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Ads, ads, and more ads. The Internet with an ad blocker vs. without is like a completely different universe. Most sites load pretty quickly with ads blocked, e

Ads, ads, and more ads. The Internet with an ad blocker vs. without is like a completely different universe. Most sites load pretty quickly with ads blocked, even complicated over-engineered SPAs.

reaperducer 5y ago
I've had to dial-back my ad blocker over the last six months or so. More and more web sites stall, or refuse to load at all with ad blockers enabled. Even ad-free ones like government web sites, because they use the same tracking mechanisms.
- dspillett 5y ago
  That is just terrible design. A third party shouldn't be able to block first party functions like that. Though you are right, it does happen. If Google's tracking code doesn't load you can't buy tickets on Northern Rail's¹ site for instance. [1] Northern is one if the franchises running bits of the UK's "imaginatively" arranged railway system
forgetfulness 5y ago
I used to run without an ad blocker to support the websites I visited, but then too many would rev up my CPU and freeze my browser just because of all the ads they loaded. The experience of clicking a link started to become unbearable, and I went back to blocking ads. I know that circa 2018 the ad industry suffered a shock as major players started measuring more precisely what value ads brought, and CPC went down, I think things just got worse at this point because websites crammed more ads in response.
- chalupa-man 5y ago
  Reddit and Medium are awful for this. I don't know what they're doing, but every page has a small chance of infinitely looping to max out a CPU core forever, unless you block their ads. I'll feel my laptop heating up and know that some Reddit thread somewhere is to blame.
throwaway81523 5y ago
Whenever I do this, I think of the old joke about the prison where all of the prisoners knew the same bunch of jokes by heart, so instead of telling a whole joke, they would just call out a number and everyone would crack up. You should not have to look this one up: xkcd 624.
- nexuist 5y ago
  Are we...all we all inmates in Randall's prison?
- Ostrogodsky 5y ago
  But you didnt finish the joke: Then one day a new prisoner arrives. Later that day when everybody is at their cells some other guy yells: "194". And,as usual, all people laugh. Another one says "315". Even more laughter. Another: "873", the place is a mad house. Emboldened and wishing to fit in, the new guy yells: "242". Total silence. Not even a little chuckle. Embarrassed the new guy turns toward his cellmate and asks him: "What did I do wrong?,Isnt 242 a good joke?". His cellmate says: " it is indeed a good joke, it is hilarious.But you see, son, a joke is not just the story, the most important part is the way you tell it"
  - throwaway81523 5y ago
    I wasn't trying to tell that joke--I figured that everyone here knew it already. Maybe there was someone who hadn't, though! So I'm appreciative that you helped them enjoy the joke. Xkcd 1053.

Ads, ads, and more ads. The Internet with an ad blocker vs. without is like a completely different universe. Most sites load pretty quickly with ads blocked, even complicated over-engineered SPAs.

reaperducer 5y ago

I've had to dial-back my ad blocker over the last six months or so. More and more web sites stall, or refuse to load at all with ad blockers enabled. Even ad-free ones like government web sites, because they use the same tracking mechanisms.

dspillett 5y ago
That is just terrible design. A third party shouldn't be able to block first party functions like that. Though you are right, it does happen. If Google's tracking code doesn't load you can't buy tickets on Northern Rail's¹ site for instance. [1] Northern is one if the franchises running bits of the UK's "imaginatively" arranged railway system

forgetfulness 5y ago

I used to run without an ad blocker to support the websites I visited, but then too many would rev up my CPU and freeze my browser just because of all the ads they loaded. The experience of clicking a link started to become unbearable, and I went back to blocking ads. I know that circa 2018 the ad industry suffered a shock as major players started measuring more precisely what value ads brought, and CPC went down, I think things just got worse at this point because websites crammed more ads in response.

chalupa-man 5y ago
Reddit and Medium are awful for this. I don't know what they're doing, but every page has a small chance of infinitely looping to max out a CPU core forever, unless you block their ads. I'll feel my laptop heating up and know that some Reddit thread somewhere is to blame.

throwaway81523 5y ago

Whenever I do this, I think of the old joke about the prison where all of the prisoners knew the same bunch of jokes by heart, so instead of telling a whole joke, they would just call out a number and everyone would crack up. You should not have to look this one up: xkcd 624.

nexuist 5y ago
Are we...all we all inmates in Randall's prison?
Ostrogodsky 5y ago
But you didnt finish the joke: Then one day a new prisoner arrives. Later that day when everybody is at their cells some other guy yells: "194". And,as usual, all people laugh. Another one says "315". Even more laughter. Another: "873", the place is a mad house. Emboldened and wishing to fit in, the new guy yells: "242". Total silence. Not even a little chuckle. Embarrassed the new guy turns toward his cellmate and asks him: "What did I do wrong?,Isnt 242 a good joke?". His cellmate says: " it is indeed a good joke, it is hilarious.But you see, son, a joke is not just the story, the most important part is the way you tell it"
- throwaway81523 5y ago
  I wasn't trying to tell that joke--I figured that everyone here knew it already. Maybe there was someone who hadn't, though! So I'm appreciative that you helped them enjoy the joke. Xkcd 1053.