NYTimes paywall cracked

bZkindle · 03-23-2011, 10:10 AM

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNew.../17714806.html

that didn't take long...of course!

wyndslash · 03-23-2011, 10:13 AM

wow. that's sad.

RainingLemur · 03-23-2011, 10:23 AM

Heh. That's rather funny. Sad, but still funny.

bZkindle · 03-23-2011, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyndslash

wow. that's sad.

I don't really see why. It's not much different than jailbreaking your device or removing DRM really.
Of course you can argue whether it's ethical, but you can't say it's not inevitable: "It’s just an iron rule of nerd-dom, if you put an interesting looking wall in front of us, we’ll try to get around it.”

wyndslash · 03-23-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bZkindle

I don't really see why. It's not much different than jailbreaking your device or removing DRM really.
Of course you can argue whether it's ethical, but you can't say it's not inevitable: "It’s just an iron rule of nerd-dom, if you put an interesting looking wall in front of us, we’ll try to get around it.”

i just thought it's sad, that's all. i'm not going to "argue" about it. i don't really see how it's related to removing DRM, but i guess that's just me. you're probably just speaking from the point of view of a person who is challenged by barriers.

rogue_librarian · 03-23-2011, 11:30 AM

Let me put it this way: using conditional CSS to hide parts of the site might not be the smartest way to pull something like this off.

abookreader · 03-23-2011, 11:45 AM

This is the part that cracked me up

Quote:

David Hayes, a Kitchener, Ont., developer, cracked the paywall during his lunch break.

It says so far 5,000 people are using it and of that I'd venture to guess 4,992 of them had no interest in reading the NYT at all until it was locked down.

jgaiser · 03-23-2011, 12:13 PM

And, of course, the hole will soon be plugged.

oggelbe2007 · 03-23-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bZkindle

"It’s just an iron rule of nerd-dom, if you put an interesting looking wall in front of us, we’ll try to get around it.”

It's more like the happy jingle of an ice cream truck rolling through your neighborhood - They come running with big smiles and arms wide open - Yay! A new puzzle to solve!

Hoyt Clagwell · 03-23-2011, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bZkindle

I don't really see why. It's not much different than jailbreaking your device or removing DRM really.
Of course you can argue whether it's ethical, but you can't say it's not inevitable: "It’s just an iron rule of nerd-dom, if you put an interesting looking wall in front of us, we’ll try to get around it.”

It is totally different from removing DRM. For most people you are removing DRM on a product you have already paid for. This hack just allows people to steal content. I do not even see how one could argue that its ethical.

Joykins · 03-23-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Let me put it this way: using conditional CSS to hide parts of the site might not be the smartest way to pull something like this off.

OH no they didn't?!?! !

rogue_librarian · 03-23-2011, 03:03 PM

They did. Actually, it has a fair bit of Javascript as well, but all of the article is sent to the browser, then cleverly (?) hidden with an overlay, urging you to pay up.

Joykins · 03-23-2011, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

They did. Actually, it has a fair bit of Javascript as well, but all of the article is sent to the browser, then cleverly (?) hidden with an overlay, urging you to pay up.

so, view --> page source gets you around it anyway?

I haven't figured out how to trigger the paywall to find this for myself.

bZkindle · 03-23-2011, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoyt Clagwell

This hack just allows people to steal content.

Which is exactly what some people would claim you're doing if you crack DRM.
...just sayin'...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoyt Clagwell

I do not even see how one could argue that its ethical.

Which is why I said that one could argue if it is ethical.

Logseman · 03-23-2011, 03:12 PM

Why do people crack this paywall and not other journals' ones? I mean, aside of the seemingly ridiculous way of implementing it. Why was this one a challenge of sorts?

03-23-2011, 10:10 AM	#1
bZkindle Fanatic Posts: 510 Karma: 1025024 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada City, Soviet Canuckistan Device: k2, k3G, kindle DXG, Sony T-1, iPad, iPhone, stone tablet	NYTimes paywall cracked http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNew.../17714806.html that didn't take long...of course!

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03-23-2011, 10:13 AM	#2
wyndslash Wizard Posts: 2,951 Karma: 3000001 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle 3 wifi, Kindle Fire	wow. that's sad.

03-23-2011, 10:23 AM	#3
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Heh. That's rather funny. Sad, but still funny.

03-23-2011, 11:30 AM	#6
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	Let me put it this way: using conditional CSS to hide parts of the site might not be the smartest way to pull something like this off.

03-23-2011, 12:13 PM	#8
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	And, of course, the hole will soon be plugged.

03-23-2011, 03:03 PM	#12
rogue_librarian Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 4269175 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Europe Device: Pocketbook Basic 613	They did. Actually, it has a fair bit of Javascript as well, but all of the article is sent to the browser, then cleverly (?) hidden with an overlay, urging you to pay up.

03-23-2011, 03:12 PM	#15
Logseman Orisa Posts: 2,001 Karma: 1035571 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ireland Device: Onyx Poke 5	Why do people crack this paywall and not other journals' ones? I mean, aside of the seemingly ridiculous way of implementing it. Why was this one a challenge of sorts?

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