Launch of irishtimes.com

Madam, - Congratulations on the website changes. Yours is the best Irish news website I've ever come across

Madam, - Congratulations on the website changes. Yours is the best Irish news website I've ever come across. You now have a website in the same class as that of BBC News. Thank you. - Yours, etc,

FINN McDUFFIE,

Wilton Terrace,

Dublin 2.

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Madam, - Congratulations on the new web layout. Everything looks good, but it would have been far more congenial to have a direct link to Letters from the main page and to not have to navigate through sub-sections. - Is mise,

ALEX STAVELEY,

Norseman Court,

Dublin 7.

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Madam, - I welcome the new, free, online Irish Times. It will have great appeal for those living in the far corners of the globe who can now regularly keep in touch in a way that only the greater community of Irish Timesreaders can understand.

How small-minded of you, however, to withdraw Crosaire from the body of the paper after 50-odd years. The "e" version is sadly incomplete. - Yours, etc,

JAMES CARROLL,

Ballymany, Newbridge,

Co Kildare.

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Madam, - Thank you for making The Irish Timesavailable free on the internet. This is an obvious step in the right direction as it helps to reduce my carbon footprint (no petrol wasted driving to my local shop to buy a copy, and no stacks of newspaper to recycle) and in the present, strained economic climate I save €1.80 a day. I have not managed yet to compute the cost of 30 minutes' electricity to run my computer while I read the paper on line.

Now, my naive query is: Why should I have to pay for the enjoyment of attempting the Crosswords, a personal daily exercise which aids my mental agility?  I do not understand the concept of a "Crossword Club". Surely the entire paper should be free to all on line? - Yours, etc,

VICTORIA LUMLEY,

Tullamore,

Co Offaly.

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Madam, - No doubt there are teething difficulties with the new online format. However, there can be no question as to where Charles Krauthammer's column, if you must publish it, belongs. It's Opinion, not World News. - Yours, etc,

GERRY O'BEIRNE,

Grange Park Road,

Dublin 5.

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The daily Crosaire and Simplex crosswords are available to download free in printable format at www.irishtimes.com. Crossword Club subscribers can access an archive of interactive crosswords and other features. - Ed., IT.