The gate metaphors in the article are so messed up they distracted me from the actual story.

  >> Gates Only Work When They’re Raised

Well normally gates swing open and shut, maybe you mean some kind of portcullis, like in a castle? You have to raise those to open them.

  >>  a gate that’s far too strong to break 
  >>  through and too high to climb over — 
  >> this hack gets past it by finding a way 
  >> to lower it so close to the ground that 
  >> it can be stepped over

So now gates rise out of the ground? I don't think the author has seen an actual gate.