I decided to try this for a month, and so far it’s the clunkiest website I’ve ever seen. I’m all logged in, and search, and the huge menus covering about 3/4 of the page and there seem to be no way the retract them. I’m still playing with it, so maybe there’s hope. Anybody actually like this service?
Any service that wants a credit card before I can even look at a sample of their offerings, and AFTER I’ve given them a login email address, can get… knotted.
I predict a nonstop flood of signup offer and teaser emails from them, now.
…and there it is, the first cheery solicitation. Took just over an hour.
There is no unsubscribe/cancel option anywhere. Maybe there is if I sign in, but eff that.
I used their contact form to tell them exactly what I think of services - even ones as potentially enticing and useful as theirs - that (1) don’t allow even a look at sample material without a credit card and (2) don’t tell you that until they’ve captured your email address.
Too bad. I think they could be valuable to have on the string. But they are either clueless about good user policies, or just as intent on squeezing the e-stone for blood as providing the info service. I can wait for the former, and pass on any form of the latter.
ETA: I predict users will find themselves on a monster spam list for similar info/genealogy sites. There’s gold in them thar addys, and someone in their business model knows that.
I signed up for the 7 day trial and found the site useful for some genealogy research. I found the news articles I was looking for about an incident that occurred in a small Texas panhandle town in the 1950’s.
I also enjoyed reading some random articles from early 1900’s issues.
I cancelled before my monthly membership began (had to enter a credit card to get the free trial period) and the cancellation was painless.
I do get an email about once or twice a month inviting me to subscribe again. And I might subscribe for a full month just to see what else I can find.
YMMV
I subscribe on a yearly basis and have no problems. Their search engine is pretty good.
The Library of Congress has a free website, called Chronicling America, with a bunch of public domain newspapers. It’s free (and I suspect may overlap somewhat with the commercial site mentioned in the OP).
Like sam, I haven’t had any problems with it. I’m not sure what huge menus you mean. Maybe they aren’t visible to subscribers. If you don’t like it, try newspaperarchive.com.
All the newspaper database sites have bad to awful search functions. You get to learn their idiosyncrasies and work around them.
ETA: Chronicling America is public domain and so has nothing after 1923. That may or may not work for you.
And many states now have their own state newspaper databases, which are free but have limited content.
Also, I’d recommend checking your local public library. You might be able get access to Newspaper Archive or another such service with your library card.