I would take a paying subscription but as a 'below the poverty line' pensioner, I cannot afford to do so. I apologise for that but there are many who are even worse off than I for they cannot even afford the Internet or a device through which to use it.
The reality is that the apparent ubiquity of Internet access and therefore relatively ready access to a much wider range of information is, for many all over the World, just not so.
The 'Information poor' also are not just those who can't afford to subscribe or have no access to the technology but include the illiterate, those in authoritarian states where censorship is rampant, the uneducated and even many of those who are educated, literate, have ready access to services and can afford them but, paradoxically, are unable to recognise mis or dis information or even to know the difference between them.
So, I think it behoves all of us who can, to assist in sharing, assisting, teaching or advising and otherwise increasing the dissemination of authoritative and accurate information that assists others to understand and make good decisions about institutional, commercial, government and other decisions, policies, proposals and propaganda that will affect their lives.
I read widely using both hard copy and online sources. When I read on platforms such as this, I often go to make a comment about what I've read only to see:
"Only paid subscribers can comment."
I dislike that very much. I understand that some seek to write in places such as this in order to make money. I understand that others seek paid subscriptions in order to benefit charities or good causes. I understand, as a writer myself, that informative, entertaining, topical or otherwise interesting content takes time, effort, imagination, understanding, sourcing material and such and that this can be very demanding and mostly worthy of acknowledgment and perhaps even monetary reward.
However, at the same time, I am extremely conscious of how important it is that all can enjoy and learn from good writing and the honest thought and feelings of others, as well as respond to them. Indeed, isn't that what most of us want when we write and make public our work?
So, I appreciate and commend you and others who refrain from locking your work away altogether or allowing it to be read but not rejoined with genuine response from your reader.
I would take a paying subscription but as a 'below the poverty line' pensioner, I cannot afford to do so. I apologise for that but there are many who are even worse off than I for they cannot even afford the Internet or a device through which to use it.
The reality is that the apparent ubiquity of Internet access and therefore relatively ready access to a much wider range of information is, for many all over the World, just not so.
The 'Information poor' also are not just those who can't afford to subscribe or have no access to the technology but include the illiterate, those in authoritarian states where censorship is rampant, the uneducated and even many of those who are educated, literate, have ready access to services and can afford them but, paradoxically, are unable to recognise mis or dis information or even to know the difference between them.
So, I think it behoves all of us who can, to assist in sharing, assisting, teaching or advising and otherwise increasing the dissemination of authoritative and accurate information that assists others to understand and make good decisions about institutional, commercial, government and other decisions, policies, proposals and propaganda that will affect their lives.
I read widely using both hard copy and online sources. When I read on platforms such as this, I often go to make a comment about what I've read only to see:
"Only paid subscribers can comment."
I dislike that very much. I understand that some seek to write in places such as this in order to make money. I understand that others seek paid subscriptions in order to benefit charities or good causes. I understand, as a writer myself, that informative, entertaining, topical or otherwise interesting content takes time, effort, imagination, understanding, sourcing material and such and that this can be very demanding and mostly worthy of acknowledgment and perhaps even monetary reward.
However, at the same time, I am extremely conscious of how important it is that all can enjoy and learn from good writing and the honest thought and feelings of others, as well as respond to them. Indeed, isn't that what most of us want when we write and make public our work?
So, I appreciate and commend you and others who refrain from locking your work away altogether or allowing it to be read but not rejoined with genuine response from your reader.
Thank you.