8 ms·

Why would you even browse the web without using an ad blocker?

by 9dev 3mo ago

Hugsbox 3mo ago
The "ad" as described in my comment isn't really an ad in the typical sense, it's baked into the website. But the real reason is, I'm on my work computer and unable to install browser extensions.
- 9dev 3mo ago
  You should urgently contact your IT department. Not enforcing ad blocking extensions is a security liability.
  - Hugsbox 3mo ago
    I'm in the IT department. Unfortunately massive global corporations routinely make extremely misguided decisions and don't particularly give a shit about what people like me have to say on the matter.
    - smallerize 3mo ago
      How about the FBI https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA221221 https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA221221 or CISA https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/services/adblock https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/services/adblock ?
      - Hugsbox 3mo ago
        I'm well aware of all this, but I think you folks might be underestimating the hubris of gigantic corporations and how little my input as one IT guy at one little factory in one little part of the world means to the people who actually make decisions. Even if I wanted to bring these things to their attention, there is absolutely zero chance they'd ever so much as open an email from me. Whatever the company decides is gospel, only a fool would question their genius.
xnx 3mo ago
No good options on Android right now. You can use Firefox, but there are a lot of tradeoffs.
- radiorental 3mo ago
  I'm curious what the tradeoffs are, I exclusively use FF and any time Chrome auto opens via a link I immediately baulk at the experience.
  - leosanchez 3mo ago
    I use FF exclusively and disabled chrome on my Android phone. Lucky me :)
  - xnx 3mo ago
    Save page, speed, battery life, bookmark sync, tab sync, and password sync are all slightly better in Chrome. I used Firefox on Android for probably 11 years before switching to Dolphin (RIP) and then stock Chrome when Firefox made it a huge pain to install extensions. I keep waiting for someone to fully enable extensions on Chrome for Android.
omoikane 3mo ago
So that you would notice sites that are serving obnoxious ads, and remember not to visit them in the future. Maybe you are saying "the whole internet is like that now, it's impossible to find good sites without obnoxious ads", but I don't think it's that bad yet (hacker news is a good counterexample). But if everyone keep visiting user hostile sites, the site operators will see no incentive to change.
- 9dev 3mo ago
  Frankly, I just don't care about the distinction. I'm going to engage with sites, I just choose not to download some of their content which I find annoying. Whether they offer that content or not doesn't matter to me at all, because I never see it anyway. And for those that are countering this with "but some sites can only cover their costs using ads!" I say: Tough luck. I'm readily paying for things if I want them; if you can only offer something in exchange for advertisements, I don't want it.
layer8 3mo ago
The site hides its content after a few seconds when using an ad blocker (on mobile Safari), showing a modal prompt asking to disable the ad blocker. Of course there are ways around this, but at that point I don’t bother which such blogs anymore. It is a bit ironic given the subject of this blog post.

Why would you even browse the web without using an ad blocker?

by 9dev 3mo ago

Why would you even browse the web without using an ad blocker?

The "ad" as described in my comment isn't really an ad in the typical sense, it's baked into the website. But the real reason is, I'm on my work computer and unable to install browser extensions.

9dev 3mo ago
You should urgently contact your IT department. Not enforcing ad blocking extensions is a security liability.
- Hugsbox 3mo ago
  I'm in the IT department. Unfortunately massive global corporations routinely make extremely misguided decisions and don't particularly give a shit about what people like me have to say on the matter.
  - smallerize 3mo ago
    How about the FBI https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA221221 https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2022/PSA221221 or CISA https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/services/adblock https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/services/adblock ?
    - Hugsbox 3mo ago
      I'm well aware of all this, but I think you folks might be underestimating the hubris of gigantic corporations and how little my input as one IT guy at one little factory in one little part of the world means to the people who actually make decisions. Even if I wanted to bring these things to their attention, there is absolutely zero chance they'd ever so much as open an email from me. Whatever the company decides is gospel, only a fool would question their genius.

xnx 3mo ago

No good options on Android right now. You can use Firefox, but there are a lot of tradeoffs.

radiorental 3mo ago
I'm curious what the tradeoffs are, I exclusively use FF and any time Chrome auto opens via a link I immediately baulk at the experience.
- leosanchez 3mo ago
  I use FF exclusively and disabled chrome on my Android phone. Lucky me :)
- xnx 3mo ago
  Save page, speed, battery life, bookmark sync, tab sync, and password sync are all slightly better in Chrome. I used Firefox on Android for probably 11 years before switching to Dolphin (RIP) and then stock Chrome when Firefox made it a huge pain to install extensions. I keep waiting for someone to fully enable extensions on Chrome for Android.

omoikane 3mo ago

So that you would notice sites that are serving obnoxious ads, and remember not to visit them in the future. Maybe you are saying "the whole internet is like that now, it's impossible to find good sites without obnoxious ads", but I don't think it's that bad yet (hacker news is a good counterexample). But if everyone keep visiting user hostile sites, the site operators will see no incentive to change.

9dev 3mo ago
Frankly, I just don't care about the distinction. I'm going to engage with sites, I just choose not to download some of their content which I find annoying. Whether they offer that content or not doesn't matter to me at all, because I never see it anyway. And for those that are countering this with "but some sites can only cover their costs using ads!" I say: Tough luck. I'm readily paying for things if I want them; if you can only offer something in exchange for advertisements, I don't want it.

layer8 3mo ago

The site hides its content after a few seconds when using an ad blocker (on mobile Safari), showing a modal prompt asking to disable the ad blocker. Of course there are ways around this, but at that point I don’t bother which such blogs anymore. It is a bit ironic given the subject of this blog post.