I feel so guilty.  I cancelled my $42 a month home delivery subscription to the  New York Times.  I’ve had it delivered since 1990.  

Just one week on the Kindle and I couldn’t go back.   It’s just so smooth and clean on the Kindle…….

I cancelled in stages.  First the weekday, then I called back a few days later to cancel the weekend edition too.  I felt awful when the operator asked me if I’d reconsider if they gave me a deal.  ”It’s not you, it’s me,” I said.  But then I remembered my conversation with an elderly gentleman at a dinner party on Saturday night and he told me he prefers to read it electronically too.  I remember thinking “it’s doomed.”  

I asked the Times operator to please be sure to mark on my record that I’d pay more than the $14 a month I’m being charged for the Kindle edition.  In fact, I think they should charge for all electronic versions, I told her. Why should their hard work be given away for free?

I felt so awful…….but then I hung up and read Steve Rubel’s Micropersuasion blog this morning which says the Kindle is creating a moment of hope for the media — and I felt optimistic that the media might embrace the concept of working the Kindle.

The “Free” people are definitely loud — but that’s not to say they are right.  Speaking now as s a consumer (and not as someone in publishing ), I do believe people should, and will pay for great content (The Wall St. Journal and Consumer Reports are great examples).  It  has value and should be charged for.

I’m sure I’m going to be stoned by the “free” people for saying this…….

…….but just one more thing: don’t miss David Carr’s column today.  He says everything I’ve been thinking, better than I ever could.