[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Looking for sites blocked by paywalls or remove-ad-blockers
Richard Wagner
r.w.wagner at verizon.net
Mon Nov 13 12:09:39 PST 2023
Oops! I meant the malware, viruses, etc. in the content I am trying to
access, not necessarily that exists in an ad that may be present. Sorry!
Dick
On 11/13/2023 2:53 PM, Richard Wagner via LCTG wrote:
>
> To me, circumventing ads and gaining access to web content that the
> web site spent resources to establish are two different "beasts". I
> want access to the web content, so paying for it has an ethical and,
> likely, a copyright aspect to it. I DID NOT request a popup ad that
> requires that I must disable my ad-blocker in order to gain access to
> the information I am seeking. My assumption has been that the
> ad-blocker is present to eliminate malware, viruses, etc. that may
> exist in the ad (am I incorrect in this assumption?). Thus, I would
> like to learn how to circumvent such ad-blocker turnoff requests
> without turning my ad-blocker off! Incidentally, I have no (or maybe a
> little) problem with ads that accompany the content I am wishing to
> peruse. I have lived with this annoyance my whole life: radio, TV,
> newspapers, magazines, web-site content, etc.
>
> Dick
>
> On 11/13/2023 2:23 PM, David Lees via LCTG wrote:
>> George,
>> Perhaps micropayments and whatever the software infrastructure for
>> them would be a good topic for an LCTG talk? Maybe you have already
>> had one of those in the past, but hopefully, it is an area that is
>> changing, because I know they (the payment processing costs) used to
>> be expensive. But, agreed it would be great if you could pay a small
>> amount by the article rather than a subscription. I know for
>> technical articles, the cost per article is rather high for an
>> individual, but given the potential volume for news and mass
>> distribution material, why not have 25 or 50 cents per article?
>>
>> David Lees
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 2:10 PM George Gamota <ggamota at stma-llc.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I understand the ethics if you access a website a lot bypassing
>> paying, but what I find an issue, is when you have one article
>> that might be of interest, say published by Kansas City Tribune.
>> You don’t want to pay and read articles published by them daily.
>> So maybe there could a payment say of $.50 to read that one article.
>>
>> Just a thought
>>
>> George
>>
>> *From:* LCTG <lctg-bounces+ggamota=stma-llc.com at lists.toku.us>
>> *On Behalf Of *carllazarus--- via LCTG
>> *Sent:* Monday, November 13, 2023 1:17 PM
>> *To:* 'David Lees' <joeoptics at gmail.com>; 'Robert Primak'
>> <bobprimak at yahoo.com>
>> *Cc:* 'Lex Computer Group' <lctg at lists.toku.us>; 'Steve Isenberg'
>> <smisenberg at gmail.com>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Looking for sites
>> blocked by paywalls or remove-ad-blockers
>>
>> Exactly my thought. We may be talking about large entities such
>> as the NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, etc. but
>> if we want them to continue to exist they need to be able to pay
>> their expenses and make some money.
>>
>> -- Carl
>>
>> *From:* LCTG <lctg-bounces+carllazarus=comcast.net at lists.toku.us>
>> *On Behalf Of *David Lees via LCTG
>> *Sent:* Monday, November 13, 2023 1:12 PM
>> *To:* Robert Primak <bobprimak at yahoo.com>
>> *Cc:* Lex Computer Group <lctg at lists.toku.us>; Steve Isenberg
>> <smisenberg at gmail.com>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Looking for sites
>> blocked by paywalls or remove-ad-blockers
>>
>> You could also discuss the ethical issues of not paying for
>> things that people trying to make a living are doing?
>>
>> David Lees
>> From Pixel 6 Pro
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2023, 1:00 PM Robert Primak via LCTG
>> <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:
>>
>> You are NOT committing any crime by using most evasion
>> techniques available to the general public (not tech-savvy
>> hackers).
>>
>> I don't know what Steve has or had in mind, but no one can
>> take any legal actions against anyone for publicly discussing
>> these tactics.
>>
>> Please refer to You Tube's Terms of Use and Zoom's code of
>> user conduct if in any further doubt. Other sites also have
>> terms of use.
>>
>> -- Bob Primak
>>
>> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 12:52:44 PM EST, Steve
>> Isenberg via LCTG <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:
>>
>> Gentlepeople,
>>
>> After much consideration, discussing with several people, and
>> consulting with ChatGPT, I've decided _not_ to demonstrate
>> this. We can discuss the situation on Wednesday's Potpourri
>> but I no longer feel comfortable giving a demonstration for
>> legal reasons. My apologies.
>>
>> I'm open to comments.
>>
>> -steve
>>
>> Here's what I've learned from ChatGPT:
>>
>> Steve asks ChatGPT:
>>
>> suppose I have found a way to get around a paywall without
>> paying or subscribing, or to get around a site's requirement
>> to disable all ad blockers without disabling ad blockers, and
>> I can do this only on my computer and without accessing or
>> tampering with the website. Am I committing a crime or doing
>> something that would subject me to a lawsuit or other legal
>> action by the website owner?
>>
>> ChatGPT responds (edited):
>>
>> Circumventing paywalls or other access restrictions without
>> authorization may be a violation of the website's terms of
>> service, which could potentially lead to legal consequences.
>> Additionally, in some jurisdictions, such actions could be
>> considered unauthorized access, hacking, or a violation of
>> computer security laws.
>> If you find a way to bypass paywalls and other measures that
>> protect the website content without permission, it may be
>> seen as a violation of the website's rights and could result
>> in legal action.
>>
>> I asked Aria the same question and it responds(edited):
>>
>> It's important to note that bypassing paywalls or
>> circumventing a website's requirements without permission may
>> be considered unethical or even illegal in some
>> jurisdictions. Here are a few points to consider:
>> Websites have the right to protect their content and enforce
>> their terms of service.
>> Unauthorized access to paid content or finding ways to bypass
>> paywalls may violate copyright laws or terms of service
>> agreements.
>> Engaging in such activities could potentially subject you to
>> legal action by the website owner, such as a lawsuit or other
>> legal consequences.
>>
>> Harry asked a similar question addressing only circumventing
>> paywalls, and got the response (edited):
>>
>> Bypassing a paywall of a website without a subscription could
>> potentially be considered a violation of the website's terms
>> of service or terms of use. It may also infringe upon
>> copyright laws or other applicable laws, depending on the
>> jurisdiction. Engaging in such activities could potentially
>> have legal consequences, including the possibility of facing
>> legal action from the website owner. It is always advisable
>> to respect the terms and conditions set by website owners and
>> to seek proper legal means to access content.
>>
>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 12:01 PM Robert Primak
>> <bobprimak at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> The Boston Globe and the New York Times hide a lot of
>> their content.
>>
>> Then there's the somewhat more problematic case of You Tube.
>>
>> -- Bob Primak
>>
>> On Monday, November 13, 2023 at 08:25:34 AM EST, Steve
>> Isenberg via LCTG <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:
>>
>> Gentlepeople,
>>
>> This Wednesday as part of the presentation I plan to show
>> how to proceed to web sites that prevent you from
>> accessing their content unless you (a) remove all of your
>> ad-blockers, or (b) subscribe or pay to see the content
>> (paywalls).
>>
>> Could you send me (and not the list) the URL of sites you
>> have run into that block your access, and I'll add them
>> to the list I'll use as demonstrations.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> -steve
>>
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