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German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

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Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#111

Post by nollidge »

teleclimber wrote: post #102

This shows very clearly why browser warnings (aka "permission infobars") that are embedded on the page are bad. http://chromespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/screen_quot... By getting the user accustomed to seeing browser warnings and info there, you make it impossible for them to distinguish a legit browser warning from a fake one crafted by an unscrupulous site owner. Browser warnings and notifications should si…

Similarly, this is a major problem with Chrome showing settings in a browser page.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#112

Post by GhotiFish »

DanBC wrote: post #26
userbinator wrote: post #25

What I don't get is why something like AdBlock should even be detectable... Incidentally, I remember reading before that Germany had the largest percentage of users using AdBlock, so it makes sense that the pushback is starting here.

I don't understand it. Someone has said that they do not view advertising. They have modified their browser to avoid ads. A marketer choses to ignore that person's choice and choses to use tricky technical means to ignore that person's wishes in order to show an ad. How is that in any way beneficial to the product being advertised? I am ad tolerant (don't run ad blockers etc) but behaviour like that fills me with rag…

I'm highly intolerant of ads. I have limited focus. Most of all, ads scare me. I'm afraid they may have a potentially compounding effect on the way I think.

but the default position of most people is to disregard someone's position. There is a stunningly vast portion of the population that actively assumes that everyone believes the same as they do, even if they know otherwise.

"I can't focus with the tv on" "Yes you can." turns tv louder

marketers ignoring stated positions for money is a symptom of the greater disease of people ignoring others positions.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#113

Post by Orangeair »

scurvy wrote: post #109
eik3_de wrote: post #15

This is so embarrassing and disgusting. For reference, here's a list of United Internet properties to avoid: 1&1 (aka 1and1.com) GMX WEB.DE InterNetX united-domains Sedo mail.com Fasthosts affilinet Arsys

Anyone who does business with 1&1 deserves what they get. They're known to generally be amongst the worst in the industry.

That's a little unfair. With web hosting platforms like this offering increasingly low barriers to entry, they are accordingly attracting people who know less about technology, and are more likely to be persuaded by prices than informed industry opinion. For instance, I bought a domain from 1&1 when I was in middle school, just for a stupid personal website. I went with them because they were the cheapest and didn't know any better. I don't feel as if I would be to blame in that situation.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#114

Post by [deleted] »

netrus wrote: post #110
mindslight wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has used an ad blocker for over 10 years, I have a strong opinion about the ad industry. Die out, go away, and let us get back to the point where the motivation to publish something on the 'net stems from the desire to share knowledge. To hell with the cacophonous status quo of doing the bare minimum to trick people into giving you their attention in order to fill their head with garbage for a fraction…

I dont get your comment. Not content delivery is expensive, but content creation Do you want a net without professional journalism?! Or do you prefer paywalls? Or donations? I am in favor of a great coordinated blackout campaign by the large content providers. Dont want to see ads? Fine, pay a dollar via Paypal to see the site - or go away.

[deleted]

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#115

Post by psykovsky »

shimfish wrote: post #28
userbinator wrote: post #25

What I don't get is why something like AdBlock should even be detectable... Incidentally, I remember reading before that Germany had the largest percentage of users using AdBlock, so it makes sense that the pushback is starting here.

I drove myself insane for a morning recently when I couldn't work out why a site of mine that had happily been working for years suddenly stopped displaying some images in the carousel. They were there in the HTML but Chrome reckoned they were zero size. Eventually, it hit me that I should try turning off adblock. Turns out, I had called the imgs containg divs "#ad1", "#ad2". "#ad3", etc were all fine for some reason…

And you described the main reason why people who say ad blockers "protect users" are wrong. They just hide the ads, they don't block them. Better to just send to localhost all known ad network domains. There are some noce precompiled lists around the web for that exact purpose.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#116

Post by __david__ »

adrianmn wrote: post #43

As someone that has been involved in online publishing for over 10 years I have a strong opinion about ad blockers. In my opinion using ad blockers is borderline piracy. Refusing the content creator his revenue by blocking his ads is little different than downloading music, books... without rewarding the creator. On top of that most of the quality content this days is on websites that have decent ads. I am not trying…

You act like there's some sort of contract that says I have to download and display everything in your html.

There is not.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#117

Post by mpyne »

dotBen wrote: post #91
chii wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 2. Here you go, the data on kefka. Thanks for asking. is this really happening? can you give some evidence that google is willy nilly giving private data away like that?

Actually, the Snowden files show that is happening for non-US Citizens/US-persons. The NSA only has the legal obligation to obtain warrents for US Citizens not for anyone else. The NSA is unlikely to get involved in civil legal disputes but yes, it can go in and ask for Kafka's data from Google if he is living in, say, Germany.

Even for that there is a due process requirement, contained in E.O. 12333. Obviously the requirements are far lower but even there a random NSA analyst can't simply ask for the data, they'd have to get a supervisor within NSA to approve sending that request outside the agency.

But on the other hand I've not seen evidence that Google simply sells information on specific individuals or otherwise gives it away without that legal mandate.

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#118

Post by __david__ »

mason240 wrote: post #87
DanBC wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand it. Someone has said that they do not view advertising. They have modified their browser to avoid ads. A marketer choses to ignore that person's choice and choses to use tricky technical means to ignore that person's wishes in order to show an ad. How is that in any way beneficial to the product being advertised? I am ad tolerant (don't run ad blockers etc) but behaviour like that fills me with rag…

You should modify your browsing habits to only include sites without ads then.

Should the blind modify their browsing habits to only include sites that have built in audio transcriptions?

Or, perchance, is it the right of every website viewer to consume the website in the way they deem most fit?

Re: German freemail sites trick Firefox and Chrome users into removing AdBlock

#120

Post by fournm »

Orangeair wrote: post #113
scurvy wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone who does business with 1&1 deserves what they get. They're known to generally be amongst the worst in the industry.

That's a little unfair. With web hosting platforms like this offering increasingly low barriers to entry, they are accordingly attracting people who know less about technology, and are more likely to be persuaded by prices than informed industry opinion. For instance, I bought a domain from 1&1 when I was in middle school, just for a stupid personal website. I went with them because they were the cheapest and didn't…

This is pretty much my situation, except my personal experiences have never actually been awful enough with them to persuade me to switch when all I really use them for at this point is easily sharing stuff.
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