Why Ad Blocking Hurts the Sites You Love

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Here’s a very interesting piece at Ars Technica, on a subject that has a direct effect on LGF: Why Ad Blocking is devastating to the sites you love.

Did you know that blocking ads truly hurts the websites you visit? We recently learned that many of our readers did not know this, so I’m going to explain why.

There is an oft-stated misconception that if a user never clicks on ads, then blocking them won’t hurt a site financially. This is wrong. Most sites, at least sites the size of ours, are paid on a per view basis. If you have an ad blocker running, and you load 10 pages on the site, you consume resources from us (bandwidth being only one of them), but provide us with no revenue. Because we are a technology site, we have a very large base of ad blockers. Imagine running a restaurant where 40% of the people who came and ate didn’t pay. In a way, that’s what ad blocking is doing to us. Just like a restaurant, we have to pay to staff, we have to pay for resources, and we have to pay when people consume those resources. The difference, of course, is that our visitors don’t pay us directly but indirectly by viewing advertising. (Although a few thousand of you are subscribers, and we thank you all very, very much!)

My argument is simple: blocking ads can be devastating to the sites you love. I am not making an argument that blocking ads is a form of stealing, or is immoral, or unethical, or makes someone the son of the devil. It can result in people losing their jobs, it can result in less content on any given site, and it definitely can affect the quality of content. It can also put sites into a real advertising death spin. As ad revenues go down, many sites are lured into running advertising of a truly questionable nature. We’ve all seen it happen. I am very proud of the fact that we routinely talk to you guys in our feedback forum about the quality of our ads. I have proven over 12 years that we will fight on the behalf of readers whenever we can. Does that mean that there are the occasional intrusive ads, expanding this way and that? Yes, sometimes we have to accept those ads. But any of you reading this site for any significant period of time know that these are few and far between. We turn down offers every month for advertising like that out of respect for you guys. We simply ask that you return the favor and not block ads.

If you read a site and care about its well being, then you should not block ads (or you�subscribe�to sites like Ars that offer ads-free versions of the site). If a site has advertising you don’t agree with, don’t go there. I think it is far better to vote with page views than to show up and consume resources without giving anything in return. I think in some ways the Internet and its vast anonymity feeds into a culture where many people do not think about the people, the families, the careers that go into producing a website. People talk about how annoying advertisments are, but I’ll tell you what: it’s a lot more annoying and frustrating to have to cut staff and cut benefits because a huge portion of readers block ads. Yet I’ve seen that happen at dozens of great sites over the last few years, Ars included.

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250 comments
1 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:20:47am

I didn’t know that many people used non-popup ad blockers. (I’m sorry, pop-ups are different :P)

Not sure why you’d bother to block ‘em :p

2 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:20:47am

Yes, this is true, and it’s something I’ve been aware of for some time.

Nonetheless, ads slow down page loads, choke the Internet as a whole, and don’t do me, personally, any good when I’m visiting other sites. They’re also, to be blunt, annoying. So my AdBlocker settings are going to remain intact.

3 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:22:03am

re: #2 SixDegrees

Yes, this is true, and it’s something I’ve been aware of for some time.

Nonetheless, ads slow down page loads, choke the Internet as a whole, and don’t do me, personally, any good when I’m visiting other sites. They’re also, to be blunt, annoying. So my AdBlocker settings are going to remain intact.

Gee, thanks! Appreciate the support.

/

4 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:22:31am

re: #1 windsagio

I didn’t know that many people used non-popup ad blockers. (I’m sorry, pop-ups are different :P)

Not sure why you’d bother to block ‘em :p

Downloading speed and resource usage are both improved if you block ads, which can suck up enormous bandwidth and consume surprising amounts of resources, both memory and CPU.

5 Spare O'Lake  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:22:56am

Stupid Questions:
1. How does one know if one is ad blocking?
2. How does one turn off one’s ad blocking when one logs on to LGF?

6 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:23:38am

re: #3 Charles

Gee, thanks! Appreciate the support.

/

Nothing personal. I just hate ads in general, for the reasons cited.

I’ve got ads on my site, too. It really doesn’t bother me that a lot of people who visit it probably don’t see them.

7 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:24:08am

re: #5 Spare O’Lake

do you see advertisements on the side there? If yes, you’re not blocking :p

re: #4 SixDegrees

fair enough I guess, It just seems like more work to get the software (and hope you can trust the provider too!) than to wait an extra 2 seconds for a page to load >>

8 recusancy  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:24:32am

re: #2 SixDegrees

Yes, this is true, and it’s something I’ve been aware of for some time.

Nonetheless, ads slow down page loads, choke the Internet as a whole, and don’t do me, personally, any good when I’m visiting other sites. They’re also, to be blunt, annoying. So my AdBlocker settings are going to remain intact.

You know what else is annoying? Not having a thriving, free (therefore ad based) internet to surf on.

9 RogueOne  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:24:37am

I was going to post this in this mornings thread. I happen to use 2 browsers. Firefox is my catch-all with ad blocker turned on and chrome without an ad blocker is what I use for the sites I use on a regular basis (like LGF). I don’t mind the ads on the sites I use but I hate going to some board and having a dozen popups come across the screen. As a matter-of-fact I tend to hit a few ads during the day on the sites I like. When Charles posts a link from Amazon I always click through.

10 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:25:22am

re: #5 Spare O’Lake

Stupid Questions:
1. How does one know if one is ad blocking?
2. How does one turn off one’s ad blocking when one logs on to LGF?

You need to install ad blocking software to block ads. With Firefox, the most common one is called AdBlock.

By default, it blocks all ads, but you can fine-tune it to allow ads on specified pages, either temporarily or permanently. Same for popups.

In IE, I don’t think there is any capability that blocks ads.

11 simoom  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:26:04am

re: #2 SixDegrees

In general I don’t bother with ad-blocking but one thing you could do if your main concern is bandwidth and bad-actor sites with overly obtrusive/redirecting/referral-tracking ads, is set ad blocking exception rules for those sites that you make heavy use of, that you trust and want to support (through ad revenue).

12 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:26:36am

re: #7 windsagio

do you see advertisements on the side there? If yes, you’re not blocking :p

re: #4 SixDegrees

fair enough I guess, It just seems like more work to get the software (and hope you can trust the provider too!) than to wait an extra 2 seconds for a page to load >>

AdBlock took about ten seconds to download; installation and configuration were automatic. I’ve never had to do anything else.

13 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:28:10am

This is the only site I disable the ad blocker for. I’m trying to think whether there are any other sites I “care” about. Maybe I should unblock ‘em on Yahoo, since I use their free email.

14 Jadespring  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:28:25am

I only block popups. Page ads are no big deal but popups besides being annoying real make surfing nearly impossible since I’m stuck in the dark ages of dial-up.

15 Mad Al-Jaffee  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:28:39am

Upding for T-Bone Burnett.

Time for lunch.

16 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:28:54am

I agree that pop ups are the most annoying kinds of ads. I use a pop-up blocker, not an ad-blocker, because I myself understand that TANSTAAFL (There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch).

Its just like you ad-blockers to be like government employees, burdens of society (COMPLETELY ignoring the fact that I’m technically a government employee myself!)

17 harrylook  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:28:56am

Ads are a small price to pay for free content.

18 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:29:36am

re: #5 Spare O’Lake

Stupid Questions:
1. How does one know if one is ad blocking?
2. How does one turn off one’s ad blocking when one logs on to LGF?

I use adblocker on Firefox and turn it off for LGF because I don’t like the formatting without ad’s. I’m a LGF subscriber and would love to have clean version of LGF for us that kept the “look” of the site.

19 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:29:57am
20 Political Atheist  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:14am

I was looking at the add on, and I’d like it better if it had exceptions for certain addresses. That would let ads run when I browse here but not at other sites. I’d like to pick and choose. I did not try the filter feature, so I left adblock UN enabled.

21 Kragar  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:20am

Now an ethical question: Don’t sites owe it to their readers to check what their advertisers are doing to the readers systems? I loose count of how many times in a day I have to close out a browser session or my system gets hung because some sloppy ad code fails to load or ties up resources.

22 middy  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:21am

Go ahead, just slouch through and get your free lunch. We wouldn’t want to hassle anyone with ads when they are just here to view the content they are entitled to. Entitled! By God!

23 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:26am

re: #17 harrylook

Ads are a small price to pay for free content.

Quite Concur.

24 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:32am

re: #8 recusancy

You know what else is annoying? Not having a thriving, free (therefore ad based) internet to surf on.

I ran my own web site for many years at my own expense; it’s not like it costs a lot, or even anything at all on some hosts. I added advertising a couple of years ago, and generate enough dough to cover my hosting costs.

The Internet was in existence long before ads on the Internet were. The cost of posting content is somewhere between trivial and non-existent. In my case, the time I devote to maintaining my site is something I’d do anyway, and did, for free.

25 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:30:32am

re: #17 harrylook

Ads are a small price to pay for free content.

This “adult” forum I’m a member of has ads, but he lately added an option of paying a one-time fee of 10 Euros (at the time $13), and viola! no more ads! I am really friendly with the owner and he complained about the number of people who really wouldn’t drop 13 bucks for that, and would rather just sit there and complain about it.

26 Kragar  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:31:02am

re: #14 Jadespring

I only block popups. Page ads are no big deal but popups besides being annoying real make surfing nearly impossible since I’m stuck in the dark ages of dial-up.

I dont mind ads, but popups are just plain rude.

27 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:31:03am

You guys are the reason that some people I know lost 40% of their net value in 2000-2001 :p

28 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:31:57am

re: #24 SixDegrees

I ran my own web site for many years at my own expense; it’s not like it costs a lot, or even anything at all on some hosts. I added advertising a couple of years ago, and generate enough dough to cover my hosting costs.

The Internet was in existence long before ads on the Internet were. The cost of posting content is somewhere between trivial and non-existent. In my case, the time I devote to maintaining my site is something I’d do anyway, and did, for free.

Quite possibly so, but did you do that as your sole money earner? For those that the website IS their job they do need to earn some kind of sustenance.

29 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:32:36am

re: #11 simoom

In general I don’t bother with ad-blocking but one thing you could do if your main concern is bandwidth and bad-actor sites with overly obtrusive/redirecting/referral-tracking ads, is set ad blocking exception rules for those sites that you make heavy use of, that you trust and want to support (through ad revenue).

For what it’s worth, I’m locked into using IE at work, and there’s no way to block ads with IE. So during that time, I’m sucking up all the ads any page I visit can throw at me.

Despite a recent upgrade to the latest version of IE, I still run across a number of pages that slow IE to a crawl, or even a dead halt.

30 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:32:43am

I also “subscribe” to LGF through PayPal. I did that when I realized that I was willing to spend about $10 a month so Mr. w could get the Wall Street Journal, and that LGF was way more fun and meaningful to me than the WSJ would ever be.

31 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:33:56am

re: #25 Hengineer

This “adult” forum I’m a member of has ads, but he lately added an option of paying a one-time fee of 10 Euros (at the time $13), and viola! no more ads! I am really friendly with the owner and he complained about the number of people who really wouldn’t drop 13 bucks for that, and would rather just sit there and complain about it.

I wonder if Charles added a “ad free perk” to his reasonable subscription fee might he not get more subscriptions from the regulars ?

32 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:34:42am

re: #28 Hengineer

Quite possibly so, but did you do that as your sole money earner? For those that the website IS their job they do need to earn some kind of sustenance.

So what? It’s not my job to employ anyone. I’m very well aware of how ad blockers work and how they impact site revenue. For me, the bliss of an ad-free browsing experience outweighs whatever fractional cents worth of ad revenue I may be depriving a site owner of.

I listen to public radio for the same reason. Ads annoy the shit out of me.

33 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:34:59am

re: #12 SixDegrees

Hey Six—

Maybe on a thread where Charles is noting that adblocking software hurts him financially, it’s not the best time to promote adblocking software?

Just a thought.

34 recusancy  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:35:25am

re: #24 SixDegrees

I ran my own web site for many years at my own expense; it’s not like it costs a lot, or even anything at all on some hosts. I added advertising a couple of years ago, and generate enough dough to cover my hosting costs.

The Internet was in existence long before ads on the Internet were. The cost of posting content is somewhere between trivial and non-existent. In my case, the time I devote to maintaining my site is something I’d do anyway, and did, for free.

It ain’t cheap if you have good traffic. And if you have good traffic it probably means you have an interesting product which takes up most of your time. And people need to make a living.

35 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:35:32am

re: #33 Obdicut

Gotta admit, I wondered that too, even if you think it, why say it now? >>

36 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:36:31am

re: #31 avanti

I wonder if Charles added a “ad free perk” to his reasonable subscription fee might he not get more subscriptions from the regulars ?

Or they could enable adblocking and subscribe in order to assuage the guilt!

37 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:36:51am

Heh I just posted the original article and link at the forum I frequent. I’m sure admin/owner would love it.

38 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:37:26am

re: #36 wrenchwench

Or they could enable adblocking and subscribe in order to assuage the guilt!

But that would mean paying money! Even if its only ten bucks! They’d much rather sit there and complain about ads!

39 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:38:35am

re: #34 recusancy

It ain’t cheap if you have good traffic. And if you have good traffic it probably means you have an interesting product which takes up most of your time. And people need to make a living.

Actually, Hosting Matters just announced over the weekend that they are removing pretty much all resources charges from their accounts. You pay a flat fee, and that’s it; no additional charge for bandwidth. And their packages are very reasonable.

40 Political Atheist  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:39:36am

Dies anyone know if the practice of fast forwarding through ads on your DVR hurts revenues for TV?

41 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:39:51am

re: #38 Hengineer

But that would mean paying money! Even if its only ten bucks! They’d much rather sit there and complain about ads!

I also apparently made a big assumption there about the guilt thing…..

42 RogueOne  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:39:56am

I’ve never run across a pop-up ad on LGF and I know I’m not using a blocker with this browser. The rest of the ads are unobtrusive enough that usually I don’t even notice their presence.

43 Political Atheist  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:40:00am

PIMF DOES, not Dies. Whoops.

44 reine.de.tout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:40:47am

re: #2 SixDegrees

Yes, this is true, and it’s something I’ve been aware of for some time.

Nonetheless, ads slow down page loads, choke the Internet as a whole, and don’t do me, personally, any good when I’m visiting other sites. They’re also, to be blunt, annoying. So my AdBlocker settings are going to remain intact.

The only ads that I find annoying are those pop-ups that you can’t get rid of, or the “x” is so small and hidden that you can’t find it. I don’t mind ads on a page, like here, those are not annoying to me and actually, I occasionally see something I’m interested in.

45 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:41:09am

re: #39 SixDegrees

Actually, Hosting Matters just announced over the weekend that they are removing pretty much all resources charges from their accounts. You pay a flat fee, and that’s it; no additional charge for bandwidth. And their packages are very reasonable.

FYI, LGF uses two dedicated servers. And no, it’s not cheap.

46 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:41:26am

re: #39 SixDegrees

Actually, Hosting Matters just announced over the weekend that they are removing pretty much all resources charges from their accounts. You pay a flat fee, and that’s it; no additional charge for bandwidth. And their packages are very reasonable.

I’m sure they are, but there has to be fine print somewhere where it says if you use above a certain amount of bandwidth they may decide to upgrade you and charge you more or “404” your page until the month resets. I know bandwidth is getting cheaper like hard drive space is, but its still not pennies.

47 reine.de.tout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:41:31am

re: #32 SixDegrees

So what? It’s not my job to employ anyone. I’m very well aware of how ad blockers work and how they impact site revenue. For me, the bliss of an ad-free browsing experience outweighs whatever fractional cents worth of ad revenue I may be depriving a site owner of.

I listen to public radio for the same reason. Ads annoy the shit out of me.

May I suggest, then, that you use the “donate” button on occasion?

48 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:42:25am

re: #45 Charles

Christ, 2? I need to remember how to look up traffic trends, ‘cuz that’s wild.

49 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:42:28am

re: #41 wrenchwench

I also apparently made a big assumption there about the guilt thing…

-snicker- not when you have the AARP or Welfare people demanding free money. There are freeloaders wherever you go.

50 recusancy  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:42:33am

re: #39 SixDegrees

Actually, Hosting Matters just announced over the weekend that they are removing pretty much all resources charges from their accounts. You pay a flat fee, and that’s it; no additional charge for bandwidth. And their packages are very reasonable.

That’s probably great for your site that nobody goes to. But for a site with a lot of traffic it wouldn’t work. They have bandwidth limits on those plans. And this has a sizable database with multiple servers I would imagine as well.

51 reine.de.tout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:43:03am

re: #30 wrenchwench

I also “subscribe” to LGF through PayPal. I did that when I realized that I was willing to spend about $10 a month so Mr. w could get the Wall Street Journal, and that LGF was way more fun and meaningful to me than the WSJ would ever be.

Wrenchwench - I have to go each month, I try to do it around the first. How do you “subscribe” on a regular basis thru paypal?

52 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:43:04am

OMG!!!11! Don’t click on the last link in that article!

53 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:43:10am

re: #36 wrenchwench

Or they could enable adblocking and subscribe in order to assuage the guilt!

That’s one reason I subscribed, but blocking the ad’s messes up the look of LGF for me. I use it most everywhere else for casual surfing.

54 Martinsmithy  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:43:35am

It’s the equivalent of TIVO for broadcast/cable TV. The advertiser’s (and the content provider’s) worst nightmare.

I personally don’t block internet ads. I just ignore them. Just like I ignore most TV ads, except for those that are really funny (Budweiser “too little too much”) or stupid (the Progressive insurance lady and the GEICO amphibian or reptile or whatever). With blogads, I never get to the point where I find out whether they are stupid or funny - I just delete them once they pop up. It’s not annoying enough to use an ad-blocker.

55 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:43:41am

re: #46 Hengineer

I’m sure they are, but there has to be fine print somewhere where it says if you use above a certain amount of bandwidth they may decide to upgrade you and charge you more or “404” your page until the month resets. I know bandwidth is getting cheaper like hard drive space is, but its still not pennies.

You can visit HM and peruse their rates if you like. There’s a link at the bottom of this page, I believe.

56 researchok  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:44:08am

OK, done. Ads for LGF are enabled on my adaware2.

57 wrenchwench  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:44:34am

re: #51 reine.de.tout

Wrenchwench - I have to go each month, I try to do it around the first. How do you “subscribe” on a regular basis thru paypal?

I clicked on the “subscribe” button. I admit, I always take the easy way out!

There probably wasn’t one when you first donated…

58 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:44:48am

re: #48 windsagio

Christ, 2? I need to remember how to look up traffic trends, ‘cuz that’s wild.

One dedicated web server, and one server for the DB. Before we switched to this system, we were having constant outages due to traffic.

59 Locker  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:44:50am

I know it’s not popular but I’m going to have to side with SixDegrees on this particular issue. I try to support LGF by linking to it, spreading the word about the site via facebook and RL conversations and I try to support Charles when he ventures off the site to go elsewhere. Donations and purchasing site based merchandise are also things I’d support.

That being said I hate ads and marketing, so I’m not ditching my adblock and I’m not ditching my TiVo. Not trying to offend but everyone has their own perspective.

60 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:45:11am

re: #55 SixDegrees

You can visit HM and peruse their rates if you like. There’s a link at the bottom of this page, I believe.

I just did. It looks to me like you’re falling for the “google email” trap. It has so much space for the small-time individual user it looks like its infinite! Well for someone with bandwidth requirements like LGF, Instapundit, DailyKos I would say they would require the biggest packages, or even custom packages.

61 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:45:44am

re: #50 recusancy

That’s probably great for your site that nobody goes to. But for a site with a lot of traffic it wouldn’t work. They have bandwidth limits on those plans. And this has a sizable database with multiple servers I would imagine as well.

Not my problem.

Like I said, I’m happy to maintain my own website out of my own pocked, and did so completely for many years. The last couple of years, after adding an ad service, I basically break even. Works for me, but so did the old way of not making a dime.

62 researchok  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:45:59am

Adblock. I meant to say Adblock.

63 wstevena  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:46:59am

I only wish I had ad blocking software. Recently a visited a site via search engine that infected me with the nasty Internet Security 2010 virus. My computer was effectively hijacked for several days until I was able to use another computer to download an anti-malware solution onto a memory stick.

This distinct advantage of ad blocking software seems to have gone unrecognized by a so-called technology site. As long as Microsoft continues to make a buggy and leaky operating system, users will have to protect themselves.

64 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:47:21am

re: #62 researchok

Adblock. I meant to say Adblock.

no backsies!

65 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:47:47am

re: #60 Hengineer

I just did. It looks to me like you’re falling for the “google email” trap. It has so much space for the small-time individual user it looks like its infinite! Well for someone with bandwidth requirements like LGF, Instapundit, DailyKos I would say they would require the biggest packages, or even custom packages.

Nope. They’ve quite simply removed a number of resource restrictions that were formerly in place on the package I have. No caveats of any sort.

66 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:48:40am

re: #58 Charles

One dedicated web server, and one server for the DB. Before we switched to this system, we were having constant outages due to traffic.

It’s also a lot more secure having your database on a separate server, at least potentially.

67 reine.de.tout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:49:08am

re: #57 wrenchwench

I clicked on the “subscribe” button. I admit, I always take the easy way out!

There probably wasn’t one when you first donated…

Ok, well, DUH on me!
I see it.
crap.

68 researchok  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:49:09am

re: #64 Hengineer

no backsies!

Are you kidding? I’m delighted I figured it out and didn’t have to embarrass myself and have to ask!

69 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:49:15am

re: #63 wstevena

I only wish I had ad blocking software. Recently a visited a site via search engine that infected me with the nasty Internet Security 2010 virus. My computer was effectively hijacked for several days until I was able to use another computer to download an anti-malware solution onto a memory stick.

This distinct advantage of ad blocking software seems to have gone unrecognized by a so-called technology site. As long as Microsoft continues to make a buggy and leaky operating system, users will have to protect themselves.

Get Firefox.

70 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:49:29am

To pay for my historical web archive, I have an online store.

71 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:49:32am

Although in fairness, one of the more popular imagehosts that forum used for user-uploaded content (imagebam.com) once had a VERY annoying ad with some woman damn near screaming “congratulations, you have been selected to receive a free ipod”, but a quick post to the forum and image host site admin (he frequented the board himself, he claimed he loved having immediate quality feedback) and he was able to resolve that specific ad issue.

72 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:50:14am

re: #70 Alouette

oh since you mention it, is it actually your store, or do you work for them?

/sorry to be nosy, but… well I’m nosy :p

73 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:50:15am

re: #69 SixDegrees

Get Firefox.

Firefox is a broswer, not an OS.

74 Kragar  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:50:58am

They found the remains of a girl missing for a year in San Diego over the weekend. The early reports are that it may have been the same guy that they caught last week.

Friends remember Amber Dubois as police seek possible link to Chelsea King murder suspect

Amber Dubois, who disappeared last year on her way to school, was identified through dental records after police found her remains Saturday in rugged terrain near Pala. Police had refocused attention on the Dubois case after a registered sex offender was arrested last week in connection with the suspected murder of Chelsea King, a high school senior from nearby Poway.

The suspect, John Albert Gardner III, lived a couple of miles from where Dubois vanished near Escondido High School. Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher did not disclose whether Gardner, who is being held without bail, is linked to the case. He said an unspecified lead led investigators to the remains.

Bill Garcia, a private investigator hired by the Dubois family, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the tip leading authorities to Dubois’ body did not come from Gardner.

I really hope it was the same guy. Otherwise we still have one animal on the loose.

75 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:51:26am

re: #72 windsagio

oh since you mention it, is it actually your store, or do you work for them?

/sorry to be nosy, but… well I’m nosy :p

I don’t stock inventory, all the products are sold through affiliate partners. What I have done is gather all the affiliate vendors into one portal.

76 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:51:59am

re: #65 SixDegrees

Nope. They’ve quite simply removed a number of resource restrictions that were formerly in place on the package I have. No caveats of any sort.

The packages I saw had anywhere from 40 GB a month to 100 GB a month, and I’m sure the “corporate” packages had terabytes, but its still a restriction, and content like ads and pictures add kilobytes and megabytes that, per user, can add up rapidly.

I’m not saying that bandwidth is getting cheaper, because I’m certain it is, but its still not free, and people like Charles, with probably masses of terabytes of bandwidth requirements per month need to ‘pay the reaper’.

77 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:52:08am

re: #75 Alouette

cool :)

78 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:52:48am

re: #73 Alouette

Firefox is a broswer, not an OS.

Yes, but the poster said they wanted ad blocking software, and blamed an infection on something they caught through a site they reached through an ad. Firefox has good ad blocking extensions available. As noted, IE doesn’t.

79 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:52:52am

re: #58 Charles

One dedicated web server, and one server for the DB. Before we switched to this system, we were having constant outages due to traffic.

Charles, just some questions about the article and LGF. The article is talking about “pop up ads” yes/no, or are they talking about blocking all kinds of ads?

And, does LGF use pop up ads?

I see the ads that come in with the page, never any pop ups.

80 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:53:50am

I still remember the day that Yahoo! had its first popup ad. I was devastated.

81 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:53:58am

re: #76 Hengineer

The packages I saw had anywhere from 40 GB a month to 100 GB a month, and I’m sure the “corporate” packages had terabytes, but its still a restriction, and content like ads and pictures add kilobytes and megabytes that, per user, can add up rapidly.

I’m not saying that bandwidth is getting cheaper, because I’m certain it is, but its still not free, and people like Charles, with probably masses of terabytes of bandwidth requirements per month need to ‘pay the reaper’.

This was a mailing they sent out to existing, long-time customers.

82 RogueOne  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:54:02am

re: #79 Walter L. Newton

both firefox and Norton have add-ons that block all ads, including the ones embedded within the site.

83 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:54:55am

re: #81 SixDegrees

This was a mailing they sent out to existing, long-time customers.

I’m sure they removed a lot of the existing requirements, yes, but if you for some reason started hosting a site that was as popular and visited as LGF, I think they would look at you as a freeloader and do something with your account.

84 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:55:01am

re: #79 Walter L. Newton

Charles, just some questions about the article and LGF. The article is talking about “pop up ads” yes/no, or are they talking about blocking all kinds of ads?

And, does LGF use pop up ads?

I see the ads that come in with the page, never any pop ups.

Nope, I never use popups.

85 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:55:30am

re: #84 Charles

Nope, I never use popups.

A tip of my cap to ya

86 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:55:34am

re: #83 Hengineer

I’m sure they removed a lot of the existing requirements, yes, but if you for some reason started hosting a site that was as popular and visited as LGF, I think they would look at you as a freeloader and do something with your account.

Maybe so. Hasn’t happened, though.

87 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:55:42am

re: #82 RogueOne

both firefox and Norton have add-ons that block all ads, including the ones embedded within the site.

Really, I didn’t know that. I use Safari. I barely see any pop ups (except a few pop ups that load when I LEAVE a page, such as some sites push a Netflix ad that way), but I see all other embedded ads.

88 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:56:22am

re: #79 Walter L. Newton

Only real dirtbags use popups :p

(altho I notice that the Dilbert site has a ton of them, maybe that’s not an altho’)

89 The Curmudgeon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:57:05am

If all ads were subtle, a brief bit of text and a link, with maybe a small logo to register hits, no one would have ever bothered to invent ad blockers. But too many sites had to go bonkers with flashing purple and green pop-ups, and in many cases some kind of frame that hogs the whole screen until it’s clicked. The website operators caused the problem by making their ads so obnoxious.

Even now, with ad blockers so common, an ad consisting of a bit of marginal text, a link and a logo probably wouldn’t even be blocked.

90 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:57:34am

re: #86 SixDegrees

Maybe so. Hasn’t happened, though.

And I’ve seen that quite often, where a revenue-generating website allowed free content to some users to promote “brand loyalty”, but if those users because “power users” they required a bit of $$.

91 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:58:26am

re: #89 The Curmudgeon

If all ads were subtle, a brief bit of text and a link, with maybe a small logo to register hits, no one would have ever bothered to invent ad blockers. But too many sites had to go bonkers with flashing purple and green pop-ups, and in many cases some kind of frame that hogs the whole screen until it’s clicked. The website operators caused the problem by making their ads so obnoxious.

Even now, with ad blockers so common, an ad consisting of a bit of marginal text, a link and a logo probably wouldn’t even be blocked.

My favorite ads are the facebook ads and the Google ads. One the side of the screen, kinda small, but still enough that the advertisers can display their “wares”.

92 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:59:13am

re: #61 SixDegrees

Not my problem.

Like I said, I’m happy to maintain my own website out of my own pocked, and did so completely for many years. The last couple of years, after adding an ad service, I basically break even. Works for me, but so did the old way of not making a dime.

I maintain my own Studebaker website, but my out of pocket expense is $19.95 month, and a few hours of work. To expect Charles to maintain a site like this with the labor involved as a labor of love is unrealistic.
In the early days of the Net I ran a adult web site and made a nice living charging a monthly fee so I don’t mind tossing Charles a few bucks for something a lot more important and requiring more work than posing naked women.

93 Vicious Babushka  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:59:21am

re: #89 The Curmudgeon

If all ads were subtle, a brief bit of text and a link, with maybe a small logo to register hits, no one would have ever bothered to invent ad blockers. But too many sites had to go bonkers with flashing purple and green pop-ups, and in many cases some kind of frame that hogs the whole screen until it’s clicked. The website operators caused the problem by making their ads so obnoxious.

Even now, with ad blockers so common, an ad consisting of a bit of marginal text, a link and a logo probably wouldn’t even be blocked.

I remember when Snopes used to be a source of information about internet rumors, instead of the wasteland of pop-ups and malware that it is now.

94 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:59:24am

re: #84 Charles

Nope, I never use popups.

Ok… so I’m not blocking the embedded ads, or really any ads at LGF. I seriously don’t mind the ads, it just seems to me to be part of the package, part of the look/feel of the site, and if they are not intrusive, as in the sense of trying to “force” you to do something… I’m not sure what the problem is.

95 albusteve  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 9:59:46am

re: #87 Walter L. Newton

Really, I didn’t know that. I use Safari. I barely see any pop ups (except a few pop ups that load when I LEAVE a page, such as some sites push a Netflix ad that way), but I see all other embedded ads.

FF and the newest Norton are very compatible with each other….I’m real happy so far with this combo on my new machine

96 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:00:16am

re: #92 avanti

I maintain my own Studebaker website, but my out of pocket expense is $19.95 month, and a few hours of work. To expect Charles to maintain a site like this with the labor involved as a labor of love is unrealistic.
In the early days of the Net I ran a adult web site and made a nice living charging a monthly fee so I don’t mind tossing Charles a few bucks for something a lot more important and requiring more work than posing naked women.

Why am I not surprised.

97 reine.de.tout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:00:45am

re: #89 The Curmudgeon

If all ads were subtle, a brief bit of text and a link, with maybe a small logo to register hits, no one would have ever bothered to invent ad blockers. But too many sites had to go bonkers with flashing purple and green pop-ups, and in many cases some kind of frame that hogs the whole screen until it’s clicked. The website operators caused the problem by making their ads so obnoxious.

Even now, with ad blockers so common, an ad consisting of a bit of marginal text, a link and a logo probably wouldn’t even be blocked.

I find ads these days are not nearly as aggravating as they used to be (exception: pop-ups and the flashing ads, which I never click). I think the ad designers have had to evolve -

98 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:01:17am

re: #94 Walter L. Newton

I think its philosophical. Some people just don’t like the idea of being ‘forced’ to see ads, no matter how unobtrusively they’re presented.

Just guessing of course.

99 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:02:39am

re: #98 windsagio

I think its philosophical. Some people just don’t like the idea of being ‘forced’ to see ads, no matter how unobtrusively they’re presented.

Just guessing of course.

Who is forced to see an ad. If you go to a site, you have done that voluntarily. What’s with this “forced” bullshit? Who the hell is forced to do anything on the internet?

100 albusteve  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:04:27am

re: #98 windsagio

I think its philosophical. Some people just don’t like the idea of being ‘forced’ to see ads, no matter how unobtrusively they’re presented.

Just guessing of course.

too bad tho…if someone has an unfavorable opinion about this site, they should keep it to themselves….Charles has the Z28 of web sights here and however he does his adds are okay by me

101 albusteve  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:05:39am

re: #99 Walter L. Newton

Who is forced to see an ad. If you go to a site, you have done that voluntarily. What’s with this “forced” bullshit? Who the hell is forced to do anything on the internet?

don’t force me to answer that

102 RogueOne  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:06:25am

re: #95 albusteve

FF and the newest Norton are very compatible with each other…I’m real happy so far with this combo on my new machine

Norton locked my laptop out of net access. It would let me connect to the network but not the internet. I fought with it for hours until finally realizing the problem was with Norton and I wasn’t the only one having the problem. Uninstalling wasn’t good enough, I had to get a special uninstall program from their site to get my system working again.

103 Aceofwhat?  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:07:19am

re: #99 Walter L. Newton

Who is forced to see an ad. If you go to a site, you have done that voluntarily. What’s with this “forced” bullshit? Who the hell is forced to do anything on the internet?

Not only that…here, all this time, i’ve randomly clicked through on them in my own little attempt to keep CJ’s revenue stream going.

Now all i have to do is keep making sure they’re not blocked??

Sweet…

104 Kragar  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:07:33am

re: #101 albusteve

don’t force me to answer that

I WANT THE TRUTH DAMMIT!

105 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:08:40am

re: #104 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

I WANT THE TRUTH DAMMIT!

The truth?! YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

106 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:08:54am

re: #102 RogueOne

Norton locked my laptop out of net access. It would let me connect to the network but not the internet. I fought with it for hours until finally realizing the problem was with Norton and I wasn’t the only one having the problem. Uninstalling wasn’t good enough, I had to get a special uninstall program from their site to get my system working again.

I hear you. Norton once managed to completely trash my hard drive, requiring a low-level format and re-installation of everything, from scratch.

Needless to say, Norton was not among the programs that got restored.

Now, I use Linux almost exclusively.

107 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:10:27am

re: #106 SixDegrees

I hear you. Norton once managed to completely trash my hard drive, requiring a low-level format and re-installation of everything, from scratch.

Needless to say, Norton was not among the programs that got restored.

Now, I use Linux almost exclusively.

I use ESET Smart Security, which contains ESET’s powerful anti-virus NOD32. No problems here :)

108 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:10:29am

re: #99 Walter L. Newton

Just to be clear, its not MY philosophy :p

But people are funny about these things. Like Hengineer’s example (if I read it right) people freaked out over the option to pay to get rid of the ads. Same kind of entitled/me first mindset.

109 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:12:07am

re: #108 windsagio

Just to be clear, its not MY philosophy :p

But people are funny about these things. Like Hengineer’s example (if I read it right) people freaked out over the option to pay to get rid of the ads. Same kind of entitled/me first mindset.

You know it happens. It starts young, I remember a teacher in high school shaking his head at the kids who have all these expensive electronic toys, expensive shoes and yet balk at paying $5 or $10 for a field trip for school.

110 ryannon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:12:59am

re: #96 Walter L. Newton

Why am I not surprised.

I’m both surprised and shocked.

Shocked, I tell you!

Running a site devoted to Studebakers!

There’s something indecent about that.

111 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:13:08am

re: #84 Charles

Nope, I never use popups.

Thank you for that.

112 albusteve  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:13:11am

re: #102 RogueOne

Norton locked my laptop out of net access. It would let me connect to the network but not the internet. I fought with it for hours until finally realizing the problem was with Norton and I wasn’t the only one having the problem. Uninstalling wasn’t good enough, I had to get a special uninstall program from their site to get my system working again.

this is my second go round with Norton…I had that problem a few short years back and finally dumped it, McAffy was the same way, it just started doing things I didn’t understand why or how, but I’m not real bright in that regard anyway …too intrusive for some reason, but I’m happy so far again

113 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:13:47am

re: #102 RogueOne

Norton locked my laptop out of net access. It would let me connect to the network but not the internet. I fought with it for hours until finally realizing the problem was with Norton and I wasn’t the only one having the problem. Uninstalling wasn’t good enough, I had to get a special uninstall program from their site to get my system working again.

Oddly enough, I’ve used Norton for years nad have never had a major problem.

114 Killgore Trout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:14:31am
115 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:15:39am

re: #114 Killgore Trout

Nate Silver needs a crack at that >>

116 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:16:38am

re: #108 windsagio

Just to be clear, its not MY philosophy :p

But people are funny about these things. Like Hengineer’s example (if I read it right) people freaked out over the option to pay to get rid of the ads. Same kind of entitled/me first mindset.

Got it… I didn’t realize you were speaking for others. Yes, it is that entitled/me first mindset… and I come across that a lot when it comes to fair use and copyrights.

I have met many a person (younger people in particular) that honestly believe that all intellectual property should be free and shareable.

As a published author, and a programmer, that chaffs me to no end.

117 Spare O'Lake  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:16:41am

re: #98 windsagio

I think its philosophical. Some people just don’t like the idea of being ‘forced’ to see ads, no matter how unobtrusively they’re presented.

Just guessing of course.

Yeah right, it’s philosophical.
Those same people probably think they have the right to use this site without any “philosophical” obligation to contribute financially. They probably think their comments are so brilliant that THEY should be paid for commenting.

118 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:17:14am

re: #103 Aceofwhat?

Not only that…here, all this time, i’ve randomly clicked through on them in my own little attempt to keep CJ’s revenue stream going.

Now all i have to do is keep making sure they’re not blocked??

Sweet…

Clicking on ads does generate more revenue than just viewing them, by the way.

119 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:17:52am

re: #116 Walter L. Newton

Loltorrents.


You must love them.

re: #117 Spare O’Lake

That’s going a bit far, innit?

120 Killgore Trout  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:17:54am

re: #115 windsagio

I think he’s written about Rassmusen in the past. They are pretty bad.

121 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:19:32am

re: #119 windsagio

Loltorrents.

You must love them.

re: #117 Spare O’Lake

That’s going a bit far, innit?

The technology behind Torrents doesn’t bother me, but most of how it’s used does. More so if I found my material floating around on there.

122 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:21:18am

re: #121 Walter L. Newton

On the other hand, I absolutely hate how WMG slaps around youtube :p

123 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:22:22am

The Singapore Grand Prix is on the Speed Channel!
They race F1 in Singapore! Awesome!

124 researchok  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:23:58am

re: #118 Charles

Clicking on ads does generate more revenue than just viewing them, by the way.

I clicked on the headline news link and they asked for my cell number. Mac and cheese for you tonight, I’m afraid…

125 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:24:28am

I have to say, I think it’s pretty damned crass, in a thread that’s specifically about how blocking ads hurts me personally, to pop in and start saying it’s just too bad, you don’t care, and advocate that other people use ad blockers.

I’m disappointed in some people in this thread. But it definitely does clarify a few things; it lets me know how much value you put on LGF.

And I appreciate those who are helping support the site.

126 Mad Al-Jaffee  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:25:45am

My work computer has an ad blocker and I’m not allowed to remove it. Sorry about that.

127 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:26:05am

re: #126 Mad Al-Jaffee

My work computer has an ad blocker and I’m not allowed to remove it. Sorry about that.

A fine excuse!

//

128 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:26:16am

re: #120 Killgore Trout

I think he’s written about Rassmusen in the past. They are pretty bad.

Actually, Killgore, Scott Rasmussen admits to using a different polling model than most pollsters. His organization only polls likely voters, whereas most polls are “all adults” or registered voters. That’s part of the reason for the disparity.

129 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:28:08am

re: #125 Charles

Well, this thread did finally spur me to get off my ass and donate, which might not have happened without the cavalier attitude of others, so there’s that.

130 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:28:15am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

He’s not the only poller who uses ‘likely voter’ models tho’, and as you said that would be only part of the issue anyways. He has a brutal house effect going.

131 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:28:58am

Is there a poll somewhere which asks for someone’s opinion of Congress as a whole, then asks for someone’s opinion for one’s OWN Congress(wo)man?

I bet there would be a huge disparity there which demonstrates why there are so many friggin’ incumbits!

(mispelled on purpose!)

132 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:29:00am

re: #120 Killgore Trout

I think he’s written about Rassmusen in the past. They are pretty bad.

Except when they’re not (last major review was May 2008).

For the record, Silver seems to think Zogby is among the worst.

133 researchok  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:29:01am

re: #125 Charles

I have to say, I think it’s pretty damned crass, in a thread that’s specifically about how blocking ads hurts me personally, to pop in and start saying it’s just too bad, you don’t care, and advocate that other people use ad blockers.

I’m disappointed in some people in this thread. But it definitely does clarify a few things; it lets me know how much value you put on LGF.

And I appreciate those who are helping support the site.

Well, I shall dutifully click thru on ads when time allows.

I appreciate LGF precisely because I don’t agree with everything I see or read. If I wanted a choir, I’d move to Salt Lake City.

Lots of food for thought here and that’s worth a few minutes of ad clicking to be sure. LGF is proof that smart blogging makes for smarter readers.

134 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:29:20am

re: #125 Charles

I have to say, I think it’s pretty damned crass, in a thread that’s specifically about how blocking ads hurts me personally, to pop in and start saying it’s just too bad, you don’t care, and advocate that other people use ad blockers.

I started to say that it was probably just a Duh, brainfart moment for them. But then I read back through and saw comments directly related to yours saying, “nope, no sir, gonna keep blocking ads”. Hehe, jackasses.

135 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:29:33am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

Actually, Killgore, Scott Rasmussen admits to using a different polling model than most pollsters. His organization only polls likely voters, whereas most polls are “all adults” or registered voters. That’s part of the reason for the disparity.

That, and he over samples the GOP compared to the other polls. Being a “outer” poll for one side the other gets you more press. In Rasmussen’s case, a Fox TV gig.

136 Decatur Deb  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:29:59am

Some ads are a hoot. This article carried one for a creationist pastor education tool.

137 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:31:20am

Charles,
For a long time, I was running adblock precisely because of page load issues - but I’ve dropped it for the site and it seems to be running just fine. As long as the ads don’t affect the page loads or cause hangups, that’s the way it will stay…

138 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:31:30am

re: #136 Decatur Deb

Some ads are a hoot. This article carried one for a creationist pastor education tool.

I want to learn to be a creationist pastor! I hear there’s a lot of money in it!

139 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:31:47am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

Actually, Killgore, Scott Rasmussen admits to using a different polling model than most pollsters. His organization only polls likely voters, whereas most polls are “all adults” or registered voters. That’s part of the reason for the disparity.

Amazingly, people still write him off despite great success on election days. I did note that he was off on the Massachusetts special election, but he also did come out and say, “look, I don’t think my format will work here” ahead of time.

140 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:32:43am

re: #139 cliffster

What’s not amazing is that people want to defend the accuracy of pollsters that agree with them ;)

141 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:33:09am

Conservative lawyers go after Liz Chaney’s attack of defense attorneys. link…

142 Hengineer  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:33:27am

re: #140 windsagio

What’s not amazing is that people want to defend the accuracy of pollsters that agree with them ;)

=-O That’s a shocker to me!

//

143 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:33:29am

re: #140 windsagio

What’s not amazing is that people want to defend the accuracy of pollsters that agree with them ;)

nope, he’s told me a lot of things I didn’t want to hear, and been right about them.

144 euphgeek  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:34:15am

Just disabled AdBlock for this site. I may start doing it for other sites whose ads are not too intrusive.

145 RogueOne  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:34:54am

re: #140 windsagio

What’s not amazing is that people want to defend the accuracy of pollsters that agree with them ;)

or continually blast those that don’t even when the polls turn out to be correct. kos is doing his best to whistle past the graveyard this year but he better come back to reality quickly or this election cycle is going to come as a big hurtful surprise.

146 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:35:17am

re: #139 cliffster

Amazingly, people still write him off despite great success on election days. I did note that he was off on the Massachusetts special election, but he also did come out and say, “look, I don’t think my format will work here” ahead of time.

Good point. The weakness of his model is when a situation causes people to vote who would not be considered likely voters based on the numbers. He ran into that problem in 2008 and when he corrected for it, his poll gave Obama a clear lead.

147 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:35:45am

re: #139 cliffster

Amazingly, people still write him off despite great success on election days. I did note that he was off on the Massachusetts special election, but he also did come out and say, “look, I don’t think my format will work here” ahead of time.

You should note that although they did adjust their polling to being very accurate just prior to the election, they were favoring McCain over the other polls earlier as noted in the link.

148 simoom  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:36:15am

re: #139 cliffster

Doesn’t Rasmussen’s polling usually swing in line with everyone else just prior to election day? I don’t have anything to back that up at my finger tips but I recall that being one of the common complaints.

149 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:36:16am

re: #144 euphgeek

Just disabled AdBlock for this site. I may start doing it for other sites whose ads are not too intrusive.

Thanks. I do have a policy against intrusive ads, and will block any Adsense ad that goes over the line by making noise or popping up a window, etc.

150 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:36:55am

re: #145 RogueOne

or continually blast those that don’t even when the polls turn out to be correct. kos is doing his best to whistle past the graveyard this year but he better come back to reality quickly or this election cycle is going to come as a big hurtful surprise.

Marcos “screw them” Moulitsas is still a left-wing partisan. He’s cleared the outright haters off of his site, but the Kos remains a left-wing place.

151 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:37:12am

re: #132 lawhawk

Also as per the 2008 ratings (and I would hope that Silver goes and revisits this), among the worst pollsters is CBS/NYT. Yet, we are to believe that Rasmussen is an outlier? Would he change a successful system? I don’t know if I would, but perhaps his clients might want to get bogus results to puff up their situations (even if the election day outcome is far different).

Silver could help settle the issue currently if he goes and revisits the subject and runs the numbers for us on pollster induced error. Rasmussen in 2008 had the third least pollster induced error imposed. The CBS/NYT was third worst.

It would be interesting to see how that’s changed.

152 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:37:28am

re: #149 Charles

Thanks. I do have a policy against intrusive ads, and will block any Adsense ad that goes over the line by making noise or popping up a window, etc.

Jiggling flab?

153 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:37:55am

re: #146 Dark_Falcon

re: #147 avanti

re: #148 simoom

All saying the same thing >>

If one were cynical it would say he knew what the real results should be and was purposely misusing his questions or samples until the last minute, when he switched it to keep his stats up ~

154 jaunte  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:38:09am

re: #152 Emmmieg

That’s just part of life.

155 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:38:16am

re: #151 lawhawk

Are you talking about Rasmussen polling overall, or the changes made right before the election?

156 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:38:34am

re: #149 Charles

Thanks. I do have a policy against intrusive ads, and will block any Adsense ad that goes over the line by making noise or popping up a window, etc.

Do you except debit card donations? I don’t want to pay interest on a credit card…

157 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:38:37am

re: #148 simoom

There was some complaint about that - that he’d have more swing/volatility in his polling leading up to election than some of the other polls. However, I haven’t seen any analysis to confirm whether he’s manipulating the polls or whether he’s catching a trend that is missed by others.

158 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:39:06am

re: #154 jaunte

That’s just part of life.

I can handle it in real life, just not on my computer screen.

159 The Curmudgeon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:39:14am

re: #125 Charles

I have to say, I think it’s pretty damned crass, in a thread that’s specifically about how blocking ads hurts me personally, to pop in and start saying it’s just too bad, you don’t care, and advocate that other people use ad blockers.


Relax. I can see your Amazon ad just fine.

160 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:39:31am

re: #155 Obdicut

Are you talking about Rasmussen polling overall, or the changes made right before the election?

The Silver rankings are from May 2008. I don’t see Silver’s analysis for adjustments made before the election.

161 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:40:20am

re: #156 HoosierHoops

I just donated that way, so yes he does.

162 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:40:51am

re: #156 HoosierHoops

Do you except accept debit card donations? I don’t want to pay interest on a credit card…


Jeez

163 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:41:50am

Charles, is it OK if I just keep using AdBlock and hit the tip jar when I’m able?

164 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:42:29am

re: #156 HoosierHoops

Do you except debit card donations? I don’t want to pay interest on a credit card…

I’m pretty sure you can do that through Paypal…

165 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:42:49am

re: #163 Cato the Elder

Its not like he can stop you, or you need personal permission btw :p

166 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:43:37am

Disagreements over polls is one of the more asinine things, no offense to anyone involved. There will be an election, and there will be votes counted.

167 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:44:46am

re: #164 Charles

I’m pretty sure you can do that through Paypal…

Thanks..I’ll start dropping you some cash on the 15th.. This is my Favorite place on the Net

168 euphgeek  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:44:51am

re: #149 Charles

You’re welcome. I didn’t realize that loading the ad even if you don’t click on it counts, too.

169 ryannon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:46:11am

re: #164 Charles

I’m pretty sure you can do that through Paypal…

PayPal accepts debit cards without a problem.

170 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:46:14am

re: #166 cliffster

People hear of trends… polls (unfortunately) form public opinion. Yes, votes are counted.

Arguing about polling is dumb.

171 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:47:00am
172 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:47:09am

re: #166 cliffster

Disagreements over polls is one of the more asinine things, no offense to anyone involved. There will be an election, and there will be votes counted.

Polls influence perceptions. I recall the excitement on LGF when Drudge did the spinning light thing when Rasmussen had McCain closing the gap a few days before the vote in a one day poll.

173 lawhawk  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:47:31am

re: #166 cliffster

Disagreements over polls is one of the more asinine things, no offense to anyone involved. There will be an election, and there will be votes counted.

Not necessarily - because polls are not only used to measure public opinion, but to shape it. More accurate (or more objective) polling can discern trends in public opinion better (eg. how else do we know that X percent of the public is opposed to health care reform (a metric that some politicians are using to fight health care delivery overhaul in the US). Is X even accurate? What about questions used in figuring X. )

174 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:47:37am

re: #166 cliffster

see thats just called ‘trying to shut down the conversation’.

175 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:48:01am
176 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:48:15am

re: #170 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

People hear of trends… polls (unfortunately) form public opinion. Yes, votes are counted.

Arguing about polling is dumb.

I always know who is going win.. I knew Clinton was going to win.. I knew Bush was going to win and everybody knew Obama was going to win..
Who needs polls? You can feel it in the pulse of the Country

177 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:48:23am

re: #171 ryanositis

I’d like to cordially invite you to piss right off.

178 Jadespring  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:49:17am

re: #171 ryanositis

It’s Ayn! Awesome dude/dudette you rocka wocka zim boom bang!

179 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:49:23am

Clean up on 175.

180 Jadespring  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:49:42am

re: #178 Jadespring

Oops sorry didn’t see the delete.

181 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:50:18am

re: #171 ryanositis

Hard to think of a business model that works when you are expected to provide a service for free, not even ad’s.

182 albusteve  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:50:56am

re: #170 Fat Bastard Vegetarian

People hear of trends… polls (unfortunately) form public opinion. Yes, votes are counted.

Arguing about polling is dumb.

agreed

183 Dark_Falcon  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:51:00am

BBL

184 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:51:06am

re: #174 windsagio

see thats just called ‘trying to shut down the conversation’.

would you yo-yo’s quit talking about polls already??

185 HoosierHoops  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:51:31am

ryanositis:
FOAD
Are we clear?

186 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:52:00am

re: #184 cliffster

I like that, straightforward.

I’ll leave it with this: Rasmussen is a hack, only people worse I can think of were the bad Strategic vision. You know, the ones that made up results out of whole cloth :p

187 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:52:04am

re: #184 cliffster

would you yo-yo’s quit talking about polls already??

Duncan… is that you?

188 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:52:18am

re: #173 lawhawk

Not necessarily - because polls are not only used to measure public opinion, but to shape it. More accurate (or more objective) polling can discern trends in public opinion better (eg. how else do we know that X percent of the public is opposed to health care reform (a metric that some politicians are using to fight health care delivery overhaul in the US). Is X even accurate? What about questions used in figuring X. )

Fair enough. The polling I’m referring to is not public opinion polls in general, but “who are you going to vote for in one week” type polls.

189 prairiefire  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:53:17am

re: #118 Charles

I didn’t know that. I will click through more often.

190 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:53:21am

re: #181 avanti

Hard to think of a business model that works when you are expected to provide a service for free, not even ad’s.

Public broadcasting.

191 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:53:54am

re: #190 SixDegrees

Public broadcasting.

True. Charles does get his Zionist check, no?

192 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:55:02am
193 SasyMomaCat  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:55:38am

re: #192 MandyManners

By being callous and insulting to our generous host.

194 jaunte  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:55:44am

re: #192 MandyManners

Daddy issues pop up all over.

195 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:55:57am

re: #192 MandyManners

How does one get blocked on a thread about advertising revenue?

By being a first class jerk. He waited three years to post that as his first comment.

196 Fat Bastard Vegetarian  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:56:42am

re: #195 Charles

I hates them, my precious.

197 cliffster  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:56:42am

re: #192 MandyManners

How does one get blocked on a thread about advertising revenue?

Some people really feel strongly about ads.

198 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:56:48am

OK, just disabled AdBlock for this site.

Facebook, no way. (Note to Facebook: neener!)

199 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:57:31am

re: #198 Cato the Elder

Man, facebook’s got ya comin’ and goin’ anyways. Best datamining in the bizness!

200 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:59:34am

re: #198 Cato the Elder

OK, just disabled AdBlock for this site.

Facebook, no way. (Note to Facebook: neener!)

If you want an interesting, and frighteningly realistic look at advertising in the future, read Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age.”

How about “mediatronic ink” that can be embedded in your chopsticks to display realtime ads on the chopstick while you use them.

201 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 10:59:57am

re: #199 windsagio

Man, facebook’s got ya comin’ and goin’ anyways. Best datamining in the bizness!

No fooling. I have a pretty good BS detector, but I got taken by a scam there just last week.

It involved the good name of Apple Inc. Called Cupertino and talked to the legal department. The think was shut down within an hour.

202 Walter L. Newton  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:00:50am

re: #201 Cato the Elder

No fooling. I have a pretty good BS detector, but I got taken by a scam there just last week.

It involved the good name of Apple Inc. Called Cupertino and talked to the legal department. The think was shut down within an hour.

Really… I heard about the murder of that site owner.///

203 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:01:13am

re: #200 Walter L. Newton

The viral roach ad in Hindi is the more frightening one. Stuff on chopsticks wouldn’t be that bad.

204 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:01:14am

re: #200 Walter L. Newton

If you want an interesting, and frighteningly realistic look at advertising in the future, read Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age.”

How about “mediatronic ink” that can be embedded in your chopsticks to display realtime ads on the chopstick while you use them.

I finally saw my first public bathroom ads a couple of weeks ago. Posted above the urinals at a bar/restaurant.

It’s really pretty amazing how high some people are able to piss.

205 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:01:19am

re: #201 Cato the Elder

The site itself screws ya good too, scams aside. They collect little tidbits of data from EVERYTHING, and have these crazily complete profiles on their customers.

206 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:01:22am

re: #200 Walter L. Newton

If you want an interesting, and frighteningly realistic look at advertising in the future, read Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age.”

How about “mediatronic ink” that can be embedded in your chopsticks to display realtime ads on the chopstick while you use them.

Read that - it was quoted in extenso in German in a translating job I did years ago, so I had to buy the book to back-translate the German quotes into the original English.

Couldn’t put it down!

207 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:01:58am

There have been traditionally several business models that might apply here:

1. Newspapers charged for the paper. This is called a subsription. Try clicking on the paypay once in a while.

2. Ads funded “free” content. This is the television model. Works fine for most people.

3. Rich patrons funded public goods. This worked for Michaelangelo and the de Medicis, but do you really want to go back to the aristocratic 15th century? (Here’s a hint: You would not be a de Medici. You would be the folks who clean their floors.)

4. The government funds it. No.

5. Sponsors. Try clicking through that amazon ad once in a while. You know you shop there anyway.

Thanks for reminding us that you do need our support, Charles.

208 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:02:44am
209 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:02:58am

re: #206 Cato the Elder

Oh damn, I’m trying to find it. At a game designers con this year this guy gave this amazing creepy presentation on the future of games and advertising and integration. If I can find it, its a must read.

210 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:03:05am

re: #205 windsagio

The site itself screws ya good too, scams aside. They collect little tidbits of data from EVERYTHING, and have these crazily complete profiles on their customers.

Worse than Google?

211 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:03:18am
212 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:03:23am

Hey Charles:

If I click through to Amazon through a link here, but then go on to buy a different product than the one I clicked through to, do you still get any credit for my purchase?

213 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:03:37am
214 simoom  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:03:41am

Heh, Wonkette has up an excerpt from ex-Rep. Eric Massa’s bizarre radio show, the other day. This clip focuses on his dislike for Rahm Emanuel and claims Rahm used some sort of naked shower intimidation technique on him:

Massa: Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn. He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive… I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.

I’m going to listen to the whole radio show later when I have a little more time (the excerpts I’ve seen make me think it should at least be entertaining), but it’s really starting to look like the Dems dodged a bullet with this guy’s resignation.

215 SasyMomaCat  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:01am

re: #211 MandyManners

you got that right!

216 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:02am

re: #212 Obdicut

if it doesn’t work, you could link the link into a thread (maybe a dead one) and then click on the link >>

217 [deleted]  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:06am
218 windsagio  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:10am

re: #216 windsagio

or is that scamming? >>

219 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:11am

re: #204 SixDegrees

I finally saw my first public bathroom ads a couple of weeks ago. Posted above the urinals at a bar/restaurant.

It’s really pretty amazing how high some people are able to piss.

Have you seen the gas-pump teevees at major stations yet? Nothing but ads, blaring away at you as you fill your tank.

220 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:04:43am

re: #212 Obdicut

Hey Charles:

If I click through to Amazon through a link here, but then go on to buy a different product than the one I clicked through to, do you still get any credit for my purchase?

Yes, it’s still credited to my associate account, but I believe at a lower rate than a direct link and purchase.

221 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:06:17am

re: #220 Charles

Thanks.

re: #214 simoom


Sounds more like a fantasy than anything else.

222 prairiefire  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:06:32am

re: #201 Cato the Elder

I did not allow Facebook to brain suck my photos and info for several months. I found out Facebook took it anyway after my kids clicked through to play their “awesome” community games.

223 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:06:35am

re: #219 Cato the Elder

Have you seen the gas-pump teevees at major stations yet? Nothing but ads, blaring away at you as you fill your tank.

Yup. I’ve seen more than one that looked as though a slushee had been poured into the speaker grate. Sounded that way, too, which just made it more annoying.

224 prairiefire  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:13:28am

re: #164 Charles

Charles, do the companies have any limits on the credits they give you for the number of click throughs from a particular computer address?

225 simoom  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:15:30am

re: #221 Obdicut

Sounds more like a fantasy than anything else.


Supposedly the radio show is filled with those sorts of anecdotes.
Like this one from TPM:

But the most surreal part of Massa’s lengthy radio monologue over the weekend was his tour d’horizon of frat boy antics during his career in the Navy. And one case of what seems to have been an earlier accusation of an improper advance during his Navy days. To put it as antiseptically and briefly as possible, Massa says he walked in on a bunkmate masturbating and jocularly offered to help him. This apparently led to a misunderstanding and the bunkmate requesting different quarters.

or this:

And then somewhat above and beyond the call of duty descriptions of best practices for sharing a bed with a staffer when you’re on the road and the hotel room only has one bed. (One sleeps under the covers, one over.)
226 Political Atheist  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:15:55am

re: #164 Charles

Just had a chat with Lady_Dragon. We do not run adblock, and we do have more online fun here than anywhere else. Starting today, we are going to subscribe at a monthly rate, rather than rarely/randomly. What the heck things at my work are finally looking up so why not?

227 prairiefire  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:17:45am

re: #226 Rightwingconspirator

Hi, RWC, good for you. Do you do any work for Jewelry TV in Tennessee?

228 Cato the Elder  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:30:19am

re: #165 windsagio

Its not like he can stop you, or you need personal permission btw :p

Of course I need permission. I, Cato the Ogre, am now LGF’s Sycophant-in-Chief, according to a certain other blog.

I vet all my posts with Charles in advance, buy all my groceries through his Amazon link, purchase every book he recommends for the Kindle, and blindly upding everything he says.

Right, Iceweasel?

229 avanti  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:33:07am

re: #195 Charles

By being a first class jerk. He waited three years to post that as his first comment.

BTW, TFK brags about all the socks he has in his pocket, even a few posing as a leftie. Interesting guy there.

230 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:35:45am

re: #224 prairiefire

Charles, do the companies have any limits on the credits they give you for the number of click throughs from a particular computer address?

In general, ad companies do keep an eye out for this. They explicitly forbid you to click on your own ads, for instance, and they’re aware that many people try to circumvent this by recruiting acquaintances to click for them. So “flurries” of clicks, or an unusual number of clicks, from a single address typically don’t get credited, or get downweighted.

231 Charles Johnson  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:36:09am

re: #229 avanti

BTW, TFK brags about all the socks he has in his pocket, even a few posing as a leftie. Interesting guy there.

I know. They’re not just obsessed stalkers — they’re proud obsessed stalkers.

232 prairiefire  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:41:01am

re: #230 SixDegrees

I was trying to help some retail buddies with customer satisfaction surveys, and they got more negative scrutiny in regards to “how could there be so many from this one address in this short amount of time.” Bummer. I was trying to make it rain.

233 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:42:56am

re: #232 prairiefire

I was trying to help some retail buddies with customer satisfaction surveys, and they got more negative scrutiny in regards to “how could there be so many from this one address in this short amount of time.” Bummer. I was trying to make it rain.

The way to accomplish that sort of thing is to spread the word among your friends and contacts, and get them to visit the site/click the ads. Lots of clicks from a single address raises eyebrows.

234 mr.JA  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 11:47:47am

I block all flash from websites using flashblock (it’ll put a ‘play’ button over the flash thing, and I can click it to activate the flash). This has nothing to do with me not wanting to see ads (there are even fora that ban users with adblocks), but everything to do with buggy code - flash is horrendous, and without it sometimes even my new computer came to a grinding hold.

It is all fair enough that ads are shown, but some websites have such horrendous flash stuff on them that you cannot see the content anymore - that is the limit.

I can see all ads on LGF…

235 Lanzman  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:05:31pm

Many web ads are easily ignored. However, there is a non-trivial percentage of them that are actively hostile - hijacking the browser, planting spyware, playing loud obnoxious sounds, sending flash-driven nonsense spilling all over the screen, and so forth. Web advertiser UGO is notorious for this, for example. So long as advertisers embrace such practices, I will continue to block them. And since web advertising in general doesn’t really work anyway, oh well.

236 pyrodoctor  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:19:23pm

re: #235 Lanzman

Many web ads are easily ignored. However, there is a non-trivial percentage of them that are actively hostile - hijacking the browser, planting spyware, playing loud obnoxious sounds, sending flash-driven nonsense spilling all over the screen, and so forth.

I use an ad blocker on my netbook because those ads where the unwanted video and audio start rolling make a severe performance hit on it.

How about those ads that skitter across the page and plant themselves in the center of the frontmost window semi-transparently? Those kill the netbook performance.

237 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:21:07pm

re: #234 mr.JA

I block all flash from websites using flashblock (it’ll put a ‘play’ button over the flash thing, and I can click it to activate the flash). This has nothing to do with me not wanting to see ads (there are even fora that ban users with adblocks), but everything to do with buggy code - flash is horrendous, and without it sometimes even my new computer came to a grinding hold.

It is all fair enough that ads are shown, but some websites have such horrendous flash stuff on them that you cannot see the content anymore - that is the limit.

I can see all ads on LGF…

I also have FlashBlock installed on Firefox, because of problems similar to what you describe with Flash apps crashing the browser or overwriting the entire page.

I’m not quite sure how a site could block a visitor with AdBlock, though. I can’t think of any easy way to detect it from the server side. But this isn’t exactly my area of expertise.

238 Feline Fearless Leader  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:22:28pm

re: #228 Cato the Elder

And all for only a few denarii per month…

;)

239 SixDegrees  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:33:15pm

re: #237 SixDegrees

I also have FlashBlock installed on Firefox, because of problems similar to what you describe with Flash apps crashing the browser or overwriting the entire page.

I’m not quite sure how a site could block a visitor with AdBlock, though. I can’t think of any easy way to detect it from the server side. But this isn’t exactly my area of expertise.

Oh, wait - never mind. I just thought of a simple way to detect if AdBlock is active.

240 LotharBot  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:52:31pm

Here’s a great response, via ycombinator:
techdirt.com

Claiming that ad blocking is harming sites is like the recording industry claiming that piracy (or home taping) is killing music. Or it’s like the newspaper industry claiming that aggregators are killing them. It’s passing the blame. If you run a company, it’s your responsibility to put together a business model that works. And if people are somehow figuring out ways to do what they want where you don’t get paid, then it means you’re doing something that needs to change. A good business model is one where everyone is happy with the transaction, not one where one party feels forced or coerced into accepting something they don’t want.

241 Randy W. Weeks  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 12:57:44pm

I don’t ad block the sites I frequent the most and have earned my trust (including LGF). On Firefox 3.6.

242 markie  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 3:37:19pm

Ditto. FF3.6 with Noscript. Helps when stumbling. Once I trust a site, I can open it up easily. My computer isn’t so ancient that it can’t handle the content and my connection is fast, so no problemo. I prefer not to provide revenue to certain sites I spy on though.

243 Taqyia2Me  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 4:36:02pm

A pledge from me to more frequently $ support Charles and LGF in thanks to the best weblog in the business.

244 Cineaste  Mon, Mar 8, 2010 6:43:53pm

I’m another person who blocks flash (in safari using clicktoflash - is there a chrome flashblocker yet?). I’m fine with seeing ads (though I think a lot of people need to give a lot more thought to how they integrate ads into their sites. Generally it’s butt-ugly. I am not fine with flash hogging up my cores & memory and driving down the performance of my machine. I tend to check in with blogs or aggregators (techmeme, memeorandum) and option-click on a whole set of articles to open them in tabs and then work my way through them like a newspaper. Doing this without a flash blocker grinds the machine to a halt. If you want to see it in action and are using a mac, open a dozen or so pages & then open activity monitor and sort by “%CPU” and see how many threads are “Google Chrome Helper” or something equivalent for your browser - those are flash. Kill them one by one and see how your CPU cycles drop!

Flash is bad. HTML5 is good!

245 hmcl  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 12:17:12am

re: #125 Charles

Ads on your site are definitely OK. The Economist is just unreadable if it weren’t for ClickToFlash, Instapaper, or Readabilty (yes, also for subscribers). The NYT got better (maybe in part thanks to David Pogue).

Other than that, good post, and it makes me think again about the subject. Other than that, animation next to a text I’m trying to read will make me move away from the site. Note to self: Use LGF’s Amazon link next time.

246 Lanzman  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 9:29:17am

re: #240 LotharBot

Here’s a great response, via ycombinator:
[Link: techdirt.com…]

Absofragginlutely agree. Too many web advertisers think they’re on television and use the same advertising model. It doesn’t work on the web. The web is an active medium, driven by and controlled by the user. Television is a passive medium, driven by and controlled by the content provider(s).

247 Charles Johnson  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 9:42:33am

re: #240 LotharBot

Here’s a great response, via ycombinator:
[Link: techdirt.com…]

Sure, that’s a good point. However, please note — I’m not blaming anyone. I’m simply bringing this up for people to think about, because it’s a simple fact that ad blockers do cut into the revenue I need to keep this site running. Obviously, there are many people who don’t care about that, and will continue using blockers. (It’s a bit crass to come into a thread like this one and boast about it, though.)

That’s their choice.

But maybe some people will realize that they can actively do something to help LGF, just by letting their browsers load my advertisements.

248 dugmartsch  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 10:08:25am

Ad-Block is an amazing piece of software. It, combined with firefox, makes browsing the web a safe and satisfying experience. I don’t see any problem with sites having to earn the green light, and think its actually a wonderful response to the willful disregard of common courtesy website creators have shown their audience for the past 10 years.

Before adblock users were helpless to the whims of mendacious advertisers.

Would you let some store affix a GPS to your person just because you happened to browse their store, let alone make a purchase through them? Would you be comforted by the fact that they were easy to remove? I would think not. Yet this was common practice on the internet before adblock came along. Would you allow a store to harass you with unrelated advertisements before you walked inside? What would you do if this was such a common practice of stores in your neighborhood that you were unable to purchase the necessitates of life without subjecting yourself to such harassment?

I respect what you’re doing with your website immensely, Charles. You’re commenting system is second to none on the internet, a benchmark for simplicity and responsiveness that I miss whenever I’m commenting on some other terrible monstrosity.

So you earned the green light a long time ago, but I’m still glad it’s something that has to be earned, and something that’s off by default when websites attempt to treat me like some mindless buying things robot with a sign that says “mine me” pinned to my chest.

An example of a site that I read that will never go green no matter how frequently i read it: Slate. Full page popout ads earn you an irrevocable red light for life.

249 Lanzman  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 12:02:08pm

re: #247 Charles

Sure, that’s a good point. However, please note — I’m not blaming anyone. I’m simply bringing this up for people to think about, because it’s a simple fact that ad blockers do cut into the revenue I need to keep this site running. Obviously, there are many people who don’t care about that, and will continue using blockers. (It’s a bit crass to come into a thread like this one and boast about it, though.)

That’s their choice.

But maybe some people will realize that they can actively do something to help LGF, just by letting their browsers load my advertisements.

It’s not done to hurt you, Charles, it’s done to prevent unscrupulous and untrustworthy advertisers from damaging my computers. They stop using the slimy advertising tactics, I stop blocking them.

250 Charles Johnson  Tue, Mar 9, 2010 1:54:46pm

re: #249 Lanzman

It’s not done to hurt you, Charles, it’s done to prevent unscrupulous and untrustworthy advertisers from damaging my computers. They stop using the slimy advertising tactics, I stop blocking them.

You won’t see those kinds of sleazy ads here. I hate them just as much as you do.


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