So, why did the magazine decide to set the meter at six articles per month?

“Well, it’s based on a number of factors. One is our sort of intense data analysis of our readers. Another is the economics, and the third is gut. It feels like a good number,” NewYorker.com editor Nicholas Thomson told Capital in an interview. “You’ll be able to get a lot of stories, you’ll be able to get a lot of the magazine every month, but it also feels like a number where people will feel like they should subscribe.”

Data + gut. I like that. And I’m happy to pay.