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Comment by joenot443 | Hacker News Reader

Some day we'll lose this ability and it'll be a sad day for HN. Feels like a special trick we've got to enjoy while we can. Nice submission OP - I learned something.

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It is also interesting that some of highest income people on Earth use the archive trick instead of paying to get through the paywall.

Who actually pays for legacy media anymore?

That's a fair point. It's still true that wealth is not built by permitting frivolous spending. With all the posts on HN I find interesting, I feel like It's the television chanal package effect. Even avid news readers would not have subscriptions to all the varied news sources here. About 90% of the time I pay for an honest Economist subcription. It's great, but pricey. Even if I wanted to, I could not afford simultaneous FT, Economist, NYT, Globe&Mail, etc. subscriptions.

It is also interesting that a news outlet based in one of the richest countries on Earth feels the need to put up a paywall on every single article.

Other options: a) Just have subscribers, and make do with whatever those proceeds are. b) Give subscribers access to some freemium articles. c) Give subscribers early-bird access to articles. Free access to others later (say, +1 day or so). d) Give non-subscribers 1..3 freebie articles, then paywall.

To name a few. But no: paywall everything, monetize to the last bit. Sign of the times, or indication of this news outlet's priorities / ethics?

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