This sort of thing is what throwaway accounts were made for.
All they want to do is read the article and it shows that the NYTimes process is just not working. I actually have a login to NYTimes, but I can't remember it since I don't read them regularly ... so if I go to their site and get greeted with a login screen and whatever computer I'm on doesn't remember my login ... I tap out and go do something else.
Why they can't sit down and seriously think about ways to change that instead of going with tried and tired methods never ceases to amaze me.
I mean its 2011 and we're still talking about paywalls for goodness sake ... I thought those failed ten years ago?
Think about it through the typical workflow: googling an article for research, and finding a link to NYTimes, and reading it, versus something similar to hitting a research paywall, where there's an abstract and big "pay" button that might as well say Eff You. Then, if the user leaves, there's no ill-will (they aren't coming back anyway); but if they browse around, they get the first one free then a message to sign up. The OP is thinking of the hack as the standard interaction.
Khoi Vinh ain't no fool.
They generate income from advertisements regardless if you have an account or not.