WSOP.com will not allow you to read WSOP updates unless you sign in with Facebook or Google Plus account

[Dan Druff]

This is absolutely horrible.

If you attempt to go to WSOP.com and read "live updates" from any WSOP event, you get the following obnoxious screen:




You are forced to sign in through your Facebook or Google+ account, or it will not let you browse WSOP event updates!

This is a HORRIBLE idea, and violates the basic convention of social media account linkage, where generally you can read but not interact. (Think of a news site where you can always read articles without logging in through social media, but where you only need the social media link to post comments.)

In addition to being totally non-standard, this is also placing a HUGE barrier of entry to any fan of the WSOP who simply wants to read updates. It also creates a huge hassle for people without social media accounts, such as older people who are computer literate but have no interest in social media (my father is a good example).

They also admit they will start spamming you with information about the "social WSOP game" -- something only a small percentage of people browsing would want to receive.

I understand that the WSOP wants to integrate its product with social media, but this is NOT the way to do it. All they're doing is driving away people from being interested in the results of their events, and making it tough on friends and relatives of the players.

Awful, terrible, mind-boggling



I have fired off the following e-mail to Seth Palansky, who is the VP of Communications for WSOP and WSOP.com, and is basically the #3 person in the WSOP hierarchy (below Ty Stewart and Jack Effel):

Seth,

I would like to provide some constructive criticism regarding a recent change to wsop.com.

As you know, I attend WSOP as both a player and as media, so I feel I especially have an informed perspective on the matter.

It is very frustrating and disappointing to see the mandatory social media login in order to view WSOP updates. While it is understandable to require such a login for interactive content on WSOP.com, it is a huge mistake to require this simply to check event updates.

First off, it is important that fans of the WSOP have a direct and easy path to viewing WSOP updates. Requiring social media logins to do so is both burdensome and non-standard. I have not seen any site which requires such a login to simply view its content. For example, some general news sites require a Facebook account to comment on their stories, but never to simply read the stories themselves. This is likely to turn off many WSOP fans, who will simply logout and never come back.

Second, not everyone has a Facebook or Google+ account. This is especially true of older fans, friends, and relatives of WSOP players. A good example is my own father. He is very computer literate, but as a longtime married man in his 70s, he has no desire to create social media accounts. He used wsop.com to both read updates on me and also to check the results of big name poker players he got to recognize over the years, but now he cannot access that content at all. This will be true of many of your "over 60" WSOP fans and player relatives.

Third, some people are just generally distrusting of letting any site link to their social media, fearing data harvesting (such as friends lists) or worse.

My reaction to seeing this change was incredibly negative, and everyone I have spoken to has also strongly disliked this new requirement.

While it is ultimately the WSOP's decision what it feels is best for their own business, I think this new policy is a huge mistake, and in fact violates the general concept of how social media linkage is utilized in 2016. Please consider reversing this and providing other more voluntary incentives for people to link their social media.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

-Todd Witteles

[Dan Druff]

Workarounds:

Use Internet Explorer (lol)... for some reason this doesn't happen on there

Use Google Chrome app on iPhone (but not on PC)

There are also certain apps for both PC and iPhone which will thwart crap like this.

But what a monumental pain in the ass... and most people visiting won't know these workarounds.

[hongkonger]

I guess no updates for me. I'm not on any social media.

[Shizzmoney]

This is why I made a burner Google+ account

either way, you shouldn't have to. That's bullshit.

More and more companies are doing this because they can monetize your data and sell it.

You can also use tampermonkey in firefox/chrome and get around these types of screens via killing javascripts that run the box on the page, but it's a pain in the ass to do it especially if you want to look up multiple events on multiple pages.

[Dan Druff]

Seth Palansky responded to me.

Basically, he said that they aren't budging on this one, and that the login-through-social-media BS is staying.

The justification is that providing these updates costs money, and they have decided that they aren't willing to take on this expense anymore without some kind of tangible return.

Therefore, they are tying the updates to advertising their social gaming offerings, which they believe will provide them the return they're looking for.

I don't agree with this at all. The WSOP itself is a big profit center for Caesars. While WSOP.com itself may not be generating the money they had hoped, the WSOP itself is doing extremely well, and these updates should be considered an extension of the WSOP, rather than their online business (as these are updates for the LIVE events).

Or, simply put, for all the rake we pay, the hotel rooms we stay in, and the expensive food we eat, the least they can do is provide the update service for free.

Not every individual component of your business has to generate a profit.

Anyway, it's their decision. They're making the wrong one, but it's their mistake to make. Hopefully they will realize their error sooner rather than later.

[khalwat]

Here's how to get around it:

http://www.crushlivepoker.com/forums...e-for-wsop-com

[BeerAndPoker]

Nothing more really to say then to call it pure greed. The WSOP didn't want to continue to pay for better support working something out with Pokernews when they wanted a raise so they got rid of them and it meant shitty updates for everyone, but now this?

[TheXFactor]

Seth Palansky responded to me.

Basically, he said that they aren't budging on this one, and that the login-through-social-media BS is staying.

The justification is that providing these updates costs money, and they have decided that they aren't willing to take on this expense anymore without some kind of tangible return.

Therefore, they are tying the updates to advertising their social gaming offerings, which they believe will provide them the return they're looking for.

I don't agree with this at all. The WSOP itself is a big profit center for Caesars. While WSOP.com itself may not be generating the money they had hoped, the WSOP itself is doing extremely well, and these updates should be considered an extension of the WSOP, rather than their online business (as these are updates for the LIVE events).

Or, simply put, for all the rake we pay, the hotel rooms we stay in, and the expensive food we eat, the least they can do is provide the update service for free.

Not every individual component of your business has to generate a profit.

Anyway, it's their decision. They're making the wrong one, but it's their mistake to make. Hopefully they will realize their error sooner rather than later.

There can be only one response to this message...FUCK CAESARS & WSOP!!!!

I would urge everyone not to go to WSOP.com and not to stay at any Caesars property.

Fuck these people and the company they work for.

Caesars/Harrahs got fucking lucky when they bought the old Binions Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas because they also bought the rights to the World Series of Poker for practically nothing. Honestly they don't deserve to make any more money off the WSOP brand anymore.