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How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

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Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#201

Post by FussyZeus »

grogenaut wrote: post #40
FussyZeus wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The network effects of sites like Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Twitter oftentimes mean taking the ethical stance and "not being part of it" can create serious harm to your business/career/vocation. There's a reason Instagram Influencer and YouTuber are, despite the sniggering of many people, real jobs that earn tons of money for those skilled in plying the craft.

You can pretty easily use any of these sites in a professional only capacity.

But you're still using them, and by virtue of using them are increasing their engagement numbers, which is what they want.

The only winning move is not to play. But they've created an environment where you pretty much have to.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#202

Post by cowbird »

A year ago, I was on Facebook constantly. At one point, I realized that I could do better things with the time wasted there so I installed News Feed Eradicator (I learned about it in a podcast. I think a Peter Attia podcast, but I could be wrong). Anyway, now Facebook is alien to me. I still have it on my laptop, and if I need to search something of for someone,I can use Facebook. But I don't have access to scrolling. I don't have a wall anymore. lol. I don't have the app on my phone though. I feel super.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#203

Post by neoromantique »

1propionyl wrote: post #53

I'm surprised I haven't seen a single comment say what ought to be the obvious: the easiest way to never see Facebook ads is to just not use Facebook. I should hope I'm preaching to the choir, I'm sure, but... quitting really isn't as hard as you tell yourself it is. It's not as essential as you think it is.

>It's not as essential as you think it is.

It is if you are travelling often, especially in non-western countries.

Rent in local Facebook groups is sometimes 2-3 times cheaper than AirBnB and alike, as well as large expat communities.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#204

Post by jaywalk »

wayneftw wrote: post #196

What happens when screen readers can't identify things properly? Can Facebook be sued for not providing proper accessibility, given that their site is deemed to be essential by many? If screen readers can identify something as an advertisement, then so should ad blockers be able to. If not... then aren't we depriving the blind and the sight challenged from valuable advertising equality?

I think you're kind of misunderstanding how screen readers work. You're clearly seeing the "Sponsored" text on the screen, and so is the screen reader. It's not that the text isn't there, it's just that it's put there in a way that is nearly impossible to target with CSS-based ad blocking. That's all.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#205

Post by [deleted] »

fortydegrees wrote: post #154
gorgoiler wrote: post #108

Relatedly, uBlock Origin’s picker has really improved my quality of life on Facebook. I love Facebook, it’s my only remaining connection to some people, and it’s revived many friendships I thought I’d lost. However, as one gets on in life, People You May Know can be extremely emotionally impactful. It is a little part of the web UI that brings back the dead, ex partners I still miss, exes who have moved on, and toxic…

Your last paragraph is really difficult to parse. I originally thought you liked the feature because it put you through the emotional wringer (in terms of making you work through certain negative emotions), and that it wasn't coddling you.

[deleted]

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#206

Post by nilkn »

gorgoiler wrote: post #156
fortydegrees wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your last paragraph is really difficult to parse. I originally thought you liked the feature because it put you through the emotional wringer (in terms of making you work through certain negative emotions), and that it wasn't coddling you.

Thanks for the feedback. I find writing to be very difficult. It’s really helpful to me when people take the time to point out where I’m not clear, especially when it’s constructive feedback, like yours is.

For what it's worth, I thought your meaning was clear. Your third paragraph opens with "however," indicating a contrast to the previous one (in which your love for FB is stated). So I interpreted "emotionally impactful" in a negative rather than positive sense. As a result I didn't have any issues with your last paragraph.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#207

Post by jaywalk »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #161
notafraudster wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"do everything they can to monetize" Except, evidently, allow users to pay money to not be subjected to ads.

Wouldn't work. Spending money on anything puts people on the disposable income demographic which is the exact audience the advertisers want to reach. It's impossible to reach a workable compromise with the advertising industry. They don't care about our convenience and would place ads under our eyelids if they could get away with it. The truth is we're way past the point of peaceful negotiation with the advertising i…

There are plenty of abusive ads out there, no doubt. But I wouldn't place Facebook ads in that category. They've actually been extremely restrained compared to a lot of what's out there, including video ads on Instagram.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#208

Post by neuland »

wastholm wrote: post #174
tomashubelbauer wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to add that it is not necessary to leave Facebook to not use Facebook. I have a FB account and I'll never close it, because I like having my username on all online services I might use if once. That being said I only have it logged in at a home desktop, not my phone, not any work machine. I use it for like two minutes weekly, one to check a few specialty groups I'm a lurker in and two to co-admin a page with…

> You can have a Facebook account and only use it when it benefits you and not Facebook. I used to think so too, but then I realized that Facebook would let people add me to group chats or something without my knowledge and that these people would then blindly assume that I had read the messages in those chat groups. I find that "I have a Facebook account but I almost never log in" tends to get misunderstood, whereas…

This is what finally pushed me to delete my Facebook account too. Many people only use Facebook to communicate even if they have my phone number. So, they'd send me something on Facebook and expect me to read it there. Sometimes they'd even get angry if I didn't despite me telling them many times that I don't login to Facebook. I mostly don't hear from those people anymore and I'm fine with that.

Re: How Facebook Avoids Ad Blockers

#210

Post by celeritascelery »

1propionyl wrote: post #53

I'm surprised I haven't seen a single comment say what ought to be the obvious: the easiest way to never see Facebook ads is to just not use Facebook. I should hope I'm preaching to the choir, I'm sure, but... quitting really isn't as hard as you tell yourself it is. It's not as essential as you think it is.

I do find it funny that so many on HN seem to wear this “I never use Facebook” as some sort of badge of honor.
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