Less than a week after India’s major news websites started demanding that readers who use ad-blocking software turn it off to get their daily news fix, enterprising users are already figuring out ways to get around the blockers.
These range from quick workarounds to sophisticated Javascript meddling. Here’s what they are up to.
Using Safari’s Reader View to banish the nasties
@sowmyarao_ Did you open the ET link in safari and use “ReaderView”? (Two pics with and without ReaderView) pic.twitter.com/dUml9XHTIB
— SS (@srini091) July 4, 2016
If you’re using Safari on a Mac or an iOS device, this method actually works really well.
Bonus: if you don’t like the default font that your news site of choice uses, this method also lets you read the news item in Apple’s beautiful Palatino typeface.
Saving items to read later
@sowmyarao_ Try saving the link on Pocket and see if it auto downloads
— Yungwan (@Gunmaster_G9) July 4, 2016
If you use apps like Pocket or Instapaper to catch up on your reading list, they still work. Both Pocket and Instapaper will grab the entire text of any link you send them and save it for your (ad-free) reading pleasure.
Hitting the stop sign
@sowmyarao_ Article loads first, there is an x near the address box, click it to stop the script that runs after to check for ad blocker.
— Ashutosh (@ashu_chdry) July 4, 2016
Works in some cases, doesn’t in others. Oh well.
Blocking the blockers
Want to circumvent Economic Times’ ad-block blocker? Add this line to your uBlock custom filters:
“https://t.co/j93UuzD80F*”— Pranesh Prakash (@pranesh) June 30, 2016
HT has changed their ad-block detection. You now need to add this line to your uBlock custom filter: “https://t.co/A7CpiGbRAS“
— Pranesh Prakash (@pranesh) July 4, 2016
Pro tip: For sophisticated users only.
Trading tips on Reddit
PS: Yes, we know there are typos in the Twitter poll above. Send your hate mail to pranav@factordaily.com
Sources at the Times of India and Hindustan Times told FactorDaily that the companies were keeping track of loopholes and working hard to plug them. But till then, Indian readers are having the last laugh.
Also read: Turn off ad-blockers or don’t read us, say Indian news websites
Subscribe to FactorDaily
Our daily brief keeps thousands of readers ahead of the curve. More signals, less noise.
To get more stories like this on email, click here and subscribe to our daily brief.
Disclosure: FactorDaily is owned by SourceCode Media, which counts Accel Partners, Blume Ventures and Vijay Shekhar Sharma among its investors. Accel Partners is an early investor in Flipkart. Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the founder of Paytm. None of FactorDaily’s investors have any influence on its reporting about India’s technology and startup ecosystem.
