Now that I run into a 'paywall' when I click a newstory, it makes me wonder whether disruptive technologies are just that, and may not be appropriate replacements for what they disrupt.  Newspapers are going down the drain because of 'free news' websites, or at least, those used to be free.  Now instead of subscribing to a paper of chosen scope and journalistic temperament, which has all the news I want to read, I am left to be an internet-squirrel digging about the web in search of acorns on once-free news websites.

It pushes forth the 'Blockbuster' effect, as I've named it.  Once, there were many, many locally-owned video rental stores.  Those all were 'disrupted' by national chain stores, like Blockbuster, and the mom-and-pop video stores could not stay in business.  Then, Blockbuster got wedged under a pile of large-store lease payments, and internet competition, and it has been on deathwatch for some time.  It supplanted the smaller stores, but when it's gone, there'll be no video stores.  Yeah, I'm up on the Netflix and RedBox business models, so let the analogy end.

Free internet news killed paid newspapers, but now, those disruptive news sites want to start charging.  If I have to pay, then I'd just as soon pay for a paper to be at my door daily.