Web 3.0? Pay-for-content is here to stay

If all on-line content came at a price, what would you cut? What would you keep?

In just the past hour, I've come upon news articles and emails that signal the end is near.

That is, the end for free video content on the web.

Now that Fox and ABC are pulling back on free video content, we're starting to really see the pay-for-content online era open up.

Add in major publications like The New York Times putting in place a pay wall earlier this year and it's hard to deny we're really starting to see this monetization of content build momentum.

Web 3.0? What's your plan?
Is this Web 3.0? And if it is, will it work or will it be a bust?

I don't know about you, but I'm already strategizing about which content I will pay for and which I will decide to do without. Here's my current strategy:

• I get content from The Wall Street Journal on my iPad via my work subscription. I haven't picked up a paper version of the Journal for nearly two years...and I don't miss it.  But I love the WSJ iPad app and read it daily. 
• I pay for the The Daily, News Corps on-line digital paper that comes in at 99 cents a week. However, I'm strongly considering canceling because the unique content is limited and the pretty iPad presentation just isn't worth it.
• I pay for Netflix and will continue to do so. However, I'm considering switching my home Internet to Time-Warner to take advantage of TW's online iPad feature. I'm waiting for the legal eagles to get the contract issues straightened out before I jump.
• I've resisted subscribing to The New York Times, although they've begun to woo me with 8 weeks of unlimited access for 99 cents.  When the Times put up the pay wall and limited free access to 20 stories a month, I pretty much tuned out. The Times is a great paper, but the value proposition for the current subscription structure is just too steep for me. The WSJ is sufficient, supplemented by the 20 free stories a month here. Sorry NYTimes. There's a recession on, ya' know!

I anticipate regional papers to begin the pay wall process soon, following the footsteps of the Times.  I view the new Columbus Dispatch website as a set up to charge for content by the beginning of 2012, although that is totally speculation on my part. When this happens, I'll probably have to re-evaluate my on-line budget outlay.

And don't even get me started if sites like Mashable start charging for content.

What do you value?

Regardless, as more an more on-line content comes with a fee attached, we'll all start quickly prioritizing our resources and looking for the best value.

So how much would you pay for on-line access to Modern Family?

If all on-line content came at a price, what would you cut? What would you keep?