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The whole point of HTML documents is that the client renders them. I vastly prefer web docs because they reflow to my screen, can be decluttered, styled, etc, o
by EdHominem 11y ago
The whole point of HTML documents is that the client renders them. I vastly prefer web docs because they reflow to my screen, can be decluttered, styled, etc, over PDFs and the like.
If sites with paywalls wanted to distribute encrypted PDFs to their customers that would be one thing. But they're using HTML and the whole point of that is that the client renders it. I will always reshape your HTML + requests before I fetch and render it. That's how it works. If you don't like that, this is not the medium for you to engage me in.
Also, ads are grandfathered in, in most people's minds, because they happened before our privacy discussions started. But when you consider the insidious tracking and the anti-anti-tracking measures (how is that not hacking?) going on, they're a hideous technology. If history was different and you just invented internet ads now you'd be called a malware author and privacy abuser (of children!). So it's time public perception catches up with reality and (tracking-capable) ads die a fiery death.
- hsod 11y agoAll of this is beside the point though. The owners of the server have made it clear that they don't want to serve you content. The principles of fairness and honest dealings say that you should respect those wishes, even if you technically can work around them.
- Retric 11y agoThere is nothing honest about trying to run DRM over HTML. Serving adds are pissing in a public pool. It might be convent, but it makes things worse for everyone else.
- logicallee 11y agoright, you're the only one who is correct in this thread, and the other responses are wrong - and yet my comment explaining this is downvoted. But look at all the noise that was generated in this thread! So, this is actually a fantastic illustration of why on some political or certain controversial issues, when HN groupthink is wrong (such as all the other responses in this thread) it's better not to point out the correct view.
- EdHominem 11y agoYou're both stuck on a nugget of truth - that it's obvious they don't want us blocking ads. Yes, it is. But you haven't done anything to show an obligation, on my part, to view them. You've merely stated how you're so right about there being one. What the sites are asking for is abusive - to use an open protocol for DRMed content. They're trying to have the benefits without the costs. Well, tough. If they want use DRM - let them use PDFs. Those contain mechanisms to prevent the manipulation of the content. The web is an accessibility tool, not yet another marketing cesspool.