[kovidgoyal]

@nekokami
The problem with that system is that it is not anonymous. In the academic world that's a problem because someday you might be asked to review a paper written by somebody you might want to work for. Also (debatably), people tend to be more honest in anonymous reviews.

I agree that paying for the article is a problem, but what typically happens is that institutions make a bulk deal with the journal so their members dont have to pay. It works out cheaper for the institutions than subscriptions and also if you're an individual author, you can reduce the amount you pay by reviewing other papers for the journal. Of course this all only works for established professionals in the field.

Incidentally, Natch how dare you criticize my work! ;-)