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THEJOURNAL.IE IS TODAY delighted to announce an exciting new era for its valued users: our comments section is going behind a paywall.
The comments paywall – or ‘saywall’ – will kick in from midnight on 31 April.
While our above-the-line offering of cracking news and analysis will remain free to view, we believe that those with an(y) opinion to express are willing to put a modest price on being part of Ireland’s most colourful commenting community.
Features will allow users to access:
The ‘leaky’ saywall
Our metered, or ‘leaky’, saywall will allow all users to comment up to ten times a week on their device of choice. This allows all of our users to remain a vibrant part of our comments section.
Each of these comments will, however, appear in Comic Sans font and must be selected from a random, but pre-approved, list available on TheJournal.ie Comment Generator™
Sample comments include:
And this is news how?
I’ll tell you where there’s a donkey sanctuary. The biggest donkey sanctuary in Ireland is on Merrion Street.
Didn’t read the story but your headline is totally wrong.
Denis O’Brien ate my homework.
Another gay article. Tpcl jrnl.
I don’t care. I’m not paying for it twice.
Note: users attempting to breach the 10-comment limit through social media or search links will have the comments section hidden from their device for a week.
‘Power commenters’ who wish to have even more say on TheJournal.ie will have the option of signing up to one of three fantastic membership levels – bronze, silver and gold.
Check out the advantages of each one:
Bronze Broadcast
Speculation Silver
Gold and Bold
Particularly active commenters who build up 1,200 Viewpoints® points a month through their TheJournal.ie memberships will be eligible for a Viewpoints® loyalty card.
Your Viewpoints® loyalty card entitles you to discounts in retailers across the country. Not only will you be able to get money off from your shopping and gift purchases, you’ll also gain access to exclusive TheJournal.ie Commenter Rooms, opening in big-name clubs across the country shortly, where you can mingle and chat with like-minded commenters.
Fees for the new membership structure are as follows*:
Broadcast Bronze – €10 per month or 200 Viewpoints®
Silver Speculation – €20 per month or 400 Viewpoints®
Gold and Bold - €50 per month or 1,000 Viewpoints®
*Cash purchasers will need to provide TheJournal.ie with their PPS number, bank account IBAN and BIC details, mother’s maiden name and [Inter/Junior/Group/Leaving] Cert points total [delete where applicable].
There are a number of different ways in which TheJournal.ie comments members may rack up Viewpoints®, including:
- Take part in our Pseudonym Amnesty which happens on the first Friday of every month. Agree to sign in with your real name, verified by passport/driving licence/Xtravision card, and earn 300 Viewpoints®
- Sign up with any of our partner brands and earn 45 Viewpoints® per sponsored comment. Example: “This story got me so worked up, I had to cool down with an icy can of Lilt.”
- Earn 20 Viewpoints® for every comment you have included in our daily ’Comments of the Day’ email round-up. The Comment of the Year [applicable to Gold and Bold members only] will earn a bonus 2,000 Viewpoints®, be voiced by ‘Taken’ star Liam Neeson, broadcast on all of our social media channels on New Year’s Eve and made available as an exclusive ringtone for your smartphone.
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I may be an Easter bunny, but not an April fool ;)
It was the inclusion of the comic sans font that really gave it away…..
NOBODY likes comic sans.
April 31st eh?
nice try…..but i m sure there are loads of here who skipped a beat while reading it like me….:)
Glad to see they took my tips to the writers on board. Free speech must be paid for! This will eliminate all the frivolous diatribes from people who refuse to participate in a serious manner. I’ve already set up a Papal (a subsidiary of Paypal) account, run by the vatican bank. Anyone wishing to join me can send me their bank details. Confidentiality guaranteed.
Sinn Féin and Fine Gael nearly went bust.
I was all ready to go on rant there until I saw the comments! #dummy
I was all set to go on a rant there until I got to the comments!
I so fell for this !! Before I moved onto the comments I was sitting , trying to work out the memberships , nice one journal !
Ha Ha, all ye’d be left with is prepaid shills
Ha
But what if you get paid by the comment by SFHQ? : (
I’m sayin nothin!!
This is one of the best written articles here in some time.
Talk is cheap.
I love the comment generator and the option Gold members have to delete comments if they disagree with it or find the photo ugly. XD
I had the same feeling almost , when the score changed its name.
This looks like a fantastic idea. I’d love to sign up immediately, but all of my money is tied up with a Prince in West Africa who is fighting a legal battle to get his fortune back.
I’ll definitely sign up when he makes me richer than Richie Rich.
RTÉ’s April Fool is that the Spire is being taken down for 2 weeks to make way for the 2016 celebrations (and stored in a hangar at Dublin Airport).
Journal’s April fool is more convincing…
If you charged for the words Irish, Water, won’t pay, Enda and government you’d clean up….even non-related articles end up with one of these being ranted about!
Good April fools by the way, one of the best I’ve seen today.
Poor attempt at trolling Journal but saying that happy April Fools!
Think about it, Actually a pay wall mightn’t be such a bad idea!
Since when is an April fools day prank trolling?
I think it’s a great piece :)
Do you know the meaning of trolling ?
Yes Suzie I do, pity more don’t because clearly no one got the sarcasm in “poor attempt” it was actually a good article and I almost believed it for a couple of seconds! Anyway here’s a link to what trolling in its truest form means, educate yourself!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=trolling&defid=4250942
Rachel , good article there .
Good woman now you’re getting it ;)
Now , now .
I fell for it lmfao. Read through half of it all outraged and then went, “Hang on…” XD
Me too lol
I fell for it too! Until I got to the price list, I was like hang on….. Although I bet some people on here would have gladly paid the €50 quid a month to have their say!
U ok Hun?
I notice the three of you who fell for it were women…just sayin ;-)
Careful now
I think you mean ‘ladies’. Not our fault, our brains are little and designed for pushing out babies and cooking dinner. ;)
Take a joke. I bet far more men fell for it. Just don’t call me “misogynist” ;-)
FairPlay journal
You guys put a lot of effort into that April fools gag….. You are joking right?
If it was pay per comment Glen, you’d be well skint
I would need a second job Chief, no question about it.
You have a job?
Yeah commenting on the journal.
Ha ha. You do your job very well.
Well I should Chief. I get enough practice.
Paid to troll. Thanks for confirming suspicions!
I’m Disappointed that the sample membership card didn’t feature yourself glen.
Oh, look what date it is.
I wanted to comment on this article but I’ve got no money.
I see you used your viewpoints®
You shouldn’t have written April 31st in the opening few lines.. Too noticeable! Nice try tho :)
I don’t care. I’m not paying for it twice.
Hmm, what date is it today I wonder?
Hmmm do I detect a bit of sass in those fake comments ? feisty journal.ie ! and here yese were posting the story on passive aggressive notes only yesterday !! tsk tsk
Ya had me till I read the comments! Early morning brain no work good.
Denis O’Brien ate my homework.
That might cause a significant change the demographic…
I already pay for my comments 4 times in like…. general taxation and like… Vat and maybe motor tax too!!!!!
In order to cover the cost of the new paywall I have decided to introduce a small charge for my comments. This one for example costs €1 which is pretty good value I think you’ll agree.
Happy April’s day to you nice people in the Journal
And what about the not so nice lol.
Ye fec/ers ;) got me! I was raging reading it :)
I was ready for a rant :) i was had :( happy April fools everyone
You had me for 1/2 a second, I even thought wtf? Are they serious, comments are the life blood of The Journal, it’s one of the main reasons people come here…
Breaking news, govt to tax comments. Good effort from journal towers. Got to admit You had me for a second but then it is early.
Absolutely fumin…. I fell for it
No way, we won’t pay.
Do you need our PPS numbers?
Had me most of the way! Good one!
“We believe that those with an(y) opinion to express are willing to put a modest price on being part of Ireland’s most colourful commenting community” – This is an April fools joke right? MY comments are priceless!
Ahahha ye got me!! I was down as far as “ability to comment on Oireachtas members!
Any discounts for former Peace Ambassadors?
How do I leave my credit card details? Does this comment cost me? Saywhat?
A good test-marketing move. Monitor the level of negative feedback – if it’s below the threshold – then cancel the April Fool part & go ahead and implement it at month-end.
Patjoejoe is crying in his cornflakes .
Where is he peeing now?
I blame the bankers, Enda and Irish water for this
You got me. read the whole thing without breathing and my mouth hanging open. Thank god for clever quick commentators.
ps It is the most viewed story this morning .lol
You got me.. Till I lost interest and scrolled down..
That’s off the wall are ya mad ted! !
Think you’ll have to try harder than that to catch out us Journal readers. We’re a fairly bright bunch ya know!!!
April Fool but it was a good
Blast! I did’t cop on till I had blown a fuse. Well done.
Typical, another pro-gay article.
Haha good April Fools joke!
Denis O Brien burped!
I don’t think i will take up the offer thanks. Its free now and we cant say what we want.
Thought it April Fool the minute I saw it!
Fell for it hook,line and sinker. Only waking up but will be alert from now. Well done Journal.
Lá na n-amadán; ach nach amhlaidh atá sé chuile lá le go leor daoine. Íoc de réir do I Q b’fhéidir?
We’ll played, Journal. Full marks for effort!
Can you sign me up for the “Gold n Bold” option?
My PPS is 714247J
AIB Bank Centre
Sort 93-18-76
A/C 43791023
Can’t wait to get deleting
Whatever about a fake paywall, how about letting us block certain people so we dont have to see their constant sh*t stiring or off the walls comments in our own comment section. That would be a feature i nearly would pay for.
Top marks!!
April 31st….just copped on…(only awake)
About time as it will sort out the wheat (Were &Oggie) from the chaff like Baz&Sappy !
You couldn’t fool your mother on the fooliest day of the year with an electrified fooling machine
Flip sake,I was caught,good one journal
Pity this much effort hasn’t been given into the genuine news stories today!
Oh there’s always one !
Aren’t there enough joke articles already?
And this is news how?
Don’t we already pay in our Car Tax….
What, ministers pensions?
April 31st ;)
Haha yeah, it had me going there until they mentioned “cracking news…” etc (obviously bullshit) it really dawned on me when they mentioned the pps number requirement.
Decent effort from the journal it has to be said.
However, joking aside, I think this idea has legs.
31st of April….
That’ll be good except most commentators on most topics involving economics think someone else should pay or that they have already paid.
Another gay article. Tpcl jrnl.
Cab we have the comment generator anyway?
April Fools..
Should have offered 100 euro back for everyone who registers to make it just like real life ;)
You want to try a bit harder than that.
You got me good, when I seen PPS number required I had a big chuckle and felt stupid ha!!
Smacks of “water charges”!
Brilliant. Happy Aprils fools day
There is no 31 April so April fool
Lol
The satire in this strongly highlights that the average everyday man has no say because you gotta be wealthy to be heard. An April fools day joke with a strong message.
everyone here has to pay 10 euros for commenting…. me including
I was all set to go on a rant there until I saw the comments…. #duh
April fools
Lame
‘From April 31st’ had me thinking!
Right u r too, can I be platinium
Typical Commenter would get it
Yawn.
Anyone for an April fools?
Sign me up :)
If I could post a picture, it would be this: https://genophoria.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg
How about the journalists go behind a pay wall and only get to post stuff after we get paid!
#AprilFools
30 days hath September.
On other news: I’m delighted to announce that my offer to buy The Journal.ie was accepted by the board of directors and as a result I’ll like to assure all loyal readers that such thing as to pay for comments won’t be put in place at all. Happy commenting!
That mother is going to make that child soil herself in that photo, anything for April Fool I suppose, lol.
Scam!!!! Freedom of speech but at a price!!
Laughing at myself…
April fool
Happy Troll day everyone
It is April the First anyway…
Saps!! 9 left..
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