Will Mainstream Media Embrace Adblockers?

Blarkon writes "Slashdotters are aware of and often use Adblock Plus," and notes that "if newspapers wanted to hit the online content industry hard right now, they would be running non-stop information about how to obtain and use Adblock Plus.' That a scorched-earth approach to blocking Internet advertising through AdBlock Plus might collapse free online competitors by starving them of revenue. If more people are aware of Adblock plus, it will be more tempting for other browser manufacturers to include similar ad blocking functionality. Might Rupert Murdoch's apparent 'traffic killing' move to paywall content be a desperate gamble to avoid the impact of a future crash in the ad-supported online business model caused by everyone's browser including something like Adblock Plus?"

Re:interpret and damage and route around

[Anonymous Coward]

I wasn't aware of any desirable application content on Facebook. Takes all kinds, I guess.

Good to know the MySpace generation will keep clicking ads, though. Somebody's got to do it.

There are other ad-blockers

[davidwr]

This sounds like a slashvertisement.

Firefox users should give NoScript a try, it does a lot more than just block ads.

IE users should give Firefox a try.

Re:No problem. So what's the alternative?

[earnest murderer]

There's certainly some truth to the idea that they are done, in their current form...

But when I'm sitting here thinking over a cup of hot fresh Folgers dark roast coffee one thing comes to mind. That with quality content, public radio and TV stations have a (relatively) easy time getting people to *give* them money for their "free" content. Give as in some have the nicest studios in the area (and some I suppose squeak by in areas where facts have a liberal bias). And much like the free samples of Jiffy Pop and Movie Time popcorn available at Costco today, it may be abused but it does return a net positive.

So while you are easing back into your Herman Miller "Aeron" chair (now available in "True Black!") consider that the era of $150+ dollar per year for a hand delivered stack of syndicated features and a few sheets of questionable local content may be over. The Gizmodo regurgitation engine doesn't have to be the end result. Some journalists are doing just fine with a new name tag and avoiding maintenance on a lavish building and fleet of trucks.

Re:No problem. So what's the alternative?

[gnick]

I actually enjoy picking up a paper occasionally, although I don't have an active subscription and it's usually when I'm at a cafe or bar when I find one. It's a nice format for casual reading and contains a lot of local stuff that's difficult to find on-line. I've also noticed that the local papers (local being Los Alamos or Albuquerque) have largely started ignoring or at least not over-hyping the national stories that they know you'll get elsewhere (evening news, cnn.com, news.bbc.co.uk, whatever). Not to mention the fact that they and the major TV networks fund most of the field-work that eventually turns into stories that are posted for free on the Internet.

I'm not suggesting that we artificially prop up a dysfunctional business model, I'm just pointing out that once it dies we may notice a gap and see the pendulum swing back as we fill it.

Also, more on topic, Adblock Plus is fantastic and I use it constantly (although I do white-list some sites - And now that I have a 'Disable Ads' check-box, slashdot is on that white-list). But if you want solid content on 'free' sites, they have to make revenue somehow. It's either going to be micro-payments, donations, or ads.

This post brought to you by low-sodium, naturally sweetened Cranberry-Grapefruit Sobe Elixer.

Re:I choose not to block ads

[Rob the Bold]

If the ads are so intrusive that they're intolerable, I'll go elsewhere. Effectively, I "can't afford" that content.

I reckon using an ad blocker is *directly* equivalent to circumventing a micropayment mechanism.

I guess that's good, if your theory is correct that eyeballs on ads keeps content free. You keep tolerating the ads. I have no moral qualms about ignoring, avoiding or dodging them, so I'll just keep doing that. Everybody wins.

Re:No problem. So what's the alternative?

[gnick]

That seems a little harsh. If the felching porn site wasn't tagged 'NSFW', how was he to know? How about a little 'felching porn' warning before handing a guy his walking papers.

Have a little compassion - Do you know how much trouble I've had finding work once I explain why you sacked me?