According to an unnamed source, TheSpoof.com is to start charging for its hilarious stories. It follows media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's announcement that he expects News Corporation-owned newspaper Web sites to start charging users for access.
The insider at TheSpoof.com, who won't be hard to track down since it's a one-man outfit, suggests that the new business model will see spoof news articles published which have the humorous elements hidden or removed. The reader will have to pay to see the missing content.
This is expected to be either by subscription or by using a 'pay as you laugh' system. In this mode, the reader's credit card will be debited each time they click on blanked-out sentences to reveal the rib-tickling text hidden underneath.
Many of the sites' writers seemed unaware of the impending changes and expressed concern that they would still not be getting paid for their efforts. However, one writer, Roy Turse, said he thought that the system was already in operation. He claims that he has been supplying stories with all the humorous elements removed for the last four months.
