The TimesSelect pay wall has officially been torn down. Does this mean newspapers should forget about paid content? Yes, if they want be part of the “conversation” and participate in the web’s link-based ecosystem and economy.

New York - The New York Times announced on Monday that it will shutter its TimesSelect subscription service, which had kept older articles and its roster of op-ed writers in a pay-to-view area of its website, opting instead to open its archives to potential advertising revenue.

New York - The New York Post reported on Tuesday that The New York Times plans to abandon TimesSelect, its subscription service that includes archived stories and opinion pieces, in favor of offering free access to the content.

New York - The New York Times announced on Monday that it has made its subscription-based archives, TimesSelect, available for free to all college students and faculty with a valid .edu e-mail address. The company also announced that it has again partnered with News Corp.'s MySpace for a second annual "Win A Trip With Nick" African reporting competition. The contest will send one college student and one middle or high school teacher on a reporting expedition to Africa with Times columnist Nick Kristof.