Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Any Safari extensions that help beat website paywalls (e.g., NY Times, etc)?

Idgit

Idgit

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 14, 2004
570
191
Chrome has a bunch of add-ons that help users bypass paywall restrictions on sites like the NY Times, the New Yorker, and dozens and dozens of other sites. Over at the official Safari extensions site, there are no extensions for Safari that do the same thing.

Has anyone discovered any paywall-bypassing extensions for Safari on Github or elsewhere?
 
Idgit said:
Chrome has a bunch of add-ons that help users bypass paywall restrictions on sites like the NY Times, the New Yorker, and dozens and dozens of other sites. Over at the official Safari extensions site, there are no extensions for Safari that do the same thing.

Has anyone discovered any paywall-bypassing extensions for Safari on Github or elsewhere?
Click to expand...

So, you want us to help you steal content? Shame on you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ABC5S and beebarb
dwfaust said:
So, you want us to help you steal content? Shame on you.
Click to expand...

Not really the same as stealing since you can bypass most paywalls by using Google. Search for the article title in Google and then click the link. NY Times, the New Yorker, and many other sites permit this if you visit their sites through Google. The paywall restrictions only pop up when you visit the site directly after your allowance of free monthly articles is surpassed. That's how the Google Chrome paywall bypass extensions work, by automating the article title search through Google. So, again, not really stealing since the content is free already through Google. The paywall inconvenience is an encouragement to get you to subscribe and they still offer up tons of ads to users reading their articles for free.
 
Idgit said:
Not really the same as stealing since you can bypass most paywalls by using Google. Search for the article title in Google and then click the link. NY Times, the New Yorker, and many other sites permit this if you visit their sites through Google. The paywall restrictions only pop up when you visit the site directly after your allowance of free monthly articles is surpassed. That's how the Google Chrome paywall bypass extensions work, by automating the article title search through Google. So, again, not really stealing since the content is free already through Google. The paywall inconvenience is an encouragement to get you to subscribe and they still offer up tons of ads to users reading their articles for free.
Click to expand...


Yeah, it IS stealing. These sites give you so many free visits then you have to pay. Circumventing that process IS stealing content, no matter how you spin it.

I guess living in a "me, me, me", entitlement society makes everything OK, as long as you get what you want.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ABC5S
I'm seriously considering subscribing to a quality news site because the free sites I have gone have degenerated to pretty much c**p.
 
I guess Apple would just no allow such app into App Store.
Although, I don't agree with "steal" theory as well.
[doublepost=1461554763][/doublepost]
treekram said:
I'm seriously considering subscribing to a quality news site because the free sites I have gone have degenerated to pretty much c**p.
Click to expand...
But if you pay $400 a year for a magazine, and you still can see tons of "maybe non-intrusive" ads on sites and mobile apps if they have one, then what is the real meaning of that price?
Sure, free sites are mostly c**p with much more ads.
OK. Maybe ads-free is not always applicable anyway.
 
dwfaust said:
Yeah, it IS stealing. These sites give you so many free visits then you have to pay. Circumventing that process IS stealing content, no matter how you spin it.

I guess living in a "me, me, me", entitlement society makes everything OK, as long as you get what you want.
Click to expand...

So, I assume you're also opposed to ad-blocking extensions since they're technically stealing from websites and advertising companies.

And you also don't use Google or DuckDuckGo since you can circumvent paywalls by using those search engines, and using them to read articles online that might be paywalled would be stealing?
[doublepost=1461569567][/doublepost]
Shirasaki said:
I guess Apple would just no allow such app into App Store.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be hypocritical of Apple to allow ad-blockers but not paywall-bypassers that just use Google? Both are technically "stealing" according to some.
 
Last edited:
Idgit said:
Wouldn't it be hypocritical of Apple to allow ad-blockers but not paywall-bypassers that just use Google? Both are technically "stealing" according to some.
Click to expand...
Apple does not have strong ad business so losing ad revenue is not a deal for it.
But Apple is a content provider. Helping companies to circumvent paywall is not what Apple actually hope users to do. Maybe this opposes Apple "Code of Conduct"?
 
Idgit said:
So, I assume you're also opposed to ad-blocking extensions since they're technically stealing from websites and advertising companies.

And you also don't use Google or DuckDuckGo since you can circumvent paywalls by using those search engines, and using them to read articles online that might be paywalled would be stealing?
Click to expand...

I don't have ad blockers installed on any of my browsers. I don't see the need. If I visit a site that is overrun with ads, i will just avoid that site in the future. I don't mind a few ads on a webpage.

With regard to reading articles, if I find a link to an article that is on a paywalled site for which I don't have a subscription, I will look for the content elsewhere. Many news sources report the same articles - I equate it to watching the CBS version of a news report on the same information/story/article instead of watching the ABC network's version. As far as paywalls go, I subscribe to my local newspaper, my hometown newspaper and a couple of sports sites.

It's not that hard to legitimately view paywalled news stories from other news outlets. But there's a difference between finding the same (or related) content elsewhere for free vs circumventing a paywall.
 
Remember when CompuServe service would charge for access and for me, tried to keep bill down ~$100/mo using Navigator?

I don't like any of the news apps that do at least seem to promise aggregating news sources. Or Notifications (too annoying, turned off all such).

Some sites esp mobile are horrid ugly with ads that get in your face and make using PITA
 
Any site that gives you only so many "free reads" before requiring registration is using a cookie to record and report your previous visits there.

What you need is a cookie manager that allows you to designate which cookies are deleted at the end of a session, and which are retained.

I use something called "Safari Cookies" to control all my cookies (of course I'm using Safari, but other browsers may use similar extensions or add-ons.

I have my version of Safari Cookies set to ALWAYS delete ALL cookies when Safari closes -- with the exception of a relative few website forums that I frequent (such as this one).

That does the job. I'm seldom bothered by news websites telling me that I have only so many visits left before I have to register...
 
Just use incognito or private mode. Works for me!
[doublepost=1461600321][/doublepost]For some sites anyways.
 
Idgit said:
So, I assume you're also opposed to ad-blocking extensions since they're technically stealing from websites and advertising companies.
Click to expand...

That's really terrible "logic"... apples and oranges, my friend.

And yes, bypassing a paywall is stealing, by the definition of the word. It's not a "theory".
 
Gregg2 said:
That's really terrible "logic"... apples and oranges, my friend.
Click to expand...


How are they "apples and oranges"? More like two varieties of apples.

They're both income streams that depend upon someone visiting their site and reading their articles. Websites rely on visitors to earn income, either by ad views or a subscription fee (often in exchange for a ad-free reading experience). If I block the ads, the website doesn't earn income from me using their site. That's why so many websites beg you to turn off any ad-blockers when you visit their site using one. Sure, the ad company directly pays the website, but the website doesn't get that money if I block their ads.
 
Fishrrman said:
Any site that gives you only so many "free reads" before requiring registration is using a cookie to record and report your previous visits there.

What you need is a cookie manager that allows you to designate which cookies are deleted at the end of a session, and which are retained.

I use something called "Safari Cookies" to control all my cookies (of course I'm using Safari, but other browsers may use similar extensions or add-ons.

I have my version of Safari Cookies set to ALWAYS delete ALL cookies when Safari closes -- with the exception of a relative few website forums that I frequent (such as this one).

That does the job. I'm seldom bothered by news websites telling me that I have only so many visits left before I have to register...
Click to expand...

Can you link to this extension please? I found a few with the same name.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back