Free Access
Seventeen Magazine said it is joining with 1stUp.com, a company that provides free Web access on a co-branded basis, to offer the service to its readers and visitors to its Web site, https://www.seventeen.com. Free Web access, in which users can avoid paying a monthly fee if they’re willing to put up with advertising on their computer screens and provide personal data, is becoming a favored device to win online customers. Among those offering branded free Internet service are Kmart, search portal AltaVista and even the animated sitcom “The Simpsons.” Seventeen, mindful that its target audience is girls aged 12 to 19, said it worked with 1stUp to limit the personal information the Web service will collect from registrants. Charles McCurdy, president of Primedia Inc., Seventeen’s parent, said children under 13 won’t be permitted to register, although verifying the age of potential users is almost impossible on the Web.
