My thoughts on Adblock, share yours.....

So, I don't use Adblock since it's takes revenue away from hardworking people who run websites. Especially YouTube videos, well at least the channels that make high-quality content, i.e. Totalbiscuit.

What I want to know is why do people get so uppity about the fact they have to watch a 15-30 sec ad on a YouTube video, they complain about wasting their "precious" time. If you have the time to watch a 5-10 min video, you can watch a short ad on YouTube.

Take for instance, television, you watch 7 minutes or so then you have 2-3 minutes of ads, that ad to actual content proportion is more than the majority of monetized YouTube videos.

How do you feel about Adblock? I just felt like venting my feelings, if you have some "precious " time to spend talking about it, that'd be cool, I guess :)

Well first of all, the notion that those 15-30 seconds don't matter isn't entirely accurate. On their own sure, they're nothing. But they add up over time. Two of those 30 second ads are one minute. Four, two minutes. Ten, five. Twenty, ten. So on and so forth, you get the point. Before long those ads up to hours, and then eventually days. The television argument I don't think it entirely valid either because most people flip channels on commercials specifically because they don't want to watch them.

That said, I use Adblock for a couple reasons. The biggest was that I had some pretty bad problems with ads on YouTube videos that would freeze and make it impossible to actually watch the video. Refreshing didn't help much either. It wasn't like a frozen advertisement was gonna sell me anything anyway, so I don't feel bad about blocking them either. The other is because I support non-intrusive ads, the kind you see on the sides of websites. The kind that don't say 'stop what you're doing, I want to sell you a smart phone.' Those are the kinds of ads that catch my interest and in turn catch my money. Ads that force themselves upon the user are simply put annoying.

There's also one site I regular that a purposely put Adblock on specifically because the host has screwed so many people over to make a quick buck that I don't believe he deserves a single cent of ad revenue. There was one time where he supported some unsavory people stealing user generated content and selling it for profit because it brought in more traffic to his site. So yeah. Screw him. He gets nothing.

But at the same point, there are definitely acceptable ads, and I whitelist these kinds of ads and sites because they DO deserve money for the way they handle advertisement as well as their hardwork. Just don't expect me to set through one of those unskippable 2 minute long ads YouTube sometimes likes to force on viewers. Especially if it's one of those commercials about abused dogs with the sad piano music.

I use AdBlock and don't feel the least bit bad about it. Besides, it's not as if I have ever intentionally clicked on an internet ad anyway. I do occasionally whitelist a site if I am really invested in it or I know the people who run it, but those cases are few and far between.

@ungratefuldead

All very valid points, indeed, and your rebuttle of my television argument makes sense, I didn't really think of that, since I mainly just sit through ads as I don't like to divert my focus between shows, and in turn lose track of what's going or get sucked into to watching some other show. So, really I have no problem with advertisements, they are just trying to get their companies more widely known, getting deals out there, etc. and I don't mind that all to much. However, I do think that a 2 minute ad oriented around abused dogs and such isn't very interesting, I guess there is a certain invisible threshold for what's acceptable and what's not.

Preach it brother, I'm all for supporting websites I know are legitimate and those that provide great FREE content, for the most part anyway. There's always scum out there, looking to nickel and dime you for all your worth, but as I prefer to stay away from those types of websites, I don't have many problems in that area. Simple concept, trustworthy websites/organizations/individuals should get all the money they earn, fair and square, and sites that treat you like garbage, as well as posting a bunch of bullshit to attract web traffic shouldn't.

I entirely understand that over time, those 15 seconds pile up, and in turn, take up quite a bit of time in the long run. But if you frequent the site to get your fix, then you should probably just sit through the ads to at least feel as if you even helped some hardworking people make rent in the most minuscule way, and I think that's a concept most Adblock users should come to embrace. People say that YouTube is easy and not a "real" job, whatever that is, but people like Totalbiscuit put in a lot of work to make these videos good. In my book, anything that requires motivation, time, and energy on the daily should be considered a "real" job, even though YouTube is a lot more casual let's say, for all we know, TB could to all his work in boxer shorts all day.

Also, I never seem to have trouble with ads freezing, and whatnot. Is it just your internet connection or computer or YouTube acting funny? I'm quite curious, do you have lots of other stuff open while using YouTube? I'd quite like to know what's up.

Advertising is damaging the Internet and I'll not participate if I have the option. Zero tolerance. If you want to make money off of my eyeballs, find a better way to do so than the bloated ad-based system currently in place.

AdBlock isn't about my time. It's about giving the finger to those trying to make my clicks into a commodity.

I've never been inconvenienced enough by ads to consider using AdBlock.

I just whitelist the sites I like. The rest "could all go die in a fire".

@ravenlight

I understand where you're coming from, but if a website has advertisements lain out tastefully and you love the website, for instance GiantBomb (If you aren't a subscriber), then would you consider whitelisting it?

As stated previously those 30 second ads add up over time, plus why watch ads when given the option to not see them ever? They rarely bother me but at the same time having AdBlock has made surfing the internet, altogether nicer. Of course there are still sites I whitelist if either the ads are unobtrusive or if the site is one I visit frequently.

I don't use adblock. I want to support the sites that I visit, and I don't go to sites that have irritating ads. Having said that, I understand why people use it... there are some ads that are really intrusive and irritating. I choose not to visit those sites (any site that involves an ad that activates and makes noise if you move your mouse over it) but I get it. I appreciate sites (like this one) that have ads I don't mind.

Never. Give me an alternate way to support great content creators and I'll do it. I refuse to play ball with the current system.

My thoughts on Adblock are that it's radical, and kind of immoral, but I don't give a fuck anymore. Whitelisting a bunch of sites makes me alleviate the guilt I have for doing something that I know is wrong, and I'm totally okay with this compromise.

Nope. The ad system is awful and intrusive and I refuse to support it if I have the option to easily get rid of it.

Pretty much. I can deal with adds before videos if you can skip them after a few seconds. The ones that really grind my gears are the banners and stuff on websites. They are intrusive and look awful. I hate that people are trying to turn everything I like into a way to shove adds in my face. Fuck that.

Observe pic above. If you don't mind the Puppeteer skin completely fucking up the color palette and general aesthetics of the website then congrats, you have more tolerance for this kind of thing than I do. Anyhow, If you treat your website like a goddamn nascar car then its gonna look like shit and just annoy people who are trying to access the content.

Site reskins and loud obnoxious autoplaying videos are advertising methods based on offline media (print and television respectively) and you are trying to apply them to a medium which constantly changes and evolves. It simply doesn't work, it's obtrusive, annoying and acts as a barrier to content. People should not complain that Ad Blocker is costing them views and PPC revenue because they are the ones who chose an income method which is grossly unreliable. Find other ways to monetize. There are alternatives to destroying your site with loud outlets of digital snake oil. Giant Bomb has premium memberships, and so does Escapist and Destructoid. Get yourself one of those and give yourself the user experience you deserve.

Again, if you don't mind ads then more power to you. However, I do so feel free to call me a thief and the destroyer of the internets. Unfortunately for you what settings and plugins I have in my browser is beyond anyone's ethical and moral qualms.

Ads before or during videos break up the pace of whatever I was doing and instantly puts me in a shittier mood. Loud and obnoxious junk. And even considering the sheer amount of video I consume, you'd be surprised how often those fucking ads show up. It's at least a fourth or third of the time.

I don't like ads so I don't watch them. No one felt bad about music and tv having to change their price model, web sites need to follow suit. Companies need to suit themselves to the consumer, not the other way around.

If you want an honest answer from me.

I use Ad block all the time. I don't care if it effects someone's money. I don't want to keep clicking vids and watch 30 second ads over and over.

I don't mind the adverts on Netflix, once you've finished an entire series you get a nice background splash screen for a thing you'd probably like to watch, no popups, no lack of control, no shitty audio playing, just a nice thing that you can click on with one click, or navigate away from with one click. I pay for the service, of course, but that's why they'll continue to have my money for the next decade or so (if they keep being cool). That's how places get my money. Be cool and I'll give you my money. If you're shit, you won't get my money.

#toobigtofail

#pokemonbanks

#targetdemographs

#shouldhavebeenapoll

I really, really don't like AdBlocker, and I'm always surprised that people feel that it's acceptable to use it.

I think some people just have a sense of entitlement. They want the content, but don't want to inconvenience themselves in any way to get it. It's rather short sighted and harmful to the sites that these people profess to enjoy.

I've always looked at it similarly to the OP. If I am about to sit down to watch a 30 minute video, why do I care if I have to watch a 15 or 30 second ad that can generally be skipped after 5 seconds? Especially on a site like Giantbomb where they often have streams and video that can stretch well over an hour, are they really asking that much from me when they place a short ad before it?

I guess it's easy to talk about "fighting back against the system" or whatever. What it really comes down to (I believe) is selfishness.

I wish content providers didnt have to use advertising to fund said content. I wish it was as simple as "I'd rather just give you a few bucks a month", but I don't think that system works for everyone like it does for GB. I use adblock, but if I'm invested in a site, I whitelist them to show my support.

Also, ads can actually make sites run shittier. I just disabled adblock in IGN to see what would happen. It loaded slower, and page scrolling was way laggier. And I have a really good laptop/internet, so it cant be any of that stuff.

AND: I'm a giant bomb monthly subscriber, which means I SHOULD be seeing ads, but for some reason never do. I can disable adblock, uninstall it, etc, but when I'm logged into my account I don't see any ads. BUT when I log out, ads instantly pop up (which means it's something on the sites end). I honestly wish I could see ads on giant bomb (I want to support the site as much as I can), but it's impossible if I am logged in....

@ponchopowerphd: It depends on the show I'm watching personally. Some shows I'll sit through the commercials; others I'll just skip to a second program that happens to be on at the time. Any thing not to be jumped in alley and robbed with the brand new SharperImage Kitchen Cutlery Deluxe™ now at the low low price of $19.99 plus shipping and handling. Double that if I call within the next five minutes.

I share a similar philosophy, I usually don't go to sites I don't support or wouldn't support on a monetary level; in this case, however, all the site's content is user-generated, and top-notch at that, so it's more that I'm supporting these few people than I am the website's host.

I'm actually not all that sure why the videos froze during the ad like that. I know it's something on my end; internet, computer, could be either. All I know is blocking the ad fixed it, so hey, I'm not complaining.

I don't use adverts for many of the same reasons as the OP. Would would be cool would be if youtube had a few more ads in the rotation. Spend a while on Youtube and you will see mostly the same ads.

If I really like a site i'll subscribe (i.e. giantbomb.) but I also respect Gamespot for just scrapping subscriptions altogether in favour of every user getting ads. The two sites are VERY different of course and the COD generation that go to gamespot often probably are influenced by the ads.

7 minutes of tv and then an advert break? I know I don't watch tv anyway, but I am glad I dont live where you live.

I use adblock cause ads look ugly as shit, and most of the time are for things that don't even affect me. The new Chevy pickup truck? Cool, they don't sell those here.

I'm always surprised when a consumer feel it's somehow his or hers responsibility to keep companies business models profitable.

Its rather obvious we live in different parts of the world. In Denmark TV commercials is a rather new thing. The most aggressive network have breaks every 30 minutes or once in a 30 min segment. The rest have em just between the programs. Our public funded channels have no ads at all. Its illegal!

The most precious ressource an individual owns is time. Adds steal our time, thus I universally Ad-Block.

Content providers needs to get paid sure, and I am willing to support them. But not via adds.

I am a Giant Bomb sub exactly for this reason.

I don't run it on sites i like and block everything else

People proposing a new business model that benefits the customers, please explain yourselves, this isn't like music, video and gaming because the content is by in large free and any solution will most likely mean restricting content to people who don't pay a monthly subscription.

They won't. They'll just say it is up to the companies to think something up and it is none of their business. They might have a point....but...... I don't see another way to provide all the content people expect for free on the internet. This is the crux of the problem. For some reason people think that music, films, games etc are things you should have to pay for but they don't think you should have to pay for internet content. There are certain sites for which people will buy subscriptions but from what I hear even Giant Bomb would be in trouble if they didn't get advertising money.

I understand that people dislike advertising but I find it hard to believe that they are willing either for their favourite sites to go under, or have to pay more in subs and frees. If you are then I admire your principles but I think the internet will be poorer for them.

Going back to your post, whatever business proposition people come up with it must mean that the internet will be more expensive - are people prepared to pay directly for their content, rather than just lend their eyeballs? I have some doubts.

Yep, it would be nice to see people actually thinking up solutions instead of just railing against a business model that really doesn't affect us that much to be honest. Is everything supposed to be subscription based in their ad free utopia? How does that end up working?

What it comes back to is a sense of entitlement. These are the same sorts of people who pirate movies, games, and music without a second thought to the fact they are taking money out of someone else's pocket. I wish I had enough free income to justify a subscription to Giantbomb. I really do. Frankly, I probably need the money more than these guys do. But I figure the least I can do is allow a few dumb ads to either sit on my screen or play before I watch a video. It's so little to ask.

I am seriously fucking considering it. When you first visit the site and what you see is more than 50% ad that is going too far. I can't imagine this is good business. How many users are going to stick around after a greeting like that?

@excast said:

This is totally a fair assumption to make. I enjoy being compared to criminals for blocking ads that negatively effect my computer's performance. Thank you.

If content creators figure out a way to sell me content in a very unobtrusive and inoffensive manner than I'll probably go for it. If content creators only want to force me to watch loud and annoying ads at ever turn then do not be surprised if I reject it.

Content creators do need to make a living and I do not have a right to free stuff. However content creators do not have the right to force me to watch, read, listen to some other content even if it revenue.

It's unfortunate that the websites are the ones that suffer when it's the advertisers that I have a problem with. I'd like websites to make the money they deserve from me visiting their site but I don't see what that has to do with Colgate or Papa John's new diarrhea pizza corndog bites.

If there was a button on every advertisement that allowed me to give it the middle finger while also giving the website their deserved money I'd press it ever time.

A little box in the corner that said "hey, Subway pays for shit sometimes but who cares. click this box so Subway can fuck off forever and Giantbomb will still be allowed to exist" would do just fine.

I work in advertising and I still use adblock. Some sites just take it too far, or try to link you to malicious content. I'll probably keep it on until I feel like the large majority of internet ads are as (relatively) harmless as TV ones. That is to say high quality ads for big companies and not like "One weird little secret the doctors don't want you to know!" spam bullshit. Oh and I'll always block Google AdSense. Fuck that shit.

I use adblock and i don't feel bad about it at all. Sorry if it effects you, but that's not really my problem. I'm not going to have my free time pestered and annoyed by ads. Alot of these ads are distracting, disgusting and even sometimes malicious. Giantbomb is not innocent of this either, ever since they signed up with CBSi the ads have gotten downright awful.

I fully understand the negative effect of using adblock, but might sound selfish, but i'm more important than you. (to me at least). So if i can use a legal free thing to make my freetime vastly more enjoyable, i will do it.

I also don't watch TV on TV anymore...so i haven't seen an actual TV commercial in months.

And no, i don't pirate games.

Use it. Don't feel bad. If you want money offer me a direct way to give it to you. Ive thrown down $50 for the past two years at Giantbomb. If you give me reason enough to directly support you I will. Fuck ads though. I dont want ad scripts running malware and other garbage lives inside of those scripts on even the most of reputable of sites. That's my take. Give me a way to directly support you if you want my money because im not loading ads or any sort of scripts on websites.

Firstly, you are way out of fucking line comparing people who use Adblock to people who pirate products. Know that.

Secondly, I'm sorry, but I didn't know that it was my business model being rendered obsolete be something as fairly simple as an adblocking tool, hence it being on me to come up with solutions. Listen, I'm not the one with a problem here, and content creators can't make me think so. I cannot be guilted into keeping their business model profitable, at the expense of wasting my time and having a worse browsing experience. Furthermore I'm not buying your doomsday prophecies of a more subscription based future. We've seen subscription services blossom like never before in the past couple of years (Netflix, Spotify etc.), the result of which being more individual freedom to choose what you wan't to spend your time on, and actually forcing the competition as well as the "traditional media" to step up their game, resulting a better quality experience when watching TV, listening to music and so on.

Just like we as consumers and users of the internet aren't entitled to free content, a company isn't entitled to make money on annoying shit and wasting peoples time - no matter how minuscule you find the annoyance.

I use it for everything, not ashamed in the slightest.

My time > other peoples money

I don't waste my time on things that do not interest me, it doesn't do any productive thing for me. I don't want to see an add of 20 seconds to watch a trailer which is also an add.

@ravenlight: @randomhero666: Their new crowdfunded thing is horrendous. This is the only good thing that came out of that.

Adblock is dumb

I can't stand adblock, and since that campaign to "save the internet" came out I can't stand the people behind it. If you take a step back and really listen to what they are saying it basically boils down to "we want to save the internet by taking all the money away from people who make it a worthwhile place." It drives me crazy.

The only thing I have whitelisted is snipealot's BW twitch channels because the money goes directly to support the league. I adblock GB because the ads are really intrusive and distracting, and also make the site freeze on occasion. I adblock youtube because I like to watch the videos on long playlists while I'm doing other things, and sometimes 3+ minute ads will play (I got like a ten minute ad before my video the other day).

I find it interesting that every person who is pro-Adblock isn't a subscriber here. Just saying...

My thoughts are: I don't give a shit, I use it, and I don't care if you use it or don't use it. Just don't touch my hair.

I allow some websites to display their ads, although I do not have this website whitelisted as I found some ads in the past to be pretty gross. No thank you, I don't want roadkill t-shirts.

@squidc00kie said:

I was a subscriber for a year and then stopped as I barely watched the subscriber content because it's mostly just let's play content.

Its not my job or responsibility to solve this problem. If a company wants to pay me to figure it out, great! But as it stands I as an individual have no responsibility to corporations. Its starting to bother me that corporations seem to have done a fine job in America making people feel like they are responsible for fixing bad business models by shaming others who don't agree with them. Its a brilliant way to turn consumers against each other.

I'm pro-Adblock. Just saying....

You're not stepping back far enough. Like advertisers, you're focusing on the immediate gain/loss and losing the big picture. The ad-based revenue model is a dumb, bloated, broken way to do things but everyone has become complacent and is willing to play ball within this shitty system. Some drastic change is needed to shake things up so content creators are given the impetus to find a less shitty way to make money. I hope that's what AdBlock's crowdfunded campaign would do.

Before you retort and demand that I produce a better revenue model, I don't have one. But, as a content consumer, that's not really my responsibility, is it? Though I could get behind @spraynardtatum's idea up there.

Please don't insinuate that I'm a hypocrite. Double-check your facts because this statement is blatantly untrue. I love Giant Bomb and I love that they've given me an alternate way to support the site.