I found this exchange between Doug Belshaw and Stephen Downes interesting and enlightening.

Doug Belshaw posted this:

“It’s like QAnon, if QAnon involved a lot of DIY rhinestone boots”

This article about Taylor Swift and her team’s use of the algorithms that shape our lives is pretty fascinating.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/arc

Doug Belshaw (https://scholar.social/deck/@dajb@social.coop/112506474713195806)

Now, the important part for this discussion is the link to the Atlantic. (The algorithms can be discussed later).

Stephen Downes responded simply:

Downes @Downes@mastodon.social

@dajb Paywall

Stephen Downes

After a bit of back and forth, Stephen Downes posted this:

I’m sure it’s not a solved problem. Eg. for me, I clicked on a link and was presented with a paywall. That’s the problem. Links should not point to paywalls – you’re saying there’s an article there, but there’s just an advertisement.

Stephen Downes

This was fascinating to me. Stephen Downes has expressed what is frequently a frustration for me. Links that I can’t really get to. There has been lots of discussion about this practice across Mastodon. There is the issue that links that may be available for one person may not be available to someone else. I do, however, love the elegance expressed by Stephen Downes, links versus advertisements. If I can’t get through the link, it isn’t a link, it is an advertisement.

Bravo!

Doug Belshaw also pointed out that there is a site (archivebuttons.com) that helps remove paywalls.

All of the paywall removers in one place

Simply enter the URL of the article and click the archive buttons to remove any paywall. We all hate paywalls, these paywall removers can help with that.

There is a simple box to enter a URL into, it does the rest. While this is an extra step, it is a useful site that I have now bookmarked.

Thus, from one simple Mastodon exchange (from two brilliant people), I have learned two things:

  1. The concept of a link versus an Ad
  2. Archivebuttons. com is a site that may be useful.
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