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Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

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Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#81

Post by beeboobaa3 »

Hello71 wrote: post #69
Karellen wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the thing being bypassed prevent you from saving the page, or from making in any other way a copy of any content you've already fetched? If not, how could it be classed as copy-protection? Edit: One other thing: if spoofing UA headers was a problem, all the browsers in the world would fall foul of it - because non-Mozilla browsers all say that they're Mozilla, and Opera said it was IE, and Chrome said it was Saf…

this is basically the "computer scientist" view of the world in https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 , especially the Monolith bit. spoofing UA could be legal in general or when done for interoperability but illegal when done with intent to bypass access control.

Right, the UA spoofing browsers perform is historically done to bypass sites not wanting to serve them content.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#83

Post by afp14 »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #73

The easiest way to bypass paywalls is to just disable JavaScript for the site. It works pretty much everywhere I've tried it except for the WSJ, which I suspect this extension doesn't work for either. Edit: or, maybe it does. I see WSJ.com in the config, with a referrer as drugereport and user agent as Google not to get around it.

it works on WSJ, I use it for that site. for some bypasses, it doesn't "just load the page" but rather pops up a link to archive.ph or similar to pull the article, still convenient

I also point out there is "bypass paywalls" and "bypass paywalls clean", kind of similar to the uBlock family with "uBlock origin" being the "good guy" edition

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#84

Post by vivzkestrel »

neilv wrote: post #67
bubblethink wrote: post #65

Why was this hosted on gitlab.com ? If you're not on github, the discoverablity is pretty low. You are not self hosting. There is no upside for a project like this to be on gitlab.com. If you're already taking the hit of not being mainstream, why not self host in a sane country ?

I don't know about this project, but some projects fled GitHub on principle, when they sold out to MS. If this project were, say, an adtech company, or someone publishing open source solely for resume-boosting reasons, then principles might not matter.

i dont understand this principle at all, mind explaining what is the problem with MS owning github?

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#85

Post by brnt »

bubblethink wrote: post #65

Why was this hosted on gitlab.com ? If you're not on github, the discoverablity is pretty low. You are not self hosting. There is no upside for a project like this to be on gitlab.com. If you're already taking the hit of not being mainstream, why not self host in a sane country ?

Discoverability is solved by being on the Mozilla AddOn store.

Besides, not everybody cares about discoverability.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#86

Post by speedgoose »

xk_id wrote: post #56
tedivm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, Gitlab has gotten ridiculous. They're making me sign up for an account, verify email, go through two captchas, and fill out a survey before they'll let me view the repository. . . . and now that I've done all that the repository is 404ing.

They really had an opportunity to capture significant market share and they ruined it. Their interface also doesn’t work without javascript. What a shame.

Why would they have to make their interface work without JavaScript? The few people who block JavaScript for sure know how to enable JavaScript again. And if they block JavaScript for security and trust reasons, well, they are going to download software from gitlab and run it anyway.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#87

Post by KomoD »

spxneo wrote: post #45
garciansmith wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get 404s now following those links.

how powerful do you have to be in the US to be able to take down mirrors within an hour? this is disturbing to see

You just need a lot of money and some lawyers, everyone just folds as soon as lawyers and legal threats get involved.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#88

Post by cornholio »

IG_Semmelweiss wrote: post #74
cornholio wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another extension that deserves some fame is "Behind the overlay". it allows you to kill any unskipable full page overlay informing you about the benefits of a subscription and the excellent quality of the article beneath it. Coupled with the Archive.ph button they make up my holy trinity of paywall bypass.

curious, what's the 3rd part of the trinity now that Bypass Paywalls is gone ?

It's not going anywhere, it just needs to find a more reliable home.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#89

Post by LoganDark »

beeboobaa3 wrote: post #81
Hello71 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is basically the "computer scientist" view of the world in https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 , especially the Monolith bit. spoofing UA could be legal in general or when done for interoperability but illegal when done with intent to bypass access control.

Right, the UA spoofing browsers perform is historically done to bypass sites not wanting to serve them content.

Well the UA spoofing I perform is done to bypass sites not wanting to serve me content.

Re: Tell HN: Bypass Paywalls repository is gone

#90

Post by philwelch »

speedgoose wrote: post #86
xk_id wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They really had an opportunity to capture significant market share and they ruined it. Their interface also doesn’t work without javascript. What a shame.

Why would they have to make their interface work without JavaScript? The few people who block JavaScript for sure know how to enable JavaScript again. And if they block JavaScript for security and trust reasons, well, they are going to download software from gitlab and run it anyway.

This is the attitude that has ruined the entire web. The real question should be: why is JavaScript necessary and what does it add? (In the majority of applications, absolutely nothing.)
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