I canceled Hulu for a reason -- nothing really that new or different, and right now, it's an added cost to all the content I have (nothing out there yet is in a position to get me to cut the cord).
I don't see why I'll be re-signing with them.*
*Got a little email from them today saying something like how my previous cancelation with them was a 'teachable moment' or some such pap....
In markets that only have a single internet provider the prices may go up. But that's folly too since many may just decide to switch to an unlimited data phone plan like T-mobile.
T-Mobiles unlimited data does not pertain to tethered data which is capped at 7GB before speeds are greatly reduced. So unless you would have the same content access on your phone as your AppleTV that is not even remotely feasible for people trying to replace cable.
For many people the choice between paying $100 just for internet for $20 more to get an unlimited data phone would be a no brainer. This is the mobile age. The cable providers can try to jack up the internet prices to $100 but it will backfire badly.
With devices like AppleTV(airplay) and ChromeCast its just way to easy to stream content on a phone to a TV.
Bottom line is makes zero sense for internet providers to increase the cost of service 100% just because they lose some TV subs. In fact I bet there would be abundant lawsuits if they try.
Except there are no longer unlimited data plans from a cell phone provider. Airplay only works when you are on the same wifi network which means you are either tethering (which for t-mobile is capped at 7gb for tethering and 21gb for non-tether data before throttling) or you are on a wifi network (which means no need for your unlimited phone data).
I have been a mobile only internet customer since the iPhone 3G and am still luckily grandfather into my unlimited data plan. Having said that your mystical thoughts of just get an unlimited phone data plan if cable providers up the cost is utter crap and not realistic. Unless you are connecting your phone directly to your TV via an HDMI cord you going to be running into data limits on any mobile phone plan.
Personally I have been without a TV/Cable/Netflix/Hulu subscription for going on 4 years now. It saves me a ton of money each year as a result
So how much would you be willing to pay in order to be able to post your response here on AI?
Forums on the Internet have given every dog and cat the option to post anonymously on any topic and gives their "expert views" a worldwide platform. Having this disappear would be a good thing in my opinion. I have been using BBS systems since the Apple //. I certainly don't expect to pay to occasionally post on them. If you are asking whether or not I would pay to access MacSurfer, AI, etc ... that's another matter.
Forums on the Internet have given every dog and cat the option to post anonymously on any topic and gives their "expert views" a worldwide platform. Having this disappear would be a good thing in my opinion. I have been using BBS systems since the Apple //. I certainly don't expect to pay to occasionally post on them. If you are asking whether or not I would pay to access MacSurfer, AI, etc ... that's another matter.
I think the bigger question here is how various websites, services and programs should fund their existence of not through advertising? The obvious answer would be through a membership payment - but that would scare a lot of people away and in the case of forums like this - or yelp or tripadvisor for example, reduced user participation would decrease the usefulness of the sites for everyone - including paying users.
I don't mind seeing a small number of unobtrusive ads in exchange for viewing a useful website or using a good game or utility program - but as with everything - some greedy, unscrupulous people/companies have ruined it for everyone and they've gone overboard and gotten extremely obnoxious with the sheer number of in your face ads as well as ads that try to masquerade as real content in the web-page you are trying to visit in order to fool people into clicking on them.
I particularly hate the sites that split a single 3 page article into 10 parts that force you to click "next" after every 3 lines that you read so that they are able to reload the entire page and present 15 new ads after each click. Also in this category are the "top 10" lists that present one item at a time.
Perhaps the best web-browser feature would be one that prescreens each page before rendering it to you - and then advises you how many ads are contained on the page and the type of ad. There's nothing worse than browsing late at night while people ar sleeping and have some ad start playing a video at full volume offering Viagra or Adult dating. I don't want to block ALL ads, but I definitely want to block the obnoxious ones. There are browser features that maintain lists of unsafe sites and warn you before being directed to one. I'd like it if they did the same thing with sites that contain obnoxious or excessive advertising.
Ads alone are not evil, and I'm happy to have a non-cash method of enjoying some sites and programs - but we need better built-in tools to weed out and/or protect average users from the unsavory people and sites.
Funny you should bring this up. Yesterday’s podcast of MacBreak Weekly discussed this very thing. Advertisers are quite up in arms over iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 having new ad blocking technology. Websites that depend on advertising for their income could block access unless you agree to ads. Many popular and useful websites could simply vanish. Leo LaPorte said he originally founded Twit to be ad free and asked for donations instead. Didn’t happen. Basically people don’t want to see ads but they don’t want to pay either. Tightwads. Another possibility is micro payments where you don’t pay a subscription but you do pay say 5¢ for every article you access.
Bottom line is you can’t have it both ways. You can’t blocks ads and still expect the website to stay in business. You don’t want to pay for your content but you somehow expect the website to run on thin air anyway. If you get rid of ads then expect the diversity and content of the Internet to diminish. There are only so many subscriptions people will be willing to pay for every month. Let the market decide you say? Then only the big sites will be left.
How much per month would you pay for access to AppleInsider, iMore, MacWorld, 9to5 Mac, MacRumors, and all the other excellent Apple centric websites that have been around for a long time because of ads? Block the ads, goodbye website unless you pay.
We dipped our toes into the subscription waters with our iOS app. It was very cold. Unfortunately the current prevailing mindset is to treat all news as though it comes from a single source, "the internet", and that disconnect has lead us all down a dark and twisty path. The future of independent web publishers like us here at AI is very much in question. It's our job to try and figure out business solutions because obviously we want to keep existing, but man can it be crushing when idealism has to clash with reality.
That said, if you really want to support AI you should consider a subscription to our iOS app - if that gains enough traction there is absolutely the possibility of us expanding that program. Or, alternatively, if you're in the market for a new mac use our price guide and affiliate codes. We work hard with partners to try and get deals that are worthwhile, and we get a kickback from sales. If you don't have fat stacks of cash to throw around, promote AI over other apple-centric properties on social media, and on sites like Reddit and Hacker News. We always love seeing people engaged with our content.
As always if you think something we're doing sucks, feel freed to email us feedback at [email protected].
We dipped our toes into the subscription waters with our iOS app. It was very cold. Unfortunately the current prevailing mindset is to treat all news as though it comes from a single source, "the internet", and that disconnect has lead us all down a dark and twisty path. The future of independent web publishers like us here at AI is very much in question. It's our job to try and figure out business solutions because obviously we want to keep existing, but man can it be crushing when idealism has to clash with reality.
That said, if you really want to support AI you should consider a subscription to our iOS app - if that gains enough traction there is absolutely the possibility of us expanding that program. Or, alternatively, if you're in the market for a new mac use our price guide and affiliate codes. We work hard with partners to try and get deals that are worthwhile, and we get a kickback from sales. If you don't have fat stacks of cash to throw around, promote AI over other apple-centric properties on social media, and on sites like Reddit and Hacker News. We always love seeing people engaged with our content.
As always if you think something we're doing sucks, feel freed to email us feedback at [email protected].
Sure - but while you're asking us to refer our friends to your site, and to click links for our purchases that will result in money in your pockets, why not sweeten the deal a little for us to show your appreciation and maybe give us a few months free subscription to your iOS app after x numbers of referrals or a purchase using your affiliate codes? I'm assuming that it would cost you nothing to do so and it would be a nice way to say thank you.
Comments
I canceled Hulu for a reason -- nothing really that new or different, and right now, it's an added cost to all the content I have (nothing out there yet is in a position to get me to cut the cord).
I don't see why I'll be re-signing with them.*
*Got a little email from them today saying something like how my previous cancelation with them was a 'teachable moment' or some such pap....
In markets that only have a single internet provider the prices may go up. But that's folly too since many may just decide to switch to an unlimited data phone plan like T-mobile.
T-Mobiles unlimited data does not pertain to tethered data which is capped at 7GB before speeds are greatly reduced. So unless you would have the same content access on your phone as your AppleTV that is not even remotely feasible for people trying to replace cable.
FINALLY! SOLD!
Sign me up!
For many people the choice between paying $100 just for internet for $20 more to get an unlimited data phone would be a no brainer. This is the mobile age. The cable providers can try to jack up the internet prices to $100 but it will backfire badly.
With devices like AppleTV(airplay) and ChromeCast its just way to easy to stream content on a phone to a TV.
Bottom line is makes zero sense for internet providers to increase the cost of service 100% just because they lose some TV subs. In fact I bet there would be abundant lawsuits if they try.
Except there are no longer unlimited data plans from a cell phone provider. Airplay only works when you are on the same wifi network which means you are either tethering (which for t-mobile is capped at 7gb for tethering and 21gb for non-tether data before throttling) or you are on a wifi network (which means no need for your unlimited phone data).
I have been a mobile only internet customer since the iPhone 3G and am still luckily grandfather into my unlimited data plan. Having said that your mystical thoughts of just get an unlimited phone data plan if cable providers up the cost is utter crap and not realistic. Unless you are connecting your phone directly to your TV via an HDMI cord you going to be running into data limits on any mobile phone plan.
Personally I have been without a TV/Cable/Netflix/Hulu subscription for going on 4 years now. It saves me a ton of money each year as a result
Originally Posted by sog35
Once Google fiber is done here I can give the cable companies the big middle finger.
Competition is GOOD for the consumer.
Two things I never thought I would ever hear from you.
if its so terrible why do people subscribe to Hulu?
Ever hear of PT Barnum? There's a sucker born every minute.
I take it that you never watched Luther.
Yes. It's terrible.
Amazon Prime can be your best friend.
shipping is great
content is eh
Forums on the Internet have given every dog and cat the option to post anonymously on any topic and gives their "expert views" a worldwide platform. Having this disappear would be a good thing in my opinion. I have been using BBS systems since the Apple //. I certainly don't expect to pay to occasionally post on them. If you are asking whether or not I would pay to access MacSurfer, AI, etc ... that's another matter.
I think the bigger question here is how various websites, services and programs should fund their existence of not through advertising? The obvious answer would be through a membership payment - but that would scare a lot of people away and in the case of forums like this - or yelp or tripadvisor for example, reduced user participation would decrease the usefulness of the sites for everyone - including paying users.
I don't mind seeing a small number of unobtrusive ads in exchange for viewing a useful website or using a good game or utility program - but as with everything - some greedy, unscrupulous people/companies have ruined it for everyone and they've gone overboard and gotten extremely obnoxious with the sheer number of in your face ads as well as ads that try to masquerade as real content in the web-page you are trying to visit in order to fool people into clicking on them.
I particularly hate the sites that split a single 3 page article into 10 parts that force you to click "next" after every 3 lines that you read so that they are able to reload the entire page and present 15 new ads after each click. Also in this category are the "top 10" lists that present one item at a time.
Perhaps the best web-browser feature would be one that prescreens each page before rendering it to you - and then advises you how many ads are contained on the page and the type of ad. There's nothing worse than browsing late at night while people ar sleeping and have some ad start playing a video at full volume offering Viagra or Adult dating. I don't want to block ALL ads, but I definitely want to block the obnoxious ones. There are browser features that maintain lists of unsafe sites and warn you before being directed to one. I'd like it if they did the same thing with sites that contain obnoxious or excessive advertising.
Ads alone are not evil, and I'm happy to have a non-cash method of enjoying some sites and programs - but we need better built-in tools to weed out and/or protect average users from the unsavory people and sites.
Funny you should bring this up. Yesterday’s podcast of MacBreak Weekly discussed this very thing. Advertisers are quite up in arms over iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 having new ad blocking technology. Websites that depend on advertising for their income could block access unless you agree to ads. Many popular and useful websites could simply vanish. Leo LaPorte said he originally founded Twit to be ad free and asked for donations instead. Didn’t happen. Basically people don’t want to see ads but they don’t want to pay either. Tightwads. Another possibility is micro payments where you don’t pay a subscription but you do pay say 5¢ for every article you access.
Bottom line is you can’t have it both ways. You can’t blocks ads and still expect the website to stay in business. You don’t want to pay for your content but you somehow expect the website to run on thin air anyway. If you get rid of ads then expect the diversity and content of the Internet to diminish. There are only so many subscriptions people will be willing to pay for every month. Let the market decide you say? Then only the big sites will be left.
How much per month would you pay for access to AppleInsider, iMore, MacWorld, 9to5 Mac, MacRumors, and all the other excellent Apple centric websites that have been around for a long time because of ads? Block the ads, goodbye website unless you pay.
We dipped our toes into the subscription waters with our iOS app. It was very cold. Unfortunately the current prevailing mindset is to treat all news as though it comes from a single source, "the internet", and that disconnect has lead us all down a dark and twisty path. The future of independent web publishers like us here at AI is very much in question. It's our job to try and figure out business solutions because obviously we want to keep existing, but man can it be crushing when idealism has to clash with reality.
That said, if you really want to support AI you should consider a subscription to our iOS app - if that gains enough traction there is absolutely the possibility of us expanding that program. Or, alternatively, if you're in the market for a new mac use our price guide and affiliate codes. We work hard with partners to try and get deals that are worthwhile, and we get a kickback from sales. If you don't have fat stacks of cash to throw around, promote AI over other apple-centric properties on social media, and on sites like Reddit and Hacker News. We always love seeing people engaged with our content.
As always if you think something we're doing sucks, feel freed to email us feedback at [email protected].
@sog35 Exactly. Your sentiments about ads, I totally agree. I think you are my new best friend.