On: Layoffs Taboo, Japan Workers Are Sent to the Boredom Room (2013)

[fpig]

I almost automatically closed the tab because it looked like a paywall. Why do I have to click "Show full article" to see the article on the page for that article? O_O

[0xcde4c3db → fpig]

Depending on who you ask, it's one or more of:

1) So that the "free articles this month" counter doesn't decrement for stories you don't actually read.

2) So that they get metrics on which articles people actually read vs. loading in a tab and forgetting about.

3) Forcing an interaction manipulates your psychology so that you pay more attention to the page, increasing engagement.

[mercer → fpig]

I vaguely remember implementing this exact thing for at least two clients, and if remember correctly the reason is that such a 'show full article' button allows anything 'below the fold' (meaning the button) to be more prominently visible.

It's a rather ironic that I had to turn off my uMatrix filters to get the full 'experience' of that button.

[devilsbabe → fpig]

Because it's the mobile version of the site. That button doesn't appear on the desktop version.

[Cenk → fpig]

I’ve noticed a lot of news sites have started doing this. I assume it’s something to do with collecting analytics?