Adblock (Firefox extension) could kill Adsense?

One of the most popular Firefox adonns at this time is Adblock...

With a single click you're able to block AdSense from all websites. Same for other PPC and affiliate ads.

Right now, i'm not seeing adsense here at digitalpoint.

 

Yep.. Used by people who don't want to see ads.. Simple..

Not going to kill anything.. its save google bandwidth and increases your CTR as people whom install this extension wouldn't click on your ad anyway

 

Ha ha ha. That's a great extension. I was wondering how long it would take for that to come out. However, the vast majority of people still use IE so I wouldn't worry too much until Micro$oft comes up with a blocking system. When they do, things should start to get interesting.

 

Norton already blocks Adsense in certain installations on both IE and Firefox. Some users don't even know they are being blocked.

 

And if you install the complementary tool "Filterset", it loads a long list of known advertising URLs.

Since it has been installed, I haven't seen a single ad!

If the trend grows, it will change the way advertising is delivered (at least).
I guess we'll have to integrate the ads by retreiving it directly to the page (ASP, PHP, ...) instead of using javascript.

 

Personally, I don't like the way things are heading. The argument that they wouldn't click on them anyway is pretty null, whether they click on them or not is important but all the webmaster is asking for is the opportunity to show the ad (just as they would on tv) and a favour has been done in not forcing it upon them.

Widespread usage of an extension like this in a browser with higher usage such as Internet Explorer will only cause more problems at the consumer level - it will just cause advertisers to get more deceptive and I'm positive there will be a rise in spyware, adware and deceptive advertising on page. At least now you can tell apart advertising from the actual content.

 

I use adblock and noscript in Firefox.

The nice thing about noscript is that I can disable all javascript (and other objects such as java and flash) by default and then selectively enable javascript and objects per-site for sites that do interest me (if it doesn't interest me then I leave) and there's no indication there's going to be a spam of java/flash ads or pop-ups/-unders (if it is going to be very spammy then I leave).

 

It isn't a big deal...anyone savvy enough to install firefox, let alone this extension isn't my type of customer.

This has been out for a long time.

I for one need to see my ads displayed so that I can customize colors, locations, and sizes...if you can't see you own ads, how serious about web develop can you be?

brandon

 

That's so not true... some advertising networks are already deceptive in how they present ads and try to install ActiveX (if someone's using IE) or try to auto-install a spyware exe. If there wasn't so much of this rubbish around, less people would be using pop-up blockers, etc.

It was due to the prevalence in pop-ups/-unders, spyware and dodgy ActiveX objects that pop-up and adblockers came into demand and offered either commercially or free.

I like the way things are heading. ;-) It can only force advertising networks into better advertising practises. And look at adsense, ypn, etc. it has to a certain extent, I don't block their adverts, but I sure do block any network that wants to spam me with pop-ups/-unders (even google's own toolbar blocks pop-ups/-unders) or try to install crap on my system.

 

As far as I know adblock blanket bans both of these as does the filterset addition. Believe me, my problem doesn't lie with the blocking of malicious ads which install activex etc. but the fact that the blocking is blanket and of every ad - I've made some ground to offer a non-intrusive advertising form, the visitor can at least do me the courtesy of viewing it. Quite simply, blanket banning of ads cannot serve whatsoever to improve ad networks - why would they offer text ads if they're banned by default just like their super flashy, activex, spyware ads.

By blocking off ads in such a way, you're not going to wipe out these malicious adverts, they're only going to get worse - something we've seen with the huge influx of pop-up blockers.

 

While this isn't a problem really now, I'm sure it will be one in the future. Nonetheless, the large website owners that are pursued by advertisors will be fine since simple communication with their advertisors will allow them to just make the ads in plain text and track the clicks themselves.

This will really hurt the majority of us small time website owners though and unless something can get done to respond to this growing problem then the future of small sites will be that of only hobbists.

 

Adblock doesn't blanket ban. A user can select exactly what they want to block. They can import block lists if they want. That's their choice.

 

Of course, the amusing thing is, google/adsense encourages people to download firefox, and encourages us to pop little firefox download boxes on our web pages. I use firefox and didn't even know there was an adsense blocking option, but then I'm pretty dull anyway and I am betting an awful lot of firefox users are as well. I don't go looking for addons and I suspect it is only a minority of firefox users that do.

 

that's bad news

 

Adblock does not, by itself, block adsense, but you can do it with a click.

And the 'Adblock Filterset" (a complementary extension, almost as popular as Adblock itself) DOES block adsense by default.

So, in short: I see less clicks for all of us as this trend grows, until Ad providers (Google, Yahoo, ...) allow us to include the ads directly on the page (no javascript)

 

It's not really "news" at all. It's been out forever, and I used to always run it, until I got into webmastering.

I want to be able to see everyone's ads to see what different publishers are doing.

I don't think it's a real problem.

 

Exactly, it doesn't do it by default. The user has to select to. Their choice. As is installing the complementary extension. They know what they're doing and choosing to. The "less clicks" will take a long time, too long that it will never happen because technologies will move on. As someone pointed out, people will click what they're interested. Even if ads do become built purely with HTML through PHP includes (for example), some people develop adblindness. But ads with networks are just one way to make money... once a site has enough visitors there's the opportunity to sell ad space and run one's own ads system that's purely php/perl/python-based. There are some good scripts out there for doing this. either part of a cms or standalone.

I do disagree with adblocking without the user's consent. The user's browsing experience should be in their control. But in the case of FF adblock extension (and other similar extensions/plugins for various browsers) users do know. As for Norton, I use Linux so I've never tried it to find out.

 

adblock is ~6 months old, and i use it since ff is my prefered browser. i block only really annoing adservers or advertisers (doubleclick, falkag, frikkin .swf-ads). ads are no problem on smaller sites, but on some high traffic pages (pr>7) you cant see any content without ad- and popup blockers.

 

haha I agree with Sara.

I've also experienced problems with Norton blocking adsense too.

 

i tend to lean to this direction too. people who install firefox are less likely to click on ads, although i do not have hard facts to back this up. still, 38% of my traffic uses firefox, so it's still quite a considerable problem for me.