[learnalist]

Is this being put forward as a suggestion to:

a) Get access to paid content.

b) Highlight the fact that search engines are allowed to see free content.

If its "a)", I disagree with your suggestion.

If its "b)". I agree, I find it highly annoying when you click on a link to discover the part you want to read is hidden from you behind a pay wall. Search engines should show what we see the non paying public, furthermore I believe google doesnt like the addition of words to raise the rank of the page, sites which do this should be penalised for this behaviour. Which is what happens when you give google access to "fuller" data.

[nfnaaron]

Sort of a). WSJ and NYT (and others) decide and control whether to allow entry to a walled article via google. This isn't a hack or a workaround, it's what WSJ and NYT want to happen (or they'd disallow it). You're not "cheating" when you enter via google, you're going in via a side door labeled "Welcome."

And sort of b). It's just a decision to use "the link that works for everyone" (with NYT/WSJ blessing), instead of the direct link that only works for subscribers.