3/29/2024 update:

* I need to post separately about how unreadable many (formerly respectable) web sites have become, due to their blasted pop-up/over, dancing ads --which often obscure what one is trying to read. For now, I advise adding some version of "Readerview" to your browser's armory. (Works great with Chrome on a Chromebook!) Also: Google News let's you simply banish impossible sources from your search results (use those 3 little dots).

Earlier writ:

* When searching via "Bing", or catching up with events via MSN News --I've been seeing fewer guldarned, furshlugginer paywalls. I hope that's a deliberate Microsoft effort.

* I've also noticed a trend at web venues like the NYT and The Atlantic to open up a link from Google Search (my main search engine), let me read much of it, and then tell me something like: "This is your last free article --sign up", or: "To read the rest" or "to read the whole version" --gee thanks --for not only jacking me around, but maybe I've already fired off a link to a friend.

* And how embarrassing --!-- to send someone (anyone) --some kind of a walled link, or even an implied obligation to trouble with a sign-up.

* If an outfit like Time Magazine can't think of better ways to monetize their website, they need therapy and schooling to enhance the imagination.

* Those who want to take out multiple subscriptions for "quality journalism" --fine, but don't expect us to do that in order to access and pass on a single (perhaps useless) article. Geesh!

* Hear me: I have zero interest in ways to bypass paywalls --for the same social reasons.

My standard social media operating procedure is to quote a line or two of what's most relevant, then send (or post) that quote and the source URL to friends and readers. (What's your SMOP?)

* Now tell me: when would one ever send a paywalled link to a friend or post one to a follower?

** I want the option from Google, Bing & DDG to not waste my time with paywalled results. Give us the option to blank them out or to at least color tag them. Google could let us do that manually (as they kindly allow for Google News ("Hide all stories from ______").