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I've never used an ad blocker. I accept that today's web largely depends on advertising, so it feels like the right thing to do. I also think that using an ad b

by sowbug 3y ago

I've never used an ad blocker. I accept that today's web largely depends on advertising, so it feels like the right thing to do. I also think that using an ad blocker is like wanting to attend a concert, deciding the price is too high, and sneaking in anyway. It feels like stealing. That said, I don't like ads any more than anyone else does. I rarely click on them, and I avoid sites that overdo them. It makes me sad that the web is in a death spiral. The more people use ad blockers, the more intrusive ads need to be for the remainder of us who don't, which further encourages the self-interested to use ad blockers. The only ways I see to end the death spiral are to successfully reset the ad-vs-ad-blocker dynamic (which I suppose Google is trying to do with this move), or for another revenue model to take hold. I don't think either will happen. It's too bad, because I grew up with the web, and I don't want it to die.

suprjami 3y ago
If advertising was reasonable, I would agree with you. A static image in a 90s-style top banner or sidebar is not too awful. But advertisers don't stop there. Distracting animations, flyovers which block the page content, tiny impossible buttons to close such flyovers, malicious crap which tries to trick you by looking like an OS window, downloaded apps which full your OS with junk, auto-play audio and videos, cross-site tracking of your personal life and building a "profile" on you to target ads which appeal to your innermost desires or problems or vulnerabilities. Give an inch and advertisers take 100 miles and then take some more. Fuck ads and fuck companies whose business model is based on advertising. I'd rather they just vanished off the internet.
amatecha 3y ago
I mean, the web only started "depending" on advertising when corporations started believing they need to exploit the web (and all its users) as their next source of profit. I've built literally hundreds of websites and not a single one relied on nor necessitated advertising. They are all still running just fine (barring ones that have of course been rebuilt/replaced since the version(s) I worked on).
Gigachad 3y ago
I use an ad blocker, but I'm not surprised or upset that they are getting pushed back on. I couldn't justify buying youtube premium when I can legally and easily get exactly the same thing with a browser extension. Now that I can't, I'm fine to pay for it since it's a good service and I hate ads.
melesian 3y ago
This is naive. Read https://www.eff.org/wp/behind-the-one-way-mirror https://www.eff.org/wp/behind-the-one-way-mirror. There's nothing wrong with traditional advertising. That's not the world and surveillanace economy we now live in, where you don't have to click on anything. And you should be as or more worried about democracy than the web. We managed without the web. Living without democracy would be far worse, imo.
reportgunner 3y ago
> I also think that using an ad blocker is like wanting to attend a concert, deciding the price is too high, and sneaking in anyway. It feels like stealing. It's like flipping the channel on the TV when the ad comes on. Don't tell me you just sit there and rawdog brainwash yourself with a blank stare when an ad comes on the TV.

by sowbug 3y ago

suprjami 3y ago

If advertising was reasonable, I would agree with you. A static image in a 90s-style top banner or sidebar is not too awful. But advertisers don't stop there. Distracting animations, flyovers which block the page content, tiny impossible buttons to close such flyovers, malicious crap which tries to trick you by looking like an OS window, downloaded apps which full your OS with junk, auto-play audio and videos, cross-site tracking of your personal life and building a "profile" on you to target ads which appeal to your innermost desires or problems or vulnerabilities. Give an inch and advertisers take 100 miles and then take some more. Fuck ads and fuck companies whose business model is based on advertising. I'd rather they just vanished off the internet.

amatecha 3y ago

I mean, the web only started "depending" on advertising when corporations started believing they need to exploit the web (and all its users) as their next source of profit. I've built literally hundreds of websites and not a single one relied on nor necessitated advertising. They are all still running just fine (barring ones that have of course been rebuilt/replaced since the version(s) I worked on).

Gigachad 3y ago

I use an ad blocker, but I'm not surprised or upset that they are getting pushed back on. I couldn't justify buying youtube premium when I can legally and easily get exactly the same thing with a browser extension. Now that I can't, I'm fine to pay for it since it's a good service and I hate ads.

melesian 3y ago

This is naive. Read https://www.eff.org/wp/behind-the-one-way-mirror https://www.eff.org/wp/behind-the-one-way-mirror. There's nothing wrong with traditional advertising. That's not the world and surveillanace economy we now live in, where you don't have to click on anything. And you should be as or more worried about democracy than the web. We managed without the web. Living without democracy would be far worse, imo.

reportgunner 3y ago

> I also think that using an ad blocker is like wanting to attend a concert, deciding the price is too high, and sneaking in anyway. It feels like stealing. It's like flipping the channel on the TV when the ad comes on. Don't tell me you just sit there and rawdog brainwash yourself with a blank stare when an ad comes on the TV.