[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Looking for sites blocked by paywalls or remove-ad-blockers
Drew King (dking65@kingconsulting.us)
dking65 at kingconsulting.us
Mon Nov 13 17:39:31 PST 2023
For me using a particular ad blocking feature such as getting rid of tracking devices on websites is a good thing and should be okay it's just that they're normally mixed in with ad blocking technology.
Companies like YouTube charge I think 12 or $13 per month to not see advertisements and that's a lot of money for somebody who watches one video a month or every few months. If I watched videos every day I could understand paying something less than $13 but being an occasional user I'm not impacting their bottom line at all by blocking advertising in the one video I watch every few months.
Block in moderation.
Most of my ad blocking or my initial ad blocking is at the network level by having my VPN block ads. An extra feature my VPN has.
Some websites are out of control and have excessive advertising that hinders your ability to enjoy the website.
If I were a regular reader of a particular newspaper I would subscribe as a regular customer as I do for the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
If I happen to come upon an article that I want to read on a protected paywall website I will typically go around it. I just wouldn't do it everyday.
It would be expensive if you subscribed to a half a dozen newspapers just to read an article every now and then on their website.
The iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the United States and it does not have the capability to block advertising the way a desktop operating system can or an Android phone can. The iPhone and the iPad are two platforms that are highly susceptible to tracking and vicious advertising.
Neither Apple or Google allows apps in their app stores that do aggressive ad blocking. My VPN company provides an Android app that does ad blocking directly from their website bypassing the Google Play app store.
One of the reasons I dislike the idea of owning Apple products is my choice to block or not block advertising is often taken away. You do not have the freedom to choose like you do on the Android platform.
--
Drew King
On November 13, 2023 5:32:47 PM EST, Dick Miller via LCTG <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:
>Whoops! Mitch beat me to it. (Well done, Mitch!) Let libraries go modern!
>
>Cheers from
>--Dick Miller, Partner, MMS <TheMillers at millermicro.com>
>
>
>On 11/13/23 16:32, Mitchell I. Wolfe via LCTG wrote:
>>
>> Oftentimes the textual content actually has been downloaded into the browser but Javascript is blocking display.
>>
>> You can use a browser plug-in extension or similar tool as Steve suggested to just show the text without images and other clutter. Before complex multi-media content, people used to use the legacy Lynx text web browser <https://lynx.invisible-island.net/> which probably still works.
>>
>> Alternatively I've used the Textise Bookmarklet <https://www.textise.net/Bookmarklet.aspx> tool. You add the special bookmark to your browser by following the instructions. A page is redisplayed as text when you click on the bookmark.
>>
>> Newspapers, magazine, and other periodicals are often available at your local library both as hardcopy or online to patrons. The Lexington Cary Library gets a good deal on online subscriptions because they often pay on a town population basis but the library is the second busiest in the state.
>>
>> Support your local library...
>>
>> -- Mitch
>>
>> On 2023-11-13 15:36, Steve Isenberg via LCTG wrote:
>>
>>> The ad-blocker works to detect and block advertisements on the pages you are viewing. It does not check the content for anything, doesn't block any malware or viruses (that's the job of antivirus software).
>>> Site owners don't like ad-blockers because the site owners earn money when advertisements are displayed on the page (and especially when/if you click on the advertisement) and by blocking advertisements on a page they are not getting any of this potential money.
>>> My issue/concern/complaint is not that I want to prevent the site from displaying advertisements, as really I do try to disable all advertisement-preventing plugins (that is, ad-blockers) to let the site display advertisements. But while I think I've disabled all of them, the site complains that I still have some open and active.
>>> Now if the site were to be specific and tell me that I still have the XYZ ad-blocking software active, I could then get this XYZ turned off.
>>> But it's a guessing game as the site is saying to me "you haven't turned them all off. I know this in ways I'm not going to tell you and I may even know which one(s) you haven't turned off, but it is up to you to figure out which one(s) and turn it or them off."
>>> Tip: I have had some measure of success seeing content using the Reader mode on my iPhone and the Tranquility! extension on my MacOS systems Firefox browser.
>>> Regards,
>>> -steve
>>>
>>> On Mon, Nov 13, 2023 at 3:10 PM Richard Wagner via LCTG <lctg at lists.toku.us> wrote:
>>>
>>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>> ===============================================
>>>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group
>>>>> Mailing List::
>>>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>>>> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us Message
>>>>> archives: http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>>>> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us To
>>>>> unsubscribe: email lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>>>> Future and Past meeting information:
>>>>> http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>>>> List information:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>>>> This message was sent to bobprimak at yahoo.com. <#v1NOP>
>>>>> Set your list options:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/bobprimak@yahoo.com
>>>>>
>>>>> ===============================================
>>>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing
>>>>> List::
>>>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>>>> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us Message
>>>>> archives: http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>>>> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us To
>>>>> unsubscribe: email lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>>>> Future and Past meeting information:
>>>>> http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>>>> List information:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>>>> This message was sent to bobprimak at yahoo.com. <#v1NOP>
>>>>> Set your list options:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/bobprimak@yahoo.com
>>>>>
>>>>> ===============================================
>>>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing
>>>>> List::
>>>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>>>> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us Message
>>>>> archives: http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>>>> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us To
>>>>> unsubscribe: email lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>>>> Future and Past meeting information:
>>>>> http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>>>> List information:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>>>> This message was sent to joeoptics at gmail.com.
>>>>> Set your list options:
>>>>> http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/joeoptics@gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ===============================================
>>>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
>>>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>>>> Send to the list:LCTG at lists.toku.us Message archives:http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>>>> To subscribe: emaillctg-subscribe at toku.us To unsubscribe: emaillctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>>>> Future and Past meeting information:http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>>>> List information:http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>>>> This message was sent tor.w.wagner at verizon.net.
>>>>> Set your list options:http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/r.w.wagner@verizon.net
>>>>
>>>> ===============================================
>>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
>>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>>> Send to the list:LCTG at lists.toku.us Message archives:http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>>> To subscribe: emaillctg-subscribe at toku.us To unsubscribe: emaillctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>>> Future and Past meeting information:http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>>> List information:http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>>> This message was sent tor.w.wagner at verizon.net.
>>>> Set your list options:http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/r.w.wagner@verizon.net
>>> ===============================================
>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us Message archives:
>>> http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us To unsubscribe: email
>>> lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>> Future and Past meeting information: http://LCTG.toku.us
>>> <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>> List information: http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>> This message was sent to s+lctglist at smistuff.com.
>>> Set your list options:
>>> http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/s+lctglist@smistuff.com
>>>
>>>
>>> ===============================================
>>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
>>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>>> Send to the list: LCTG at lists.toku.us Message archives: http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>>> To subscribe: email lctg-subscribe at toku.us To unsubscribe: email lctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>>> Future and Past meeting information: http://LCTG.toku.us <http://LCTG.toku.us>
>>> List information: http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>>> This message was sent to mwolfe at vinebrook.com.
>>> Set your list options: http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/mwolfe@vinebrook.com
>>
>>
>>
>> ===============================================
>> ::The Lexington Computer and Technology Group Mailing List::
>> Reply goes to sender only; Reply All to send to list.
>> Send to the list:LCTG at lists.toku.us Message archives:http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/
>> To subscribe: emaillctg-subscribe at toku.us To unsubscribe: emaillctg-unsubscribe at toku.us
>> Future and Past meeting information:http://LCTG.toku.us
>> List information:http://lists.toku.us/listinfo.cgi/lctg-toku.us
>> This message was sent tothemillers at millermicro.com.
>> Set your list options:http://lists.toku.us/options.cgi/lctg-toku.us/themillers@millermicro.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.toku.us/pipermail/lctg-toku.us/attachments/20231113/0504cc0e/attachment.htm>
More information about the LCTG
mailing list