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Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

dhowe.github.io

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Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#211

Post by forca »

einrealist wrote: post #86
forca wrote: post #19

I realize this won't be popular, but I really have no feelings for ad networks. - They allow shoddy security on their servers - They track users against their will - Info on me is sold w/o my knowledge or consent - Ads are a poor business model since they can be blocked - There is no moral imperative for me to view ads since I've paid to access the Interwebs I block all ads, tracking cookies, beacons, all of it... I…

I guess, they feel pretty secure, because there are many devices with no or limited ad-block capabilities like phones and tablets. (Or are there addons for my ios Safari that work without jailbracking the device?)

I wonder what the viability of setting up a subscription service proxy that mobile users (and others) could point their mobile phones to that strips out all the dreck? I know there are VPS offerings that do this. Webhosting companies do offer unlimited bandwidth, so theoretically, bandwidth is not a problem.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#212

Post by correcthorse »

forca wrote: post #204
tombrossman wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you say you disallow CSS history, how are you accomplishing this? Is it a side effect of disallowing scripts?

Sites love to view user history. It helps them build up a profile to sell to marketers. You want to deny sites access to this info if you can, In FF, you can do this by toggling to "false" layout.css.visited_links_enabled under about:config

Is there a similar option for the referrer?

And while I'm at it, is there a way to prevent a website from rewriting a url when I click on it? sites like Google and DuckDuckGo show the actual url in the href, but when you click it (or right click and copy it) it becomes something like http://example.com/something?url=encoded_real_url and I detest that.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#213

Post by Alupis »

forgotpasswd3x wrote: post #190
raldi wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you visit a restaurant in a country where tipping is the norm, do you leave a tip?

It's not the same thing, because leaving a tip doesn't cause any privacy or security issues. If all ads were just static images, no scripts/tracking, I wouldn't mind them.

well, there is a closer parallel than you'd think.

Every McDonald's you eat at, has the ability to track your purchases, likes, etc. You are, after all, swiping your card with your name, etc.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#214

Post by DanBC »

forca wrote: post #173
ivanca wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bullshit. There are hundreds of extensions that block third-party cookies and any form of tracking; what we are talking about here is hurting any content creator who wants to monetize their content without creating a paywall and therefore dealing with customers, chargebacks, credit card fraud, marketing, ads (the irony).

No one is advocating anything except not tracking users. I already block ads like most people here. They are a vector for malware, they track users, they sell that data. Make money by charging for content. I miss the old days when people had to pay for stuff with tangible money, not with their anonymity. I would gladly pay to access content I found useful, just no tracking. Be content with the money and move on. No n…

> No one is advocating anything except not tracking users.

Did you read the submission before commenting? Because that piece of software clicks all ads, which has potential to harm ad-funded sites.

Just use an ad-blocker if you want to avoid tracking.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#215

Post by tombrossman »

forca wrote: post #204
tombrossman wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you say you disallow CSS history, how are you accomplishing this? Is it a side effect of disallowing scripts?

Sites love to view user history. It helps them build up a profile to sell to marketers. You want to deny sites access to this info if you can, In FF, you can do this by toggling to "false" layout.css.visited_links_enabled under about:config

I would prefer not to as I find this useful. What I'm really trying to determine is whether this setting alone is responsible for leaking history metadata.

I'm using Firefox with NoScript and I have Firefox set to clear everything except saved passwords when I close it (which I do frequently). I'm hopeful that is good enough because it looks like JavaScript is needed for the leak to occur, right?

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#216

Post by jbigelow76 »

belorn wrote: post #210
jbigelow76 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Ads (and even ads placed by primary distributors and authors) hijacked the internet without permission from browsers/surfers Isn't actively visiting a site you know to be ad supported implying permission?

Lets extrapolate this to the real world and see if implied permission works. You actively walk into a bar. For what ever reason, you can't pay your bill so the bar owner break your leg as a lesson. Alternative, the bar owner will sell you into slavery so you can pay your bill. Should we imply that you gave permission for all this by walking into the bar? What if there is a 400 pages long contract, which by entering,…

Your analogy doesn't make any sense. There are no implications since the already in place rules of commerce would preclude any ambiguity.

I'll throw you and your analogy a bone though. You walk into a bar, bars are smokey, you don't want to smell like smoke, but you want a cocktail more than you don't want to smell like smoke. You've implied that you're okay with smelling like smoke as long as you get your martini.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#217

Post by tombrossman »

correcthorse wrote: post #212
forca wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sites love to view user history. It helps them build up a profile to sell to marketers. You want to deny sites access to this info if you can, In FF, you can do this by toggling to "false" layout.css.visited_links_enabled under about:config

Is there a similar option for the referrer? And while I'm at it, is there a way to prevent a website from rewriting a url when I click on it? sites like Google and DuckDuckGo show the actual url in the href, but when you click it (or right click and copy it) it becomes something like http://example.com/something?url=encoded_real_url and I detest that.

Blocking the referrer in Firefox is easy, just go to about:config and search for the string 'network.http.sendRefererHeader' then modify it from the default 2 to a 0 (zero).

For the search links, I use this Add-on and it works perfectly: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-search...

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#218

Post by Artemis2 »

xefer wrote: post #135

I honestly feel that blocking ads is a win for both the audience and those serving the ads. I don't mean this to sound insulting but if you're not (let's say) "wise" enough to block ads, then you're exactly the target audience for 99% of the stuff out there. This is similar to the way Nigerian scammers purposely use bad grammar to target the less sophisticated. It's a win for the ad network because they're not wastin…

Installing AdBlock Plus = smart? Doesn't looks like a lot of thought went into this comment...

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#219

Post by correcthorse »

tombrossman wrote: post #217
correcthorse wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a similar option for the referrer? And while I'm at it, is there a way to prevent a website from rewriting a url when I click on it? sites like Google and DuckDuckGo show the actual url in the href, but when you click it (or right click and copy it) it becomes something like http://example.com/something?url=encoded_real_url and I detest that.

Blocking the referrer in Firefox is easy, just go to about:config and search for the string 'network.http.sendRefererHeader' then modify it from the default 2 to a 0 (zero). For the search links, I use this Add-on and it works perfectly: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-search...

I see the extension also works with duckduckgo. Thank you very much.

Re: Ad blocker that clicks on the ads

#220

Post by forca »

eli wrote: post #162
forca wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Desktop generally. Also iPhone users frequently are quoted higher prices than Android users. I've seen this with my own eyes.

And car dealers sell the same car to two different people for two different prices. And Proctor & Gamble puts the same shampoo in an expensive bottle and a cheap bottle and sells them side by side. I understand why you think this is unfair, but it just doesn't seem like that big a deal to me.

It's a big deal because it's disingenuous.
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