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From a strategy perspective now is a great time for all ad blockers to simply abandon Google... causing a massive outflow of users to Firefox and other browsers

From a strategy perspective now is a great time for all ad blockers to simply abandon Google... causing a massive outflow of users to Firefox and other browsers. There is not reason to keep making this sort of software for Chrome.

phoe-krk 7y ago
AdBlock and uBlock (the non-Origin one) won't leave Google because they profit from their relationship with Google.
- Frost1x 7y ago
  Ah, capitalism at its finest. Should be interesting to watch how this shift will change the web development community who, for awhile, could safely focus on targeting Chromium for the most part.
diveanon 7y ago
I think you are vastly over estimating the number of people who use ad blockers.
- djflutt3rshy 7y ago
  True, but a lot of people who don't, get their browsers installed or recommended to them by people who do.
  - diveanon 7y ago
    Whenever I setup a computer for friends and family I install Firefox and ad blockers for them. Nearly every time I use their computer again they are running chrome as default. For the overwhelming majority of internet users it just isn't a priority.
    - Dylan16807 7y ago
      A lot of people don't know or barely know the difference between browsers, but that doesn't mean they don't care about ads. If you don't install a chrome ad blocker, you should.
- jzl 7y ago
  "Survey shows US ad-blocking usage is 40 percent on laptops, 15 percent on mobile" https://marketingland.com/survey-shows-us-ad-blocking-usage-40-percent-laptops-15-percent-mobile-216324 https://marketingland.com/survey-shows-us-ad-blocking-usage-... "In 2018, roughly 25 percent of internet users were blocking advertising on their connected devices. This figure is expected to keep growing" https://www.statista.com/statistics/804008/ad-blocking-reach-usage-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/804008/ad-blocking-reach... "How many people in the UK are using ad blockers? Rates of ad blocking in the UK remain relatively low compared with other Western countries tracked by eMarketer. We estimate that 12.2 million people in the UK will use an ad blocker at least monthly in 2018, representing 22.0% of internet users, compared with 28.7% in France, 32.0% in Germany and 25.2% in the US. ... We expect 43.0% of UK internet users ages 18 to 24 will use an ad blocker this year." https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-blocking-in-the-uk-2018 https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-blocking-in-the-uk-2018
  - diveanon 7y ago
    I'm not trying to dispute the facts, but anecdotally I just don't find that to be true. 40% seems very high to me, but then again usage of ad blockers isn't exactly exciting conversation that I try to bring up when I'm around my friends. I wonder if we will start seeing "you wouldn't download a car" style ads targeting users of ad blockers soon.
781 7y ago
uBlock Origin is GPL. Someone will just fork it and keep Chrome support. Welcome to the beauty of open-source.
- slfnflctd 7y ago
  If you spend a bit more time reading about the issue, the way Google is changing the API in Chrome will make the very methods uBO is using obsolete. They are crippling ad blockers at the browser level and no amount of forking will change that. Edit: There seem to be few good alternatives at this point, now that almost every browser developer is using Chromium. Waterfox, Icecat and Iceweasel all have different things I like about them, but no one has 'the full package' any more. Google made sure of that.
  - 781 7y ago
    I did read. Google will not completely block ad-blockers in a single step, they will do it gradually. Which is why parent suggested complete ad-blocker embargo on Chrome, to force the issue. But Google is too smart to fall into that trap, and even then, GPL saves the day.

phoe-krk 7y ago

AdBlock and uBlock (the non-Origin one) won't leave Google because they profit from their relationship with Google.

Frost1x 7y ago
Ah, capitalism at its finest. Should be interesting to watch how this shift will change the web development community who, for awhile, could safely focus on targeting Chromium for the most part.

diveanon 7y ago

I think you are vastly over estimating the number of people who use ad blockers.

djflutt3rshy 7y ago
True, but a lot of people who don't, get their browsers installed or recommended to them by people who do.
- diveanon 7y ago
  Whenever I setup a computer for friends and family I install Firefox and ad blockers for them. Nearly every time I use their computer again they are running chrome as default. For the overwhelming majority of internet users it just isn't a priority.
  - Dylan16807 7y ago
    A lot of people don't know or barely know the difference between browsers, but that doesn't mean they don't care about ads. If you don't install a chrome ad blocker, you should.
jzl 7y ago
"Survey shows US ad-blocking usage is 40 percent on laptops, 15 percent on mobile" https://marketingland.com/survey-shows-us-ad-blocking-usage-40-percent-laptops-15-percent-mobile-216324 https://marketingland.com/survey-shows-us-ad-blocking-usage-... "In 2018, roughly 25 percent of internet users were blocking advertising on their connected devices. This figure is expected to keep growing" https://www.statista.com/statistics/804008/ad-blocking-reach-usage-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/804008/ad-blocking-reach... "How many people in the UK are using ad blockers? Rates of ad blocking in the UK remain relatively low compared with other Western countries tracked by eMarketer. We estimate that 12.2 million people in the UK will use an ad blocker at least monthly in 2018, representing 22.0% of internet users, compared with 28.7% in France, 32.0% in Germany and 25.2% in the US. ... We expect 43.0% of UK internet users ages 18 to 24 will use an ad blocker this year." https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-blocking-in-the-uk-2018 https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-blocking-in-the-uk-2018
- diveanon 7y ago
  I'm not trying to dispute the facts, but anecdotally I just don't find that to be true. 40% seems very high to me, but then again usage of ad blockers isn't exactly exciting conversation that I try to bring up when I'm around my friends. I wonder if we will start seeing "you wouldn't download a car" style ads targeting users of ad blockers soon.

781 7y ago

uBlock Origin is GPL. Someone will just fork it and keep Chrome support. Welcome to the beauty of open-source.

slfnflctd 7y ago
If you spend a bit more time reading about the issue, the way Google is changing the API in Chrome will make the very methods uBO is using obsolete. They are crippling ad blockers at the browser level and no amount of forking will change that. Edit: There seem to be few good alternatives at this point, now that almost every browser developer is using Chromium. Waterfox, Icecat and Iceweasel all have different things I like about them, but no one has 'the full package' any more. Google made sure of that.
- 781 7y ago
  I did read. Google will not completely block ad-blockers in a single step, they will do it gradually. Which is why parent suggested complete ad-blocker embargo on Chrome, to force the issue. But Google is too smart to fall into that trap, and even then, GPL saves the day.