Is it wrong to use Adblock Plus?

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. I was talking with a person on Facebook about adblockers. They asserted that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus, a Firefox extension which blocks ads on websites, including Youtube. They said that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus because it deprives these sites of the income they need to keep running. Personally, I don’t know what to think but I lean towards disagreeing with this. To be honest, I don’t think I would browse the web if I had to deal with tons and tons of ads that I would otherwise have to deal with without Adblock Plus. What do you think?

 

[BobDanners]

Hey everyone. I was talking with a person on Facebook about adblockers. They asserted that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus, a Firefox extension which blocks ads on websites, including Youtube. They said that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus because it deprives these sites of the income they need to keep running. Personally, I don’t know what to think but I lean towards disagreeing with this. To be honest, I don’t think I would browse the web if I had to deal with tons and tons of ads that I would otherwise have to deal with without Adblock Plus. What do you think?

I use adblock plus for other reasons, simply I don’t care to be tracked and data-mined. However I will leave the Adblock turned off on sites I support, such as Fr. Z’s blog

Sorry I know ads make money for the sites, but if ads choose to be invasive and in-my-face and track me like a commodity…I’ll gladly block them.

Besides Adblock doesn’t block all ads…just the intrusive ones. Adblock plus does work with sites to have them place their ads on…just not intrusive ones.

 

[Elizium23]

I am perfectly fine with using AdBlock Plus. IMHO, the web marketing got way out of hand with intrusive banners, pop-unders, stupid Flash games, and other gimmicks to try and wrench my eyeballs from the content I want to see. I have been using the web for 20 years. I remember the beginning when the Internet served the Research & Education communities and there was no such thing as spam or ads or marketing.

I should probably whitelist sites that I like and visit every day. It is pure laziness that I don’t. The fact that there is a whitelist feature makes it 100% kosher to use. I still get annoying popups that are written completely in HTML, mostly from scads of news sites which were reconstituted from dying newspapers and still desperately trying to make a buck off subscribers by limiting their article views and nagging for payment. You can’t get blood from a stone. I am not likely to pay anyone, anytime for web content.

 

[Holly3278]

I get these popups that are made with Java or maybe Flash and they are so annoying. They show up on tons of sites and I have no idea how to prevent it. Adblock Plus does not stop them or at least I don’t have my settings set right to do it if it can do it. Also, I don’t know of any extensions that do block these annoying popups. I do have a popup blocker installed but this type of popup is not blocked by it.

 

[Alizarin]

Hey everyone. I was talking with a person on Facebook about adblockers. They asserted that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus, a Firefox extension which blocks ads on websites, including Youtube. They said that it is wrong to use Adblock Plus because it deprives these sites of the income they need to keep running. Personally, I don’t know what to think but I lean towards disagreeing with this. To be honest, I don’t think I would browse the web if I had to deal with tons and tons of ads that I would otherwise have to deal with without Adblock Plus. What do you think?

The person you were talking to must watch every commercial during his favorite TV programs then, too. After all, it’s ad revenue that keeps the networks running.

 

[Boulder257]

I see this the same way as changing the radio station during commercials, or fast forwarding through the commercials on my DVR. To me it’s even the same as turning your head when you see a bulletin board. We are in no way obliged to acknolwedge every advertisement we come in contact with.

 

[JimG]

I would do anything I can to block ads! I switch between TV channels to watch several programs rather than watch ads (because I’m a dinosaur with no DVR.) I will pay more for a subscription to magazines with limited ads.

Look at it from another angle. In most cases, you are not the consumer, you are the product, being offered for sale to advertisers. You are simply electing not to be a product to be sold by the website to its advertisers.

 

[Holly3278]

Thank you everyone for these answers. I really appreciate them. So from what I understand, I can continue to use Adblock Plus with no moral reservations.

 

[Brandall]

I’m pretty sure that those advertisements generate no money for the site unless someone clicks the link. I’m not the type to click a link anyway.

I don’t use any type of advertisement blocker as I’m just about immune to them. I don’t even notice them.

 

[Vim71]

Adblock Plus does not stop them or at least I don’t have my settings set right to do it if it can do it. Also, I don’t know of any extensions that do block these annoying popups. I do have a popup blocker installed but this type of popup is not blocked by it.

Make sure you are Subscribed to a list. Click the ABP icon and click Filter Preferences. From there, click the tab that says “Filter Subscriptions” and on that tab click “Add Filter Subscription”. Select the list you want and press “Add”.

I recommend either using EasyList, or Fanboy’s list.

If you you want, you can allow some non-intrusive advertising by checking the box on that tab as well. These are usually ads that aren’t popping up in your face. You could also whitelist sites you deem safe.