but a lot of sites are just about IMPOSSIBLE to read with the ads in place. I can't concentrate on reading something with moving crap all over the screen. Newspaper websites seem to be the most egregious. That's why I chose, years ago, to block the damned things.

Posted 10 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Rockmastermike said:
Its not "going out of the way" it's "click here to install this extension" and it runs for years without effort.

CU is not as much of a problem.

Again, we appreciate your support. Thanks.

Posted 10 months ago #
groundrules

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Rockmastermike said:
Its not "going out of the way" it's "click here to install this extension" and it runs for years without effort.

if it weren't for blog ads, i never would have seen Fay Reagan's pre-porn career American Apparel ads.

Posted 10 months ago #
joev
Merion Village
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Rockmastermike said:
Its not "going out of the way" it's "click here to install this extension" and it runs for years without effort.

CU is not as much of a problem (I've seen the ads on my Dad's computer) but a lot of sites are just about IMPOSSIBLE to read with the ads in place. I can't concentrate on reading something with moving crap all over the screen. Newspaper websites seem to be the most egregious. That's why I chose, years ago, to block the damned things.

Are ads so offensive? Ads often have pretty good, relevant information when the advertiser and medium work together to target and create units that add value for everyone. There's a pretty big difference between the annoying rollover, music-playing ads on the Dispatch and those on Columbus Underground.

Posted 10 months ago #
MRipley

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cheap said:
i just looked at the Dispatch this morning for free ,and not a damn thing has changed to me.

But wait, there's more. Don't forget that they will be going to a new tabloid sized format in a few months.

The Dispatch claims that there will be no price increase due to the upcoming format change. Maybe this is their way of covering costs of the upcoming format.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2012/07/15/1-new-format-wins-praise-from-testers.html

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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groundrules said:
if it weren't for blog ads, i never would have seen Fay Reagan's pre-porn career American Apparel ads.

*freezes in med sentence with finger pointed at the ceiling and mouth open*

*blinks*

*googles*

Posted 10 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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joev said:
Are ads so offensive? Ads often have pretty good, relevant information when the advertiser and medium work together to target and create units that add value for everyone. There's a pretty big difference between the annoying rollover, music-playing ads on the Dispatch and those on Columbus Underground.

Thank you for this. We put a lot of effort into our advertiser relationships and I hope that many people see value in that.

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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joev said: There's a pretty big difference between the annoying rollover, music-playing ads on the Dispatch and those on Columbus Underground.

Yes there is. But at the same time it's actually easier to block them all then to only block the obnoxious ones. Its the "bad apples" problem. The good actors are injured because the bad actors are just that bad.

I bring this up as something important that ought to be addressed by the people creating the adds and the people who sign up their sites for ad programs without considering what KIND of ads they're going to get stuck with.

I recall it wasn't just second-tier sites like the Dispatch. The NY times was a big problem! Its impossible to enjoy and actually THINK about the hard-hitting investigative journalism on the screen with rapid movement flash animations playing in the middle of the text.

Posted 10 months ago #
Twixlen
The Weston District
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Walker said:
Thank you for this. We put a lot of effort into our advertiser relationships and I hope that many people see value in that.

CU is pretty much the only site from which I've deliberately clicked an ad... so you have that, too.

Posted 10 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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You can unblock certain websites from showing ads can't you? Or selectively block annoying ones.

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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NerosNeptune said:
You can unblock certain websites from showing ads can't you? Or selectively block annoying ones.

The default is all, but yes you can (if you remember to) unblock someone.

The problem is, that does not always unblock the adds from a site that uses an external source (like google adsense) to get their ads. In that example you have to unblock google addsense, and allow google analytics tracking, which enables it for EVERY site that uses google adsense. Not helpful at all.

So yeah, I already had adblock set NOT to block CU ads, but it doesn't make any difference.

Posted 10 months ago #
joev
Merion Village
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Walker said:
Thank you for this. We put a lot of effort into our advertiser relationships and I hope that many people see value in that.

It goes back to my original point - the Dispatch has invested very, very little in it online ad packages. Rather than fixing that, they've decided to shift the burden to consumers. Which I guess is their prerogative - but seems very unwise long-term. Their real product is attention, not news.

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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joev said:
It goes back to my original point - the Dispatch has invested very, very little in it online ad packages. Rather than fixing that, they've decided to shift the burden to consumers. Which I guess is their prerogative - but seems very unwise long-term. Their real product is attention, not news.

Its true. If every news site on the net fixed that problem it would REALLY help them, but they're too lazy or don't know better. Maybe they should all hire Jon Myers to help them, he seems to know what he's talking about.

But I do NOT think that the incoming ad revenue would ever increase enough to entirely solve the problem. The statistics for ad revenue previously posted in this thread do NOT point to that conclusion.

Posted 10 months ago #
Bear
The woods
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Walker said:
You might actually be the only one going out of your way to block ads on CU. I hope it gives you warm fuzzies. Thanks for the support.

Both paywalls and advertising force people to pay for content (one in money, the other in adviews). So how can you can dislike both paywalls and ad-blocking software? Being anti-paywall seems to imply that you think people shouldn't always have to pay for content, but being anti-ad-blocking software implies that you think that they should.

(I hope I don't have to emphasize it, but I'm entirely sincerely curious, not trying to be snarky.)

Rockmastermike said:
Its interesting to me that the ones who seem to be most vocally against the D charging for access (after 10 articles) are the ones saying they don't want to read it at all.

+1

Posted 10 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Bear said:
Both paywalls and advertising force people to pay for content (one in money, the other in adviews).

A paywall forces consumers of content to pay directly for access to content.

Online advertising is not forcing consumers of content to pay directly for content.

Pretty big difference there, but you're talking about them like they're the same.

Posted 10 months ago #
Bear
The woods
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Walker said:
A paywall forces consumers of content to pay directly for access to content.

Online advertising is not forcing consumers of content to pay directly for content.

Pretty big difference there, but you're talking about them like they're the same.

But online advertising forces consumers to pay indirectly for content—both by spending more time to get to the content that they want and by paying more for advertisers' products to subsidize their advertising budget.

So to the extent that there is a distinction, it seems to me that it's between paying directly for content and paying indirectly for it.

If that's the case, advocating against both paywalls and ad-blocking software amounts to advocating for indirect rather than direct payments. Which makes sense, if that principle appeals to you.

I don't see why it would, though. If (to pick a number) 5% of the cost of everything I buy goes to advertising, i.e., to supporting a few content providers that I care about and a lot that I don't, a lot of my money is being wasted, from my point of view. To put it another way, there are a lot of ad-fueled publications in this city that I won't ever read, so why should I have to subsidize them via indirect payments? Personally, I'd rather pay lower retail costs, across the board, everywhere, every day, and subscribe to the ones I want to read.

Posted 10 months ago #
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
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It was a Dispatch reporter that broke the Mark Dann story. It was the Dispatch that helped to stop the meter rate increase. It was the Dispatch that helped to get the City to stop harassing patio permit holders. It is the Dispatch that continues to shed light on the mess that is our School Board and School Superintendent. It is the Dispatch that's at City Hall every single Monday and Thursday, reporting on every single meeting and every special meeting. It's the Dispatch that's at the neighborhood meetings and all the civic meetings no one else has time to go to but should know about.

It's the Dispatch that acts as watchdog to the Mayor's office, ODOT, Department of Public Service, Franklin County Commissioners, Columbus City Hall, the Police and our other electeds. It's the Dispatch reporters planted in our courtrooms, School Board Meetings, City Hall, Mayor's office, public board meetings and commission meetings keeping the public informed on every step and misstep.

I'm more than willing to pay $20/mo for our local reporting. Without it, the City would look a whole lot different.

On another note, I click on the CU ads regularly. The Fried Chicken ad at Hubbard Grill is cruel and unusual punishment...too delicious.

Posted 10 months ago #
howatzer

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In case it hasn't already been mentioned, there's still free access to the same content with the Dispatch iPhone app.

Posted 10 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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So far I'm finding WOSU's website to be my favorite replacement for the dispatch..

Posted 10 months ago #
Brant
Gahanna
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NerosNeptune said:
So far I'm finding WOSU's website to be my favorite replacement for the dispatch..

I mentioned non-profit journalism in the related thread. What is it that you like about WOSU.org?

Posted 10 months ago #