Yeah, like that. That was is beta last time I checked.
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Who's using Firefox?
- Thread starter Travis
- Start date
I'll be curious to see how this adblock things plays out and how it changes the internet. I can see more sites going to subscription based access. Many websites have for years used ads to help pay the hosting bills (that's usually all they cover). Now if people are easily able to block all the ads, advertisers won't pay to have them on websites when no one is seeing them, and websites will have to find a new way to pay the bills. Subscriptions might be one way to do this.
Some sites already offer this in a form where if you become a member and pay a fee, you get to see the site without ads, or you can viewing the site with ads as a way to "pay" for your use of the site. Everyone using the site pays their dues in some way. Now if some people can just shut off the ad's, some people feel like that is, in a way, stealing from the site. They are using the site without paying their dues (either with money or by viewing ads). Aren't there already lawsuits about this adbocker thing? Either way, it's definitely going to be a game changer as far as internet revenues. Maybe someone will come up with a system so you can pay fractions of a penny for every page you load, rather than having monthly dues or ads. That could be a administrative nightmare.
I could see programmers finding a way to determine if your browser has this adblocker thing running and if so, not giving access to the site at all. Maybe even blocking your IP so even if you turn it off, you still won't have access for a certain amount of time. This whole thing is going to be a mess. Imagine if you had to subscribe to almost every single site you wanted to look at.
I'd rather look at a few ads.
Now I agree that some ads are ridiculously placed and pop-ups are the devil, but people need to show these sites that they won't put up that type of advertising by not visiting the site. Less visitors equals less clicks and less money for the site. It's like, vote with your clicks, (or lack of clicks).
Some sites already offer this in a form where if you become a member and pay a fee, you get to see the site without ads, or you can viewing the site with ads as a way to "pay" for your use of the site. Everyone using the site pays their dues in some way. Now if some people can just shut off the ad's, some people feel like that is, in a way, stealing from the site. They are using the site without paying their dues (either with money or by viewing ads). Aren't there already lawsuits about this adbocker thing? Either way, it's definitely going to be a game changer as far as internet revenues. Maybe someone will come up with a system so you can pay fractions of a penny for every page you load, rather than having monthly dues or ads. That could be a administrative nightmare.
I could see programmers finding a way to determine if your browser has this adblocker thing running and if so, not giving access to the site at all. Maybe even blocking your IP so even if you turn it off, you still won't have access for a certain amount of time. This whole thing is going to be a mess. Imagine if you had to subscribe to almost every single site you wanted to look at.
I'd rather look at a few ads.Now I agree that some ads are ridiculously placed and pop-ups are the devil, but people need to show these sites that they won't put up that type of advertising by not visiting the site. Less visitors equals less clicks and less money for the site. It's like, vote with your clicks, (or lack of clicks).
Adblock has been around a long time, and generally hasn't made much of a dent in advertisers pocket.
The same questions were raised when pop-up blockers first started to come into existence (thank god - I remember too well days of endless pop ups and adware causing random pop ups). Advertising websites still make money just fine.
In general, many places I have no problem iwth the ads they show, but for the few are 5% content and 95% advertisement.. it's nice to be able to cut through the crap and get to what I want. Not to mention that there are some advertisers who's banners will attach tracking cookies, which I'm not a big fan of.
The same questions were raised when pop-up blockers first started to come into existence (thank god - I remember too well days of endless pop ups and adware causing random pop ups). Advertising websites still make money just fine.
In general, many places I have no problem iwth the ads they show, but for the few are 5% content and 95% advertisement.. it's nice to be able to cut through the crap and get to what I want. Not to mention that there are some advertisers who's banners will attach tracking cookies, which I'm not a big fan of.
Yea hate those adds, one of the reasons i wont have free to air TV. I don't visit sites that have pop ups but then Firefox blocks them so i guess i am going to them more than i realize. When i was thinking of buying 650Rider, i wanted to recover the money i put in without destroying the freedom from intrusive adds or pop ups or having a subscription based site. I thought of putting a for sale and wanted forum, (as you have Travis), and then charging a small fee based on the cost of items, if someone came onto the site just to use the sale feature then the fees would have been higher and they would have to get permission through the administrator before placing an add. This would have been on a voluntary bases through donations and if a member reneged on the donation then he/she would have been banned from selling again.
Xumi, very valid arguments! But as Firefox is quickly gaining support from the general population, I think so will Adblock and other programs like it. And there is no doubt in my mind that it is already hurting revenues for websites. Less ads displayed = less ads clicked = less money to the website. Whether it will be a big of deal as I theorized it could be, only time will tell. I was talking years, not months.
Maybe it will actually be a good thing because if enough people use things like adblock, websites will stop making money on annoying ads and will stop using them. Then people won't need to use adblock anymore and the balance of ads vs content can return to an acceptable level for most people and most sites.
650Skull, your discussion of how to acquire a site like 650rider and make your money back is interesting to me. Especially since I did spend the money on it and as of right now, have made no attempt to recover the costs. I even removed the Google ads from 650rider, although I will probably put them back up as I don't think they were too intrusive. Also several members had offered to donate to help offset the cost. Now that I've got it back up and have figured out most the technical importing stuff, I'm now ready to accept those donations, even if the initial excitement about the whole thing has been lost and not as many people donate as would have if I accepted them right away.
Maybe it will actually be a good thing because if enough people use things like adblock, websites will stop making money on annoying ads and will stop using them. Then people won't need to use adblock anymore and the balance of ads vs content can return to an acceptable level for most people and most sites.
650Skull, your discussion of how to acquire a site like 650rider and make your money back is interesting to me. Especially since I did spend the money on it and as of right now, have made no attempt to recover the costs. I even removed the Google ads from 650rider, although I will probably put them back up as I don't think they were too intrusive. Also several members had offered to donate to help offset the cost. Now that I've got it back up and have figured out most the technical importing stuff, I'm now ready to accept those donations, even if the initial excitement about the whole thing has been lost and not as many people donate as would have if I accepted them right away.
Travis,
You bring an interesting point regarding balance - I hadn't really thought about it in that light before. I, as a user, personally don't mind advertisements as long as they aren't intrusive, and in fact when I am looking for certain products and I know of sites I use that advertise them, I will happily use those links to give the owners of said site the revenue.
I do appreciate your efforts to put content before advertisement! And - a heart felt thank you for rescuing 650rider from the bit bucket. I can't express my gratitude with a donation right now, but you definitely have my respect.
If all webmasters were as conscious of this need of well thought-out advertising, the web would be a much better place. Being a designer myself, it is a subject that is close to my heart.
You bring an interesting point regarding balance - I hadn't really thought about it in that light before. I, as a user, personally don't mind advertisements as long as they aren't intrusive, and in fact when I am looking for certain products and I know of sites I use that advertise them, I will happily use those links to give the owners of said site the revenue.
I do appreciate your efforts to put content before advertisement! And - a heart felt thank you for rescuing 650rider from the bit bucket. I can't express my gratitude with a donation right now, but you definitely have my respect.
If all webmasters were as conscious of this need of well thought-out advertising, the web would be a much better place. Being a designer myself, it is a subject that is close to my heart.
Pure-Pork
Gas Up, Let's Ride!
We use Linux and Firefox. Don't like the "blue screen of death" that I used to get with the proprietary operating system from Redmond.
Xumi, thanks for the kind words!
Fungorus
"ride hard...live long"
I use Linux and firefox also....a good combo....
