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Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

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Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#241

Post by rjh29 »

liendolucas wrote: post #116

Do you know what puzzles me most? How can software engineers work on something like this? Don't those paid engineers or involved ones have the balls or dignity to walk away? I'm just wondering how they would feel about this (if they feel anything at all). I mean, if I'd be in such a position and asked to push something like this I'd have walked away on the spot, no matter what you offer me. No one at Google is standi…

Google is a big organisation, even if some people don't want to work on it, there are plenty of others who will. It's not as if every software engineer in the world shares your views and your principles.

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#243

Post by PrimeMcFly »

ModernMech wrote: post #148
nfriedly wrote: post #57

I hate to say it, but if you used Chrome to read this, then you're part of the problem. Awful stuff like this wouldn't stand a chance if Google didn't have such a near-monopoly position. For the sake of the open internet, please switch to a different browser. IMO, Firefox is best*, but even something chromium based is probably fine. Just not Google Chrome. * On desktop - Firefox is a bit weaker on Android, with an ex…

Does Opera count? It uses Chromium.

No. Chromium browsers may as well be Chrome for the purposes of this discussion.

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#244

Post by alfiedotwtf »

chippiewill wrote: post #173
nfriedly wrote: post #57

I hate to say it, but if you used Chrome to read this, then you're part of the problem. Awful stuff like this wouldn't stand a chance if Google didn't have such a near-monopoly position. For the sake of the open internet, please switch to a different browser. IMO, Firefox is best*, but even something chromium based is probably fine. Just not Google Chrome. * On desktop - Firefox is a bit weaker on Android, with an ex…

100% agree. I switched to Chrome pretty much the day it first came out and it was revolutionary. Switched back to Firefox a few years ago due to Chrome becoming too dominant and Google throwing their weight around in standards committees too much. When I desperately need Chromium for something I use Edge (which I actually rather like).

The problem with Mozilla Corporation/Foundation is that they blew all their time/money/resources/lead on things that didn't matter, not helping pave the way forward, and then fired a lot of their staff to boot!

Mozilla was once a bright shinning beacon of hope for the open web, but they wasted their good will on too many of us, and it pains me to think what could have been.

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#245

Post by Moldoteck »

liendolucas wrote: post #143
tekla wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They get paid lots of money.

But surely those folks can walk away and put in their CV that they quit because they were in charge of implementing one of the worst ideas the history of internet has seen so far. Wouldn't you hire someone that puts that in their resume?

those will walk away, others will come and to them money would be absolute motivator. If there's a thing humans can invent/implement, without any regulation, it'll be implemented (and often even with regulation it may be implemented)

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#246

Post by epolanski »

Adverblessly wrote: post #32

It isn't just "make ad-blocking (near) impossible" as the current title of the submission suggests. It is: Make browsing the internet possible only on Chrome, Safari or Edge (with no modifications or extensions). No competition allowed in browsers. Make browsing the internet possible only on macOS, Windows, Android or iOS (no custom Android distributions, definitely no LineageOS or GrapheneOS or whatever). No competi…

How would they achieve that?

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#247

Post by hospitalJail »

suyash wrote: post #206
nfriedly wrote: post #57

I hate to say it, but if you used Chrome to read this, then you're part of the problem. Awful stuff like this wouldn't stand a chance if Google didn't have such a near-monopoly position. For the sake of the open internet, please switch to a different browser. IMO, Firefox is best*, but even something chromium based is probably fine. Just not Google Chrome. * On desktop - Firefox is a bit weaker on Android, with an ex…

If you're using Apple products, your first preference should be Safari. I use that all the time, it's faster, leaner and syncs tabs/history/bookmarks greatly between different Apple devices.

Why not Firefox?

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#248

Post by Zambyte »

capableweb wrote: post #106
Zambyte wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Firefox is owned by Mozilla which is not owned by Google in any way. Who owns Mozilla? Put another way, if Google stops funding Mozilla, will it still exist? The only reason Firefox exists is because Google wants something they can point to in court and say "look! we're not a monopoly!"

Mozilla is two parts, the Mozilla Foundation and a subsidiary which is Mozilla Corporation. Neither of those are "funded" by Google. I'm guessing you're referring to the search partnership between the two? That doesn't mean that Google owns Mozilla, unless you're really unclear about what "partnership" or "deal" means. Mozilla have multiple deals with search engines, not just Google.

Okay. Call it what you want. Do you really think Firefox will hesitate to implement this, when considering the "partnership" they have with Google?

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#249

Post by notpushkin »

Moldoteck wrote: post #216
papruapap wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It should fairly simple for MS to block this API (if they wish to).

depends how the api is designed. If it'll be integrated deep into chromium, disabling it would cost too much time

I don't think so. Even if it's impossible to exclude it from the builds, they can just remove it from the JavaScript global scope or something.

Re: Google engineers want to make ad-blocking (near) impossible

#250

Post by mrweasel »

danielovichdk wrote: post #52

I know ads is a huge business. I never click them. Who clicks on ads? Really? What segment of Internet users does?

Basically the only ads I click are in search results. If I'm looking for something and the correct answer is the same as the ad right above it, I click the ad. Currently I primarily use Ecosia as my search engine and I'd like them to make money, so if the ad is the correct answer anyway, I use that link.

Other than that... No, I'm newer clicking on ads.

In the article they write:

> Social websites need to differentiate between real user engagement and fake engagement.

No, they really don't. Why would they? They have a platform, you can buy ad space on that platform, it's not the job of the website to provide you with engagement numbers. You run an ad campaign for a given period, you track if sales increase during that time, if they don't your campaign was no good. I'm also okay with tracking sales directly from each campaign, have a tracking code for that campaign, but not the user/customer, that fine. The obsession with tracking everything single little detail back to a person is becoming increasingly obnoxious.

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