Have you ever tried to read and comment on a news story but were blocked by a wall of ads and pop-ups? If so, you may have come upon a paywall. These may prohibit you from engaging in diversionary tactics online reading and/or annotation. But first, let’s look at three methods for accessing material without all of the irritating pop-ups and adverts.

Before we get there, let’s look at how paywalls function.

What Exactly Is a Paywall?

You could be in the mood to read an interesting story. When you grab your electronic highlighter, a window appears. The paywall is represented by the window, which serves as an offer to become a member. You can access the information if you become a subscriber. You can now utilize your highlighting/annotation software.

How Do Paywalls Function?

Browser data saved on your device are used by paywalls. You gain access if your identifying cookie identifies you as a paid subscriber. Otherwise, you’ll be blocked. Your annotation tools may not function properly, and the article may contain adverts despite your access. How can you improve the readability and accessibility of the content?

Methods for Your Consideration

Are you prepared to read and annotate information without being interrupted by advertisements? These methods can help you save time and effort.

Method #1: Browser-Based Readers

A reader is included in most advanced browsers, including Microsoft Edge and Apple’s Safari. The reader eliminates superfluous adverts and information to focus on the text. The Reader Look extension in Microsoft Edge, as shown in the article below, removes clutter. Reader View in Microsoft Edge

Apple’s Safari browser does a similar function. As demonstrated in the figure below, tap on the Aa that displays next to the web address/URL just at the bottom of the screen:

This feature is available in the majority of Chrome and Firefox browsers. If they do not, you may easily add it with a Browser extension. Here are just a few Chrome extensions from their website, along with a brief description:

Unpaywall.

As you browse, you can legally obtain the full text of scientific articles. When you examine a research article, Since about search our database of 20 million free, lawful full-text PDFs for a copy.

Reader Comment.

Removes distractions like buttons and background graphics, and alters the text size, contrast, and layout of the page to improve readability.

Bypass the paywall.

Bypass Paywall is a chrome extension that allows you to read material on websites or blogs that is behind a paywall.

Remove This Page.

This service can take any web article or news page and delivers only the relevant material, removing any clutter such as adverts, paywalls, article limits, pop-ups, and other restrictions.

Allow Me to Read That Article.

Here’s an extension that will block those pesky popups and allow you to read the content.

These are only a few of the available extensions. Begin at the top of a list and work your way down to the one which best suits your requirements. 

Option #2: URL Shorteners Save the Day

Since we’re talking about browser-based ad avoidance, here’s a quick tip: Website address shorteners (also known as Universal Resource Finders or URLs for short) can also assist you in avoiding advertisements. Jennifer Bergland introduced me to this method, which includes copying a web URL and entering it into a URL shortening service such as TinyURL.com (others may prefer Bit.ly). The brief address that results is pasted into a webpage annotation tool.

Assume you wanted an easy-to-read version of “Five History Walks for Learning Texas History,” a fantastic piece in TCEA’s TechNotes blog. It does, however, have embedded movies, sidebar advertising, and a pop-up email newsletter request. Let’s take Jennifer’s lead.

Step 1: Make a copy of the website address.

To copy the web link at the top of the page, press Ctrl-C (Command C on a Mac). Or, as demonstrated below, right-click just on the address and copy it.

Step 2: Use a URL Shortener to shorten the url.

Paste the address into TinyURL.com. Then you’ll get a shortened address, sometimes known as a “small URL.”

The result in this example was https://tinyurl.com/5n8mne86. 

TIP: Incredibly, you can utilize a TinyURL or Bit.ly Chrome extension without visiting their websites. The Browser extension will transfer the shortened address to the digital clipboard on your computer.

Step 3 begins after you have the abbreviated URL.

Step 3: Launch Your Annotation Tool

You’re now ready to visit a website with your abbreviated URL in hand. This step makes annotating an article or site a breeze. Other web-based annotating tools exist. In this case, I’m using the Reader extension:

When you select the Readers view, you will be presented with a viewer version of the article. It will be offered without adverts or distracting stuff. With an identity, you can make text highlights or annotations.

Other tools like Super Simple Highlighter and Diigo.com work similarly, but only on the actual page.

Another option is to use a site like 12ft Ladder. It offers the following application for itself:

If you add 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page, we’ll do our best to remove the paywall and provide you access to the article.

https://12ft.io/ is the source.

Method #3: Flipboard App

The third method for accessing ad-rich material with music is through mobile applications. Flipboard is a well-known app.

You get a wonderful view if you tap on the Readers view!

Think about the Law

Concerned that these methods may violate the law? The truth is that you will have to decide on a case-by-case basis. Only you know whether you’re utilizing these methods to get around paywalls for stuff you didn’t pay for. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) offers some direction. It forbids the use of specialized techniques of control. These methods of control limit access to copyrighted works (source). Using https://12ft.io/URL>, you can get around any paywall (Note: this does not always work).