So, you readers may have noticed that the Enterprise’s main website is kinda — what’s the technical term? — kerflooey. For that you can thank a Russian hacker bot.

No, seriously. The Russkies took us down. How wild is that?

The new site is definitely a work in progress, but from what I understand, one thing folks will not see on there anytime soon, if at all, is the return of free news content. This announcement has apparently gone over like the proverbial lead ballon with some readers, who have been getting their Enterprise news strictly via the web. One letter writer, a former Falmouth resident, chastised us for being “greedy” by wanting to charge people to check us out on-line.

A quick reality check, people. First of all, where is it written that web content has to be free? Or even should be? That’s a very big assumption on your part, bubbi. The rules of the Internet are still being written and rewritten as all of us — content creators and consumers alike — discover what works and what doesn’t. And you know what doesn’t work for the newspaper industry? Giving away the milk for free so you don’t have to buy the cow.

The industry has been swirling ’round the edge of the bowl for a few years now, and it’s safe to say the Internet has played a major role in that, in large part because newspapers have been posting all of their content on-line at no charge (and then wonder why their sales figures are declining, which is rather sad. Gee, a shark bit my leg off and now I’m bleeding to death. Wonder if they’re connected? Nah!). And the papers aren’t exactly discouraging on-line readership by loading up their sites with all kinds of Net-only content, like, say, witty and thoughtful blogs from their reporters (wink nudge).

So at this stage of the game, at least for us, I don’t regard converting our on-line news content to pay-per-view as greed, but self-preservation. You want our news at all, then you need to pay for it, because advertising alone is not cutting it, particularly in this lean economy.

Besides: I could as easily accuse disgruntled readers of greed for not wanting to part with 75 cents to read the product of our efforts.

Web surfers, you might want to get used to the idea of paying for your content in certain circles, because we can’t all be like television and radio and have our product fully supported by outside advertising — and even those who are capable of such support aren’t necessarily going to continue with their generosity at not charging you something.