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Should I Block Ads?

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Re: Should I Block Ads?

#111

Post by kenhwang »

gonehome wrote: post #66
sneak wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are also full of unblockable ads, and spyware to boot. I don’t think that is a better experience at all.

It still has ads, but it is also a better experience. The web ads tend to bed more intrusive and outside the UX, more irrelevant, and more malware like. I don't like those apps either, but the UI is definitely better. I'm not sure why Firefox just doesn't build adblocking into the browser as a first class feature - maybe because they rely on the Google funding? All of the "ad-supported business model supports creator…

> I'm not sure why Firefox just doesn't build adblocking into the browser as a first class feature - maybe because they rely on the Google funding?

They kinda do. They keep building APIs requested by the adblockers so that adblocking can continue to work efficiently/effecitvely. They're also blocking the underlying abuses of advertising by increasing privacy by making it more difficult to track/fingerprint, increased security with the safe browsing checks (phishing/malware), and anti-cryptomining.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#112

Post by Kim_Bruning »

inetknght wrote: post #60
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.

> 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. Some sites intentionally break if you're using an adblocker. It's really easy to argue to not use those sites. But... What about government sites? Government sites don't work with strong ad blockers. What about bank sites? Bank sites don't work with strong ad b…

Hmm, all the bank and government websites I've used work fine (so far) . I've also worked at many companies now, and I haven't had trouble with ad blockers there either.

I'm actually surprised how they could cause problems? Do you have specific examples?

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#113

Post by causality0 »

It's a pretty simple equation for me. If you're too lazy to curate ads and rely on a third party service to show any random ad to your users and run any random javascript in their browsers, your ad is probably on an adblock list and will therefore be blocked on my devices. If, however, you give half a shit about your users and therefore choose what ads they see, it probably won't be on a blocklist and won't be blocked on my devices. It's simple, either both of us care or neither of us do and it's up to the content provider which path they take with me.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#114

Post by XelNika »

collyw wrote: post #91
inetknght wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Some sites intentionally break if you're using an adblocker. It's really easy to argue to not use those sites. But... What about government sites? Government sites don't work with strong ad blockers. What about bank sites? Bank sites don't work with strong ad b…

I have used a few different bank sites and they all work with ad blockers.

Depends on your bank and the definition of a strong ad blocker. Danish banks use a common authentication solution that is generally (always?) inserted as a third party iframe. If you use the uBO enhanced Easy mode [0] or stronger, it'll be blocked.

[0] https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/Blocking-mode

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#115

Post by XelNika »

Kim_Bruning wrote: post #112
inetknght wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Some sites intentionally break if you're using an adblocker. It's really easy to argue to not use those sites. But... What about government sites? Government sites don't work with strong ad blockers. What about bank sites? Bank sites don't work with strong ad b…

Hmm, all the bank and government websites I've used work fine (so far) . I've also worked at many companies now, and I haven't had trouble with ad blockers there either. I'm actually surprised how they could cause problems? Do you have specific examples?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23277421

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#116

Post by dillutedfixer »

ccmcarey wrote: post #78
divbzero wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This includes plenty of “good” sites. I kept forwarding Worldometers’ COVID-19 data site [1] to friends and families, then later realized it’s full of banner ads if viewed without ad blocking. [1]: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Oh wow, I also forward that site around, and sometimes comment on the great minimal design and information density. Just had a look at it with uBlock Origin disabled, and wow, how do people browse the internet like this?

It really is jarring when you see your regularly visited websites without ad blocking. A news site that I look at has infinite scrolling ads of those "Dentists everywhere are furious about this trick" with a picture of an avocado boiling in water or something equally ridiculous. I realize that ad blocking does take money away from site operators, and I do pay for many of the news sites that I frequent. But honestly a site that is willing to blast me with ads about how I can cheat my insurance company with ONE SIMPLE TRICK doesn't deserve money from my clicks. And I do get that they often can't choose what ads are shown. Perhaps that's the bigger issue.

Edit: elaborated on my final point.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#117

Post by [deleted] »

EForEndeavour wrote: post #64
hpoe wrote: post #41

So the reason I block ads, or at least started is a book I read called Pre-suasion by Robert Caldini. In it he points out that internet ads are dismissed and ignored by our conscious mind but because of that often will produce an effect on our unconscious mind. Think like the subliminal messaging type thing. People who were shown Kodiak ads on a webpage in an experiment couldn't recall seeing any Kodiak ads simply be…

Your imperfect recall of the brand name "Kodak" makes your cautionary message about the insidious effects of ads deliciously ironic. Or is that repeated misspelling actually part of an astroturf campaign to ensure that the notoriously detail-oriented minds of Hacker News readers latch onto the apparent typo, firmly embedding it in the forefront of awareness?

[deleted]

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#118

Post by mcintyre1994 »

divbzero wrote: post #40
gfody wrote: post #7

I was on a fresh setup recently and caught a glimpse of the raw internet on my way to install uBlock Origin and uMatrix. There are still fake download buttons everywhere. I can't understand how the non-ad-blocking world tolerates that stuff - no choice and no voice I guess? The amount of autoplaying videos was disturbing as well.

This includes plenty of “good” sites. I kept forwarding Worldometers’ COVID-19 data site [1] to friends and families, then later realized it’s full of banner ads if viewed without ad blocking. [1]: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Without content blockers on iOS it has some garbage google ad or something advertising 5 cures for arthritis and something called nutreance. I wonder how many people get a fake Covid cure advertised there since that seems to be the level of advertiser.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#119

Post by dependenttypes »

gonehome wrote: post #66
sneak wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are also full of unblockable ads, and spyware to boot. I don’t think that is a better experience at all.

It still has ads, but it is also a better experience. The web ads tend to bed more intrusive and outside the UX, more irrelevant, and more malware like. I don't like those apps either, but the UI is definitely better. I'm not sure why Firefox just doesn't build adblocking into the browser as a first class feature - maybe because they rely on the Google funding? All of the "ad-supported business model supports creator…

> I'm not sure why Firefox just doesn't build adblocking into the browser as a first class feature - maybe because they rely on the Google funding?

I am glad that they do not. I doubt that mozilla would be able to make anything nearly as good as ublock origin. They already tried something similar with "tracker blocking" - it is uncustomizable and generally inferior to ublock.

Re: Should I Block Ads?

#120

Post by notriddle »

hckr_news wrote: post #104

To add to that HTTPSEverywhere and Privacy Badger are quite useful too

Both of those add-ons are quickly becoming irrelevant. Privacy Badger, because Firefox and Safari have tracker blocking built-in, and HTTPS Everywhere, because HSTS preloading is standard in all of the major browsers.
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