Norton Blocking Affiliate Links, AdSense & Webmaster Revenue!

First off thanks to 5StarAffiliates for this info

Norton Internet Security and Firewall are blocking most affiliate links & banners and even AdWords and Adsense ads. It also blocks most ad servers. It may even be blocking your own site logo if it is a certain image size.

FYI - When I say "blocked" I mean erased, wiped out and invisible. It leaves a blank white spot where the banner or text link should have been, making it look like your site is messed up or you are missing information. It totally strips out your osurce code too. With AdWords and Adsense ads the body copy is visible but the link is missing so you cannot click.

I have been researching this issue for awhile now, and have posted a warning here before, but just finally downloaded the software to start testing. I'm APPALLED and ENRAGED at how this software DEFACES websites and can effect webmaster/affiliate revenue!

THE DEFAULT IS SET TO BLOCK ADS, so for non savvy users that don't realize how much Norton blocks, they will just think your site is poorly designed or info is missing when the see all the white spaces. Norton is being shipped with many new computers so I think this problem will grow.

Please download the FREE trial of Norton Internet Security (which includes the Firewall software too.) Check your site!

We offer the following simple method for countering this offensive act by Symantec:

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5 easy steps:

- copy a banner and host it from your server.

- create a table with a cell using the saved image as the background image

- set the cell size to the size of the background image

- use the 'on click' function to direct clicks somewhere

- place your intended ad link in the cell

Right click here to download the sample code in a text file.

 

i hate the philospohy that people have the right to block ads on your site .... the same site that is giving the user free information/services etc.

what i need is code to block people using that software from seeing my sites.

i think there is a difference between blocking pop-ups, adware and virus ... and blocking banner ads/adsense.

same goes with TV ... i understand my wathcing commercials stinks, but when was the last time you paid to watch sitcom TV? there is a reason people... ultimately the consumer trying to rip off the system always loses ... content gets junkier and the content providers find a way to make the ads more intrusive.

won't be long before you see lots more sites adopting the "wait here to see this flash commercial" before getting to the homepage.

 

Visitors have the right to control their own browser. I have the right to control my own web site.

I will figure out how to make my sites completely unusable with NIS enabled.

It is in Google's best interest to figue out how to defeat this technology also. That should be a comforting thought.

 

TheWebJunkie,

Here is a link to my original article with samples of what Norton does to web sites.
http://www.5staraffiliateprograms.com/norton-blocks-revenue.html

IMPORTANT UPDATE: We all have a voice and can make it heard to affect change, even with a big company like Symantec. I just got a message that the 2005 version has been changed. "My NIS 2005 shipped to me with default ad blocking OFF. When I went into the control panel to switch ad blocking on, it gave me a big warning that web pages may not display as intended and are you sure you want to enable ad blocking."

Thanks for listening Symantec. That's what we wanted to see. Leaving this page up for information purposes since many users still have the old software that still does unfair and un-notified blocking.

 

will, you are right ... maybe i seemed too much "you don't have the right" ... you do have the right ... even if it violates a hard working web masters right to earn a buck.

and google has the right to make a link to their marketing maps with all addresses on your web pages.

where does it end?

 

It is the surfers computer, if they want to block your ads or your website for that matter it is their business, not the webmasters.

If I don't want to watch commercials on TV I can do that also with technology

This is not new news, it is old news.

 

i don't agree ... that way of thinking only makes the advertisers more aggressive in their tactics .. or better yet ... let's start paying for ABC, NCB etc... you think they are gonna just throw their hands up inthe air and say forget it? no more money for me.

 

You don't agree with what, what is your point

 

i don't agree that blocking ad technology will benefit anyone in the end. whether it's a web site or tv ... someone will lose and it won't be the advertising business.

i also disagree and will say that a user blocking my ads is my business ... whether i just refuse to give him more than 3 bytes of my bandwidth or do nothing ... it's definetely my business.

 

How will you stop people from blocking your ads

The Television Networks could not do it since TIVO and other devices came out, how do you think you will

This is not a new technology, ad blocking software is available from many software companies, not just Norton

 

never said that anthony ... i can't prevent then from not seeing my ads ... but with a little php and JS ... i can block them from getting to page 2.

of course ... i'm not saying i would do this ... or care to ... but anything is possible ---> ads load with JS ... if variable not set from ad in a cookie then serve no content.

the web is a bit smarter then a 1 way receptipon device like TV.

but we are talking in circles ... it makes no matter. most businesses aren't depending on ad clicks for the only revenue (although i do for my personal sites)

 

I told you that I had Norton Internet Security, I also told you that I did not like it because a lot of content on pages was not delivered (Sorry I said that in another thread).

Advertising is part of the content and most folks will not block it, focus on more important issues like getting traffic, you are getting off track on this issue as not everyone likes to block ads in the first place.

 

no doubt .. no doubt

 

It is a vicious cycle. Some sites start using entry popup / exit popup and disable back button techniques. People look for tools to avoid that totally obnoxious behavior. It starts off with the default to allow normal popups and you have to tell the browser who the bad guys are. Then the bad guys get SO BAD that the default is changed. So the bad guys find even worse ways to be bad.

The honest advertizer is not the "bad guy". The consumer is not the "bad buy" even though their attempt to avoid the "bad guys" has them depriving publishers of some revenue.

I don't mind a site I can't see. I close the tab and move on. It is no different than a link to a site who's domain has expired.

I personally find googles infactuation with javascript anoying. That job should be done server side, not client side.

Then again, I don't expect to make a living off google ads. I only hope to defer some of the cost of providing the data to my audience. I can surely see how people who's goal is to make a living off their advertizement income might be upset.

 

Hi,

I found this great website that lists webmaster revenue programs that aren't blocked by ad blocking programs. Its a great way to make money with your website. The site is [somewhere on the net]
Check it out.

Guru

 

Egads, that awful page tried to install crap-ware into my browser.

Don't click that button.

 

Good deal Will, so you don't want anyone to click on it but make the link live for all future readers, THANKS FOR THE WARNING WILL

 

And we wonder why users are wary and want to block all this crap.

Hope Guru got spanked or banned for posting that link!

 

Do yourself a favour and remove Norton 'Firewall' asap. It is infamous for security vulnerabilities. Perhaps a better name for it might be, "Tickets at the door"?

 

Nice job TheWebJunkie and 5 Star. Have you heard if Google has responded or reacted?