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Pay Walls and Restricted Internet Access


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The mention by BerylH (under the Russian Ballet Icons Gala topic) that there is a report of an interview with Vadim Muntagirov in today's Times makes me wonder whether there should be a heading on the forum under which posters could tell everyone about any articles they have found which cannot be accessed via the links.

 

For my part, I was very grateful to know about the piece on Vadim in time to go out and buy a copy of today's paper. So thank you BerylH.

 

 

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We haven't linked to Times articles since they went behind the wall.

 

Several other sites that we do link to have limits on the number of articles that can be read per month so that makes accessing them a bit hit and miss. This may become an increasing problem as more news outfits try to keep in profit. The good old days of an internet free for all are coming to an end.

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 The good old days of an internet free for all are coming to an end.

 

More's the pity. But that is why I thought we would all benefit from alerting one another to articles which we might otherwise miss.

 

Of course, the efforts of all those who provide us with the links on here every day are appreciated enormously.

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The mention by BerylH (under the Russian Ballet Icons Gala topic) that there is a report of an interview with Vadim Muntagirov in today's Times makes me wonder whether there should be a heading on the forum under which posters could tell everyone about any articles they have found which cannot be accessed via the links.

I thought I *had* started one some time ago, but admittedly I can't find it by searching under any obvious titles.

 

Yes, by all means let's have one. Though it is worth pointing out, as I did a couple of months ago, that if it's The Times and you have a UK library card, you should be able to get at it via your library's website. 

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Is it just readers from the USA or are UK-based members getting a notice that the Telegraph is limiting readers to 10 free articles online before demanding money?

 

Does that then leave the Guardian as the only broadsheet that's still free?

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Melody:  Re The Telegraph, I fear we see that here too - and in an increasing number of publications all around the English-speaking world.  However, from what I can tell, the Independent here is still unlimited but its Dance coverage has shrunk to very little indeed.

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The Independent is limited to five articles a month over here (I think it's five anyway). I'm basically getting my British news from the BBC and the Guardian these days. Not that I mind paying for news, but I'm not going to throw money at all of them.

Edited by Melody
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My current (and growing) list of journals that live entirely or partly behind a paywall is

 

The Times & Sunday Times

The Australian
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune
The Herald (Scotland)
Daily Telegraph
Economist
New York Times
New Yorker
San Francisco Chronicle
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Spectator
Sydney Morning Herald
Toronto Sun
Toronto Star
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It might be better to have 2 lists

 

1) publications that are entirely behand a pay wall. The Times is an example. No amount of legal cleverness will enable you to see articles.

 

2) publications that have a 'soft' paywall - ie one that still enables some, or all pieces, to be seen... if you know the way to get to such gems.

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Yes. Most on my list (and for some reason I forgot the Financial Times) limit the number of articles you can read each month, but that can sometimes be circumvented by googling the title or clearing relevant browser cookies. Of those on the list The Times and Sunday Times and The Australian are I think the only ones that demand subscription to be able to see anything, or more than just a brief preview.

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The Independent is also behind a paywall, at least it has been for ages. You get five free articles a month and then they start nagging about subscriptions. Or maybe that's only for overseas readers.

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here's a tip for the New York Times. You can get past the paywall if you go via twitter. For instance, today's links included one to Alastair Macaulay's review of NYCB's Balanchine program. Clicking on it, I couldn't get past the paywall. But then I went to Twitter

@nytimesarts and scrolled through the recent tweets till I found the one with a link to this article, and was able to read it. NYTimes has a policy of making articles available that are linked to (by NYT)  via facebook and twitter. And I think if I were to share the URL of that article, which includes something saying that it was accessed via twitter, then other people could also read it. I'm not suggesting the Links editors go through these gymnastics, they have enough work on their hands as it is.

Here's the link, someone try it and see if it works:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/arts/dance/review-serving-4-helpings-of-balanchine-with-thunderbolts-and-tornadoes.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=nytimesarts

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Katherine:  I regularly use Twitter as a way in to the NY Times and, indeed, others.  However, I'm fairly certain that such access counts against my 10 free goes for the NYT.

 

no it doesn't, Ian. As I said with this NYCB review, when I tried to access it from the Links page, NYT told me I'd exceeded my free access, and then when I tried it from twitter 2 minutes later I could read the whole thing.

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I saw something in the Guardian recently about some sort of members or supporters scheme they were starting.  Didn't really bother reading it very much, but I think it was aimed at regular Guardianistas.

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It is Bank Holiday Monday - the skies are grey and I am frustrated. One of my morning pleasures is to read the Dance Links section. It is a great service for which I would like to thank our three administrators who instead of a sleep-in create this interesting section. But what happens In New York or Melbourne or even Glasgow is a mystery as a panel appears demanding a subscription for something that should be freely available. What can be done. I know I am not the first to complain about it but I thought I might as well get it off my chest as this has been going on for some time, but when it comes to the Glasgow Herald - I snapped. Who do they think they are. 

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"Who do they think they are."

I expect they think they do a lot for free and it costs them money to run and pay the professionals they do...

We have been incredibly lucky to get so much interesting criticism for free these last 20 years or so. Before the net you got one view if you paid to get the paper...

There is no god-given-right for us to get such free access.

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A 'dear john' note ... of a kind.

 

First, I wholly agree with you, John, in applauding the most generous efforts of those who daily feed the 'Links' section of BcoF.  It is a duty beyond anyone's call and - certainly from my personal perspective - one that is HUGELY cherished.  For me it defines 'generosity'.  

 

Secondly, I do sincerely understand that the cost (from a variety of angles) of such generosity is becoming progressively strained in our all too (and certainly necessary) austerity focused/driven world.  (Someone has to pay for the prevailing climate of greed in the '80s and beyond.  I, myself, cannot begin to imagine - and certainly won't be here to see it - what the poverty might well be like for young people who are teenagers in Britain today.  I am convinced that the idea of a pension for them will be but a historic relic.  My mind's eye thinks that the deprivation known to their children may well be worse than that felt by my parents growing up during the Great Depression.  In the long term that may well be a boon for the greater good.  In the short term it will, I'm certain, be horrific and punishing.)  

 

The bottom (as much as the bottom line) has, as we know, largely fallen out of the hard print media facilities - much as it did for the cd driven audio world.  I cannot blame these institutions for wanting - nay, needing - to charge - be it in Glasgow or anywhere else.  Somehow I feel that our world is simply righting itself now.  I think the resources of, say, the New York Times are well worth paying for - and I do happily subscribe .. as I do to the Arts Desk for a broad range of UK critical coverage by many of those who were formally dedicated critics for various print journals when such practices were still seen as a wide ranging priority.  I also would happily pay a subscription to DanceTabs if one were charged.  Such a valuable resource.  

 

I was one - among many I'm sure - who made an over the odds contribution to BcoF.  There is now a large part of me that believes that this fine site should itself have a subscription charge so that we can continue to enjoy / delight / encourage and further appreciate the keen artistry of those such as your good self, John .. and Dave .. and so, so many others who offer so brilliantly towards it.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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John et al:  For the Glasgow Herald, if you press the Subscription Options, you'll find that you can Register free for 6 articles over 4 weeks.  That's been the case on the Herald for a very long time now - and as it happens, I had exhausted my ration but was able to get the URL and a sufficient sense of the content for inclusion in today's list.  Dance-related articles in The Australian are normally in their Premium Content area, ie requiring a subscription, but I was able to include a free taster for a larger weekend (and premium) preview about Australian Ballet's new Sleeping Beauty on Saturday.  If you clear your browser's cookies, you may get around the counting mechanism for some sites, but that might inconvenience you in other ways.  And so on.......

 

Regular Links users are likely to have noted that we now use a larger number of sites like DanceTabs - eg Fjord Review and Bachtrack - that offer substantial reviews and comment.  What I do not know about the latter is exactly who is behind them, but I do know that we owe DanceTabs to Bruce Marriott's goodwill, enthusiasm and, critically, continuing good health.  The point being that we ought not to expect such sites to be available in perpetuity.  And none of us running this Forum is getting any younger........

 

I've also taken the liberty of expanding the title of this thread.

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I was one - among many I'm sure - who made an over the odds contribution to BcoF.  There is now a large part of me that believes that this fine site should itself have a subscription charge so that we can continue to enjoy / delight / encourage and further appreciate the keen artistry of those such as your good self, John .. and Dave .. and so, so many others who offer so brilliantly towards it.  

 

Bruce, we have considered and firmly rejected the idea of making this a subscription site. Thanks to a very good response from members (and some non-members) of the forum to our recent fund-raising drive we are set fair for several more years. One big difference between this site and the various newspapers that have been mentioned is that we have no overheads apart from the use of the software and web space.

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Dear Bruces both, I am suitably chastened and as a semi retired photo/journalist I should know better. I just wanted to read the article about Christopher Hampson as I am a great supporter of his works.

Well I read the Christopher Hampson article with no trouble at all - and I'm definitely not a subscriber to the paper. All very curious!

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