The level of naivete in this article is frustrating.
>I’m frustrated that the web’s promise of instant and free access to the world’s information appears to be dying.
Free access won't die as long as there are people who are willing to work for free. It's not that subscriptions and paywalls charge money for something that was made by someone for free.
>I’m frustrated that subscription usually means just putting formerly free content behind a paywall.
That content was never free. Someone paid for it, typically advertisers. We all know the downsides of cost-per-click based economy. It's time to grow up. Kids eventually realize that food doesn't appear in the fridge magically, but someone pays a price for it and brings it home. The author also should realize that there is always a price to pay.