Using adblock is stealing

[Vash The Stampede]

You are stealing potential ad revenue by using adblock. There is a reason so many sites have begun to force premium services as of lately to pay off the hosting costs.
How do you feel about it? Should every site cost to access?

This is because those sites started to abuse the ads they've shown. To the point where half the site is nothing but ads. It gets worse when sites start having audio playing for the ad, or even video. And lots of people got infections through ads.

If sites want people to turn off adblocker then there needs to be a standard for putting ads on websites. An organization where they will make sure there's nothing but trusted ads. And for websites to have this certification it would require them to have a limited amount of ads with no sound, no video, and not even an animated Gif. At that point I'm sure people wouldn't mind supporting their favorite sites by showing ads. But that isn't a thing yet so the adblockers stay on.

[Deleted]

advertisements are a form of stealing...

my attention isn't free.

most of the internet adverts have stolen your browsing history to personalise the ads.

If i read a magazine and skip the ad pages, am i stealing ?

I LOVE STEALING THROUGH ADBLOCK MAKES ME FEEL A PART OF THE STICKY FINGER CREW.

wipe the froth from your mouth you idiot.

[The Penguin]

You are stealing potential ad revenue by using adblock.

No I'm not. I'm moderating what is and is not permissible to be displayed on my private property, namely my computer in this case.

[Stormspark]

*I* choose what to view on my computer. Not some website owner. I choose what I use my bandwidth to download, not the website owner. Granted I don't have a cap on my regular internet, but my cell phone which I tether to when I'm out does.

Also, there are some sites that if you open them without an adblocker, not only is it dangerous (serious risk of malware), the ads cause such a bandwidth spike that you will start lagging in games if you don't have some serious QoS packet scheduling going on. *Ahem* Wowhead.

So to the people who say blocking ads is evil and wrong...bite me. I'm going to continue to block ads and there's nothing you can do about it.

[Daws]

An ad-blocker on you internet browser is like locks on a house, a necessity to keep out unwanted elements.

[RapBreon]

I think ads should either be part of the content, or non existent.

People went to cable TV to get away from ads, and then they put ads, people have a deep-rooted hatred for ads. On a paper you can just turn the page, on TV you're stuck watching it, or you do something else til it is over, and on the internet you block it, or get very annoyed by every web site you click on.

When you pay for the internet, it doesn't include any content, that is up to content providers. I tell you right now, if this site pulled that bull shit that blocks adblockers until you white list, it would be fucked. There are most definitely better ways to get people to hear about a product rather than cramming it down their throat every click.

Sure, that's why I white list sites that demonstrate good behaviour (and remind me, I'm forgetful).

This new tactic of blocking adblock (or throttling connection) is preeeeeeeeeeeeeetty annoying.

Engage in an arms race...rather than just behaving better, I guess that's the way.

[callipygoustp]

There needs to be more formal/legal protections for online advertising.

[Gandrake]

You are stealing potential ad revenue by using adblock.

Well ad-makers should have thought about that before making click-bait articles and intrusive data plan raping ads. If the battle for net neutrality is lost and data caps are introduced in America as a result of it, you can expect a much more aggressive stance from people concerning ads.

[PowerOfTwo]

Why does this remind me of the sound park music piracy episode? "See because you downloaded that song <insert rapper> won't be able to buy his son an island in french polynesia :'( he'll have to settle for one in the maldives!"

I especially find the sites that flat out won't let you view content at all if you have an ad-blocker installed - ok then gues i'm not coming back here ever again then

[mvaliz]

You know what stealing is? 3 hours from my total lifespan every fucking time a hidden advert video starts talking and scares the everliving shit out of me. That was the line that was perpetually crossed with MMO-Champ, so now they lose.

[M1r4g3]

You are stealing potential ad revenue by using adblock. There is a reason so many sites have begun to force premium services as of lately to pay off the hosting costs.
How do you feel about it? Should every site cost to access?

Yeah its pretty much like piracy, no wait its worse! You directly deny them money while still using their services further increasing the cost to run the websites!

[Calfredd]

Yeah its pretty much like piracy, no wait its worse! You directly deny them money while still using their services further increasing the cost to run the websites!

Except MMO-C knows their ads suck which is why they made the premium option a thing (should still kibosh all of these crappy ads of course) so what now?

[Spiral Mage]

There's a serious conflict on the subject of ads.

Ads are how many free sites and services pay for themselves.
But ..
Ads are often pop-ups, etc, designed to try and force themselves on you.
This is obviously extremely unwelcome.

There's currently a debate being held that's more or less consumers calling for a revamp on how advertisements are introduced across every medium from TV to the internet. We're saying we understand the need for them but we also don't like HOW we're being subjected to them and we want a better experience. Which to me, means them being less intrusive.

But there's a larger issue here.
Ads on sites come from low security, easily compromised servers.
This means ads can, in addition to being disruptive, be highly dangerous.
Ads can be and are often used to inject and auto execute viruses and other malware such as keyloggers and ransomware. So we're not being paranoid of ads without just cause for the danger they pose.

Ads need to not be disruptive, obstruct or interfere with browsing the site in question,
but more importantly, they need to be secured somehow, and not pose a very real and serious threat to visitors.

Until those things happen, I will continue to use software to completely block them.

So I seldom even remember there are ads' on the internet as a result.

[M1r4g3]

Except MMO-C knows their ads suck which is why they made the premium option a thing (should still kibosh all of these crappy ads of course) so what now?

The equivalent to making dlcs/microtransaction in a paid games

[Pull My Finger]

If I'm not gaining any goods or money, it obviously ain't "stealing".

[Thetruth1400]

If a site wants to be free to access with ads, that's their choice. There are options for sites to block people that use ad blockers. The problem with the ads is, there are way too many examples of invasive ads with pop ups, forced played videos, etc. as well as malware and viruses in those said ads. If those sites want people to not use ad blockers, they need to do a hell of a better job of vetting the ads they're putting up, it's as simple as that.

The reality is though, the sites choose to be free to access with the ads model, therefore it is 100% on them to police both their ads and the people who have or don't have access to their sites.

[Saiona]

You ever go on wowhead without adblock? Dear fucking god

[Sarevokcz]

They wouldn't be if you stopped using adblock.

cancer adds is WHY people get adblock in the first place, noone would have bothered with it, if the adds were safe, nonintrusive and noninteractive beyond small button on them.

MMOC and its obnoxious, loud, autoplay adds got me to install one. I whitelist webs, that have reasonable adds, but lets be honest, most of them dont.

[Accendor]

yes, I strongly prefer premium access over ads.

[Keosen]

Internet without AdBlock is an abomination.
You literally getting spammed and being aesthetically vandalized by ads.

Even if Adblock goes full commercial i will gladly pay them instead.