Disordered Cogitations

Doc pointed me to an interesting article by Terry Heaton that asserts the reason the NYTimes is the most important news source is that it gives its articles away for free to the blogosphere.

The New York Times gives material freely to the bloggers, and the bloggers reward them with influence. This is why the people who run The Times should think very carefully before charging fees or otherwise locking up their content. This is why logical (Modernist) attempts to force demand by restricting access are playing a dangerous game with their online futures. And this is why online media companies need to make their archives freely available as well. Free is the operative word here. Influence is the currency.