If I follow a link to your website in order to read something, and the first thing that happens is the content being covered by a modal asking me to sign-up for your ̶s̶h̶i̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶s̶p̶a̶m̶ email newsletter, I am going to assume you don't want me spending time on your site; and I will try to find the information I was looking for elsewhere.