In preparation for my trip to New York for a conference I turn to the New York Times online to see what’s happening in the world’s second greatest city. I am delighted to see that they have now dropped the pay-wall for the site so that from Monday I can enjoy every single comment and story without subscribing. It’s a recognition that subs pay less than ads and its a boon for occasional NYT readers like myself. But where does it leave Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal or the FT? I have nothing in principle against subscriptions or fees – after all what was the old paper cover price? But it is good to see another quality part of the news world online opened up to all.