dslreports logo
 story category
Using AdBlock Plus Is Stealing
According to one man's crusade, anyway...
A man named Jack Lewis is trying to start a campaign (mirror) urging website owners to ban the Firefox browser. Why? Because some Firefox users utilize AdBlock Plus to avoid viewing advertisements, and Jack believes this is stealing. Says Jack:
quote:
Click for full size
"Software that blocks all advertisement is an infringement of the rights of web site owners and developers. Numerous web sites exist in order to provide quality content in exchange for displaying ads. Accessing the content while blocking the ads, therefore would be no less than stealing. Millions of hard working people are being robbed of their time and effort by this type of software." [Emphasis added]
Jack's campaign isn't off to a great start, given that his website quickly buckled under the load of amused Slashdot and digg users.

Most recommended from 285 comments



dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

2 recommendations

dadkins

MVM

What about....

... if I disable Flash?
Disable javascript?

I R teh evils!!!1

This asshat is a real piece of work!
wresnick
join:2003-08-03
Union City, CA

2 recommendations

wresnick

Member

Stealing?

Stealing is using something without permission. That's not the whole definition, but it's a required part of it. If you are not using the ads, and you have permission to use the website, which is implied by it being made public and not password protected, then what are you stealing?

There are a number of reasons that people don't want to see ads. A big part of it has to do with "in your face" ads, irrelevant ads, and slow page loads caused by ads. A lot of that has to do with the ad industry itself.

Instead of forcing people to see ads that they don't want, why not figure out a sensible marketing plan? A person who is annoyed by ads in general is no more likely to take advantage of one than he is to buy from a spammer.

The problem has gotten so bad that users often ignore ads simply because they are ads. There are some exceptions, such as Ads by Google, that are not obtrusive and try hard to be relevant. But most ads are simply in the way.

Part of the problem comes from the lack of an appropriate technology. Had cookies been introduced as a technology that allows companies to tailor your experience based on your anonymous browsing habits, offered them for free as an introduction, with a statement that it will remain that way as long as revenues support it, then it could have been viewed as helpful. But any technology that could be of potential help has been introduced in ways that can't be trusted, are not helpful, or are not practical to implement.

So the real trick is to make websites that are cost effective with relevant ads that are unobtrusive and can generate enough revenue to be worthwhile. Ultimately, a user will click through if there is genuine interest. You cannot increase interest solely by changing an ad to bother somebody.