Ask HN: How Does the NY Times Paywall Work?
How does it work technically? Do they track your IP and machine specs? I’ve noticed sometimes if you hit the paywall and then try a different browser the paywall is still there.
11 comments
Not sure how it works, but most of the time with these things you get a limit of three articles per unique session / IP then they prompt you to buy premium. I regularly switch IPs with a VPN and browse with different useragents in a private/incognito session, also with Javascript disabled. This works remarkably well.
For those times it doesn't work, I check if it's on Archive.today[0]
[0] https://archive.ph/
For those times it doesn't work, I check if it's on Archive.today[0]
[0] https://archive.ph/
Just keep smashing the ESC key when loading a NYT page if you want to read it.
there is a browser add-on that can bypass paywalls ;) (including NYT paywall)
Which one?
There's some Javascript you can run in the browser console to read articles normally:
```
```
(function readArticles(){
if(document.querySelector('#gateway-content')){
document.querySelector('#gateway-content').style.display = "none";
}
if(document.querySelector('#app div div')){
document.querySelector('#app div div').style.overflowY = "scroll";
}
if(document.querySelector('#app div div')){
document.querySelector('#app div div').lastElementChild.style.display = "none";
}
if(document.querySelector('.css-mcm29f')){
document.querySelector('.css-mcm29f').style.overflowY = "scroll";
document.querySelector('.css-mcm29f').lastElementChild.style.display="none";
}
if(document.querySelector('#site-content')){
document.querySelector('#site-content').style.position = "relative";
}
})()https://open.nytimes.com/how-the-new-york-times-uses-machine...
They opensourced (some) of the logic used for how it works
They opensourced (some) of the logic used for how it works
As a related topic the NY Times .onion site likes to refuse loading articles thinking a normal visitor with Tor Browser is a robot.
If anyone has any contact with the NYTimes ops' team perhaps this issue could be raised with them.
If anyone has any contact with the NYTimes ops' team perhaps this issue could be raised with them.
Badly
It does not work without a popular "browser", i.e., cookies, Javascript, etc.
I never hit a "paywall" when reading NYT via the commandline.
"I've noticed sometimes if you hit the paywall and then try a different browser the paywall is still there."
If stop using a popular "browser", then it is gone.
A couple of easy ways to get NYT article URLs
1. Sitemaps, e.g.,
I never hit a "paywall" when reading NYT via the commandline.
"I've noticed sometimes if you hit the paywall and then try a different browser the paywall is still there."
If stop using a popular "browser", then it is gone.
A couple of easy ways to get NYT article URLs
1. Sitemaps, e.g.,
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-01.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-02.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-03.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-04.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-05.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-06.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-07.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-08.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-2022-09.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-01.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-02.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-03.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-04.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-05.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-06.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-07.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-08.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-09.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-10.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-11.xml.gz
https://www.nytimes.com/sitemaps/new/sitemap-1975-12.xml.gz
https://static01.nyt.com/services/json/sectionfronts/$1/index.jsonp
fashion
crosswords
us
briefing
sports
opinion
magazine
theater
style
business
technology
realestate
t-magazine
climate
nyregion
arts
obituaries
dining
health
briefing
well
learning
science
they use data based on sensors in your keyboard and phone to detect your unique typing and finger swiping patterns, so they can track you on any device.