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The problem is that much of the times ads are disruptive, annoying, and potentially harmful. When your choices are to have a) a safer, less disruptive browsing

The problem is that much of the times ads are disruptive, annoying, and potentially harmful. When your choices are to have a) a safer, less disruptive browsing experience, b) potentially have your entire screen taken over with alerts offering to clean out the viruses found on you computer, the smart consumer is going to take option A every time. The advertising industry, and those that employ it, need to aggressively move against bad practices, or the consumers will continue to do it for them.

johnward 11y ago
Does B actually exist? I've never used an ad blocker and I don't experience this. It's either an exaggeration or you're visiting some shady sites :) edit: B did exist in the days of windows 95 but I don't see it as a problem now. The biggest issue is auto play video or audio which even browsers makers are taking on.
- runin2k1 11y ago
  Being the "IT" person amongst my friends and families, I routinely get asked how to fix a computer that has been hacked. In every single case the problem isn't that the computer got hacked, it was them clicking an ad that stated they had a virus, or they downloaded something random because they couldn't see through the noise. See my CNet link below in another response. Savvy users can tune these things out, and/or know sites to avoid, but for the lay-person it is hazardous.
  - johnward 11y ago
    I guess that makes sense. I let my mom use my computer a few weeks ago and I ended up with 20 different "coupon printers".
paulhauggis 11y ago
" potentially have your entire screen taken over with alerts offering to clean out the viruses found on you computer, the smart consumer is going to take option A every time." The only time I've seen this is when I've gone to shady websites (porn, filesharing, etc). Legitimate websites don't want to piss off their user base and don't have ads like this. "The problem is that much of the times ads are disruptive, annoying, and potentially harmful" Do you have statistics to back this up? We seem to need scientific evidence in every other case, but with things like this, you can pull it out of thin air. There are a small percentage of ads that are disruptive, but the majority are not. It sounds to me like Sysadmins need to start doing their job. "The advertising industry, and those that employ it, need to aggressively move against bad practices, or the consumers will continue to do it for them." The consumers will only get punished. Ads are on their way out. What's becoming more popular? Paywalls, ads disguised as movies/videos/actual content. Think of things like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz. This is the direct result of consumers creating a culture of avoiding ads. How about if all of the major Internet providers decide to cut off anyone trying to use Bittorrent because of a small percentage of people abusing it for illegal content?? This is the equivalent of adblocker: punishing all businesses for the actions of a few. Funny how the same people that are against this behavior has no problem using it when it is in their favor. More bullshit hypocrisy.
- runin2k1 11y ago
  Consider someone with passable internet skills searching for Winzip and ending up at: http://download.cnet.com/WinZip/3000-2250_4-10003164.html http://download.cnet.com/WinZip/3000-2250_4-10003164.html Which button are they are most likely to click and do you think that is what they are after?
  - paulhauggis 11y ago
    Consider the fact that ad blockers and the Internet culture of ignoring ads has led us to this point. I suppose it's a good parallel to the drug laws: you push people to the illegal market when it becomes impossible to get what you want through the ethical/legal route.
    - runin2k1 11y ago
      People not clicking on ads for things they don't want or need is the problem now? Remember what happened when advertisers started increasing the volume of their TV spots? Do you think that increased sales, or just annoyed people enough to change channels? And what happened in the end with that? Because my recollection is that the FCC stepped in to curb those practices.
      - paulhauggis 11y ago
        No. Completely blocking legitimate ads and destroying any possible business model for the person with the content is the problem now.
        davidgerard 11y ago
        Even the legitimate ad networks for major publisher seem unable to keep from being used as channels for malware. You're not quite making a moral case that it's my duty to open my computer to exploitation to browse the web.
        11y ago

johnward 11y ago

Does B actually exist? I've never used an ad blocker and I don't experience this. It's either an exaggeration or you're visiting some shady sites :) edit: B did exist in the days of windows 95 but I don't see it as a problem now. The biggest issue is auto play video or audio which even browsers makers are taking on.

runin2k1 11y ago
Being the "IT" person amongst my friends and families, I routinely get asked how to fix a computer that has been hacked. In every single case the problem isn't that the computer got hacked, it was them clicking an ad that stated they had a virus, or they downloaded something random because they couldn't see through the noise. See my CNet link below in another response. Savvy users can tune these things out, and/or know sites to avoid, but for the lay-person it is hazardous.
- johnward 11y ago
  I guess that makes sense. I let my mom use my computer a few weeks ago and I ended up with 20 different "coupon printers".

paulhauggis 11y ago

" potentially have your entire screen taken over with alerts offering to clean out the viruses found on you computer, the smart consumer is going to take option A every time." The only time I've seen this is when I've gone to shady websites (porn, filesharing, etc). Legitimate websites don't want to piss off their user base and don't have ads like this. "The problem is that much of the times ads are disruptive, annoying, and potentially harmful" Do you have statistics to back this up? We seem to need scientific evidence in every other case, but with things like this, you can pull it out of thin air. There are a small percentage of ads that are disruptive, but the majority are not. It sounds to me like Sysadmins need to start doing their job. "The advertising industry, and those that employ it, need to aggressively move against bad practices, or the consumers will continue to do it for them." The consumers will only get punished. Ads are on their way out. What's becoming more popular? Paywalls, ads disguised as movies/videos/actual content. Think of things like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz. This is the direct result of consumers creating a culture of avoiding ads. How about if all of the major Internet providers decide to cut off anyone trying to use Bittorrent because of a small percentage of people abusing it for illegal content?? This is the equivalent of adblocker: punishing all businesses for the actions of a few. Funny how the same people that are against this behavior has no problem using it when it is in their favor. More bullshit hypocrisy.

runin2k1 11y ago
Consider someone with passable internet skills searching for Winzip and ending up at: http://download.cnet.com/WinZip/3000-2250_4-10003164.html http://download.cnet.com/WinZip/3000-2250_4-10003164.html Which button are they are most likely to click and do you think that is what they are after?
- paulhauggis 11y ago
  Consider the fact that ad blockers and the Internet culture of ignoring ads has led us to this point. I suppose it's a good parallel to the drug laws: you push people to the illegal market when it becomes impossible to get what you want through the ethical/legal route.
  - runin2k1 11y ago
    People not clicking on ads for things they don't want or need is the problem now? Remember what happened when advertisers started increasing the volume of their TV spots? Do you think that increased sales, or just annoyed people enough to change channels? And what happened in the end with that? Because my recollection is that the FCC stepped in to curb those practices.
    - paulhauggis 11y ago
      No. Completely blocking legitimate ads and destroying any possible business model for the person with the content is the problem now.
      - davidgerard 11y ago
        Even the legitimate ad networks for major publisher seem unable to keep from being used as channels for malware. You're not quite making a moral case that it's my duty to open my computer to exploitation to browse the web.
        11y ago