I might pay if Embarcadero did 2 things

1) Not show ads to paying customers
2) ACTUALLY HIRE SOME DECENT JOURNALISTS

of course I ask my self, why pay to subsidize the print version, when I can pick this up for free if I really to get some MP news I can't get elsewhere.

I know it can be frustrating to have to pay for something that heretofore has been provided for free, but given the financial pressures on print journalism and the cost of putting out quality content, I for one will be happy to pay for an online subscription. How else can we as a community continue to get coverage of relevant news that affects us if publishers can't afford to pay staff, etc.

As part of the bargain, the Almanac should strive to provide the best possible content, which would include impartial and in-depth coverage of all matters of interest to our community and employing quality journalists and editors. Our community deserves a well-run and well-funded local paper to cover its fast-paced growth and keep its citizens informed.

Why not just tell all of the local property industry who advertise that the click-through rate and eyes-on-pages is going to halve overnight.

The final nail in the coffin we call the Almanac. Editorials appear rarely, letters are non existent. Since Gibboney retired this thing, we call a newspaper has faded from relevance. Good luck, Johnson. Your energy is in the Palo Alto weekly and you want to force the Amanac into closing. This step ought to take care of it.

Look at the Post for a business model that works. Shut down the online version. Force people to write a letter. Pay your bills with real estate ads. Hire journalists who know how to ask the follow up question. Attend public meetings. Talk to those who attend public meetings. Not just the P.R. Staff at city hall.

Such a shame to watch this paper slowly die.

Looks like the CoinTent tracking solution is implemented with simple browser cookies, which are easily removed if someone wishes to bypass the "pay meter" and continue free access to Almanac online content. I'm not suggesting anyone should do such a thing and I've long considered becoming a subscriber myself, as I appreciate and find value in the Almanac's local news and and events focus.

Gern

The great advantage of this approach is that people will pay for quality reporting and if there is no quality reporting then they won't pay.

Under the current free model there is no way for the consumer to place value on quality reporting.

And since it is difficult, but not impossible, for people to pay anonymously so a pay system may well also improve the quality of the Forum postings.

I agree it is time to take a hard look at the Almanac coverage -- scope and depth. The city is not doing well by the Almanac in that there's a good deal more going on in terms of development, relationships with neighboring cities, governance issues, FB as a major tech player in our city and the world, neighborhood quality of life, Stanford, valley business related to MP and so on --- all covered either superficially or barely at all. It may be time to look at consolidating the Almanac with the PA Weekly and Mt View Voice with more of a regional perspective but enough resolution to cover the individual city differences. There's a huge amount to gain from that in terms of establishing a joint forum for dealing with regional issues such as traffic, housing, Caltrain, schools and much else hitting Silicon Valley these days. Needless to say, MP could be learning a lot more from what its neighbors are doing than is communicated through the Almanac. Let the paywall be a first step toward thinking in these terms.

How will the pay meter work? Is it 25 clicks per month per person or per IP address? For example, if there are 30 employees at a school, and there is an article about the school in your paper, will the 26th person have to pay to see it?

Concerned, the answers to your questions can be found on our FAQ page:

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