Sneaking Into The New York Times

By Will Wlizlo
Published on March 22, 2011
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The rapscallions over at The Atlantic Wire have compiled a list of subversive tricks for slipping through the soon-to-be-hoisted pay wall at NYTimes.com. Like all impenetrable fortresses, the Times’ website has a few weak girders and exploitable portals.

If you’re not a paying subscriber, the pay wall will cap your visits to articles at 20 per month starting next week–after that you’ll need to either get out your credit card or don your digital ninja suit. It seems the best way to invade will be through Facebook or Twitter–visits which, according to The Atlantic Wire, “won’t count towards your allotted monthly articles.” If you can’t wait for a dispatch or column to appear on your news feed, head over to Google and search for it. After you reach the 20-article limit, you’ll still be able to read five articles per day found on Google. When you’ve exhausted those five, try a different search engine or clear your browser’s cache. (Tedious, yes, but infinitely free). Finally, one feisty programmer made a simple bookmarklet called NYTClean that allows your browser to ignore the pay wall altogether.

If these back-door tricks make you uneasy, buy a subscription to the newspaper. “As it stands,” explains the Wire, “the deluxe, access-anywhere digital subscription costs $8.75 a week. Weekday home delivery, however, is only $6.20 per week in Manhattan (it’s a bit more expensive outside New York) and it comes with the same digital access. Additionally, a Friday-Sunday subscription also comes with all-digital access and starts at $7.60 per week.” You’re also entitled to basic, unlimited NYTimes.com access if you subscribe to the Sunday edition.

Source: The Atlantic Wire

Image jphilipg, licensed under Creative Commons.

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