Houston Chronicle Drops Web Site Registration Requirement

Via Romenesko, the Houston Chronicle reports:

In response to passionate pleas from many readers, we no longer require you to register to read stories or access most of the site’s content. Registration is only necessary in specialized areas — to post comments in our forums, access our newspaper archives, get breaking news alerts or build your own comics page.

The New York Times began requiring registration in 1996, according to J.D. Lasica, and the practice took hold with newspapers nationwide after 2001. An article in Presstime outlines the business case for registration.

Bloggers obviously hate registration; many avoid linking to sites that require it, or advise their readers to use BugMeNot.

Time will tell if the Chronicle‘s decision represents a new trend or an aberration. Either way, newspapers are still trying to find their way.

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