For some stupid reason, one topic that gets people fired up
on tech blogs and messages boards is whether or not you should block ads when
visiting websites using an ad blocker like Adblock Plus or even further, using
a script blocker like NoScript.
Hell, it can happen outside of the blogs and boards
too. Case in point, someone I know asked
me what I use as a browser, so I answered his question honestly:
"Firefox with Adblock Plus and NoScript. Surfing goodness!"
He then asked me this question:
"Do you keep the ad and script blockers enabled on
every website you visit?"
So again, I answer honestly:
"That I can get away with, yes!"
He then said this, with a straight face:
"If you do that you're being disrespectful to the sites
you like. Don't be surprised if a good
portion of those sites either go offline or turn into pay-to-view sites because
people like you can't be bothered to look at their ads."
I just said, "whatever," and I walked away.
It's the same thing on the blog and boards, someone will
suggest using an ad and/or script blocker, and someone will give a lecture that
by using such add-ons you're being "disrespectful to websites you like to
visit."
Their argument is this: Many sites get revenue to run by showing
ads on the pages. If "enough"
people block ads from being displayed, the site's revenue will choke off, and
the website's author may be forced to either take the website down, or become a
pay-to-view site where people need to pay to see the content.
That argument is valid, but also stupid. Here's why, but first....
"Disrespectful?" Last I heard, a website is just
another set of 1's and 0's. It's not a
living thing that has feelings and emotions.
Back to why:
Internet Explorer still has the
biggest slice of the pie when it comes to web browser usage for all
windows-based PC users. Not because it's
any good, but because a lot of people don't know any better. IE does not have an ad blocker available for
it that is anywhere close to the effectiveness of something like Adblock
Plus. Now, take the remaining percentage
of people that use Firefox, Chrome or a combination of both. How many people who use those two browsers
know that such an add-on like AdBlock Plus even exists? Not very many, I can tell you that. Hell, I didn't know about Adblock Plus until
someone mentioned it on a forum I was visiting! You take this one simple observation, and
you'll see why the "you're choking off their revenue" argument is
stupid.
Now I know what some people
viewing this post are going to say:
"What if this blog goes viral
and you get a chance to make some money off it?
I bet you would change your tune real fast on whether people should be
able to use ad blockers."
First, I don't have ads on my blog
(I tried to see if I can set up an adsense account for shits and giggles, and
it wouldn't let me). Second, I run this
blog as a hobby NOT as a possible income generator. That's what I have a job for. So even in the future if google does place ads
on my page, you're free to block them if you wish.
But there is another, bigger
reason why I block ads whenever I can:
It's really about security. Most ads you see on websites are not put
there by the websites themselves. They
are run by a 3rd party advertisement agency that doesn't care what ads they
shows as long as they are making money.
The agency might display an ad that contains malicious code that can
infect a computer with a virus or spyware just by having it displayed on the
screen. Yep, just viewing a website that
happened to show an infected ad right at that moment can get your computer
infected! It's called a drive-by
download.
Think I'm off-base? A couple of years ago, the Wall Street
Journal had the exact same thing happen to it.
One of its ads that was displayed contained malicious code that gave
people viruses just by having the site up and visible in their browser. People complained, the WSJ apologized. If these people used an ad blocker, they
probably wouldn't be complaining.
That's the biggest reason why I
use an ad blocker and also a script blocker.
The safety and security of my computer matters more than the 50 cents of
revenue that the website stands to make off me.
Let them make money off all those internet explorer users.
To close: I will continue to use
an ad blocker when surfing the web. Like
I wrote before, it's surfing goodness. Oh,
and to the people who try to argue in favor of the websites by saying
"disrespectful," "choking off revenue" and other garbage:
it's going to be hard to convince me you're not a shill.
End of.
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