6 ms·

I woke up to ads in my new tab page in Firefox yesterday; sponsored links to Amazon and Nike. Browsers don't seem to serve users anymore. They, like everything

by mort96 4y ago

I woke up to ads in my new tab page in Firefox yesterday; sponsored links to Amazon and Nike. Browsers don't seem to serve users anymore. They, like everything else, are mostly ad delivery mechanisms.

sophrocyne 4y ago
Annoying, yes. But you can turn them off in the settings page.
- mort96 4y ago
  You can, but it's not about that. Ads don't belong in browser UI, full stop.
  - laundermaf 4y ago
    Browsers used to be paid software.
    - hk__2 4y ago
      > Browsers used to be paid software. AFAIK the big ones have always been free, except for Netscape between 1995 and 1998.
      - laundermaf 4y ago
        IE 1.0 was included in a "Windows 95 Plus!" which was sold for $50 in 1994; However it was short-lived and it was included in later releases of Windows [1] Netscape was sold for $50 [2] Opera was sold (can't find the price) [3] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Plus!#Microsoft_Plus!_for_Windows_95 [2]: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/netscape-navigator-2-0-hits-the-streets/ [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20081013235150/http://my.opera.com/Rijk/blog/2006/02/15/rendering-engines-and-code-names
        hk__2 4y ago
        Thanks. I don’t think this really changes the point that no big browser have ever been paid for except Netscape. The "paid for" period of IE is insignificant (and it was barely used at the time) and Opera never had more than 3% of market share when it was free [1], let alone when it was paid for. [1]: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/internet-browser-market-share/ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/internet-browser-market-sha...
      - folmar 4y ago
        And Opera 1995-2005 (ads alternative to money since 2000).
    - hwestiii 4y ago
      Never.
      - darkwater 4y ago
        Opera was a paid software
    - animitronix 4y ago
      What world are you living in?
      - laundermaf 4y ago
        Sigh. https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/netscape-cuts-prices-on-retail-products/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/netscape-cuts-prices...
  - pas 4y ago
    why? there's no standard or moral law that says this. there have been countless examples of watch-ads-get-X schemes. I remember back in the dialup era it was seen as a way to get online. (then fortunately technology and the market progressed and these died out.) also, let's not forget that the browser market was always fucked up.
    - gilrain 4y ago
      The browser is traditionally the “user agent”. An agent operating in my interests does not advertise to me.
      - LoganDark 4y ago
        I personally believe that the goal of ads should not be to hook you on new products just because they can. They should not be to sell you on a problem that you don't have. They should not be to pile on tons of "marketing" and look professional and presentable and whatever. Ads should show you things that you needed anyway; things you wouldn't have known to look for, or didn't find when you did. Things that actually solve problems that you actually have, where you see the utility as soon as you see them. For example, 45drives has their ads down. They contain nothing more than a little joke, a product image, and a link to their website. You'll know if you need it; they're not trying to market to you or convince you of anything. They know you will come when you're ready. Advertising culture is currently extremely hostile and I hate it.
dsomers 4y ago
Funny you say that, I just opened Safari, no ads.
- tfsh 4y ago
  Safaris default new tab page is the Apple store and most don't know how to change that. edit: turns out I was wrong. 2nd edit: this used to be the case many years ago, thanks for those who confirmed
  - johnklos 4y ago
    The first part is correct, but the second certainly isn't.
    - adamking 4y ago
      I'm not even sure the first part is. I logged into a Guest Account on my Mac and the default for 'New tabs open with:' is the 'Start Page', which is a blank page with history, bookmarks, frequently visited, etc.
    - tfsh 4y ago
      Oh forgive me, I've just checked are you're right. The new tab page is now frequently visited sites. Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting. However this must have changed in the last few (read: >5-7) years.
      - null_object 4y ago
        > Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting Pretty certain this is also incorrect. My recollection seems to accord with the Wikipedia page on the history of the Safari browser which (although it doesn’t itemize the default StartPage for each version) doesn’t cite any inclusion of an AppStore link, as far as I can see. [O] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_(web_browser) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_(web_browser)
nicbou 4y ago
Software still serves its users... to advertisers.
HKH2 4y ago
Well that's a new low for Firefox. I'm a little surprised because I didn't think it'd be that quick.
Schroedingersat 4y ago
Librewolf
wintermutestwin 4y ago
Whenever I open a new tab in Firefox it is a blank tab because I set New Tabs to Blank. Wake me when I can't do that anymore (and point me to a decent fork).
marcosdumay 4y ago
I'm on 105.0.1 on Linux, and just checked because of this discussion. Firefox announced ads on the new tab a while ago, and I used about:blank by that time, but I saw the switch to turn them off in the settings. Now there are no ads and the switch is gone. Firefox seems to be going everywhere at once, so it wouldn't surprise me to discover there is a 105.0.2 with ads, or that ads exist on a few regions only. But at least for me, the trend seems to be on the other way, they are backing down from that decision.
- mort96 4y ago
  This is the screenshot I took this morning: https://p.mort.coffee/0Yy.png https://p.mort.coffee/0Yy.png -- note the sponsored Amazon and Nike. It wasn't like that yesterday. I might not have restarted Firefox in a little while though, so it might be from an update which was released some time in the past week or two.
  - neurostimulant 4y ago
    Click the gear icon on the top right corner of the new tab screen and uncheck the "sponsored shortcuts" checkbox.

by mort96 4y ago

sophrocyne 4y ago

Annoying, yes. But you can turn them off in the settings page.

mort96 4y ago
You can, but it's not about that. Ads don't belong in browser UI, full stop.
- laundermaf 4y ago
  Browsers used to be paid software.
  - hk__2 4y ago
    > Browsers used to be paid software. AFAIK the big ones have always been free, except for Netscape between 1995 and 1998.
    - laundermaf 4y ago
      IE 1.0 was included in a "Windows 95 Plus!" which was sold for $50 in 1994; However it was short-lived and it was included in later releases of Windows [1] Netscape was sold for $50 [2] Opera was sold (can't find the price) [3] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Plus!#Microsoft_Plus!_for_Windows_95 [2]: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/netscape-navigator-2-0-hits-the-streets/ [3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20081013235150/http://my.opera.com/Rijk/blog/2006/02/15/rendering-engines-and-code-names
      - hk__2 4y ago
        Thanks. I don’t think this really changes the point that no big browser have ever been paid for except Netscape. The "paid for" period of IE is insignificant (and it was barely used at the time) and Opera never had more than 3% of market share when it was free [1], let alone when it was paid for. [1]: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/internet-browser-market-share/ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/internet-browser-market-sha...
    - folmar 4y ago
      And Opera 1995-2005 (ads alternative to money since 2000).
  - hwestiii 4y ago
    Never.
    - darkwater 4y ago
      Opera was a paid software
  - animitronix 4y ago
    What world are you living in?
    - laundermaf 4y ago
      Sigh. https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/netscape-cuts-prices-on-retail-products/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/netscape-cuts-prices...
- pas 4y ago
  why? there's no standard or moral law that says this. there have been countless examples of watch-ads-get-X schemes. I remember back in the dialup era it was seen as a way to get online. (then fortunately technology and the market progressed and these died out.) also, let's not forget that the browser market was always fucked up.
  - gilrain 4y ago
    The browser is traditionally the “user agent”. An agent operating in my interests does not advertise to me.
    - LoganDark 4y ago
      I personally believe that the goal of ads should not be to hook you on new products just because they can. They should not be to sell you on a problem that you don't have. They should not be to pile on tons of "marketing" and look professional and presentable and whatever. Ads should show you things that you needed anyway; things you wouldn't have known to look for, or didn't find when you did. Things that actually solve problems that you actually have, where you see the utility as soon as you see them. For example, 45drives has their ads down. They contain nothing more than a little joke, a product image, and a link to their website. You'll know if you need it; they're not trying to market to you or convince you of anything. They know you will come when you're ready. Advertising culture is currently extremely hostile and I hate it.

dsomers 4y ago

Funny you say that, I just opened Safari, no ads.

tfsh 4y ago
Safaris default new tab page is the Apple store and most don't know how to change that. edit: turns out I was wrong. 2nd edit: this used to be the case many years ago, thanks for those who confirmed
- johnklos 4y ago
  The first part is correct, but the second certainly isn't.
  - adamking 4y ago
    I'm not even sure the first part is. I logged into a Guest Account on my Mac and the default for 'New tabs open with:' is the 'Start Page', which is a blank page with history, bookmarks, frequently visited, etc.
  - tfsh 4y ago
    Oh forgive me, I've just checked are you're right. The new tab page is now frequently visited sites. Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting. However this must have changed in the last few (read: >5-7) years.
    - null_object 4y ago
      > Our family Mac we got in ~2011 did show Apple as the new tab page, or at least the start page when you opened Safari after booting Pretty certain this is also incorrect. My recollection seems to accord with the Wikipedia page on the history of the Safari browser which (although it doesn’t itemize the default StartPage for each version) doesn’t cite any inclusion of an AppStore link, as far as I can see. [O] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_(web_browser) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_(web_browser)

nicbou 4y ago

Software still serves its users... to advertisers.

HKH2 4y ago

Well that's a new low for Firefox. I'm a little surprised because I didn't think it'd be that quick.

Schroedingersat 4y ago

Librewolf

wintermutestwin 4y ago

Whenever I open a new tab in Firefox it is a blank tab because I set New Tabs to Blank. Wake me when I can't do that anymore (and point me to a decent fork).

marcosdumay 4y ago

I'm on 105.0.1 on Linux, and just checked because of this discussion. Firefox announced ads on the new tab a while ago, and I used about:blank by that time, but I saw the switch to turn them off in the settings. Now there are no ads and the switch is gone. Firefox seems to be going everywhere at once, so it wouldn't surprise me to discover there is a 105.0.2 with ads, or that ads exist on a few regions only. But at least for me, the trend seems to be on the other way, they are backing down from that decision.

mort96 4y ago
This is the screenshot I took this morning: https://p.mort.coffee/0Yy.png https://p.mort.coffee/0Yy.png -- note the sponsored Amazon and Nike. It wasn't like that yesterday. I might not have restarted Firefox in a little while though, so it might be from an update which was released some time in the past week or two.
- neurostimulant 4y ago
  Click the gear icon on the top right corner of the new tab screen and uncheck the "sponsored shortcuts" checkbox.