3 ms·

I hope Forbes realizes that blocking access to users with add blockers is not only a way to get rid of freeloaders, but also a way to ensure those people avoid

I hope Forbes realizes that blocking access to users with add blockers is not only a way to get rid of freeloaders, but also a way to ensure those people avoid Forbes altogether in the future and also avoid passing around Forbes links, since not everybody can see them. Alienating your audience is a very expensive mistake and the cost savings related to page serving are negligible. While I can turn off my add blocker, I won't, my mother can't because she's not aware I have installed one for her and has no idea what it is and what it does.

robhu 11y ago
They do not detect uBlock Origins.
- e40 11y ago
  With the 3rd-party filter "Anti-Adblock Killer | Reek‎" enabled.
wiwillia 11y ago
I hear what you're saying, but I'm not sure I agree with the argument that this approach is not in their interest (I also use an ad blocker by the way, not preaching just being practical). I would bet that ~50%+ of people are choosing to disable their ad blocker to view Forbes content once they got stopped (I did), and that that the value driven by that increase in ads served outweighs the cost of not having the small % of users who refuse to turn off ad blockers not share their links. I can also 100% guarantee they split tested this, before rolling it out, to make sure it was the right cost/benefit choice.
mastazi 11y ago
Not the same article, but I suspect this one inspired the Forbes one, and it seems to provide more details: http://www.nature.com/news/gravitational-waves-5-cosmic-questions-they-can-tackle-1.19337 http://www.nature.com/news/gravitational-waves-5-cosmic-ques... > a way to ensure those people avoid Forbes altogether in the future I have an ad blocker and never ended up doing this. I either forget which websites are "blocking ad blockers", or I just click without checking the source, especially if the link is in the home of a site I trust like HN.
Grishnakh 11y ago
>I hope Forbes realizes that blocking access to users with add blockers is not only a way to get rid of freeloaders What if they also start blocking access to users with subtract blockers, or even multiply or divide blockers?

robhu 11y ago

They do not detect uBlock Origins.

e40 11y ago
With the 3rd-party filter "Anti-Adblock Killer | Reek‎" enabled.

wiwillia 11y ago

I hear what you're saying, but I'm not sure I agree with the argument that this approach is not in their interest (I also use an ad blocker by the way, not preaching just being practical). I would bet that ~50%+ of people are choosing to disable their ad blocker to view Forbes content once they got stopped (I did), and that that the value driven by that increase in ads served outweighs the cost of not having the small % of users who refuse to turn off ad blockers not share their links. I can also 100% guarantee they split tested this, before rolling it out, to make sure it was the right cost/benefit choice.

mastazi 11y ago

Not the same article, but I suspect this one inspired the Forbes one, and it seems to provide more details: http://www.nature.com/news/gravitational-waves-5-cosmic-questions-they-can-tackle-1.19337 http://www.nature.com/news/gravitational-waves-5-cosmic-ques... > a way to ensure those people avoid Forbes altogether in the future I have an ad blocker and never ended up doing this. I either forget which websites are "blocking ad blockers", or I just click without checking the source, especially if the link is in the home of a site I trust like HN.

Grishnakh 11y ago

>I hope Forbes realizes that blocking access to users with add blockers is not only a way to get rid of freeloaders What if they also start blocking access to users with subtract blockers, or even multiply or divide blockers?