Scaling the Paywall

I should make clear at the outset that I love the New York Times and would hate to see it go away. With that said, however, I don't think the paywall is the best way to monetize their news, and anyway there are so many ways around it...

Ever since the original NYClean stopped working, I've evolved my own way into the content, which involves copying a portion of the url of the article in question, googling it, and then clicking on the google result through to the article I wanted to see in the first place. But since that's a bit of a multi-step pain, I've now written a small bookmarklet to handle most of it for me. And why not share it?

It's an evolving game, and with each new lock there comes a new key. In this case, the key is the fact that, while NYTimes blocks access when the user surfs there directly, those same articles are freely available if the user navigates there through google. It's a gate through which all the stuff on the other side of the wall becomes available.

So here's what you do: first you drag this bookmarklet:

N2YClean

up to your bookmarks toolbar. It should work with any browser that has a bookmarks toolbar showing. Then whenever you're faced with the message that you've exceeded your NYTimes allowance for the month, just click on the bookmarklet, and you'll be redirected to a "clean" link to the same article, now unblocked. Click that link, nuthin' up m'sleeve, and presto.

It takes one extra click compared to the original NYClean, but it does have the advantage of working... at least until the clever-clogs at NYTimes find yet another way to bung up the leak.

Obviously a paywall which is so easily penetrated isn't the best way forward for the New York Times, and it alienates loyal readers. There should be a way for them to monetize their content using advertising, as so many other sites seem to do. And with that said, here's a word from our sponsor: