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We all know the types of ads that Google is saying they are going to block here - and good riddance. I really wish I knew of some study - but, my personal theor

We all know the types of ads that Google is saying they are going to block here - and good riddance. I really wish I knew of some study - but, my personal theory is that roughly 100% of those ads are trying to sell some scam or download some virus. It's really hard to imagine a legitimate company that sends users ads with fake close buttons, pop ups, redirects, fake mouse pointers, etc and after the user trudges through all of that they end up at a page advertising 10% of garden shears at the local hardware store. Yes - Google sells ads. Yes - Google, apparently, now blocks ads. Yes - that sounds troubling. And it sure will be troubling is if it turns out that they are blocking legitimate Ad Words competitors. But, these aren't really ads by any reasonable definition: these are overwhelmingly anti-user malware scam garbage. In my opinion, it's pretty troubling if a super profitable company like Google has the ability to make such a user-positive change and _doesn't_ do so. Maybe its step 1 down a slippery slope to actual bad behavior. But, let's get worked up about that when there is some actual evidence of bad behavior - it's not like there won't be plenty of people interested in trying to keep tabs on what Google is doing here.

balibebas 8y ago
Most of that is conjecture. What they choose to block is not a browser responsibility but one of the search engine results page. When they block new tech threatening their business model it'll be months if not years before anyone "gets it".
- dagenix 8y ago
  I fully admitted I don't have proof of my theory that the vast majority of ads that meet Google's definition are scams / malware. Do you have any examples or even anecdotal experience with ads with fake mice, misleading click targets, fake close buttons, auto-redirects, etc that turned out to be legit? I very much do not. Why isn't it a reasonable thing for a browser to do? I do a search and get some results. I click on site A. site A has a link to site B. I click on this link. Site B is full of ads that meet Google definition of an abusive ad. I'd appreciate my browser blocking those ads on site B even though I didn't get there via a search page.
bscphil 8y ago
When you search for certain pieces of free software to download on Google search, their own ads on those pages often direct you to malware-laden or otherwise unofficial sources for those downloads. One wonders whether these scams will be blocked by Google's new approach to ad-blocking.
- dagenix 8y ago
  I'm not sure what you are getting at. If it turns out that Chrome doesn't block these ads, and there is some sort of reasonable evidence that it's due to some sort of intentional functionality to exclude them, I'd agree that would be a big, big problem. But, if some number of them manage to get through the ad blocking, another reasonable explanation would be that Chrome's feature just isn't as good as it could be and isn't by itself evidence of some conspiracy. Regardless, it's all speculation about something that hasn't happened yet. It's reasonable to talk about these issues - and hopefully some group goes further than speculating and actively monitors the situation. But, until there is some evidence that Google is misbehaving, what has been announced is that Google is going to try to provide a feature that will actively help users - and I hope they are successful at doing that.
  - x0x0 8y ago
    Well, I for one am quite confident they will show small pubs the same leniency they will no doubt grant to goggle.com. right?
    - dagenix 8y ago
      There is a pretty big difference between a legitimate ad and what Google is saying they are targeting here. We can't be sure if Google will end up targeting other ad companies in inappropriate ways - but we can remain vigilant. However, whats actually been announced here is that they are going after garbage ads that in my anecdotal experience, are basically 100% malware / scams and its a complete fallacy to say that Google should not do something good (shut down that garbage) because they _might_ later do something bad (which they could do regardless of if they shut down that garbage). I'd challenge anyone to provide even anecdotal experience of encountering an ad that meets their stated guidelines for being an abusive ad (linked by Yver at: https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327 https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327) that isn't a scam / malware.

balibebas 8y ago

Most of that is conjecture. What they choose to block is not a browser responsibility but one of the search engine results page. When they block new tech threatening their business model it'll be months if not years before anyone "gets it".

dagenix 8y ago
I fully admitted I don't have proof of my theory that the vast majority of ads that meet Google's definition are scams / malware. Do you have any examples or even anecdotal experience with ads with fake mice, misleading click targets, fake close buttons, auto-redirects, etc that turned out to be legit? I very much do not. Why isn't it a reasonable thing for a browser to do? I do a search and get some results. I click on site A. site A has a link to site B. I click on this link. Site B is full of ads that meet Google definition of an abusive ad. I'd appreciate my browser blocking those ads on site B even though I didn't get there via a search page.

bscphil 8y ago

When you search for certain pieces of free software to download on Google search, their own ads on those pages often direct you to malware-laden or otherwise unofficial sources for those downloads. One wonders whether these scams will be blocked by Google's new approach to ad-blocking.

dagenix 8y ago
I'm not sure what you are getting at. If it turns out that Chrome doesn't block these ads, and there is some sort of reasonable evidence that it's due to some sort of intentional functionality to exclude them, I'd agree that would be a big, big problem. But, if some number of them manage to get through the ad blocking, another reasonable explanation would be that Chrome's feature just isn't as good as it could be and isn't by itself evidence of some conspiracy. Regardless, it's all speculation about something that hasn't happened yet. It's reasonable to talk about these issues - and hopefully some group goes further than speculating and actively monitors the situation. But, until there is some evidence that Google is misbehaving, what has been announced is that Google is going to try to provide a feature that will actively help users - and I hope they are successful at doing that.
- x0x0 8y ago
  Well, I for one am quite confident they will show small pubs the same leniency they will no doubt grant to goggle.com. right?
  - dagenix 8y ago
    There is a pretty big difference between a legitimate ad and what Google is saying they are targeting here. We can't be sure if Google will end up targeting other ad companies in inappropriate ways - but we can remain vigilant. However, whats actually been announced here is that they are going after garbage ads that in my anecdotal experience, are basically 100% malware / scams and its a complete fallacy to say that Google should not do something good (shut down that garbage) because they _might_ later do something bad (which they could do regardless of if they shut down that garbage). I'd challenge anyone to provide even anecdotal experience of encountering an ad that meets their stated guidelines for being an abusive ad (linked by Yver at: https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327 https://support.google.com/webtools/answer/7347327) that isn't a scam / malware.