So before any conversation about AdBlock begins, I thought I'd make it clear that I do not use AdBlock here. Who realistically cares about noiseless non-intrusive banner adds anyway? I don't, so I'd never really have a problem with not running AdBlock on forums. Besides, I'd do anything for this forum, I'd give my own male parts for this forums - I'd do pretty much anything apart from pledge $50, amirite?! However, I do use AdBlock on most media I watch. For one I don't like seeing the same adverts over and over again. For two if my internet speed is suffering, I get very irritated that I have to wait for an advert to buffer sometimes for a longer duration than the original video I intended to watch (I can't get fibre optic broadband where I live, so my internet speed can vary pretty dramatically). Finally, I usually use things like YouTube to listen to music - lacking iTunes and the like it's what I like to use and to have a playlist interrupted by incessant ads is a bit of a mood-killer. Having said that, today I watched this video on GameTrailers that practically equates using AdBlock to stealing and piracy. Whilst I appreciate that if everyone used AdBlock all good things on the internet would go down the pan, it also seems vaguely entitled for any online media company to assume you shouldn't be watching their content without ads when there is a free and legal means not to. If using AdBlock was illegal and by law equivalent to piracy then fine, but as it isn't then it's hard to blame people for wanting to maximise their enjoyment in their down time and a bit of a childish tactic by companies to belittle those who do. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Jim Sterling's AdBlock Episode where he takes a more moderate view; he appreciates that more often than not adverts are shit, that ad companies are to blame for this and so it's hard to pick fault with people who don't want to watch intrusive time-wasting ads. At the same time he politely requests for people not to use AdBlock when they watch his videos, and because of this most of the time I'll pause it when I watch videos of people I like (including him) and when I remember to - I know right, I'm like a modern day Mother Theresa? Following his video I'm pretty sure he was inundated with a load of crap due to providing his PO Box. So what are your thoughts on this? I appreciate that moderators are probably slightly biased in the knowledge that AdBlock keeps this site afloat and so any siding with AdBlock is evil - but I'm still curious to hear opinions. I also don't expect people to be like Crypton who welcome people to use AdBlock on their sites and shit on their site maintenance (Where on earth did he go? All his stuff online now about Arcanum is gone as far as I can find? I remember reading his blog he had in his signature stating that his dog was dead and that he loved her like a sister and more than most human people - it was, well, quite special.). For the record I don't donate to AdBlock either, so I guess that makes me the double hypocrite - wanting both AdBlock and some sites I like to stay afloat due to other people's money or efforts.
There was a time when I used adblock programs, and that was back in the days when Internet ads meant millions of pop-up windows blowing your RAM to hell. Nowadays, most ads you see are just banners, some of which start blaring when you hover your mouse pointer over them (so I don't). Then again, I have fibre optic broadband and don't have to care about clips buffering. I guess the verdict is I don't care about Adblock at all. I expect your male parts along with a certificate of authenticity within the week.
For this forum, I don't mind. Some websites, however, make me want to install it. Those some I mention have ads with sound that repeat themselves, and I can't find them to mute them.
Damn I didn't expect anyone to call me on my offer, now I'm going to have to send in someone else's male parts. Looks like I'm going tramp hunting tonight. That's strange - I supposed I assumed that most people would have it installed even if they didn't have it turned on on a number of sites. I guess it's mostly people who don't have it installed that do allow for various internet sites to make their money, but the way such a fuss is created over it I presumed they were the minority.
You can almost always click away Youtube ads within five seconds or so. Ad-free Youtube was a better time though.
I use AdBlock mostly to block annoying, sound playing ads, as both my RAM and internet connection are nothing to brag about, I still, however disable it in sites where I know there is ad moderating/ Ads keep the site up. My conclusion is that ads are, like many other things, a necessary evil in order to get the best things in life...
I've never used AdBlock, mostly out of being too lazy to go download it. Wikia has been running ads for the past 12 months that actually start playing sound, though, and they like to hide them in dark corners of the page. So it's tempting.
I installed Adblock back due the invasion of T-A by that 'Hellooooooo!' emoticon ad. But unless a site has ads that play sound I leave it turned off and in the case of T-A I both have ads and donate to Sorcerers since they are awesome enough to host us.
Re: Agreed. It is either endure ads or pay for things. Hell, I even click ads on the regular. I assume that generates revenue.
I used to use ad block plus addon for FF. But recently I try a new way. I modified FF preference to block almost every popups, which I hate most, also forced them to open in tab, not window. I changed flash to click-to-play to prevent video and audio ads. Also I have avast webrep, it blocks some tracking ads for me. The down site is that ads make loading a site quit slower (I have encounter some site not functions correctly but same things happened with ABP). I'm still unsure which way is better now, though. Any way, I agree ads is necessary, especially for some nice but small site. If they are not intrusive and eat up my bandwidth, I don't mind them.
