Autosport.com introduces metered access

Brogan

Legend
Staff Member
For those who don't already have a subscription, from August 1st you will be permitted to view only 50 stories per month, after which you will need to pay.

From August 1, every visitor gets 50 free news stories per month. Once you reach the 50-story limit you can choose one of our great subscription packages to continue viewing and to get additional access to a range of features including:

• Unlimited access to AUTOSPORT with news and views from the paddock
• Enjoy AUTOSPORT+: subscriber-only analysis, comment and top-quality pictures
• Get AUTOSPORT magazine in a digital format on your computer or iPad every week
• Full access to FORIX - the world's best motorsport statistics website

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101658

Please do not discuss methods of how to bypass this limit - we don't want to get into any trouble from Autosport.com or Haymarket.
 
I saw that earlier too.

A whole 1.61 clicks a day! Mighty generous of them.

Looks like I'll be finding another news source as my first port of call then.
 
Personally I prefer to link to articles on Sky, BBC or GPUpdate anyway as after a month all Autosport articles go behind the pay firewall so the links become useless.
 
Personally I prefer to link to articles on Sky, BBC or GPUpdate anyway as after a month all Autosport articles go behind the pay firewall so the links become useless.

So anything older than a month, if linked to, becomes a dead link effectively? I didn't know that.
 
Neither did I, links & stories will be from another source from now on if they become 'dead' after a month.
Autosport is playing a bit of a dangerous game methinks, there's plenty of other sites with the news/gossip & they may find people just don't bother with their site anymore.
 
Decades of Autosport magazines take up valuable storage space in my house. Why I've kept them for so long I don't know. They will be going as soon as I get the chance to do a long promised (to myself) major clear out. Some months ago I bought my last issue. My visits to the website have plummeted to reading just a few items each race weekend, usually prompted by a reference in someone's post on CTA. Prior to joining Clip, I also regularly visited the Autosport forums and only do so now on the rare occasion that I may be short of a laugh.

So why has it come to this? Well, first and foremost I've got sick and tired of their mis-quotes and twisted headlines worthy only of tabloid bottom feeding press. Maybe their editorial staff take some pleasure in feeding the "you abuse my bloke so I'll abuse your bloke" battle ground on their forums.

Quite frankly, apart from the occasional splendid photograph, if I want speculation, intelligent (for the most part) debate, analysis, discussion and news worth reading, guess where I find it ... right here on Clip. When I want other facts or information I go to the horses mouth, i.e. official sport websites. The FIA website is especially good reading via the Media Centres, where accurate unedited transcripts of interviews and press conferences can be found. Add to this the series' websites for Le Mans series, MotpGP, WSB, etc. and we have access to enough info' and news to fill our lives 24/7. Then there is the wealth of websites like F1 Fanatic, F1technical and ScarbsF1

So, do we need Autosport more than Autosport needs us? On a personal level, I don't need it and only require one more nudge to abandon it for once and for all.

For the record, if I could afford a subscription to Autosport I would contribute financially instead to CTA. Since I can't do that right now, I do try to compensate by at least contributing my writing in Rooters and in posts to Clip. Autosport will never see any of that from me, heh, heh. :D
 
I've just had a message pop up on Autosport to say I've had 10 free page views, I've only got 20 left. It seems like they have now reduced the number of free page views from 50 to 30.

Since they are now the official spokesman for SKY as well. I think I'll view my motorsport information from another, more independant outlet from here on in.
 
Oh and just to add to that.

Autosport - Published by Haymarket
Motorsport News - (The voice of British Motorsport) - Published by Haymarket
F1 Racing - (The worlds biggest selling F1 magazine) - Published by Haymarket

:bored: I miss Formula One News so badly.
 
I hadn't realised and got my fingers rapped when I tried to access an article.
So I read it all on Pittpass.com now. It's just as good.
 
I didn't realise the limit had changed but that explains why I used it up for the first time last month! I've never really found it an issue before, apart from maybe the last couple of days of a month, mainly because I access the web-site with several devices (work PC, laptop, phone etc.). I'm always tempted to go premium but in the end I always decide that I'm not missing much for my £50.
 
What changed in 2012?
Non-subscribers are now limited to reading 30 news stories per month. Once you've reached this number, you won't be able to read any more news stories unless you subscribe to AUTOSPORT+ or wait until the counter resets on the first of the following month.

This information was lifted from the "Subscribe to Autosport - FAQ" section of the website.

Sneaky buggers obviously did a "1984" and changed the rules.
 
Heh, heh ...

"Damn Thee, thou non-believer for though shalt be the spawn of the Devil, for only evil ones wouldst read our content without coughing up some hard-earned >:(:twisted: "

... think I read that somewhere in an A***sp***t editorial. Of course it is late whilst waiting for FP1 so I just might have made it up.:thinking:
 
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