New York Times App Experiencing a 'Glitch' Allowing Free Access to Paid Articles

[Michael Essany]

We received a tip from a reader this morning about a supposed glitch involving the very popular New York Times Times iOS app. According to the source, the app allows articles to be read without a subscription. Sounds too good to be true? Here's what we can tell you based on the tip:

Currently, users of versions which precede the new subscription model are unable to read articles and are prompted by a modal dialog box to upgrade.

Thanks in part to this glitch, users can indeed read articles without a subscription by taking the following steps:

1. Run the NY times app
2. Click the dialog box prompting the user to update the app
3. Immediately press the home button to switch out of the app
4. Click the NY times app's icon to restart it

In recent weeks, the powers-that-be at the venerable newspaper have had their hands full, it seems, with no shortage of challenges born of the new paid subscription model. Venture Beat reported just yesterday that The New York Times’ "paywall experiment" has taken its toll on traffic.

Research company Experian Hitwise says traffic to NYTimes.com is falling pretty past. According to data that was collected beginning twelve days before the paywall went live and continuing for twelve days after, traffic fell nearly every day. Visits were down somewhere between 5 to 15% while pageviews simultaneously declined 11 to 30%. The only "up day" came on April 9th, when visitor traffic spiked 7%.

Source: Venture Beat

[andypropaganda]

I would say that they are probably going to lose more money now than they are going to make because of loss in advertising revenue if this keeps up, but in the short term they may still make something because they are charging so much for subscriptions. I think in the long run though they are going to suffer, and should really consider some other option (aka go back to free, or come up with some innovative mid-ground).

Gosh Darn it. I wish I was first. Thanks for the input Fantom.

[yomamashump]

I just don't understand this business model. In this day and age of information overload, where news is readily available 24/7 from thousands of sources in every conceivable language, why would anyone pay for this? Is the NY Times really that spectacular? Perhaps I'm missing out.

[mw_w]

It's just the new York times nothing special.

[dysfunction]

Yeah, I've been taking advantage of this glitch hoping no one would notice

[mustard05]

It is very nice app. Although, since my trail has ended I have chosen not to use it. There are to many free news sources out on the web that offer just as good as content, if not better.

[mr117]

I removed my feed from Safari on my Mac. It was helpful to have a news feed on the top of my browser bar, but not worth money to do so.

[lexquiles]

That's a big oops!

[The6uest]

I didnt get a dialog box telling me to update. Has it already been updated?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see it was just for people with the old version.

[iPod]

Ummm, isnt accessing paid content for free almost if not the same as piracy? Bad Messany!

[baRRy boRRis]

It's similar with Last.fm: I haven't updated the app and deleted the metadata.plist. I refuse to pay for an inferior version of something that's free on my Mac.

[quad104]

So cracked apps can't be discussed but you give us instructions on how to screw the nytimes out of money?

Doesn't seem right to me. The size of the company getting taken should not matter

[iliveudie]

I am somewhat upset that this post was posted...lol. MMi normally doesn't allow for piracy and stuff like that...this seems to me as almost like a guide on how to get free material...not a thread to spread news...

[JacquesChirac]

This isn't a cracked app. It's a flaw with the nytimes app itself that nytimes is responsible for. If they aren't keeping their security tight, that's their fault.

That said, I pay for it. I can't live without my NYT. It's really my only source for news.

[RoloDiva13]

So cracked apps can't be discussed but you give us instructions on how to screw the nytimes out of money?

Doesn't seem right to me. The size of the company getting taken should not matter

Good point.

[darthdurden]

I laugh every time someone on this forum has the gumption to complain about piracy.
Every time.

[Y67H]

Ummm, isnt accessing paid content for free almost if not the same as piracy? Bad Messany!

Yes, it is the same a piracy. Why would that stop you though? You have a STOLEN iPod touch 2g.