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Old 05-07-2014, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
3,683 posts, read 9,858,150 times
Reputation: 3016

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I recently received a renewal letter for the SJ Mercury News - $221 for six months, which is insane, IMHO. Does anyone know if there are any issues for a recent subscriber in utilizing the discounted newspaper offers that are available on the web? The savings are significant (as much as 75% off). I haven't seen anything that states recent subscriber are ineligible (unlike say, discounted offers for cable TV and internet service). I made inquiries into a couple discount newspaper services but haven't received any responses yet.

For those who might ask why I want to receive the paper when there are online news sources, and even two SJ Mercury News apps for tablets: Only a small subset of the content from the sections of the paper I care about (home & garden, cooking, dining, etc) are published in Mercury News app. And the other app, the e-Edition Mercury News, is laid out exactly like the newspaper, completely failing to take advantage of the fact that it's on a tablet. You have to jump around to different pages just to finish reading one story, which is a completely stupid UX for a tablet. See below

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Old 05-07-2014, 05:17 PM
 
2,220 posts, read 2,799,515 times
Reputation: 2716
I got rid of the Jerk-The-Knee News back in the 1990's, when their progression of local (5th) columnists went from the sneering Steve Lopez, to the duped Pat Dillion, to the "reconquista" anti-American traitor Joe Ramirez.

Then I moved to Sacramento, and the Bee (Ess) is actually even worse. At least the Murky News had good industry coverage.
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Old 05-07-2014, 11:30 PM
 
Location: Planet Earth
1,963 posts, read 3,042,104 times
Reputation: 2430
Don't subscribe to it if you think it is too expensive.
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Old 05-08-2014, 11:22 AM
 
Location: Pleasanton, CA
2,406 posts, read 6,037,241 times
Reputation: 4251
Just use their website. It's got all the same news and it's free. I cancelled my Mercury News subscription years ago.
I see know reason why I'd have to pay for news when I can get free stuff online and on tv.
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Old 05-08-2014, 12:32 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
173 posts, read 255,079 times
Reputation: 249
Yep, they tried to pull some garbage a long time ago (too long to explain) and moved to the top of my never do business with list. I cancelled mine and my mother's subscription and haven't looked back.
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Old 05-08-2014, 12:39 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
3,683 posts, read 9,858,150 times
Reputation: 3016
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstnghu2 View Post
Just use their website. It's got all the same news and it's free.
No, it doesn't. The only online source that has all of the content from the paper is the e-edition (which has an abysmal user interface), and that is only available to subscribers. The app and website only have a small subset of what is published every day, and even the app access is limited unless you're a subscriber.

This is the browser version of today's e-edition. Two of the three stories here cannot be found on the web site. I could go to almost any page other than the front page and show that most of the content isn't available online to non-subscribers.



LA Times charges $5/week for 7-day delivery and full digital access. NY Times charges $6.65 a week for the same. SJ Mercury News wants over $8 for the same. That's ridiculous.
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Old 05-09-2014, 02:22 PM
 
Location: Colorado
2,483 posts, read 4,370,849 times
Reputation: 2686
People still read printed papers?
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Old 05-09-2014, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,837,431 times
Reputation: 6373
Quote:
Originally Posted by otterprods View Post
People still read printed papers?
Yep. Quite a handy teaching tool, actually, especially when folks have a little down time in between tasks. Gets people who otherwise would have little idea what's going on in the world interested and perhaps involved.

Also, quite nice to relax with something other than a glowing screen. News sites (you too, Merc) are notorious for slamming users with ads and loads of other unwanted crap, anyway.
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Old 05-09-2014, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Colorado
2,483 posts, read 4,370,849 times
Reputation: 2686
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdumbgod View Post
Gets people who otherwise would have little idea what's going on in the world interested and perhaps involved.
I use google news, wiki-news, BBC online, etc for that. Takes about 2 minutes a day and costs $0 (since I already have internet everywhere). Also my local town has a digital newspaper (free) that I scan once a week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdumbgod View Post
Also, quite nice to relax with something other than a glowing screen. News sites (you too, Merc) are notorious for slamming users with ads and loads of other unwanted crap, anyway.
I use books and magazines for that. Printed. News is not relaxing to me, or very interesting for that matter And on the rare occasion that there IS something interesting to read, then it's usually not relaxing AT ALL.

It's staggering to me that people are paying several hundreds of dollars a year to 'relax' with info they could scan online in about 30 secs. I can take a beach vacation for what some of you are paying to read the print news each year, which is more relaxing… for me.
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Old 05-09-2014, 03:56 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,837,431 times
Reputation: 6373
Quote:
Originally Posted by otterprods View Post
I use google news, wiki-news, BBC online, etc for that. Takes about 2 minutes a day and costs $0 (since I already have internet everywhere). Also my local town has a digital newspaper (free) that I scan once a week.

I use books and magazines for that. Printed. News is not relaxing to me, or very interesting for that matter And on the rare occasion that there IS something interesting to read, then it's usually not relaxing AT ALL.

It's staggering to me that people are paying several hundreds of dollars a year to 'relax' with info they could scan online in about 30 secs. I can take a beach vacation for what some of you are paying to read the print news each year, which is more relaxing… for me.
The comics just aren't the same online, as are crosswords. These are certainly relaxing things. Op-ed, of course, is where to go to get agitated, but some of us like the battles (like here in good ol' C-D).

Best things: Batteries don't run out, and not getting hit with incoming messages or tempted to wander off to other sites, or get into absurd flame wars in comment sections. Just you and your paper, no distractions.

But also, it is a great source for many learning activities for kids and folks with developmental disabilities, whom otherwise wouldn't stay on a news site long enough to bother, with so many other distractions awaiting online.
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