Why do I contribute to DU but won't pay for NYT online?

[Atman]

Serious question, especially to those concerned with monetizing a web site, and to the print media in general. What does a site like DU offer that makes it such a draw to me? I have a couple of news apps on my iPhone, and I use them, but when I'm looking for the absolute latest news, DU has it first. It is (LBN in particular) an aggregate of news sources, posted in real-time by people from all over the country -- and the world, actually.

LBN invariably has news stories posted before the "news" sites, and I can find them all in one spot. My wife uses a sarcastic, snarky "Oh, because you read it on DU?" retort when we disagree on political stuff. But she totally misses the point, and the function of DU, and why it works, why it makes me want to pay for it when I don't pay for any other online services except a Cafe Press account. Because DU not only provides me with current news from a variety of sources, if I want to I can read what people say about the news stories and I can comment. Without having to log in to seventeen different web sites and be subjected to their e-spam.

I don't know how this helps traditional newspapers like the NYT, currently pushing a paid subscription service. Why should I bother with them? DU let's me pay what and when I want to, or not at all. There is interaction. There are lots of posts, but not unmanageable (try following a DCCC or Media Matters thread on Facebook). There are links aplenty so I can check sources for myself. Frankly, no newspaper or news site I know of offers so much content in such a well designed, easy to use site. NYT and even Mr. Murdoch could learn a thing or two here.

Oh, wait...except for that DU needs sources like the NYT and traditional news outlets for much of its content. Damn.

:shrug:

Thanks, Skinner, Elad and Dave. Happy to help out.

[NNN0LHI]

1. The Judy Miller fiasco is enough to prevent me from ever sending money to the NYT

Or trust the paper.

Don

[Rabblevox]

2. Despite the frequent noise, DU is a much better investment...

I see a lot of crap and garbage here. I also see the stories that MSM refuses to cover, and brilliant, insightful posts that change my mind. I'm not opposed to paying for what I use, but I don't have a lot of money. DU is one of the few sites I'm willing to support financially.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Yep, DU is one of the best sources of information.

And it is easy to follow, and it is free if you haven't enough money to spare. And I have never gotten a spam message that I could remotely attribute to being a member of DU. I love it.

And I agree with you, I come here first to see LBN. And all the other distractions.

[Donnachaidh]

4. DU is very much a community - and that makes me contribute too

Even -if- I'm tempted to snark at some, there is a flow here that you don't find in other places. As broke as we've been lately, I'll still find the cash for here first. the NYT can suck it if they want me to pay for their online paper. For that matter, I wouldn't pay for online with the AJC either.

[stevedeshazer]

5. The NYTimes doesn't seem very personal.

DU makes it possible to respond directly to you. Immediately.

Hello!

:hi:

[Snoutport]

6. This is the only site I pay as well.

though...this was my first payment to DU yesterday! I joined 4 or so months ago but I didn't pay for my star. A certain dear DUer paid for me because she liked my posts.

[Generic Brad]

7. DU is participatory

We are willing to contribute to this forum because we are the forum. It would not exist without us.

I don't feel that from the NY Times at all. They just want our money and our opinion does not matter.

[Atman]

8. BTW, I didn't intend for this to sound like a fund raising pitch...

After re-reading it, my post sounded like a plant, but it wasn't. I first thought about this morning after seeing the NYT Online subscription commercial. It was just 99 cents for a month (don't know what the regular rate is), but even that wasn't enough of a deal to make me want to subscribe. The serious part of the question was, how do newspapers survive, and if they don't survive, where will real journalism come from?

[Fumesucker]

9. DU is one of the faster loading sites as well..

With a primarily text based interface DU is usable on dialup, which a surprising number of Americans still have.

[applegrove]

10. I love having a paper copy of the NYTimes. I don't like reading online very much. When I read long

articles from the web I used to print them off. I don't do that much anymore.