Ars Technica Inveighs Against Ad Blocking 1051
An anonymous reader writes "Ars Technica recently conducted a 12-hour experiment in which story content was hidden from users of popular ad blocking tools. Explaining the experiment, Ken Fisher appealed to Ars's readership: '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.'"
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:5, Funny)
Plural of sheep is sheep.
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:3, Funny)
While we're at it, we should also all pull the "fast forward" buttons off of our DVR remotes, too. Television shows cost a lot of money to produce, and we shouldn't deny the TV networks their hard-earned ad revenue either. And we should read every ad in newspapers and magazines, too. Don't forget when you're driving down the freeway on your way to work to stop and read the billboards, too. You guys out there actually watching the road are irresponsible freeloaders!
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:1, Funny)
You sir, are a retard.
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:4, Funny)
I came to the following conclusion. My girlfriend doesn't run adblock on her laptop and since she spends all my money anyway, their targeted advertising should probably target her.
Ars Technica? Who is that? (Score:5, Funny)
Ars Technica, who is that? Oh yes, that's one of those annoying sites I don't read anymore, because they insist upon breaking every story into a dozen pages so they can push more ads.
Hey Ars,
here's some
advice:
(buy Brawndo capacitors - they got electrolytics, its what current craves!)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next)
Rather than
making me
search for
a Print link
(Buy BigJuggs Disks - you KNOW what you want to store!)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next)
So that I
can read
your site
quickly
(Play NoLife for free for the next three minutes- only $123.99!)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next)
and actually
use ALL of
my screen,
instead of
just the
middle
(Host your site on NotWorking Pollution!)
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why don't
you put it
on one page
(Microsoft, we aren't sociopathic monopolists, we just act like one)
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And see
if that
works.
(visit our sister site ICanHasContent!)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next)
(post us to Wastebook!)
(Post us to Shovel!)
(Post us to DidntReadIt!)
(Post us to NoLife!)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next)
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:2, Funny)
No, its a moo point. Not moot or mute. Its a point that not even a cow would care about.
Re:It's the freeloaders time (Score:2, Funny)