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

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    WSOP.com will not allow you to read WSOP updates unless you sign in with Facebook or Google Plus account

    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:

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    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

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    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.

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    Diamond hongkonger's Avatar
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    I guess no updates for me. I'm not on any social media.

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    Gold Shizzmoney's Avatar
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    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.
    http://www.miraclecovers.com

    "Donk down, that’s what you say to someone after they have lost 28K straight?" - Phil Hellmuth, online

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    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.

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    Serial Blogger BeerAndPoker's Avatar
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    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?


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    Silver jacosta24's Avatar
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    Did the WSOP pay Pokernews to cover the series or was it vise versa?

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jacosta24 View Post
    Did the WSOP pay Pokernews to cover the series or was it vise versa?
    I think the deal changed over the years, but I believe Pokernews was paying them the entire time, but it decreased over time.

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    Diamond TheXFactor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    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.



     
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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Dolphin browser for iPhone/iPad works.

    My earlier report that Chrome for iPhone works was incorrect.

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    Caesars is such fail- I think they have removed this requirement. The last three days it has not requested a facebook log in. I guess the traffic has gone down so badly they didn't have a choice-- I will not use explorer so i try every now and then with chrome. If it wants a log in I just shut it down. Typical WSOP stupidity

    curious if this works for others or just me

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    Diamond Hockey Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ltrainkoja View Post
    Caesars is such fail- I think they have removed this requirement. The last three days it has not requested a facebook log in. I guess the traffic has gone down so badly they didn't have a choice-- I will not use explorer so i try every now and then with chrome. If it wants a log in I just shut it down. Typical WSOP stupidity

    curious if this works for others or just me
    Yup, works for me in firefox. No sign in required.
    (•_•) ..
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hockey Guy
    I'd say good luck in the freeroll but I'm pretty sure you'll go on a bender to self-sabotage yourself & miss it completely or use it as the excuse of why you didn't cash.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hockey Guy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by ltrainkoja View Post
    Caesars is such fail- I think they have removed this requirement. The last three days it has not requested a facebook log in. I guess the traffic has gone down so badly they didn't have a choice-- I will not use explorer so i try every now and then with chrome. If it wants a log in I just shut it down. Typical WSOP stupidity

    curious if this works for others or just me
    Yup, works for me in firefox. No sign in required.

    cool-thanks-- Amazing how Wsop told Todd log in requirement was here to stay. I guess that changes when you become a ghost town

    I mean I like to look at updates but if you make me jump through hoops then screw it. I imagine a lot of people have that attitude. I bet site traffic must have been at an embarrassing low

    laughable

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    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
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    Confirmed that it doesn't require the signin for Chrome anymore, either.

    Glad to see they realized this was a big mistake.

    Interestingly I spoke with Kevmath about this yesterday, and he didn't mention anything about it being reversed. I'm guessing even he didn't know they had done this.

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    Serial Blogger BeerAndPoker's Avatar
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    The last 48 hours it didn't ask me to login with firefox but the day before it made me sign through google every 2 hours so maybe they just removed it for now.

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    Looks like the WSOP gave up and removed that annoying and ineffective social media login requirement to see chip updates: http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/chipcounts.asp

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