NY Times paywall situation and the Kindle. 99 CENTS 1st 4 wks - UPDATE

UPDATE 4/4/11 (Original post was April 2, at 1:40pm.)
The NY Times has an introductory special for full access to the NY Times website and applicable devices:  99¢ for your first 4 weeks.

Some had already used up their 20/mo. quota already and were waiting for Amazon and the NYTimes to get the processes working for the NYTimes on Kindle-Edition option (which may take a few weeks before it's ready) so that they could get the NYT's web access that goes with the Kindle plan which isn't currently available.   This is key for existing Kindle subscribers and works for all the digital device plans being offered right now.

For KINDLE (no choice shown yet), I chose the smartphone app and it worked, as we don't need provide a smartphone model or install the app.

However, you are charged 99 cents and then you give Authorization for them to take autopayments near your due dates.  You can cancel and get refunds or credits and stop the subscription.  I used Paypal.  Some won't want to give such authorizations though.  However, I want my regular full access until I can decide what I want to do next month.

  This was seen by Caddis Nymph of the Amazon Kindle forums, and I finally found it on the Times site.

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The original posting
When the New York Times site started charging, at the end of March, for access to the news website after 20 articles have been selected for reading in a month, they announced that full-access would be given to people who are either print subscribers or mobile-phone subscribers, and online columnists wondered aloud why e-readers were not also included for a combo deal.

 Within only a few hours, the Times website was changed to show that Kindle-Edition subscribers will also get full access to the new pay web-version of the New York Times.

  However, Amazon says it will keep in touch with subscribers on how it's proceeding during the next few weeks.  So it looks to be awhile before the access kicks in.
  There is no current option for the Nook, Kobe, or Sony e-readers.

  The plan for web-access + mobile phone access is
    $15 every 4 weeks (rather than every month).
  The plan for web-access + iPad access is $20 per month.
  The plan for access to all 3 types is $35.

  In the meantime, I explored the situation because I had taken the 60-day trial-subcription recently for the Kindle Edition and it is the one national paper I -might- subscribe to (in Kindle format) because their articles are so thorough and well written (otherwise I just go get the Sunday Kindle editions which are easily more than worth it), but I decided I couldn't justify $19.99/mo. and said so in the feedback I gave.  While we've been able read the text-only versions via the Kindle web browser, that won't be possible either, with the paywall as a barrier after 20 website-article accesses in a month.

NYT's first Paywall effort and this one - the differences
  The last time the NY Times tried a paywall, they did not allow access to the popular editorial writers' columns and that didn't go over well.  When something is wholly off-limits (and previously was not), people tend to be  resentful and resistant, so people found ways around it, with people getting the articles and emailing them to large lists of people.   So, that experiment failed.

  This time, they've left the full paper available to all, up to 20 articles accessed in a month, with other access possible and expected.
  The smart thing they've done is to allow further access to articles if you read them via a link from Facebook or Twitter.  Digital Faq wording from their help pages:

' Readers who come to Times articles through links from search engines, blogs and social media will be able to read those articles, even if they have reached their monthly reading limit...On all major search engines, users will have a daily limit on free links to Times articles. [!]
...
Here are a few examples of "section fronts":
Politics | Arts | Opinion

And here are some examples of "blog fronts":
Well | Bits | City Room '

For nonsubscribers, articles from their archives from 1923 through 1986 are $3.50 each, and views of archived articles outside that date range are free alhough they would still count toward the 20-article monthly limit for free access.  Subscribers get full access to the archives too..

Digital-only subscribers to The Times can create only one account (with one e-mail address and password).  I'm not including pricing information for print subscribers, because the focus here is what Kindle subscribers will get.

The NYT subscription options include unlimited access to NYTimes.com on any computer and on NYTimes apps for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android smartphones, as well as iPad tablets.

  BUT, they have no digital subscription to only the NYTimes.  It's always a part of a package, with smartphone apps, the iPad, or the Kindle.

Re the flexibility this time -- To the question below, the New York Times's responses to some questions (emphases mine) :

' Can I still access NYTimes.com articles through Facebook, Twitter, search engines or my blog?

We encourage links from Facebook, Twitter, search engines, blogs and social media.
  When you visit NYTimes.com through a link from one of these channels, that article (or video, slide show, etc.) will count toward your monthly limit of 20 free articles, but you will still be able to view it even if you've already read your 20 free articles. '

  BUT access to the web-NYT articles through Search Engines involves somewhat tougher rules:

' Like other external links, links from *search engine* results will count toward your monthly limit. If you have reached your monthly limit, you'll have a daily limit of 5 free articles through a given search engine. This limit applies to the majority of search engines. '

Interesting theory about the flexibility
allfacebook.com reports some theories on why the Times is giving Facebook and Twitter links unlimited access while click-throughs from links using a search engine like Google are limited to only 5 per day.

' According to Matt Rosoff from Business Insider, the Times sees a clear traffic pattern, where social networking sites are driving “a ton of newspaper traffic.”  MG Siegler at TechCrunch basically shares the same opinion, but adds an interesting nuance:  Because people who use Facebook and Twitter to access news are usually younger, tech savvy, and are used to getting information at no cost, the NYT is trying to preserve that relationship with those users… at least for now. '

Their last FAQ point is this:

' Subscribers to The New York Times on Kindle will receive full access to NYTimes.com.  We are currently working through the technical requirements to verify Kindle subscriber accounts and offer access.  More information will be available soon.

At this time, we're not able to connect other e-reader subscriptions to an NYTimes.com subscription.  Each must be purchased separately. '

So, the upshot is that the $19.99/mo. for a Kindle subscription to The NY Times becomes somewhat more attractive to those who enjoy that newspaper, with the unhindered access to the new NYT website included now.

Why the NYT is trying a paywall again
Like other U.S. newspapers, the NYT is losing money, with less print advertising revenue, falling circulation and readers going to to the Web for their news.  This has been documented.

Some might enjoy the article from The Onion on this situation.

Reaction to the new NY Times plans?
I haven't seen much reaction to the New York plans this time, probably due to the flexibility mentioned.  And I've not noticed forum threads on the New York Times inclusion of the Kindle edition.

  I'd like to read any thoughts some of you may have on this one.  In this climate, many may feel a national newspaper subscription is a luxury.  Some will find it worthwhile.  It's a gamble for the NYTimes.

 And if they succeed in this plan the way they have implemented it, will other newspapers decide they want to do this too?  Would other newspaper sites attract as many subscribers as the NY Times might?  I doubt it.  It's staid but it is incredibly thorough.

  Does bundling it to the Kindle make it more attractive?  It does for me, but it's only because I've become convinced The NYT has to do something to stay viable and I like that they've given free access to 20 articles a month and, in essence, unlimited access for those who will depend on getting stories from others linking to their NYT stories from places like Facebook and Twitter (although it's been said the NYT will not be supporting blog or webpages created just to hold NYT links).

  Also, Google searches will get you another 5 a day, and then so would bing.com and blekko.com ...

  Many of my friends forward New York Times articles for private e-mail group discussions of stories (ostensibly maybe not part of NYT and news-reader agreements, but reality enters here) and say it's the one paper they might find worth a subscription.  Some are thinking of finding a way to share a subscription by chipping in to be able to keep discussions going instead of finding links at Facebook.

  But I'm interested in the thoughts of others reading this blog article.  It's a bit of a sea change, for one thing.

Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

Updating of Best Kindle Bookmarks for Kindle web browser.

This is just a link to the updated blog entry for the free, downloadable Best Kindle Bookmarks for the Kindle Web Browser;  for some reason, the Google Reader does not place older updated articles at the top, even when they have new dates on them, so this is to make sure RSS readers can find it.

As mentioned there, today's update was to add special links to Facebook and to Google News that work better on all the Kindles.  I also explain what can't be done on the Kindles at those sites.

I also modified some of the notes about all the links to try to make the tips a bit clearer. The filename remains the same, so you can just re-download it if you already have the older copy.

Free Download of Best Website Bookmarks for Kindle Web Browser - UPDATE5

UPDATED December 5.
  Today's update was to add special links to Facebook and to Google News that work better on all the Kindles.  I also explain what can't be done on the Kindles at those sites.

  I also modified some of the notes about the links to try to make the tips a bit clearer.  The filename remains the same, so you can just re-download it if you already have the older copy.

You can see earlier updated info (9/29/10) here on how to get the file to your Kindle via WiFi directly or via 3G and how to transfer it to the Kindle via USB if unable to send it there directly.

  As of December 5, the Kindle orders are limited to three per customer, and estimated shipping time for orders outside the U.S. is several weeks.

I've updated the freely downloadable bookmarks file andrys.com/mobiweb.azw to include links to sites that work better for Kindle 3 models  (UK: K3), as some of the websites have worked well with Kindle 2 and Kindle DX's but not with the Kindle 3, due to the new model's typed-input not always being recognized by some of Google's productivity sites.

This is a separate Kindle file (in 'book' format) for mainly mobile-device-optimized website bookmarks, which you can use as a Kindle file made up OF the bookmarks listed -- the websites are linked already in that file so that you can use them for the Web when your Wireless is On and this 'book' is open.  The Kindle 3 seems to do better in some cases on non-mobile-device-optimized sites, so those are included also.

  Still part of that bookmarks file are the website links that work well for Kindle 2's and DX's, and at the bottom there are general websites that work well for all Kindles.  See the original blog article that explains it and which also has links to how to use the various web-browsing modes of the earlier Kindles, and with tips in general for browsing on the experimental and limited web browser, whether through the free 3G cellphone network capability (usable without a need to locate a 'hotspot') or via the faster WiFi option (if one has access to a local WiFi network) available for Kindle 3's.

  For anyone not clear on 3G vs WiFi-only, you can read the blog article on 3G and WiFi-Only Kindle 3's - What does it all mean? Which should I get?.

  The Kindle 3 shortcuts added should avoid problems w/some sites when accessing with that model.

    Kindles earlier than Kindle 3 use BASIC and ADVANCED/DESKTOP modes.
    Kindle 3 uses WEB Mode, with ARTICLE Mode available for some web articles.


You can download the file to a computer for transfer to the 'documents' folder of the Kindle or download it directly to your Kindle using the Kindle itself to get the file.  To do any of this, you can

  . either use a USB cable to transfer or "sideload" the
      downloaded file from computer to Kindle's "documents" folder.

  . OR type into your Kindle at the Home screen, bit.ly/kmobiweb
      then 5-way right to "go to" and click on that
        and that will download the file direct to the Kindle

  . OR if in the Kindle Edition blog,
      click on the file link and it should download the file direct to Kindle. 

UPDATE: 10/1/10
Possible problem for some (corrected since, at the server, for lack of recognition of file types by the Kindle 3  even though the Kindle 1, 2, and DX models recognized Amazon Kindle format files for normal download).
  The Kindle 3 opened the Amazon file instead of downloading it as a file, and Kindle 3 users saw gibberish appearing on the screen, which was harmless but ugly.  For me, it happened only with the Kindle 3.  The Kindle 1, 2, and DX's were able to see it as a file.

  I'm putting the details into a new post so that the programmers might become aware it's happening, as my feedback received a boilerplate response.  See today's post (Friday, Oct. 1) for why it happened and how it was corrected for access at this server.

The ALWAYS RELIABLE ways are #1 above (move downloaded-to-computer file to Kindle) and the similar but more direct way of computer-to-Kindle transfer, which is:

  . Attach Kindle to your computer that is online with the Net
  . The Kindle will be seen as a separate 'drive' such as "F: {Kindle}"
  . Click on the 'documents' folder of the Kindle drive, to enter it.
  . In your browser, right-click your mouse on the file-link
      (some Macs require holding the mouse button instead).
  . Choose "Save Link as" or "Save Target as" or "Download/Save"
      depending on your computer and browser
  . Choose the Kindle 'documents' folder for the download.

Then the file will be where it belongs on the Kindle.  After that, use your computer's way of "safely ejecting" the USB device - in this case, the Kindle. 

The Kindle will show the Home screen again, and eventually the new 'mobiweb' file.

(That's like slower ground transport vs air travel.)

Also, Amazon is, for some reason, not considering an .azw Amazon file that IS a personal doc which they converted, to be a file that is acceptable for emailing to your Kindle.   For over a year, that caused no problem, but it is one now, so I deleted the instructions for emailing personal docs to the Kindle.

    Otherwise, you normally can send personal documents to [yourself]@free.kindle.com or to [yourself]@kindle.com once you have gone to your ManageYourKindle page and have approved any mail-to-Kindle-from-email-addresses for the section titled "Your Kindle Approved E-mail List."

The bookmarks file includes the following advice along with the links:

MAPS option works with Kindle 3, but is blocky and slow.

  Directions sub-option will show you text AND map (workable if ROTATED to landscape -
   almost impossible in portrait or vertical mode.

  TEXT directions, step-by-step are much easier to get and read.

    USE http://maps.google.com/m/directions

      See Kindleworld guide for that at bit.ly/kdriving.

MAIL – If you choose this from this Google menu, it does the usual over-complex mail-threading and folders display and is painfully slow or cumbersome even with WiFi.
  Shortcut to painful mode: http://bit.ly/gmail

  USE http://bit.ly/g_mail for a faster experience and bear in mind that to finish a Reply, you need to arrow to the end and leave the Reply box. If you know a better way, let me know.
  (PgDn gets you down faster but doesn’t allow exiting the box
   but you can PgDn and end with cursor-down to exit.)

    Credit to Bill in Kindleworld's Comments area for the Gmail and Gtasks URLS

  ALTERNATE: For a compromise, here’s Advanced Gmail in Basic HTML
    USE for that: http://bit.ly/gmailmobile
      It’s slower but not so painful.

TASKS/CALENDAR (Google still)
  There are problems, with the Kindle 3, in being able to type input into login or search-fields sometimes, with Google features, even though the Kindle 2 and DX’s can handle those fine.  The new shortcuts I‘ve made for google sites are to versions that work with the K3.

  USE http://bit.ly/g_tasks (that’s with an underscore)

  Tasks are coordinated with your calendar when in Gmail on the computer.

GOOGLE READER (RSS feeds)
  USE http://bit.ly/g-reader '

The bookmark links start with the ones Amazon put on the Kindles, and modifications or recommendations are included.

  At the end, I've added general bookmarks to websites I've enjoyed using on the Kindle.

  That includes pure-text versions of the full NYTimes - much faster to read through on the Kindle when you just want to see the latest news.

You can also reference these on the PC or Mac at the same time if you want, while using the file on the Kindle.  If you haven't already downloaded either of these free apps for your computer, you can do that at Kindle for PC page or at Kindle for Mac page.

Suggestions for links I might add later would be very welcome.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.