Well this is counter-intuitive: The NYTimes.com has 100,000 paid subscribers after implementing a paid online subscription service, what people who don't like or don't feel they should have to pay for quality call, perjoratively, a "paywall." (Yes, NYT does represent, I think, a level of quality journalism, kind of like what makes the New Yorker better than most any blog.)

http://bit.ly/hJYqw1

But is it counter-intuitive? I mean, do we, as consumers of blogs and of information from more traditional news sources both, do we really think the stuff on the blogs is as researched, objective and well written as articles on NYT? And do we think there is a worth, as our a chunk of the economy is given over to knowledge workers and skilled people who fashion content, to professional journalists?

What's this mean, long-term: Well, NYT is proving it can charge for content, even charge a premium price if it's content is of a premium quality. If you're creating great, premium content, then take note. You might not need to heed the advice that it needs to be free if it's online.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Packawhassup, the occassional update from PackawhaHQ (yeah, we can have a lot of fun with that) letting you know about some of Packawhallop's customers, the great things they're doing and the cool products and services they're offering.

The Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program launched LakesofMaine.org with a much revamped and a  broadened information architecture plan. LakesofMaine.org is meant to be a easy to use portal for lake info in the state of Maine. It culls data from disparate governmental sources. And it organizes and presents information in user-friendly and easily navigable pages. Check it out: http://www.lakesofmaine.org/  

Packawhallop hosts the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program web site, too. Check them out: http://www.mainevlmp.org/

VoxPhotographs revved its online commercial fine art photography gallery with a secure and easy-to-use store. Check out the blog, too, to get the skinny on photography at Vox and in Maine: http://www.voxphotographs.com/

In the mood for spring and really impatient for it to start, for real? (And what's we hear about snow in the state today?!) Well, get inspired for your landscaping job, and visit the Snug Harbor Farm web site. Located in Kennebunk, Maine, Snug Harbor's got great plants, terra cota pots, topiaries and lots and lots of garden ideas for the professional landscape designer, and for the connosieur. Check out their site: http://www.snugharborfarm.com/

Gulf of Maine Council's Ecosystem Indicator Partnership has been busy! Added to its Indicator Reporting Tool, featuring a data-rich dynamic web map, are data on impervious surfaces in New Brunswick. On the Partnership's home page check out the Climate Change Fact Sheet, and watch for more great publications and data. Here's where to start: http://www.gulfofmaine.org/esip/