There are many paywalls that send all the content in the html and then hide it with a script.
However there are many more properly implemented paywalls that send only a few lines of content and you don't find the content even on the archive sites.
There are several variations of those schemes. Sometimes there is text but not images. Sometimes the first party js is fine and you have to block some of the third party js.
Sometimes the content is in a JSON blob.
Sometimes the reader mode trick works but only for a short while before the js paywall removes it (the sibling comment hints about it.)
Please don't post snarky comments like this on HN. We've wrestled with this for a long time and have settled on the least worst solution: paywalled articles are only allowable if there's an easy workaround that everyone access, like Archive.is, which you've helpfully shared. It's annoying that we have to deal with this issue but we're still better off with the articles than not.
We can do without mean words like “obnoxious” for people contributing interesting articles for the community to read.
Reader mode bypasses it. It's only a JS layer on top of content that's already inside the HTML doc.
Disabling first party JS works too, using umatrix or similar tools. The site works perfectly without JS.
Edit: because of all of that, of course view source bypasses the paywall too and reveals tons of inlined CSS.
This. Comment. ^ is going to change my life.
Thank you!! I had no idea, and this is such an elegant fix.
There are many paywalls that send all the content in the html and then hide it with a script.
However there are many more properly implemented paywalls that send only a few lines of content and you don't find the content even on the archive sites.
There are several variations of those schemes. Sometimes there is text but not images. Sometimes the first party js is fine and you have to block some of the third party js.
Sometimes the content is in a JSON blob.
Sometimes the reader mode trick works but only for a short while before the js paywall removes it (the sibling comment hints about it.)
You have to experiment with each site.
“Refresh, and quickly just click the reader button as the page loads slow on mobile, anyways”
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Wow ok I needed to know this ages ago
[dead]
That’s how much their silence was able to accomplish!
https://archive.is/8GB36
I agree with you though, it's obnoxious to share paywalled articles on Hacker News.
Please don't post snarky comments like this on HN. We've wrestled with this for a long time and have settled on the least worst solution: paywalled articles are only allowable if there's an easy workaround that everyone access, like Archive.is, which you've helpfully shared. It's annoying that we have to deal with this issue but we're still better off with the articles than not.
We can do without mean words like “obnoxious” for people contributing interesting articles for the community to read.
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
It annoys me too, but is not unusual for journalism submissions here.
HN sometimes likes to discuss texts that weren't published as a free contribution on some blog by a dev with lots of time on their hand.
It's not forbidden to post paywalled links on HN, AFAIK.
I also struggle to see an alternative when it comes to professional journalism.
Maybe a kind soul will be able to share a gift link.
I've added the archive.is link to the thread header.
> It's not forbidden to post paywalled links on HN, AFAIK.
The FAQ states that it's fine to post paywalled links as long as there is a workaround that everyone can easily access.