Isn't this just a version of segmentation? I'm not very clear on how the paywall works (specifically, how it doesn't work, i.e. how it can be bypassed), can someone elucidate?
People who only read NYT stories when they encounter a third-party link will never see the paywall, while someone who actively uses the NYT as a regular news source eventually will.
Everytime I've hit the paywall, all I had to do was delete my cookies and history. I could then reload the same URL (from the same ip address) and get back in for free.
But after a couple months of doing this, I paid for access. I'm not a rich man, I don't have money to throw at things I don't need, but I felt that the value I was getting from the NYT's reporting was worth paying for. I can't buy a copy here (although I do when I'm in the US) so this is my way of supporting great journalism.
I wonder how many people like me are out there - circumventing the paywall with ease, reading as many NYT articles each month as they want for free, but eventually deciding to pay to support the paper? Or am I an edge case? What I'm getting at is maybe the paywall's deliberately easy to get around, so you realise what value you're getting from the NYT.