Norton Internet Security defaces websites by blocking adsense

that's probably because we all know what adsense ads are for. most of my friends develop some sort of hostility towards the phrase "Ads by goooooogle".

but i agree norton should at least put it as an option rather than the default.

 

Here are some screenshots from the help section.

There is a list of sites with advert options already configured on my Dell PC so there must have been some money changing hands somewhere.

 

There is no bribe required. All OEM manufacturers can choose their default settings. In this case, Dell would select them based on what they think their users would want.

For 2006 releases, most manufacturers are now having the ad blocking be off as a default while a few have it disabled completely.

 

Maybe not - It would certainly be a blow to a large site if Dell started blocking adverts by default on it though.

I have to say ad's are turned on by default on my PC and laptop both running Norton (the free trial ).

 

Is there any way to fight against Norton ad blocking?
Only show the content to people that have it disabled or something like that maybe...Dumb idea?
The worst part here is that Norton is probably the most used antivirus+firewall in the world :/

 

As irritating as it is having your ads blocked, I have to agree with mad4 on this one. Users have the right to configure THEIR computer and software however they see fit. If Norton is setting Adblocking to On by default there really is nothing anybody can do. As long as the user has the ability to change the settings there is no case.

This would be like TV networks sueing Tivo because we can fast forward past the commercials. Would you want to be forced to sit through commercials even if you didn't want to?

 

That is exactly the point and when the software is bundled, the manufactur gets to choose the defaults. So if their customers are asking for ads to be blocked right out of the box, that is what they are going to do. Companies like Dell don't benefit by having Ad Blocking set on so they will just follow what their customers want.

I have Sky + (like tiVo) and I never watch commercials. Does that mean Sky and tiVo are violating human rights or whatever was proposed in the first point in the thread.

 

hmm very true. point taken. guess Norton is just another one of the compeitions we have to face.

 

Intersting thread. Anyone know what Norton's market share is?

 

Find an ad on the samantec website that uses the same technology as google ads, but shows through norton security, and you'll have a mother of a law suit. Think Class action.

 

Actually, this thread reinforces one thing. Once your website reaches sufficient popularity, you need to sell your own ad space and serve them as part of the page from your local server. This way they cannot be blocked.

 

Whoever mentioned Tivo, it's not exactly the same thing. It presents you with the commercials, and you can record and fast forward if you want.

However, with norton internet security, the user never even knows there is something being hidden from them.

Pretend tivo automatically removed commercials and presented you with a blank white space through the commercials. That would be horrendous, and that is why norton internet security is.

 

I don't see this is happening. Maybe the reason is something else.

 

Two things.

1. With tivo, youre still PAYING to watch the tv shows. So really you arent getting by for free.

2. If there was some code that I could add to my site that blocked users if they were blocking my ad's, I would use it in a second. What do I care? They dont wanna be bothered with my ad's, then I dont wanna be bothered with the bandwidth needed for their browsing session. I would create my own little script to do this but I'm a moron with no coding skills.

 

Maybe (I hope) there is not much to worry about. People who use NIS are are educated people who click on ads less often (?).
Do adsense optimization to make as much $ as possible until this becomes a big problem.
Is YPN affected as well?

 

I wouldn't classify people who use Norton as educated about the internet. My inlaws just bought a new HP computer, and Norton is blocking ads, which they've noticed because they only go to a few sites. (nearly downloaded some program from an unknown site today anyhow - clicked OK on a popup despite the many times I've told them not to!)

The trouble, as I understand it, is that sometimes Norton mistakenly blocks things that aren't ads just because they're similar sizes.

I look at website advertising as more like what you see in a newspaper or magazine - those things put an awful lot of websites to shame in terms of sheer excess of ads. I'd definitely go with blocking users who block ads or having an ad-free subscription version.

 

I run a custom HOSTS file that blocks out every known advertising source including AdSense. I find that I really can't be bothered with viewing ads anymore due to the way webmasters are trying to 'con' people into clicking.

It's truely sad that a few bad apples are ruining the only advertisment game. Most users i've talked to are now refusing to click on ads (even when they are really interested) on any websites that are not owned my big corporations. They fear the spyware. They fear the popup insanity. They fear the neverending circle jerk.

I wish more people would just put the ads so they look like ads (not trying to disguise them as a part of the site) and then I think more people would actually click.

 

I happened to be helping out a client last week with some pc support and she had tried to buy Norton and needed installation help. I installed it and ad blocking was set to Off by default.

I wouldn't be surprised though if it is On by default in their new product, Genesis , when it comes out.

 

I think that the "Ads by Gooooogle" helps give them some peace of mind. It tells them that the ads are "owned" by a trusted corporation.

 

DELL blocking ads???

Heh heh, they don't block their own. Take a look at this article I wrote last week. http://www.gadgetizer.com/2006/02/10/is-dell-stealing-traffic/

(The above link is not meant to be self promotion, just reference material relating to the above quoted reply)

Paul