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Should I Block Ads?

shouldiblockads.com

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Re: Should I Block Ads?

#11

Post by centimeter »

lalaland1125 wrote: post #6

I think this article downplays the downsides of ad blockers too much. If ad blockers become the norm, much of the current web will no longer be viable. Facebook, YouTube, Google, Reddit, StackOverflow, and countless other sites are fundamentally based on advertising and can't survive without it. The article tries to address this a little bit with the "Ad blockers do not block all advertising" section, but I don't thi…

There are better, more efficient ways to monetize than ads. Ads are one of the most destructive and socially wasteful ways to monetize content; it's just technically easy. If we make ads nonviable, you can expect things like micropayments to become more common (and I'm happy to make that trade).

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#12

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

Aachen wrote: post #5
Hamuko wrote: post #2

How many people actually disable their adblockers when sites don't allow you to access them if you have one enabled? It's just much easier to close the tab.

I don't remember ever disabling my blocker in response to such a request. What I do do is look for donation options when it's a valuable resource, but it's often hidden or nonexistent.

They will still show ads. Paying users are more valuable and the ones you actually want to show ads to.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#13

Post by derefr »

Hamuko wrote: post #2

How many people actually disable their adblockers when sites don't allow you to access them if you have one enabled? It's just much easier to close the tab.

I do use my adblocker disable button, but not in response to sites pleading for me to do so. I just find that sometimes it helps when a web app is being wonky. (Usually, the adblocker has misidentified one of the app’s main first-party JS files as an ad script and prevented it from loading.) Of course, since we’re talking about web apps, no ads usually result from this.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#15

Post by discardable_dan »

Hamuko wrote: post #2

How many people actually disable their adblockers when sites don't allow you to access them if you have one enabled? It's just much easier to close the tab.

I am almost never in a situation where the content is worth the trouble of disabling my ad-blocker. Information is so-readily available that is it laughable that a website would be essential enough for me to bother turning my ad-blocker off, and the few times I've had it has nearly-universally resulted raw clickbait. Furthermore, that sort of behavior displays an arrogance from the publisher that makes me question the overall integrity of the article I was trying to read in the first place.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#16

Post by notriddle »

lalaland1125 wrote: post #6

I think this article downplays the downsides of ad blockers too much. If ad blockers become the norm, much of the current web will no longer be viable. Facebook, YouTube, Google, Reddit, StackOverflow, and countless other sites are fundamentally based on advertising and can't survive without it. The article tries to address this a little bit with the "Ad blockers do not block all advertising" section, but I don't thi…

> The article tries to address this a little bit with the "Ad blockers do not block all advertising" section, but I don't think it fully acknowledges that if everyone installs uBlock Origin as the article suggests the web as we know it will collapse.

The web as we know it "collapses" every ten years anyway. The question is what replaces it.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#17

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

sergiotapia wrote: post #3

Sometimes a website will break with an ad-blocker. How do you allow ads in such a site when using pi-hole?

Blocking JS across the board with selective whitelisting will defeat a lot of anti-blocking. Element zapper to dispose of divs that cover content by default.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#18

Post by jordanpg »

lalaland1125 wrote: post #6

I think this article downplays the downsides of ad blockers too much. If ad blockers become the norm, much of the current web will no longer be viable. Facebook, YouTube, Google, Reddit, StackOverflow, and countless other sites are fundamentally based on advertising and can't survive without it. The article tries to address this a little bit with the "Ad blockers do not block all advertising" section, but I don't thi…

It's a stupid business model that involves bad UX by definition. Not ever do I want to see an unsolicited appeal to buy something. Ever, ever, ever.

The sooner it goes away, the better. I do not hold to the proposition that there is no other way to pay for the internet.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#19

Post by alex_young »

lalaland1125 wrote: post #6

I think this article downplays the downsides of ad blockers too much. If ad blockers become the norm, much of the current web will no longer be viable. Facebook, YouTube, Google, Reddit, StackOverflow, and countless other sites are fundamentally based on advertising and can't survive without it. The article tries to address this a little bit with the "Ad blockers do not block all advertising" section, but I don't thi…

John Gilmore famously stated that "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it".

I believe there is a corollary: Advertising interprets attempts to avoid it as damage and locates your eyeballs anyway.

It's a constant battle with an opponent with the highest order financial motivation.

Let's keep our PiHole tricks a little quiet and maybe they won't catch on right away :)

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#20

Post by kgraves »

YES.

I think you should block ALL ads entirely, internet and everywhere. They are time sinking distraction and you definitely don't need them in your life.

A specific adblocker somebody needs to develop is podcast ad blocker, just auto-skip or have no sponsored message please.

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