Is it Wrong to Block Web Site Ads?

Come to think of it, who would visit pay-per-view or subscription sites when there are free and open alternatives available?

If these websites/businesses don't change their mindset, they will just get out of business in this world that is getting increasingly free.

It's the user's right to view or not to view ads. What right has the website to force it upon the user? Inability to cater to the consumers' wishes WILL get you out of business.

I don't have any problem with REASONABLE ads...it's no different than reading the newspaper. However, it's almost impossible to focus on the content when there is an obnoxious, jarring, flashing ad at the top or side.

I also get migraines, and the flashing tends make me want to throw up.

When I encounter one of those the first thing I do is drag the window so the ad is off the screen.

If the advertising were self regulated and not so obnoxious there would be far less interest in blocking ads entirely.

While some ads are inane and downright annoying, there are others that have helped me find exactly what I have been searching for. All it takes, usually, is a click of the mouse to close out the ad. AOL also has a pop-up blocker. While we're at it, isn't there a version of TiVo that allows the viewer to block out the commercials? Isn't that the same thing as what Firefox and Adblock Plus are doing?

The advertisers did it to themselves, the in your face, maddenlingly distracting ads finally went too far for too long and the inevitable backlash happened. Declaring war on Firefox was an even more stupid alternative. What happens when something like AdBlock comes out as an IE plug-in? Do you block Internet Explorer uesers as well? Do you kick out Mac users just because they're not letting ActiveX trounce all over thier systems?

What goes around comes around, Being nasty to your users is a lousy way to drum up market share.

I personally don't mind most of the ads. But, I also don't click on most of them either.

I'd say I do click on the Google ads more than I do any of the picture ads.

The only ones that really bothered me were the pop-ups. But, I have a blocker for that.

The secret of bypassing adblock is to not use images in your ad.
As a consumer, my issue is not with ads on the net, but jpg and gif ads.
how many time have you been delayed forever waiting on a gif from doubleclick.net before you could view a page?
it doesn't load, and you wait, and wait.
you refresh the page, and wait.
finally, out of frustration, you block the ad and get to the page you wanted.
what about people who don't have broadband as an option? those ads can make viewing pages an exercise in futility.
take the cue from Google and make your ads text only.
We'll read it if it isn't in our face.

Big coporations that come up with ways to make money without actually having to labor for the cash like most Americans will always get vocal when their easy cash plan gets holes poked all in them. Why do you think GOOGLE is a rich as they are today? The bigger websites pay real cash for people clicking on these ads and "clicking-through" to their sites. Why should be continue to make money for these corporations? They will reply "How do you think the Internet remains free???" I'm sorry, but the last time that I checked, I was paying a handsome fee for Internet service.

Now, about this plugin that makes it easy to block these ads. Do a little research on "Windows Host File" and you will understand that you can do this regardless of what browser you use, and do not even need a plugin. The most vocal coporations are stated to have blocked Firefox browser users all together. Have they stopped to think that the end users of the internet have a right to access any page on the Internet that isn't password protected? This is the basic underlying purpose of the Internet. And these Coporations want to act like a child because they can not charge or possibly make money hand over fist. Check out websites that offer HOST FILE MODIFICATIONS. These modifications make it to where your computer can not communicate with the sites that serve these advertisments--regardless if you are browsing the internet at the time or not. In addition, they block access to websites that are known security threats. Most Coporations are willing to be lax on their security and allow their websites to maliciously install virii and spyware on your computer. Why do you want these companies to have this type of power? Once infected with VIRII and SPYWARE, regardless of if you are surfing the internet, if you are on an always on connection like cable or dsl, your computer is constantly talking -- it is just a part of networking. These modifications make it to where even if you were infected with a security threat, chances are that it can not phone home.

Coporations were slow to take on the Internet in the early days, as they NEVER WANT TO SPEND THEIR OWN MONEY to do anything. I remember many companies in the begining making a fuss out of not giving them any regard as to how access would be controlled, and most importantly, the price involved with accessing information. I'm sorry, I for one jumped on board because there was a sense of "SHARING INFORMATION WORLD WIDE." Never was it stated that there would be a charge other than connection fees to do so.

Why does everything in America have to cost an arm and a leg? Why is it that the American Dream consists more and more of how a Coporation can rip someone off?

Priorities need to be checked. In my humble opinion, the Internet has caused America more trouble that it is worth. You can't turn your computer on anymore and connect to the internet without having to worry about security threats and other vunerabilities. It has long been known that these Ad sites have been found to be serving up all kinds of trouble, other than their intended purposes. Lets not forget morals. Let is also not forget that many Coporations never had any morals to begin with. This point can be proven by reports of TERMINATING someone via E-mail. Where's their balls? Why can't they take the time and time honored tradition of doing business FACE to FACE in situations like that? I know it is off point, but other battles that the Internet have brought in file sharing, advertising, telephone services... there were even corporations that had a temper tantrum over e-mail being free. Free being what the Internet was intended to be. Corporations think they should make money in everything they participate.

Well, I for one think that America should go back to it's roots. Corporate laws should be abolished, and they should be forced to earn a dollar just like hard working class Americans. They should not be allowed to set back and think that technology and automation is going to make it for them as they have poured money into these ideas thinking the entire time about making money.

If I want to be subjected to advertising, I would gladly accept it when I want to, ie. when buying a car. When you research Ford or Mitsubishi on the Internet via their websites, this should be advertisment enough, as I am tired of having to see these ads in news papers, magazines, TV, and as if they haven't driven these ads in our heads, attack us while we are on the internet? I do not do business with companies that spend Billions in Advertising, as they are doing this for what? A Tax Write-Off?