The pioneers of the internet dreamed of a globally connected community who could openly and freely exchange information and ideas.  A few years ago steps were taken in-terms of cloud computing in further realising this dream.  However, with the exponential growth of mobile internet devices such as smart phones and ipads, there has been a rapid growth in apps which are not free to use which are connected to internet services.  This closed-service model is prevailing.  Could we be seeing the end of an open access web and the birth of a pay to use internet. 

It is important to consider that papers like the Times have a long way to go interms of making-up lost revenue from a decline in the sale of traditional paper sales.  They said that figures stood at 105,000 users willing to pay for their service.

Case Study - Times Online

More than 100,000 people have paid to go behind the Times and Sunday Times' new online paywalls but visits to their websites have fallen by about 87%.

Times Online was registering about 21 million unique users a month to its front page earlier this year but the figure fell to 2.7 million last month.

The papers said in addition 100,000 people had a joint subscription to read the newspapers in print and digitally.

Times editor James Harding said the papers were "hugely encouraged".

Publishers of the Times and Sunday Times have revealed for the first time how many people are paying to read their newspapers online or on mobiles. They said that figures stood at 105,000.

The subscription figures have been eagerly awaited by publishers and advertisers since the two papers went behind an online paywall four months ago.

The Times newspaper reported today that a proportion of its readership are indeed prepared to pay to access their newspaper online.