Paywall On-Ramps Get A Workaround

topics

Paywall On-Ramps Get A Workaround

Remember BugMeNot.com? The site was started in 2003 to let users, peeved by a growing crop of news site registration walls, borrow someone else’s login.

Seven years on - for registration wall workaround, read pay wall hack. Web developers have made BreakThePayWall, a browser extension that helps users overcome part of news publishers’ subscription strategy.

Available for Internet Explorer and, soon, Firefox, BreakThePayWall works mainly - and merely - by deleting cookies sites use to limit the number of stories users can read before having to subscribe. Deleting the cookies means the publisher’s site forgets how close the reader is to the “pay up” threshold.

In theory, it could be a challenge to those that use Google’s First-Click-Free scheme, which publishers can use to let searchers read only up to five articles per month before subscribing. No BreakThePayWall user numbers are available and the hack seems unlikely to severely impact publishers’ strategies because it has not gained widespread attention on the web.

But it is a clear response to the recent re-emergence of paywalls and may prompt proprietors to think of new techniques. It’s basically a sign of the times.

Web users can already employ the same technique by manually deleting cookies in their browser; BreakThePayWall just tries to make it easier.

“The paywall thing came about because of our annoyance at how easy it is to get around them,” BreakThePayWall’s developer, who did not give his name, told me. “Lots of compromises are made and basic security not adhered to. The utility currently uses cookie and referrer techniques - we have not come across any other techniques… yet.”

BreakThePayWall is thought to have piqued the interest of FT.com, which uses First-Click-Free to give five free articles per month to Google (NSDQ: GOOG) searchers.

The developer is also working on a hack that lets users more easily claim compensation for train delays.

Robert Andrews

@robertandrews Mar 22, 2010 4:12 AM ET

Posted In: Media & Publishing, Online News

latest headlines

SlobVictim

So much for "free trade".

It seems some countries are more "global" than others.

AdamC

Being the dominant mobile phone company China Mobile will try to extract every concession they can from Apple. The best bet for Apple is to look for a smaller company and then build up their market share from there.
It is better to put the fear into China Mobile by opening negotiation with another company rather than being cornered by them. No point talking to a company that think you need them more than they need you.

D9

Yes, this has become standard procedure in just about any dealings with China. They dictate negotiations based on the leverage of potential market size (aka - their population).

But I'd be inclined to say let them have the App Store…just not Apple's App Store. Meaning, China Mobile is free to go set up their own app store, negotiate the with developers on pricing, distribute and install (without Apple's iTunes) said software on iPhones, provide whatever customer service they deem appropriate, etc.

Basically, let China Mobile EARN the money they so presumptively state should be theirs with an iPhone App Store.

Beltway Greg

The Chinese being difficult? Shocking! This is the country that has stolen all of our nuclear secrets so the idea that they don't want to play nice with Apple is hardly, how should we say, revolutionary. If you think things are bad in America, just wait until growth slows in China. The point of no return for them is around 9% and this year they'll be lucky to hit 5%. Of course it is my belief that India and China have had Eronesque issues dealing with measuring official growth rates in the past. India in particular seems to be able to maintain a 9% rate reminiscent of say one Bernie Madoff. Anyway, if you thought the French Revolution was exciting just wait until 1 billion starving, unemployed, dehydrated, uneducated, peasants show up on your doorstep. Can you say Mao? Can we develop an ap for that? Just sayin.