Is using Adblock plus a bad thing?

[muCephei]

Its actually YouTube that made me start using AdBlock Plus. For a period, before they put ads in the video themselves, they ran them (only) on the side. And for a period they had ads from Sony that made sound. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be watching a video only to have a random, annoying song start blaring?

These days I leave it on by default and disable it on sites that I support. But still not YouTube, I still haven't forgiven them for their past...screw ups =__=

[glo]

Remember the flash based exploits that delivered keyloggers FROM THIS SITE?! Yeah, no thank you. Happened to wowhead, thottbot, and many others numerous times as well.

[Kenerek]

I love not seeing ads. I LOVE it. I paid for a wowhead subscription almost solely to get rid of them. I need more sites to offer me this alternative to ads! I will gladly pay a lump sum directly to someone who offers me a service that I think is worth the price.

Instead, most sites go with the virtually-guaranteed (though obnoxious and tacky) method. Why gamble on getting strangers to pay for your service?

[glo]

I love not seeing ads. I LOVE it. I paid for a wowhead subscription almost solely to get rid of them. I need more sites to offer me this alternative to ads! I will gladly pay a lump sum directly to someone who offers me a service that I think is worth the price.

Instead, most sites go with the virtually-guaranteed (though obnoxious and tacky) method. Why gamble on getting strangers to pay for your service?

You don't get it.

Would you have clicked on all of those ads on wowhead if you didn't pay their subscription? No. So by using an adblocker, they wouldn't have lost ANY revenue from you.

[Kenerek]

You don't get it.

Would you have clicked on all of those ads on wowhead if you didn't pay their subscription? No. So by using an adblocker, they wouldn't have lost ANY revenue from you.

It's true. Though, aren't there some services that pay you just to host the ad on your site, regardless of clicks? Time to go google some stuff.

[kittycuddler]

In most sites it's not a big deal because they only get revenue from clicks, but stuff like video ads where they get revenue from views alone, it hurts them quite a bit. I certainly use it along with noscript so I don't have to worry too much about what I do online while I'm tired and bored lol, but I'll disable it for certain stuff I know I can trust and want to support.

[cineplex]

lots of popular youtube channels have sponsers that are said in the video, i'm not going to waste 30 seconds of my life, a number of times a day, watching david hasselhoff hump a fan.

[Kenerek]

In most sites it's not a big deal because they only get revenue from clicks, but stuff like video ads where they get revenue from views alone, it hurts them quite a bit. I certainly use it along with noscript so I don't have to worry too much about what I do online while I'm tired and bored lol, but I'll disable it for certain stuff I know I can trust and want to support.

Ah, right. Yeah after a few minutes on Google, looks like most (all?) banner ads are click-based revenue. The video thing is a good point. I'm still blocking those!

Anyone know if the act of blocking the ad on a video means that the content provider or whatever doesn't register it as a hit? I mean, do they see that the ad was not viewed, and so no money is made?

[Cilraaz]

I'm in the "Enabled by default - whitelist known good sites" group. It's nice to help out sites that you frequent when you can.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

Adblock = protection from banner ad viruses.

[zakayron]

i hate advertising so i always use privoxy (chrome version of adblock plus).
and no i do not feel that it is bad because for every person like me there are 1000s of people with no idea what an adblocker is.

You know there is adblock plus for chrome too right? so the "adblock plus for chrome" would be well adblock plus lol.

There is no reason to feel bad about blocking youtube ads. Youtube is owned by google which means they have PLenty of funding

[Pitchkart]

Anyone know if the act of blocking the ad on a video means that the content provider or whatever doesn't register it as a hit? I mean, do they see that the ad was not viewed, and so no money is made?

I'm fairly sure that it won't get registered as a hit if the video ad is blocked.


As for 'they don't lose revenue because you weren't going to click anyway', it highly depends on which ad circle they belong to. I know most google ads only pay if someone clicks them, but it's possible to get paid per view as well. If your site has enough hits (like, say, MMO Champion) than the ad circle will pay you per 1000 views or so. Depends on the group and the contract. I know some of them (like Project Wonderful) have a bidding system where you get paid depending on how much someone is willing to pay to get space on your site... the bid, of course, gets higher the more hits your site gets.

[Dasani]

I don't like advertisements or commercials. If I need a product to fill a need, i'll search for one, not wait for it to be advertised to me. Those ads are there to take advantage of people in the first place. They try to imprint their brand name into your mind, make you think of them when you're thinking of something to buy to fill a certain purpose or make connections in your mind. They try to manipulate you and make an impression on you any way they can. They have psychologists sitting around creating strategies to better infect people's mind with the mess by using certain colors, certain words, certain tones of voice, etc. They try to scientifically manipulate you into wanting it when you don't need it.

So in my opinion, anyone who DOESNT try to block that kind of crap from being forced down your throat is already too far gone to saved.

It's no different than fast forwarding through commercials on a DVR device so you don't have to watch them, or simply muting the TV during commercials if you don't have a DVR.

I don't care if it's costing anyone money or not. Don't forget, the money they are losing is money that ultimately they are trying to siphon from YOUR pockets.

[Lionhearte0]

Don't worry I think YouTube makes enough money, trust me.

[Kenerek]

*Lots of words about how ads work*

Thanks for the useful info! I'll keep that in mind for sites that don't let me just hand them money or buy T-shirts. I might tweak my policy...

[Seegtease]

If ads weren't completely obnoxious most of the time, I wouldn't bother with Adblock. But they are no longer just banners along the side of a page.

THIS.

If ads didn't require huge flash animations, tons of noise, computer lag from poorly coded super frilly ads, pop ups, and porn, I wouldn't use adblocker.

I hate that I can't help good sites with their revenue, but blame the people who make ads that practically hijack computers.

If every ad were nothing but a non-animated banner, I'd do it.

People who make loud, laggy, popup obnoxious ads are really killing the ad industry.

---------- Post added 2011-05-07 at 05:48 AM ----------

Adblock = protection from banner ad viruses.

Also this. These are the things that kill the profits of ads online.

[Adappy]

Adblock = protection from banner ad viruses.

This.

Ever since I first read about people getting viruses/keyloggers from bad ads from even good sites... I've used Adblock. Can't support the sites I do like... but it's a case of a few bad apples ruining the whole bunch. All those annoying ads on the side of Youtube that would play audio when I'm trying to watch a video didn't help the cause either.

[Yousend]

Is it bad to change channel during commercials on TV? :\ Sounds the same to me, since TV broadcasters get revenue from commercials...

I won't bother to click ads anyway so I will not be inconvenienced by the ads.

[Irisel]

Adblock actually stop those 30 seconds ads before Youtube videos?!!!!!!

[RaZz0r]

yes it dose Irisel you can also use it to block the crap on youtube you dont want so see like trend videos most popular and all that crap no one wants to see at there sub page i <3 and i cant live with out it