3 ms·

I find it interesting that this article is published on a platform that makes uBlock block 27 requests and most certainly does contain non-free javascript. Rich

I find it interesting that this article is published on a platform that makes uBlock block 27 requests and most certainly does contain non-free javascript. Richard Stallman talks a lot about how these thing inhibit freedom and that we should not support those companies. But when he publishes an article on ad blocking he does this on a platform that absolutely does not meet his standard on freedom.

djaychela 10y ago
Maybe that's so he's not preaching to the converted? I'd imagine that most non-tech people wouldn't have any idea about the multiple layers of problems that online ad platforms can generate. I'm no tech genius, but I'm my friends' go to guy for anything computer related, and all of them have no idea about any of this, but most of them are tech literate at a 'general' level. I'd think the vast majority of people have no idea any this is even happening, let alone the downsides.
Jedd 10y ago
> But when he publishes an article on ad blocking he... This is not an article on ad blocking. It's an article on the need to be able to pay for things anonymously - to avoid being tracked. Like how cash works in the real world. I can highly recommend reading the actual article.
madeofpalk 10y ago
I'm guessing he's going for the lessor of (n) evils?
- cyphar 10y ago
  I don't think I've ever seen Stallman taking the "lesser evil" philosophy. As a smarter man than me said: "The lesser of two evils is still evil, and the enemy of my enemy is not my friend."
covekeyboard 10y ago
While the guardian website does contain non-free javascript, it is not required to read the article. I currently have noscript enabled and can read the article just fine. I don't even see any ads this way, and I'm not using an adblocker. So I'd say the website does meet his standard for freedom, because you don't need any non-free software to read it.
gorhill 10y ago
> and most certainly does contain non-free javascript You do not have to execute any javascript for the article to be read properly -- maybe it's what matter from his point of view.
cyphar 10y ago
The article can probably be viewed using LibreJS with GNU IceCat, that's the bar he uses for most websites (however he states that for GNU package hosting and things that the FSF supports, this bar is not high enough and outright denies any non-free JavaScript in those cases).

djaychela 10y ago

Maybe that's so he's not preaching to the converted? I'd imagine that most non-tech people wouldn't have any idea about the multiple layers of problems that online ad platforms can generate. I'm no tech genius, but I'm my friends' go to guy for anything computer related, and all of them have no idea about any of this, but most of them are tech literate at a 'general' level. I'd think the vast majority of people have no idea any this is even happening, let alone the downsides.

Jedd 10y ago

> But when he publishes an article on ad blocking he... This is not an article on ad blocking. It's an article on the need to be able to pay for things anonymously - to avoid being tracked. Like how cash works in the real world. I can highly recommend reading the actual article.

madeofpalk 10y ago

I'm guessing he's going for the lessor of (n) evils?

cyphar 10y ago
I don't think I've ever seen Stallman taking the "lesser evil" philosophy. As a smarter man than me said: "The lesser of two evils is still evil, and the enemy of my enemy is not my friend."

covekeyboard 10y ago

While the guardian website does contain non-free javascript, it is not required to read the article. I currently have noscript enabled and can read the article just fine. I don't even see any ads this way, and I'm not using an adblocker. So I'd say the website does meet his standard for freedom, because you don't need any non-free software to read it.

gorhill 10y ago

> and most certainly does contain non-free javascript You do not have to execute any javascript for the article to be read properly -- maybe it's what matter from his point of view.

cyphar 10y ago

The article can probably be viewed using LibreJS with GNU IceCat, that's the bar he uses for most websites (however he states that for GNU package hosting and things that the FSF supports, this bar is not high enough and outright denies any non-free JavaScript in those cases).