4 ms·

How come a paywalled content gets to the top of the HN front-page?

by devdiary 2y ago

switch007 2y ago
90% of the time someone posts an archive URL. I wish they would get pinned to the top (@dang :)
- bee_rider 2y ago
  That the archive URL is some generally accepted thing here seems bizarre to me. I mean, taking the text and hosting it elsewhere—that’s just an unauthorized copy, just like if somebody had posted a torrent of a new popular movie so we could discuss it. Or links to cracked software (how else could those of us who don’t want to pay for it discuss it, right?) I respond to the headline/other discussion in the thread if it is interesting. IMO, the publisher’s decision of how they want their work distributed and discussed should be respected. That includes not making unauthorized copies, and also the fact that that constrains conversation about their work. I’m surprised that we seem to understand this for software but not written word. And we mostly act accordingly: lots of discussion of open source works, not so much on “paywalled” proprietary software.
ergonaught 2y ago
It happens nearly daily, and so do variations of this question. The “This doesn't align with my expectations so it must be wrong” response is fascinating.
- devdiary 2y ago
  Do not understand your comment. What are you trying to say?
nfriedly 2y ago
Presumably because the paywall is very porus. And, I suppose, there are a few HN people who have subscriptions. And probably a few who just upvote based on the title. (I think it only takes 4 up votes to hit the front page if they happen quickly enough.)
jeroenhd 2y ago
Probably because a significant portion of HN readership already subscribes to the websites that commonly make it to the front page, and others know how to bypass the pay wall (i.e. https://archive.is/lk15F https://archive.is/lk15F if you want to read this without a subscription). I can't remember seeing any pay walled article on HN that wasn't bypassable using popular free services online. Usually, someone will also link one of the bypass websites pretty soon after a post starts gaining traction.
- devdiary 2y ago
  thank you for sharing the archive link. Didn't know it is possible to archive a non-public/paywalled content.
BeetleB 2y ago
The way everything else does. People upvote it.
dang 2y ago
If there's a workaround, it's ok. Users usually post workarounds in the thread. This is in the FAQ at https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html and there's more explanation here: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=paywalls%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989

How come a paywalled content gets to the top of the HN front-page?

switch007 2y ago

90% of the time someone posts an archive URL. I wish they would get pinned to the top (@dang :)

bee_rider 2y ago
That the archive URL is some generally accepted thing here seems bizarre to me. I mean, taking the text and hosting it elsewhere—that’s just an unauthorized copy, just like if somebody had posted a torrent of a new popular movie so we could discuss it. Or links to cracked software (how else could those of us who don’t want to pay for it discuss it, right?) I respond to the headline/other discussion in the thread if it is interesting. IMO, the publisher’s decision of how they want their work distributed and discussed should be respected. That includes not making unauthorized copies, and also the fact that that constrains conversation about their work. I’m surprised that we seem to understand this for software but not written word. And we mostly act accordingly: lots of discussion of open source works, not so much on “paywalled” proprietary software.

ergonaught 2y ago

It happens nearly daily, and so do variations of this question. The “This doesn't align with my expectations so it must be wrong” response is fascinating.

devdiary 2y ago
Do not understand your comment. What are you trying to say?

nfriedly 2y ago

Presumably because the paywall is very porus. And, I suppose, there are a few HN people who have subscriptions. And probably a few who just upvote based on the title. (I think it only takes 4 up votes to hit the front page if they happen quickly enough.)

jeroenhd 2y ago

Probably because a significant portion of HN readership already subscribes to the websites that commonly make it to the front page, and others know how to bypass the pay wall (i.e. https://archive.is/lk15F https://archive.is/lk15F if you want to read this without a subscription). I can't remember seeing any pay walled article on HN that wasn't bypassable using popular free services online. Usually, someone will also link one of the bypass websites pretty soon after a post starts gaining traction.

devdiary 2y ago
thank you for sharing the archive link. Didn't know it is possible to archive a non-public/paywalled content.

BeetleB 2y ago

The way everything else does. People upvote it.

dang 2y ago

If there's a workaround, it's ok. Users usually post workarounds in the thread. This is in the FAQ at https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html and there's more explanation here: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=paywalls%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989