Google Cracks Down on Adblock

[Gyrick]

I've always had an issue with ads on sites, not because they're "intrusive," but I actually got a LOT of computer viruses from them. One of the worst ones I ever had came from an ad on CNN's site (I forget what kind of virus it was, but it kept installing a fake browser and slowed my computer to a crawl). The problem is that ever since I started using AdBlock I really don't get viruses any more.

To compensate, I donate money and buy merchandise when I can; I white list sites that I frequent when there are little to no reports of viruses (see "Escapist," "YouTube," and various web-comics). I don't know, the whole thing is a really big gray area, and I understand Google not wanting to lose revenue, but I'm not sure this is the right way to do things. What is the right way? I have absolutely no idea.

 

[DoPo]

If they ever succeed at this then it will be illegal for browsers to do this.

That would be in breach of the web standards. It is not possible claim this and get away with it.

The thing is, if Google wants the YouTube content to be viewed "their way", they could do it, but that would require abandoning HTML5 and either returning to Flash or another proprietary technology. Of course, that would mean that the viewers would drastically drop.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Let me tell you a quick story about a lovely little site.

Fakku is one of the most well-known and legit hentai sites in the west. One day, they role out a new form of advertisement. This ad causes a small screen to load up in front of a hentai on the first page, you just hit exit and be on your merry way. Ad block users ran into an issue where the ad would not load and the hentai would be unable to easily change pages and the first page you selected would be blank. I noticed that someone in their forums placed a thread asking what was happening with this, he even straight up said "I think my ad-blocker is causing this". Jacob Grady, owner and founder of the website responds with "Yes, we aware that the new ad type causes issues solely for ad-block users. We have our tech team working on it ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience."

The owner of a website, which is most likely how he makes most of his money, is having his tech team fix something that is only effecting ad-block users and even apologized for it. You may be asking "Elfgore, what's the point with all this?" The point is that ad-block is something that website owners need to realize they can not stop. Trying to stop it just hurts yourself, as I'm sure most people would just travel to another site rather than deal with your annoyances. Several websites acknowledge this, Fakku, The Mod Nexus, and I'm sure many others. They understand ads are annoying, but they have to use them to keep the site afloat. Google, this is a terrible idea. People will just jump over to the next available browser rather than deal with your shit. You should just include a constant link to download Firefox throughout that whole 3 minute, un-skipable ad. Saves people some time at least.

I'm not condoning the use either. I just think that a large portion of the internet uses ad-block as an objective fact. Birds fly, fish swim, and people use ad-block a bunch.

Living up to the Lewd Guard title, aren't you Elfgore?

OT: Google will lose this fight. The chance to make a premium advertisement free youtube service has been lost. Aggressively going after the blockers isn't going to make Youtube profitable. Can't say what will, all I know is that this isn't going to help them one bit in the long run.

 

[RandV80]

This actually isn't the first time Google has altered their browser to protect Youtube's interests. I use primarily use Firefox but for the longest time I couldn't get youtube to work on it so I'd switch to Chrome for that. About a year ago I needed to download a youtube video, girlfriend is an actor and wanted to cut a clip from a web series she was in. I've done this before for her, but suddenly none of the add-ons I used the last time were working. Figured maybe they just didn't work anymore so I searched in extensions for a new one... and there was nothing.

Chrome is there browser and they have the right to do what they want with it, but that was about when I decided I'm going to stick with one that isn't tied heavily to the actual content of the internet.

 

[Something Amyss]

That would be in breach of the web standards. It is not possible claim this and get away with it.

The thing is, if Google wants the YouTube content to be viewed "their way", they could do it, but that would require abandoning HTML5 and either returning to Flash or another proprietary technology. Of course, that would mean that the viewers would drastically drop.

Well, they're willing to get people to move away from their browser, so why not YouTube?

 

[DoPo]

That would be in breach of the web standards. It is not possible claim this and get away with it.

The thing is, if Google wants the YouTube content to be viewed "their way", they could do it, but that would require abandoning HTML5 and either returning to Flash or another proprietary technology. Of course, that would mean that the viewers would drastically drop.

Well, they're willing to get people to move away from their browser, so why not YouTube?

*shrug* They are free to do that, I was more or less stating the obvious.

 

[Double A]

This sure won't bite Google in the ass, just like how DRM hasn't negatively affected EA, Acti, and Ubi.

Ahhh I love how history repeats itself.

 

[Makabriel]

OT: Doesn't seem like a great idea. People want to block ads, and some sites are borderline unuseable without it. They absolutely ruin so many UIs. Additionally, a lot of ads are a real security risk. Websites, hosts, and advertisers really need to step up their game. Autoplay video ads on regular pages are annoying as hell, to the point that knowing which tab is playing audio is an appreciable feature in a browser. Broken pop ups, and scam ads are just a nuisance. Import bride ads are just low rent garbage.

Trying to recorner the market for ads is just going to drive more users to block ads. I get that they let us have the internet, and content for free, and I like that. I don't like having to virtually bleach out my computer because an ad has a malicious script, I don't like porny bullshit in the sidebars, I don't like obvious scams or malicious links there, I don't like hearing ads for stupid fucking SUVs playing in one of the dozen tabs I have open. It's seriously weak.

And that's precisely the reason I use it to this days. It cuts through the garbage and gets me to the information I'm on the site for. Sometimes I do turn it off and I get deluged.. it's annoying.

 

[Patathatapon]

I don't really get the purpose of ad block. If you have to watch 3 minute, unskippable ads I can understand, but a typical 30 second (Or 5 second if you just skip it) ad seems pointless to me. Even if it's a long ad, go do something else for the 3 minutes if you want to watch the video that bad.

 

[BarkBarker]

You can complain about adblock when you don't put such intrusive ad placement and ANNIHILATE a video with a certain length with fucking 6 ads.

6 ads? Did you not grow up with TV? They do 6 ads in one commercial break. Youtube barely advertises comparatively and most of the time the ads are skippable after five seconds. I could expect my kids to get pissed off about 6 ads or my grandkids but no one who grew up with standard television.

Then again, if you're 13 years old then that means you've never even known a time without regular internet.

I draw issue with intrusive advertisements, adverts had tv slots during actually devised breaks, it doesn't work when you just throw it all over a video and it cuts out mid sentence to an ad. Also, when they put like a 2 minute unskippable on a 20 second video, there are issues. They need to work with us and find a compromise on how various kinds of content can fit to an advertising scheme we all agree upon.

 

[FalloutJack]

The consumer doesn't have adblock.

Yes, they do. Who are you to say? You're one guy. Since Google wants to crack down on it, it must mean that there are alot of people blocking them. To label them all bad guys because of that is just being extreme and highly inaccurate. That's all it is, labelling as an excuse for extreme action. The ones that are actually capable of some kind of wrong are never deterred by this kind of measure. Never.

 

[Glaice]

Keep doing that and I'll go back to Firefox, Google.

 

[omega 616]

snip

If adverts where decent, just put a little picture advertising your crap somewhere, then adblock wouldn't be a problem 'cos nobody would use it. instead people get greedy, youtube showing the same ad over and over and over in front of videos, during videos and at the end of them. This site had those quarter screen fillers with tiny crosses (think it was dragon age 2). Ads that play sound when the page loads etc and I am sure some have come with some kind of virus in.

They stop users enjoying the content they want and clutter up screens, making them look awful.

 

[Loonyyy]

And that's precisely the reason I use it to this days. It cuts through the garbage and gets me to the information I'm on the site for. Sometimes I do turn it off and I get deluged.. it's annoying.

It's really frustrating. On principle I'd rather have ads on, everywhere. Unfortunately, this has gotten my computer infected with Malware before, so now NoScript and Ad-Block are a must, and I'm forced to use the white-listing to do that. So I white-list the sites I used regularly that I want to support, but that slips your mind occassionally. Even on sites that aren't script-jacking me, the ads make a significant negative. I'm not going to buy a new Toyota SUV, I don't have the money, I dislike the car, and I don't buy new cars. Digging through 20 tabs to find which one has spontaneously developed audio is a complete waste of my time. Video ads on videos makes sense. Video ads randomly spawning on random pages is just poor design.

I'd like to have the easy payment option of regular advertising. It's basically a scam on the advertiser, because I'm too suspicious to click shit. But I'm not willing to put up with obvious scams which just pose a risk to an errant click, I'm not willing to have stupid Russian bride ads, Evony ads, or whatever. Sites need to filter their ads, and realise that the advertising forms a part of their page and reflects on them. And ad services need to clean themselves up, because if you've followed anyone trying to do that, it's a constant battle blacklisting the bad ads from appearing. But they're not interested in that, because they're desperately trying to squeeze more money out of fewer customers, driving away reputable advertisers, and not realising that this drives people to kill the ads.

On the other hand, seeing things like the American Ultra ads on the sides is kind of neat, since it's relevant to my interests, and you'd expect a bunch of the people on this site to like things like that. And it's not intrusive, and hasn't infected my computer with a fake antivirus. Yet.

 

[likalaruku]

When Google successfully blocks Adblock, Java & Flash for good, I'll be finding a different browser. I need all 3 of those things.

 

[DoPo]

When Google successfully blocks Adblock, Java & Flash for good, I'll be finding a different browser. I need all 3 of those things.

Why do you need Java in your browser? As I mentioned earlier, I have had it disabled for at least 4 years now. I can count the number of instances when I had to reenable it to do something on my fingers and even then, all but one or two were because I sought them out.

 

[likalaruku]

When Google successfully blocks Adblock, Java & Flash for good, I'll be finding a different browser. I need all 3 of those things.

Why do you need Java in your browser? As I mentioned earlier, I have had it disabled for at least 4 years now. I can count the number of instances when I had to reenable it to do something on my fingers and even then, all but one or two were because I sought them out.

I play & watch a lot of things on the net daily that require Java to run.

 

[DoPo]

When Google successfully blocks Adblock, Java & Flash for good, I'll be finding a different browser. I need all 3 of those things.

Why do you need Java in your browser? As I mentioned earlier, I have had it disabled for at least 4 years now. I can count the number of instances when I had to reenable it to do something on my fingers and even then, all but one or two were because I sought them out.

I play & watch a lot of things on the net daily that require Java to run.

Are you confusing Java with JavaScript? Because these two have pretty much nothing in common.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Dont use Chrome anyway so doesnt effect me at all. 3 minute adverts are way to long and will make people want to use that app more and also go for Firefox instead. Some sites i use have a 10 second advert before their video and im happy to sit through that as normally its just that one new video. But for Youtube, 3 minutes is just stupid when you maybe be watching many videos in one sitting and some maybe shorter than the actual advert.

 

[Ugicywapih]

I don't use adblock, actually. I consider the ads to be an integral part of the site and id they're intrusive enough to sufficiently hinder my enjoyment of content provided, I'd just rather ditch the site altogether - I understand they're there to keep the whole thing afloat, so even merely installing a tool to block them seems sort of disrespectful of the whole creator-consumer interdependence and thus creators in general to me, not to mention I kinda worry about adding extra complexity to my browsing, possibly resulting in extra issues.

That being said, this exact thing just made me seriously consider installing the whole thing, just to block google ads wholesale to spite whomever came up with this idea. Seriously, Youtube ads are loud, obnoxious and poorly targetted. If you have a problem with people refusing to watch them, maybe try making them a bit less intrusive first?