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by austincheney 2758 days ago
A better comparison is dropping my lawnmower off in your backyard, teasing you with access, and then complaining when you touch it.

You cannot reasonably expect to protect or restrict content with a flawed understanding of the medium in which that content is conveyed.

If you don’t want me access it don’t put it on the web.
1 comments
_em6m 2757 days ago
Your lawnmower (your website) is in your backyard (your servers). If I go to your backyard (your servers) and I get/use your lawnmower (your website), I'm 1) trespassing privet property (the paywall) and 2) using something that I'm not allowed to use (your lawnmower, your website that requires me to pay for the content).

No matter how easy is it for me to go into your backyard (bypass your paywall), it's still an offense.

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austincheney 2757 days ago
If I can download your content by simply changing my user-agent identifier you don't have any security. In this context the backyard is the local computer and web browser. The lawnmower is the content in question. It is deposited and there. If you don't want the user to access your content then don't drop it into their backyard. The user isn't trespassing by accessing content left in their property.

More simple, if you don't want the user to have it then don't give it to them.

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