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Daily Archives: April 9, 2024

How to Get Past a Paywall to Read an Article for Free

Lifehacker: “Over the past several years, countless websites have added paywalls. If you want to read their articles, you have to sign up and pay a monthly subscription cost. Some sites have a “metered” paywall—meaning you can read a certain number of articles for free before they ask for money—and others have a hard paywall, where you’ll have to pay to read even one article. Paywalls are mostly an thing with news websites, largely because relying on advertising income alone isn’t a viable strategy anymore, and news companies are pursuing more direct revenue sources, like monthly subscriptions. Of course, paywalls aren’t entirely a bad thing—it’s worth it to support journalism you find valuable, so by all means, if you can afford to pay to read articles, you absolutely should. But whether you lost your password, haven’t saved it on your phone, are in a rush, or are just strapped for cash and promise yourself that you’ll subscribe later, there are several ways to bypass paywalls on the internet. You may be able to use some of these methods successfully today, but that could change in the future as websites clamp down on bypass methods. If nothing else, I hope you support the websites that you do read—especially your friendly local news outlet. But if you can’t right now, here are some of the best ways to bypass paywalls online…”

How Copyright May Destroy Our Access To The World’s Academic Knowledge

TechDirt – Glyn Moody: “The shift from analogue to digital has had a massive impact on most aspects of life. One area where that shift has the potential for huge benefits is in the world of academic publishing. Academic papers are costly to publish and distribute on paper, but in a digital format they can… Continue Reading

U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2024 Annual Threat Assessment

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) [March 11, 2024] released the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community. This report reflects the collective insights of the Intelligence Community, which is committed every day to providing the nuanced, independent, and unvarnished intelligence that policymakers, warfighters, and domestic law enforcement personnel need… Continue Reading

Law is not Code: On Algorithms and the Concept of Law

Bezemek, Christoph, Law is not Code: On Algorithms and the Concept of Law (February 20, 2022). Studiengesellschaft für Wirtschaft und Recht (ed), Algorithmen im Wirtschaftsrecht (2023), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4696725 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4696725 “This piece addresses the (profound) differences and the (superficial) similarities between law and algorithms on a conceptual basis and invites the reader to… Continue Reading

Supreme Court will decide if states can ban lifesaving abortions

Vox: “Moyle v. United States should have been a very easy case. A federal law, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), requires nearly all hospitals to provide “such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition” of “any individual” who arrives at the hospital’s ER with an “emergency medical condition.” Though… Continue Reading

Librarians fear new penalties, even prison, as activists challenge books

AP: “…Across the country, book challenges and bans have soared to the highest levels in decades. Public and school-based libraries have been inundated with complaints from community members and conservative organizations such as as Moms for Liberty. Increasingly, lawmakers are considering new punishments — crippling lawsuits, hefty fines, and even imprisonment — for distributing books… Continue Reading

FCC rule now requires internet service providers to display fees

“Broadband Labels are designed to provide clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information about the cost and performance of high-speed internet services. The labels are modeled after the FDA nutrition labels and are intended to help consumers comparison shop for the internet service plan that will best meet their needs and budget. Internet service providers that offer… Continue Reading