Got a note from Malaysiakini today, for all you stingy-porkers out there who read all the malaysiakini news reposted by various parties, but never really paid for the subscription–here’s some good news.
Malaysiakini will go free from 17th April onwards, to pave the way for MORE adverts (like we didn’t have enough) but also to allow Malaysiakini to respond to attacks more effectively. Having to cater to two customer models makes responding to DDOS attacks a bit harder–though I can’t imagine why.
It’s however good news all-around. Malaysiakini will extend the subscription if you were already paying, and if you never were a customer, you now have access to all the news from Malaysia no.1 Online News Portal.
Dear Malaysiakini subscribers and readers,
In keeping with the spirit of democracy, Malaysiakini will be available for all to read starting Wednesday, April 17. We believe that voting is a major responsibility of every citizen and that Malaysians should have access to election campaign information before they vote. Indeed, citizens should make an informed decision on the government they want when they go to the ballot box. Malaysiakini intends to play a key role in providing that information. Previously, Malaysiakini had gone free at the 2008 general elections.
We are going free for two other reasons. An avalanche of advertising will hit the website during this period and it is bound to upset our paying subscribers. However, the extra revenue will help compensate for the lost in subscription revenue, and to support the costs of sending our journalists nationwide to cover news during this period. Secondly, we expect Malaysiakini servers to come under attack again during the election campaign, and doing away with the subscription will ease our tasks in overcoming these attacks.
To compensate, subscribers will receive an extension to their current subscription, equal to the days that Malaysiakini is free. We do appreciate all the support we receive from our subscribers, and we believe that you will understand the need for Malaysiakini to go free during this critical period. Malaysiakini will return as a subscription site shortly after polling day.
During the next few weeks, readers can expect a blow-by-blow account of the election campaign as well as in-depth analysis on voting trends in Malaysiakini all four languages. In addition, KiniTV.com will give viewers a ring side seat to the campaigns. We hope you will share our news and videos with your friends.
On election night, we aim to be the first to report real-time results. With journalists in all the key seats and clued in to the counting process, we will let you know who shall govern Malaysia after May 5. Apart from www.malaysiakini.com, we ask readers to bookmark www.facebook.com/malaysiakini and www.twitter.com/malaysiakini to make sure you get access to Malaysiakini latest news. Mobile users can access the website through m.malaysiakini.com. Also, you can follow our SMS alerts.
Please share this information with as many Malaysians as possible.
Good move by Malaysiakini. I think when new users get a taste, there will be new subscribers even after the GE.