---
layout: post
status: publish
published: true
title: Why I don't use adBlocker and co
author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
author_login: jlengrand
author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
wordpress_id: 200
wordpress_url: http://www.lengrandlambert.fr/wordpress/?p=200
date: 2011-10-25 09:18:43.000000000 +02:00
categories:
- misc
tags:
- adblocker
- web
- chrome
- firefox
comments:
- id: 26
  author: James
  author_email: treasonx@gmail.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "I feel the same way. I will actually make it a point to click on ads
    for some of my favorite sites. In gmail I click an ad at least once a day. Just
    want to show my support for the great free content and apps on the internet!\r\n\r\nThat
    being said I do hate the ads which take over an entire site with a tiny \"click
    here to skip\" button. Those are the worst and most of the time least interesting
    ads for me to look at. Also preroll on youtube or any other video site is horrible,
    usually on a video site I want a quick chuckle and then move along. Sometimes
    if a short video has a preroll I will just leave the page (Fail blog does this
    alot and its not worth waiting). Sometimes the preroll ads are longer than the
    video! I find the best ads a subtle targeted ads. I really dont mind ads that
    take my search or even the topic of the site into consideration."
- id: 27
  author: Simon Bartlett
  author_email: simon.bartlett@me.com
  author_url: http://simonbartlett.co.uk
  date: !binary |-
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  content: I have no problem with advertisements, but I do have a problem with advertisement
    agencies and other organisations that track my online activity. Until there's
    such a day when those organisations respect my privacy, I will continue to use
    AdBlock.
- id: 28
  author: Andre
  author_email: andre@email.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
    MjAxMS0xMi0wMiAxMzoyNjoxOCArMDEwMA==
  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "I think the biggest problem isn't the ad itself, but the ad networks
    that track the user without any respect.\r\n\r\nMaybe instead of using an less
    intrusive Ad Network, one that shows ads based on your content not the past visits
    of the user.\r\n\r\nThe first ads networks worked that way, but they realized
    that could track all navigation from the user to increase revenue for everybody."
- id: 29
  author: Andre
  author_email: andre@email.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "\"Maybe instead of using an less intrusive Ad Network, one that shows
    ads based on your content not the past visits of the user.\"\r\n\r\nshould be
    read\r\n\r\nMaybe using an less intrusive Ad Network, one that shows ads based
    on your content not the past visits of the user."
- id: 30
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  content: ! "Those ads on videos are the worst advertising method I've ever seen
    actually :s .\r\nI simply hate those, as it forces you to lose time waiting for
    your content. \r\n\r\nI stopped watching TV some years ago because of ads, I hope
    I won't have to do the same with Youtube and co :s.\r\nWhat I can say for sure
    however, is that it is pretty useful for people posting videos and having some
    audience. I got friends almost living only by creating such videos."
- id: 31
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  content: ! "But somehow, don't you prefer being attacked with ads that suit your
    needs? This can have some advantages. \r\n\r\nThose information about you people
    are connecting (may/can) allow them to create better content for you, isn't it?
    \r\nThe google reader is a good example, I do like the \"related\" feeds It gives
    me."
- id: 32
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "I don't really see your point : \"one that shows ads based on your content
    not the past visits of the user.\"\r\n\r\nCould you develop this a little bit?"
- id: 33
  author: 1Percenter
  author_email: 1percenter@occupyeverything.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  content: ! "Ok, here's the truth.  I use AdBlock, NoScript, and FlashBlock.  Why?
    \ Because there are enough lemmings out there to click on ads and allow the aggressive
    pop-up ads show up on their screen.  If marketers wouldn't be so damn aggressive
    and have pop-ups every time you hover over a word or have those ads that take
    up 1/4 of  your screen and you have to search and search for the \"close\" or
    \"x\" to get rid of it, and even then I'm scared that clicking \"close\" is going
    to cause another pop-up to occur.\r\nAlso, I agree that the tracking features
    these companies place in their ads does upset me.  It's as though everything is
    a default \"opt-out\" policy for just opening a web page.  Unfortunately there
    is no opt-out selection, so you have to perform your own and use tools such as
    AdBlock, NoScript, etc...\r\nIn closing, like I stated at the beginning, there
    are enough clickers out there that they'll allow these ads and pop-ups to occur
    on their browser that my avoid them will most likely not have effect on that websites
    bottom line.  So, click away grandmas and non-educated webbies.  I thank you"
- id: 34
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
    MjAxMS0xMi0wMiAxNDozMzo1MSArMDEwMA==
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  content: ! "And don't you think that in some way this is especially thanks to guys
    like you that ads take more and more place on our screens? \r\n\r\nThere are surely
    lots of websites that use the data they can grab with absolutely no respect. A
    good example? The growing number of websites with \"buzz\" videos with \"ROFL,
    JustinBieber killed by a cat\" or \"OMFG! Spider in his head\" that will force
    you to post on your Facebook wall. . .\r\nBut as I said, those websites are generally
    low added value, so you'd be better avoiding them anyway."
- id: 35
  author: 1Percenter
  author_email: 1percenter@occupyeverything.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
    MjAxMS0xMi0wMiAxNDo0ODowOCArMDEwMA==
  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "There's no proof one way or the other.  So saying that  \"don’t you
    think that in some way this is especially thanks to guys like you that ads take
    more and more place on our screens\" is unsupported.  I don't know and I doubt
    you know, so right now you and I are assuming two different sides of the coin.\r\n\r\nI
    would tend to slant to marketers being more aggressive than thinking they are
    saying \"OMG, these guys are blocking ads, lets make them bigger and that will
    get more attention and we'll make more money.\"  It's not just the B-rated sites
    that do the aggressive marketing.  Techtarget sites and others use \"in your face\"
    type ads, I see them when I use a non-FF browser and then I remember why I hate
    ads.  I don't click on ads, period.  I'm a technical person, I just want the information,
    period.  I came there for an article and do not want to be assaulted with ads.
    \ So for now it's a cat and mouse game.  I for one welcome the challenge.  \r\n\r\nQuestion
    - what is the difference between a person that never clicks on links, therefore
    doesn't \"support\" the site owner by giving them ad revenue and a person that
    opts-out and uses blocking software?  One seems automated and the other seems
    to be more self-controlled."
- id: 36
  author: commonsurfer
  author_email: wahoo@gmail.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: It is trivial to add your favorite websites to the excluded list in most
    adblockers. Why be tracked, risk exploitative ads, slow page loadings on pages
    or sites you might stumble through? If you like a site, or want to support it,
    add it to the excluded list. Ad blocking doesn't need to be all or nothing.
- id: 41
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  content: ! "Actually (shame on me), I had never thought about using an abblocker
    this way.\r\n\r\nAnd the more I think about it, the more seducing it seems to
    me. Because after all, Ads are still useful in a way, and the real problem is
    \"ad abuse\".\r\nSo thanks for the idea ^^"
- id: 42
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "You came here for an article, and you have not been assaulted with any
    ad ;).\r\n\r\nI agree with you about what you call \"in you face\" ads, and generally
    I avoid websites using such methods. \r\nHopefully, some tech websites stay free
    of ads (almost at least). And generally, those are the one in which you'll find
    good (useful) information. This is one of the reason I love stack overflow or
    hacker news for example. \r\n\r\nSorry, but both sides of your question seem alike
    for me. That may come from my non-proficiency in English though. Would you develop
    a bit more?"
- id: 1062
  author: Jonathan
  author_email: jayjayhales@gmail.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: ! "I appreciate your intentions, but clicking on/looking at adds without
    buying is not a long term solution.  If the advertisers don't make money, they
    will pay less and less and the pay walls will appear (assuming you don't buy the
    advertised product as you are trying to establish a 'free' experience).  \r\n\r\nI
    also think you could make an argument *for* ad block once you start taking  into
    account the necessity of profits for the advertisers.  If you know that you won't
    be buying adds, then you can minimize the costs for the advertisers by not clicking
    or viewing (depending on the pay system) their adds.  \r\n\r\nAdvertiser profits
    are important as if they feel they are getting low returns for adds on your favorite
    site they will start to pay less and the site will be incentivized to increase
    the # and/or aggressive nature of the ads to retain the revenue stream or put
    up the hated paywalls."
- id: 1082
  author: Hal
  author_email: hal68000@gmail.com
  author_url: ''
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: I usually whitelist sites I enjoy and want to support, unless they start
    using obnoxious advertisements, like ones that actually play audio when the page
    first loads ("CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE A WINNER!"), or have porn in them (e.g.
    banner ads on certain imageboards)
- id: 1092
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
    MjAxMi0wNS0zMCAxMToyMDoxNCArMDIwMA==
  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: Well, these websites are usually low quality anyway; aren't they ?
- id: 1093
  author: Julien Lengrand-Lambert
  author_email: julien@lengrand.fr
  author_url: http://www.lengrand.fr
  date: !binary |-
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  date_gmt: !binary |-
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  content: I agree with you, and think this is becoming more and more true. Since
    I wrote this article, I have seen the ad effect worsen (look at youtube); probably
    especially because the CPC is dropping.
---
Like most of you I guess, I always got my browser opened on my desktop, the number of tabs depending on whether I am at home or at work.

Lots of people see my screen and say : OMG! What are all those ugly ads!? Install <strong><a title="AdBlocker" href="http://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom" target="_blank">AdBlocker</a></strong> so you won't have to see them any more.

No, I won't use AdBlocker . . . and it's a <strong>CHOICE</strong>.
The reason? I don't want my favorites websites to swith to paid contents!

Anyone having a website (and some traffic :) ) knows that hosting costs<strong> lots of money</strong>! Data hosting, Electricity, Domain name . . . without including the hours of work in writing, reviewing, translating and updating articles that are mandatory to keep quality of content.
Advertisment is a simple (the simplest?) way for admins to reduce those costs.

If everybody blocks adverts on its browser, it is likely that brands finally tend to stop using this way of promotion.

So, several ways would be left for websites owners to get some cash back :
<ul>
	<li><strong>Keep paying</strong> for the service, without any help (Ouch!)</li>
	<li><strong>Ask for volontary support</strong>. <strong><a title="LegTux" href="http://www.legtux.org/" target="_blank">LegTux</a></strong> has chosen this type of solution for some time. And as perfect as the idea might be, the last time I heard about him he was still losing money with his service.</li>
	<li><strong>Switch to paid contents</strong>. The worst solution in my opinion, as it closes the content to most of the web and lots of quality content would be lost. In addition, this solution might dramatically reduce the traffic of the website.</li>
	<li>Using<strong> free hosting solutions</strong> and often loose flexibility, personal domain name, ergonomy that paid hosting offer. . .</li>
</ul>
The same idea could be applied to lost of <strong>smartphone games</strong> and applications. which display ads while you use them.
There is however a major difference, most of those applications offer to remove ads in supporting them. I love this kind of solutions as people get the choice to pay for an app they love, or not.
I wonder if this kind of solution could be used on websites. . .

Stays the problem of websites that completely abuse of ads. It happens to be attacked by 24 flashing pop ups and wins 3 golden ferraris whenever you connect yourself. The solution for them is quite simple, just avoid them. And don't come back ! Hopefully, the admin will quickly see the drop in its stats and think about it...

And for the most generous one, don't forget to click on some ads of your favorite website and enjoy supporting them this way :)

<strong>Would you personally be ready to pay</strong> some fees a month to get rid of ads on your favorite website?
I would really enjoy you personal mind on that !
