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I'm going to read this article because the image is cool and I love California. But I had to comment on how obnoxious this website is with my NextDNS mistaking

by apsurd 1y ago

I'm going to read this article because the image is cool and I love California. But I had to comment on how obnoxious this website is with my NextDNS mistakingly disabled. What have we done to the Internet! 3 popups to sign up for paid, newsletter and web alerts. scroll down to see auto playing videos, ridiculous full-banner ads. wow

jmclnx 1y ago
FWIW, I use noscript and had no issues. Granted there were some blank spots which I guess where ads.
- apsurd 1y ago
  Yep, I've found blocking at at the dns level more convenient since I'd otherwise have to install script blockers per web-browser. I'm very happy with nextdns I wanted to add that every time I use the internet without a blocker, it's so depressing to realize this is how a lot of people, mostly older, experience the Internet. Very sad as someone in the industry.
- chrisweekly 1y ago
  Reader mode works wonders for me.
  - apsurd 1y ago
    ooh you're right, reader mode is great for this article. thanks It doesn't always work though, I assume the major publishers are employing some counter-measures. Also generally javascript heavy websites.
    - c420 1y ago
      Clicking a link within the page in reader mode and then clicking back to reload it almost always works for the stubborn sites IME
- coldpie 1y ago
  More tips to make the Internet suck less here: https://www.smokingonabike.com/2025/08/01/tips-for-making-the-internet-suck-less/ https://www.smokingonabike.com/2025/08/01/tips-for-making-th...
mikestew 1y ago
Though The Chronicle is pretty bad, it is generally what I see when I surf without a Pi-Hole (or choose your fave ad-blocking tool). And, yeah, I honestly don’t know why people put up with it. I offered to put a Pi-Hole on my parent’s network. Mom wrote code for 30 years, she can handle the minimal intervention needed. Nope, they turned me down, they’re fine with things the way they are. First thing they did with that new TV was connect it to the Internet, too. For some folks, the slightest inconvenience is apparently enough to sit and look at ads all day. Which reminds me that I need to pull a RPi off the shelf and provision another Pi-Hole for the camper now that there’s a Starlink attached. I’m not paying by the byte to have ads delivered.
- hinkley 1y ago
  I still believe there must be space in the universe for an ethical ad network that makes you less money but anyone caught fucking with your readership gets banned. There’s a bunch of sites that would appreciate a little supplemental revenue but just don’t use ads at all because it’s so scummy. It just has to be better than selling your nonprofit’s contact list to other nonprofits.
  - jedberg 1y ago
    When we first built the reddit ads system, this is exactly what we went for. We ran it ourselves, you could only upload a single static image. Turns out you really can't make a lot of money that way. Especially now. If you don't offer re-targeting and bespoke ads, no one wants to pay you money for ads.
    - hinkley 1y ago
      I suspect you would specifically have to target non profits and b corps with your marketing. But even then the perpetual problem in business is that what people are willing to tell you they want isn’t what they want or need, and they will shift the goalposts on you after they sign up. Cognitive dissonance will become deafening. Years ago we used to talk regularly about firing customers. My read was that was always about ridding yourselves of the ones who pushed you into becoming someone you couldn’t stand to look at in the mirror. Eventually some of your customers will want the same cyberstalking features they see advertised by another vendor and they will forget why they can’t have it. They’ll sign up with someone who lies to them better than you do.
hdgvhicv 1y ago
The question is in anyone actually reading it with those adverts?
- apsurd 1y ago
  That's why I was compelled to post. We forget that this is how the Internet is for large portions of the population. It's bananas. My dad still uses yahoo for all of his news. I've realized it's not uncommon to hear people use Yahoo as the front page of the internet still in 2025. I get it. Also, it's depressing. (left for the reader to see why. just go to yahoo with blockers off).
randallsquared 1y ago
Brave browser worked well, and I didn't see any of those, or the blank spaces another commenter was complaining about with their blocker.

by apsurd 1y ago

jmclnx 1y ago

FWIW, I use noscript and had no issues. Granted there were some blank spots which I guess where ads.

apsurd 1y ago
Yep, I've found blocking at at the dns level more convenient since I'd otherwise have to install script blockers per web-browser. I'm very happy with nextdns I wanted to add that every time I use the internet without a blocker, it's so depressing to realize this is how a lot of people, mostly older, experience the Internet. Very sad as someone in the industry.
chrisweekly 1y ago
Reader mode works wonders for me.
- apsurd 1y ago
  ooh you're right, reader mode is great for this article. thanks It doesn't always work though, I assume the major publishers are employing some counter-measures. Also generally javascript heavy websites.
  - c420 1y ago
    Clicking a link within the page in reader mode and then clicking back to reload it almost always works for the stubborn sites IME
coldpie 1y ago
More tips to make the Internet suck less here: https://www.smokingonabike.com/2025/08/01/tips-for-making-the-internet-suck-less/ https://www.smokingonabike.com/2025/08/01/tips-for-making-th...

mikestew 1y ago

Though The Chronicle is pretty bad, it is generally what I see when I surf without a Pi-Hole (or choose your fave ad-blocking tool). And, yeah, I honestly don’t know why people put up with it. I offered to put a Pi-Hole on my parent’s network. Mom wrote code for 30 years, she can handle the minimal intervention needed. Nope, they turned me down, they’re fine with things the way they are. First thing they did with that new TV was connect it to the Internet, too. For some folks, the slightest inconvenience is apparently enough to sit and look at ads all day. Which reminds me that I need to pull a RPi off the shelf and provision another Pi-Hole for the camper now that there’s a Starlink attached. I’m not paying by the byte to have ads delivered.

hinkley 1y ago
I still believe there must be space in the universe for an ethical ad network that makes you less money but anyone caught fucking with your readership gets banned. There’s a bunch of sites that would appreciate a little supplemental revenue but just don’t use ads at all because it’s so scummy. It just has to be better than selling your nonprofit’s contact list to other nonprofits.
- jedberg 1y ago
  When we first built the reddit ads system, this is exactly what we went for. We ran it ourselves, you could only upload a single static image. Turns out you really can't make a lot of money that way. Especially now. If you don't offer re-targeting and bespoke ads, no one wants to pay you money for ads.
  - hinkley 1y ago
    I suspect you would specifically have to target non profits and b corps with your marketing. But even then the perpetual problem in business is that what people are willing to tell you they want isn’t what they want or need, and they will shift the goalposts on you after they sign up. Cognitive dissonance will become deafening. Years ago we used to talk regularly about firing customers. My read was that was always about ridding yourselves of the ones who pushed you into becoming someone you couldn’t stand to look at in the mirror. Eventually some of your customers will want the same cyberstalking features they see advertised by another vendor and they will forget why they can’t have it. They’ll sign up with someone who lies to them better than you do.

hdgvhicv 1y ago

The question is in anyone actually reading it with those adverts?

apsurd 1y ago
That's why I was compelled to post. We forget that this is how the Internet is for large portions of the population. It's bananas. My dad still uses yahoo for all of his news. I've realized it's not uncommon to hear people use Yahoo as the front page of the internet still in 2025. I get it. Also, it's depressing. (left for the reader to see why. just go to yahoo with blockers off).

randallsquared 1y ago

Brave browser worked well, and I didn't see any of those, or the blank spaces another commenter was complaining about with their blocker.