Looks as though 2002 will be the year the free-ride ends and people begin paying for content. The list of sites moving toward a pay-model are numerous. Most are doing so by offering a teaser of free content, and charging for the good stuff.

The latest convert is the e-zines publisher NetSurfer. I’ve subscribed to the Digest since 1996, and it remains a must-read for me still.

My NetSurfer subscription will be my first for online content, but over the next year, I anticipate paying for more. Unfortunately, most subscriptions are in U.S. dollars, adding a 60 percent premium to my costs. The price of business, I guess.