5 ms·

Could be an interesting article, anybody know how to read it? WSJ has been hiding the article text behind a paywall, and even Google doesn't seem to cache the f

by ufmace 10y ago

Could be an interesting article, anybody know how to read it? WSJ has been hiding the article text behind a paywall, and even Google doesn't seem to cache the full text.

grzm 10y ago
The "web" link works for me. I know that it hasn't been working consistently, so YMMV.
- jdavis703 10y ago
  The trick is do it on your mobile phone, or emulate an Android or iOS user agent string.
  - ufmace 10y ago
    Tried web link, incognito mode, user agent spoofer, and my Android phone, none of them work. Thanks for trying, but I gotta flag this article. I don't support paywalled content being on HN.
hendzen 10y ago
It's pretty simple, you just pay the WSJ for a subscription.
- gcp 10y ago
  Madness. Next thing you know they stop putting out clickbaity titles, too. Then what are we going to do? Read the actual articles? Get real.
Tenobrus 10y ago
Make this a bookmark: javascript:location.href='https://www.google.com/webhp?%23q='%20+%20encodeURIComponent(location.href)%20+%20'&btnI=I' Click it when on the page.
- ufmace 10y ago
  I already have that bookmark, and it doesn't work for WSJ anymore.
  - Tenobrus 10y ago
    Odd. It worked for me on that very article, and two others I just tried. I wonder what's causing the difference.
ctrl_freak 10y ago
Yes, I just found out yesterday that setting your referrer to facebook.com/l.php allows you to reliably bypass the paywall. E.g. http://facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.wsj.com/articles/political-world-embraces-encrypted-messaging-app-amid-fears-of-hacking-1485492485 http://facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.wsj.com/articles/poli...
- abofh 10y ago
  Wow, I don't even have a facebook account and that works. That feels like some XSS waiting to happen :/
  - Buge 10y ago
    It's an open redirect, not XSS. It's a matter of debate whether an open redirect is a vulnerability or not.
- ufmace 10y ago
  Thanks, that does work. Though I still feel a little funny about jumping through a bunch of weird hoops to read news articles.
- throwaway40483 10y ago
  This trick is the only thing that seems to bypass WSJ paywall now
- ufmace 10y ago
  In case anyone's still here, I made a bookmarklet for it: javascript:location.href='http://facebook.com/l.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(location.href) http://facebook.com/l.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(location.hr... Make a bookmark with that, call it I'm from Facebook or something, and go to it when you hit a paywall.
af16090 10y ago
Archive.is usually works for WSJ articles: https://archive.fo/JWQvG https://archive.fo/JWQvG

by ufmace 10y ago

Could be an interesting article, anybody know how to read it? WSJ has been hiding the article text behind a paywall, and even Google doesn't seem to cache the full text.

grzm 10y ago

The "web" link works for me. I know that it hasn't been working consistently, so YMMV.

jdavis703 10y ago
The trick is do it on your mobile phone, or emulate an Android or iOS user agent string.
- ufmace 10y ago
  Tried web link, incognito mode, user agent spoofer, and my Android phone, none of them work. Thanks for trying, but I gotta flag this article. I don't support paywalled content being on HN.

hendzen 10y ago

It's pretty simple, you just pay the WSJ for a subscription.

gcp 10y ago
Madness. Next thing you know they stop putting out clickbaity titles, too. Then what are we going to do? Read the actual articles? Get real.

Tenobrus 10y ago

Make this a bookmark: javascript:location.href='https://www.google.com/webhp?%23q='%20+%20encodeURIComponent(location.href)%20+%20'&btnI=I' Click it when on the page.

ufmace 10y ago
I already have that bookmark, and it doesn't work for WSJ anymore.
- Tenobrus 10y ago
  Odd. It worked for me on that very article, and two others I just tried. I wonder what's causing the difference.

ctrl_freak 10y ago

Yes, I just found out yesterday that setting your referrer to facebook.com/l.php allows you to reliably bypass the paywall. E.g. http://facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.wsj.com/articles/political-world-embraces-encrypted-messaging-app-amid-fears-of-hacking-1485492485 http://facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.wsj.com/articles/poli...

abofh 10y ago
Wow, I don't even have a facebook account and that works. That feels like some XSS waiting to happen :/
- Buge 10y ago
  It's an open redirect, not XSS. It's a matter of debate whether an open redirect is a vulnerability or not.
ufmace 10y ago
Thanks, that does work. Though I still feel a little funny about jumping through a bunch of weird hoops to read news articles.
throwaway40483 10y ago
This trick is the only thing that seems to bypass WSJ paywall now
ufmace 10y ago
In case anyone's still here, I made a bookmarklet for it: javascript:location.href='http://facebook.com/l.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(location.href) http://facebook.com/l.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(location.hr... Make a bookmark with that, call it I'm from Facebook or something, and go to it when you hit a paywall.

af16090 10y ago

Archive.is usually works for WSJ articles: https://archive.fo/JWQvG https://archive.fo/JWQvG