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I would not to say that online video is surging, more like it is being forced. Nowadays, it is difficult to read an article on a news site without having some a

I would not to say that online video is surging, more like it is being forced. Nowadays, it is difficult to read an article on a news site without having some associated video being autoplayed (with advertisement of course). I want to read an article, not watch it. On a side note, is there a way to disable these videos? I do not believe in blocking ads since a publisher should have a monetary gain for producing content, but I do NOT want video. Ever. Unless it is Youtube or Vimeo and the like of course.

lockes5hadow 10y ago
Flashblock blocks most of the videos on news sites.
- kale 10y ago
  That's been less effective lately, so I've also added an HTML5 autoplay blocker. It's fairly effective. Not sure how much it prevents from loading to save on data, but at least it prevents being halfway down the page reading and suddenly having noise come from the speakers.
Vexs 10y ago
You could probably set up uMatrix rules to block the video provider.
atria 10y ago
Autplaying videos infuriate me. I've given up after trying to configure chrome to stop autoplaying videos. Now I just turn off javascript and only enable it for the sites I need javascript.
- r00fus 10y ago
  That actually sounds like a good overall security policy as well.
  - duaneb 10y ago
    It's amazing how many javascript problems can manifest in subtle degradation of sites instead of complete breakage. Be warned.
SilasX 10y ago
Ugh. Yes. I especially hate how online courses feel they have to put everything in as a video without the (cheaper, pre-existing) text/pdf version. At most, they'll have slides that lack critical content from the lecture.
savanaly 10y ago
Maybe turn on adblocker and send the news conglomerate a few cents in the mail? That's what I would do if I really felt the need to balance the scales with the websites I block. I'm not being sarcastic, that's really what I would do.
- duaneb 10y ago
  I doubt they'd even accept it—the few cents you send them could be hundreds in tax paperwork preparation.
duaneb 10y ago
Or even worse, the content is ONLY available as video, with no transcript and plenty of filler. What a miserable way to consume any content.
- exolymph 10y ago
  Possibly the slowest way to intake information.
shostack 10y ago
Just to remove all doubts--a large part of the reason the video is there and autoplayed has a lot to do with video CPMs compared to standard display CPMs.
dredmorbius 10y ago
The most effective way I've found to disable autoplay is to simply block the video content networks which provide these. At my last update, it was a rather small set. 0.0.0.0 player.theplatform.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 link.theplatform.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ci-2862d2c8d6-68f418d2.http.atlas.cdn.yimg.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 big.assets.huffingtonpost.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht1.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht2.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht3.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht4.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht5.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht6.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht7.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht8.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht9.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video Alternatively, uMatrix should allow you to globally blacklist, then optionally whitelist same.

lockes5hadow 10y ago

Flashblock blocks most of the videos on news sites.

kale 10y ago
That's been less effective lately, so I've also added an HTML5 autoplay blocker. It's fairly effective. Not sure how much it prevents from loading to save on data, but at least it prevents being halfway down the page reading and suddenly having noise come from the speakers.

Vexs 10y ago

You could probably set up uMatrix rules to block the video provider.

atria 10y ago

Autplaying videos infuriate me. I've given up after trying to configure chrome to stop autoplaying videos. Now I just turn off javascript and only enable it for the sites I need javascript.

r00fus 10y ago
That actually sounds like a good overall security policy as well.
- duaneb 10y ago
  It's amazing how many javascript problems can manifest in subtle degradation of sites instead of complete breakage. Be warned.

SilasX 10y ago

Ugh. Yes. I especially hate how online courses feel they have to put everything in as a video without the (cheaper, pre-existing) text/pdf version. At most, they'll have slides that lack critical content from the lecture.

savanaly 10y ago

Maybe turn on adblocker and send the news conglomerate a few cents in the mail? That's what I would do if I really felt the need to balance the scales with the websites I block. I'm not being sarcastic, that's really what I would do.

duaneb 10y ago
I doubt they'd even accept it—the few cents you send them could be hundreds in tax paperwork preparation.

duaneb 10y ago

Or even worse, the content is ONLY available as video, with no transcript and plenty of filler. What a miserable way to consume any content.

exolymph 10y ago
Possibly the slowest way to intake information.

shostack 10y ago

Just to remove all doubts--a large part of the reason the video is there and autoplayed has a lot to do with video CPMs compared to standard display CPMs.

dredmorbius 10y ago

The most effective way I've found to disable autoplay is to simply block the video content networks which provide these. At my last update, it was a rather small set. 0.0.0.0 player.theplatform.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 link.theplatform.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ci-2862d2c8d6-68f418d2.http.atlas.cdn.yimg.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 big.assets.huffingtonpost.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht1.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht2.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht3.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht4.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht5.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht6.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht7.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht8.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video 0.0.0.0 ht9.cdn.turner.com # Autoplay video Alternatively, uMatrix should allow you to globally blacklist, then optionally whitelist same.