AdBlock: Good or Bad?

[Stridder44]

So AdBlock obviously blocks ads (I'm assuming some of you here use it). But is blocking ads a bad thing? I mean don't most sites get their revenue from these ads? Are we doing the sites a disservice in some way? Is AdBlock bad for the "free" internet?

I was going to use AdBlock all the time, but this crossed my mind. Thoughts?

 

[XnavxeMiyyep]

I don't click on ads anyway, so no real revenue is lost when I block ads (not with AdBlock as I use Opera). There are sites that get paid monthly for ads, so I still give hits to those sites.

And FWIW, I have a site that makes (a small) revenue from Google Ads. If all ads were Google text ads, I wouldn't bother to block ads, but since so many are banner ads, I just block them all.

 

[richkent72]

If the ads weren't so intrusive then I wouldn't feel the need to block them. There are sites that are almost impossible to read due to multiple flashing banners.

 

[wordmunger]

I would not use AdBlock if ads didn't slow page loading. My big problem with ads is that they now considerably slow down the loading of the page I want to see. Sometimes they make it impossible to load at all.

Unfortunately there's no way to know in advance if an ad will slow a page, so I block them all. Does AdBlock allow you to specify advertisers to allow? I'd consider allowing Google ads if that was an option.

 

[Tosser]

I never click on ads. But I guess that argument is like saying "I'm not affected by ads".
In any case, most of the sites I go to aren't showing ads from my country, and I seriously couldn't care less about some idiotic ad about 401k or something like that.

Further, I find the top banner so used by so many sites so very annoying because it takes up too much vertical real estate (of which there aren't that much of to begin with), and this at the very top where I want to gather myself an overview of the page.

Moving ads, ads with sound and whatnot annoys me just as much, as they distract me from what I'm doing –*and then there's really no point in going to that specific site.

So, yes, I do block ads. However, I have come to realise that some websites need the revenue, so if they're not idiotic about their ads, but use text ads and so on, I will deblock that type of ads on those specific sites (except top banners).

In conclusion, I'm all for blocking ads.

 

[remmy]

Generally used to allow ads but some are so irritating, the ones that pop up on the screen requiring you to close them, in either a serperate window or even on the item you were trying to read. or play sound.

Sometimes they would seem to hold up a page loading.

I'm not against advertising but when it stops me doing what I want then I got the ad block.

 

[Unspeaked]

Do you fast forward commercials on pre-recorded programs?

Do your eyes wander past the full page cologne ads in magazines?

Do you intentionally show up late to movies so you miss the M&M and General Motors commercials they force you to sit through?

It's not so different...

 

[Tosser]

Do you fast forward commercials on pre-recorded programs?

I don't "prerecord" anything. In fact, I don't record any programmes.

Do your eyes wander past the full page cologne ads in magazines?

I don't buy that sort of magazines.

Do you intentionally show up late to movies so you miss the M&M and General Motors commercials they force you to sit through?

I don't go to the cinema.

 

[wordmunger]

I don't go to the cinema.

I haven't been to the movies in over two years. I don't go because they force us to watch ads.

 

[0098386]

I don't like adverts at all. As I said in some other thread today I try to watch BBC shows more than the other channels since they don't throw adverts or sponsors at me. But I don't use adblock, if a website has such an obtrusive advert that makes me want to use it then I'll just not visit again.

I'll make up my own mind on what I want to buy, thanks.

I just don't like that adverts are everywhere now.

 

[detz]

I work for a ad network, a few people blocking ads does nothing to our numbers. Block away. It's always funny to hear people say that ads don't effect them, that's just ignorance.

 

[0098386]

I haven't been to the movies in over two years. I don't go because they force us to watch ads.

They're pretty much the same reasons as me. I go to the cinema maybe once every 3 or so months, usually towards the end of the films life there so I don't have to worry about it being packed out. You can no longer talk since the adverts are the same volume, and why would I spend £5 on something that subjects me to 20-30 minutes worth of adverts? The DVD will (eventually) cost me £5 without adverts, and I get control over it, can watch it over and over etc.

I'm glad our town got rid of its cinema. I'm glad people are seeing that cinemas are just taking the p**s now. Especially since they flood you with ads, charge a load for tickets and now 4x as much for food and drink compared to an off-license or supermarket. Just no.

 

[Stridder44]

I don't click on ads anyway, so no real revenue is lost when I block ads (not with AdBlock as I use Opera). There are sites that get paid monthly for ads, so I still give hits to those sites.

Yeah but that's the thing. Do you just turn it on/off whenever you go to one of those sites you want to support?

 

[Abstract]

Do you fast forward commercials on pre-recorded programs?

Do your eyes wander past the full page cologne ads in magazines?

Do you intentionally show up late to movies so you miss the M&M and General Motors commercials they force you to sit through?

It's not so different...

What do you mean by "it's not so different"?

I agree with you if you meant that you can easily just skip ad banners and never look at them.

Blocking them from ever appearing is another thing entirely.




And....I like the cinema. Don't mind the adverts, although I really don't go to the cinema often enough to be bothered by it. I love the previews and such as well. Give me more of them if you can.

 

[arn]

This is a lengthy debate. Here's my stance.

And I also will note that if I see specific instructions on how to block ads on these forums, I will delete them. I'm not as extreme as some webmasters... in that I remember Ars used to ban people from their forums if they admitted blocking their ads. But, it's just a bit of a slap in the face discussing how to specifically block ads on a site whose is supported by ads.

I've heard all the arguments and disagree with them.

1) "I don't click on ads anyway". It doesn't matter. Ad revenue is generated from impressions and/or branding purposes. If you block them, you are still removing revenue from the site.

2) "It's the same as skipping commercials on TV." It's not, because whether you skip ads or not on a TV show, it doesn't affect their revenue.

I don't like intrusive ads either and have made it a point to keep those off this site. If you do block ads in general, but like using this site, you should pay the $25 for the ad-free version.

arn

 

[XnavxeMiyyep]

Actually, with Opera, since the ad-blocking is done with CSS, you will still get credit for the impressions.

 

[ghall]

I discovered adblocker and haven't looked back since. I did however contribute to MacRumors since it's the ad-supported site I visit most frequently. And because they're so awesome.

 

[Sun Baked]

Whether I'm logged in or not, I rarely if ever notice the ads until someone points them out.

While watching tv, the ads simply a pee break or chance to check the forum.

 

[SkyBell]

I must be one of the few that doesn't use any sort of ad blocking program. For some reason, I do feel like I'm "stealing" revenue from ad supported sites by not looking at the ads. And sometimes, I do click on them if the product or service they're advertising looks interesting, so I'm doing my part.

My policy on TV commericals: If it's a nationwide channel that we're paying for anyway, skip all the ads. Local free channels, watch the ads. (Almost 100% of all TV I watch is prerecorded, giving me the ability to do this with all the shows I watch.)

 

[dukebound85]

i hate tv commericals

why do we have to pay for a subscription to have tv service and we STIL have to watch ads. ugh i thought paying for service should give me adfree tv lol

 

[wordmunger]

This is a lengthy debate. Here's my stance.

And I also will note that if I see specific instructions on how to block ads on these forums, I will delete them. I'm not as extreme as some webmasters... in that I remember Ars used to ban people from their forums if they admitted blocking their ads. But, it's just a bit of a slap in the face discussing how to specifically block ads on a site whose is supported by ads.

I've heard all the arguments and disagree with them.

1) "I don't click on ads anyway". It doesn't matter. Ad revenue is generated from impressions and/or branding purposes. If you block them, you are still removing revenue from the site.

2) "It's the same as skipping commercials on TV." It's not, because whether you skip ads or not on a TV show, it doesn't affect their revenue.

I don't like intrusive ads either and have made it a point to keep those off this site. If you do block ads in general, but like using this site, you should pay the $25 for the ad-free version.

arn

Good points, Arn.

You've convinced me to disable AdBlock on this site. But I still don't think it's wrong to block ads when they slow page loading or break a web page.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On TV, I zap ads, (I rarely watch TV anyway), on video cassettes, I fast forward when ads appear (agao, on the rare occasions I record programmes), and when I had Windows, I invested in the most robust anti-spa/anti-virus/anti-adware package I could find. Agree with several of the posters here in that the pop up, flashing, intrusive ads which affect loading time, and block what you wish to read, are a real pain, too. So, in general, a warm welcome yes to AdBlock.

Cheers

 

[Stridder44]

This is a lengthy debate. Here's my stance.

And I also will note that if I see specific instructions on how to block ads on these forums, I will delete them. I'm not as extreme as some webmasters... in that I remember Ars used to ban people from their forums if they admitted blocking their ads. But, it's just a bit of a slap in the face discussing how to specifically block ads on a site whose is supported by ads.

I've heard all the arguments and disagree with them.

1) "I don't click on ads anyway". It doesn't matter. Ad revenue is generated from impressions and/or branding purposes. If you block them, you are still removing revenue from the site.

2) "It's the same as skipping commercials on TV." It's not, because whether you skip ads or not on a TV show, it doesn't affect their revenue.

I don't like intrusive ads either and have made it a point to keep those off this site. If you do block ads in general, but like using this site, you should pay the $25 for the ad-free version.

arn

Pretty much how I figured things were. I never use AdBlock, and now I know for sure not to.

 

[NATO]

I never blocked ads as they never really bothered much until that bloooooooody Mosquito banner ad (complete with annoying buzzing sound) came along, shortly followed by some other banner ad of various smilies with one saying 'Helloooooo?' every few seconds.

At that point they'd gotten far too intrusive and infuriated me to the point of blocking. I don't mind google ads or discrete ads (ie, normal pictures rather than animated flash ads etc).

I try to block using a CSS stylesheet in Safari so that it doesn't affect my impression on sites, but I feel that the Mosquito ad probably played a role in pushing a lot more people to block ads than otherwise would have. I haven't actually installed any ad blocker on my new MBP yet, I'm going to see if the annoying banner ads have largely disappeared.

 

[Compile 'em all]

Adblocking for me. I think I don't mind as much google ads but those flash CPU-consuming annoying ads are a PITA and are the main reason I use adblocking. I never click on ads anyway.