A.k.a. "text-snatch" or "text-capture"; it refers to a nifty-thrifty "quick fingers" maneuver to permit da viewing of an online news-article for free when da page's host wants you to pay for da privilege of reading said content. You know da scenario --- ya start out to read an interesting write-up on some recent event or research-revelation, only to have da page abruptly go dark after a few seconds when you'd been "just getting into it", and then an impudent cheeky pop-up window appear dat heartlessly states, "Oops --- you need to have a paid subscription to read this article!" or, "We're pleased that you're enjoying our content. Pay $"X" amount to continue reading." But of course, clever penny-pinching little sneak dat you are, you --- unlike all of those naive 'n' clueless other 99% of da web-viewers --- know a "cheat code" for accessing da precious essay despite dat greedy company's disgusting coercive measure that attempts to extract funds outta ya... rather than resignedly "shelling out", you simply click da "back" arrow and then bring up da article-page again, but this time you hastily perform da "ctrl+a" key-tap to "select" (highlight) da entire article, then do a "ctrl+c" key-punch to store da page's words into memory. This way, even if da page goes dark again, you won't "lose" da words dat you were trying to read. You then open a blank "Notepad" (simple-text only) page, paste da stored words int it, and then smugly start reading.
Performing a text-grab is not only a great way to read "pay-to-view" articles for free, but it saves "wasted" money, as well, since nine times outta ten you probably find da content of said essays fairly mundane and unrelated to you or your life, anyway, and so you would probably have felt "let down" after paying to read said content, since you would feel dat you'd "spent good money for nothing" when none of da material was all dat interesting to you, after all.
by QuacksO June 8, 2019