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Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

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Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#751
post #609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what is frustrating. I will agree that users are subject to civil law, but that is not a moral claim. I am seeing so many people on HN taking a strong, rebuking moral stance on a civil matter. They hand wave the morality of Spotify allowing RCE by third-parties but feel indignant for a person breaking a fucking TOS or EULA.

Also frustrating is being hit by a wave of down votes for even tangentially mentioning libretarianism in a negative light, there is a lot of appeal to libretarianism similar to socialism, and every other governmental or economic approach, refusing to discuss the pros and cons just further cements the partisan divide. Just to be clear, libretarianism is not incompatible with regulation - I happen to think that a certa…

For whatever it's worth, I think there's a difference between mentioning libertarianism in a negative light and holding it responsible for society's ills. I think libertarianism is worth debating, and the political Libertarianism practiced in America is often ridiculous and utterly biased against individuals. But I don't think that being refused access to a service if you reject risky and unethical advertising practices is a consequence of misinterpreted libertarian theory.

The highest-profile appeals to corporate interests are made by politicians who don't claim libertarian ideal. The ability to cut consumers off from non-essential, non-monopoly services for terms violations is standard throughout countries without any libertarian tradition, so the exotic element in the US is the legal protection for spyware creators and malware distributors, neither of which stem from libertarian theory. The spyware aspect is about the lack of a direct constitutional privacy protection, and the conservative/literalist readings which have steadily eroded the penumbra reasoning. The malware aspect is the result of repeated failures to hold companies responsible for allowing data breaches or serving exploits, which owes more to special interests pandering and gross technical ignorance among legislators than to even a pretense of libertarianism.

You're right to say that cutting off service access is legal, and you're right to say that the most influential form of libertarianism in the US is twisted and often counterproductive. But I suspect I'm not alone in finding the attribution of any business-related badness to libertarianism tiring and a bad basis for a productive conversation.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#752
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Between the dwindling Netflix catalog and increasingly hostile subscription service experience on Spotify, I have found myself flying the black flag again. I still have subscriptions to both, but I will be cancelling them this year. I don't want their shitty analytics payloads, I don't want their shitty anti-adblocker tech. I don't want their shitty tactics of deleting random songs off my playlists. I just want the c…

> It's because no one wants to take my money and provide the content I want without bundling it with drm, ads, dark patterns, insane region segmentation, and manipulative cross-sell tactics. I'm not sure if they'd satisfy these requirements, but I generally open paid Hulu more than I do Netflix. Google Play Music seems to cover everything Spotify does and there is no free option (so there are never ads), but it's Goo…

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Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#753
post #715

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure why you are accusing someone of a crime ("stealing"). Installing an ad blocker is within someone's full legal right. Why are you making false statements regarding what is or is not a crime?

Okay, but your agreement with Spotify on the free tier is "we provide music, you agree to be subject to our ads." If you block the ads, they can then yank the music. Personally, I haven't jumped on the streaming music thing (iTunes Match is about as close as it gets for me with buying CDs or MP3s to add to it in time), but I don't think what they're doing is a bad thing. Now, if you have some means to force the vario…

Actually, it's "you agree to allow us to run code on your device with no ability to audit it or analyze it ahead of time for malware". If they want to "play" an ad, they certainly have the ability to do it.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#754
post #726
post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe I have the right to choose whenever possible which resources my computer downloads and what code my computer executes. That includes selecting which parts of a specific website or application I download and execute. If Spotify wants to refuse to fulfill requests for one resource (e.g. songs) separate from requests for another resource (e.g. ads), I have absolutely no problem with that. But if Spotify choose…

You get married. The agreement between you and your significant other is that both parties will be faithful and to perform various duties within the relationship. Also, if the marriage is ended, both parties leave with their individual things/pay/etc. You decide to play the field. Your significant other decides to leave you and you are now responsible for the tasks/financials that your significant other previously as…

>once they're settled...

Should I be expected to monitor changes to a living document that I never read in the first place in order to know whether the current version means I am married to Spotify and act accordingly?

Spotify is the one who defaulted first by not providing me the limitless free music I am owed.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#755
post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Must agree with you here (even though I do like me some Lana del Rey). Majority of Bandcamp music in my collection is retro/synth/new wave, and some "drone" which is nice to have on as white noise while working.

Any suggestions? I'm always looking for new background music for work, and I agree that BandCamp is a very nice shopping experience.

For drone, I have a lot of stuff from Cryochamber:

https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/

Looking at my current most-played list, I'd suggest:

https://starcadian.bandcamp.com/album/saturdaze

https://future80s.bandcamp.com/album/trans-am

https://nightvision2.bandcamp.com/album/runaway !!

https://neondroid.bandcamp.com/album/no-more-sunset-2017-ep

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#756
post #715

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure why you are accusing someone of a crime ("stealing"). Installing an ad blocker is within someone's full legal right. Why are you making false statements regarding what is or is not a crime?

Okay, but your agreement with Spotify on the free tier is "we provide music, you agree to be subject to our ads." If you block the ads, they can then yank the music. Personally, I haven't jumped on the streaming music thing (iTunes Match is about as close as it gets for me with buying CDs or MP3s to add to it in time), but I don't think what they're doing is a bad thing. Now, if you have some means to force the vario…

>> your agreement with Spotify on the free tier is "we provide music, you agree to be subject to our ads." If you block the ads, they can then yank the music.

Companies have a habit of trying to squeeze all kinds of stuff into their ToS/AUP, hoping they can get away with it.

Who'd want to bet Spotify's bans would survive both a) the courts, and b) public opinion? Remember they'd need to win in both.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#757

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But I still have right to NOT use service provided by Spotify or and another third-party service, completely or partially.

You do NOT have a right to use the service "partially" (by blocking ads), as blocking ads on their free plan is against the ToS.

Spotify does NOT have the right to run arbitrary code on my device. That is not something that fits into the category of me using their service. That rather fits into the category of me being forced to provide a service to Spotify.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#758
post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple music is pretty good. Has basically everything I want, and you can add your own music via icloud too. For movies, criterion collection is coming out with a streaming service, if that's your thing. I don't have netflix but I will have that.

The trick I use for AM is they have a single user deal $99/12 months. You can almost always find $100 iTunes gift cards for $80-$85 making your effective price $6-$7/month.

Good point. Where do you get them for $80?

If you can buy them in a place with good credit card rewards percentage on the gift card it's even lower.

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#759
post #726
post #649

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe I have the right to choose whenever possible which resources my computer downloads and what code my computer executes. That includes selecting which parts of a specific website or application I download and execute. If Spotify wants to refuse to fulfill requests for one resource (e.g. songs) separate from requests for another resource (e.g. ads), I have absolutely no problem with that. But if Spotify choose…

You get married. The agreement between you and your significant other is that both parties will be faithful and to perform various duties within the relationship. Also, if the marriage is ended, both parties leave with their individual things/pay/etc. You decide to play the field. Your significant other decides to leave you and you are now responsible for the tasks/financials that your significant other previously as…

>> Also, if the marriage is ended, both parties leave with their individual things/pay/etc...

Q: Would Spotify refund users that they ban?

Re: Spotify will now suspend or terminate accounts it finds are using ad blockers

#760
post #255

Good. Spotify has a pretty cheap paid option that removes all of that. To those who justify wanting the paid service for nothing by saying Spotify won't "take responsibility" or "assume liability" for their ads or those ads "might deliver malware" or are "intrusive" as a weak rationalization, you present a false dichotomy. There are at least three options: 1. Pay for the service 2. Suffer through the ads 3. Don't use…

Yeah good, I'll just go back to getting all my music exclusively through the Black flag channels
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