Jimquisition: The Adblock Episode

[EvilRoy]

... Am I the only one that doesn't get all of the malware ads everyone keeps saying they get?

Maybe it's because I'm that one dude that likes to run MalwareBytes every other day and Avasts, Malwares, and Spybot: Search and Destroy's the computer weekly, but I've really never had an issue with ads breaking the computer.

As for annoying ads, again, I must be blessed or something, since I don't subscribe to the Escapist and the ads I do deal with are, for the most part, pretty good. There WAS this one really annoying about craft somethings or something or other that always kept expanding into the reply box in comments that pissed me off, but it was a really small complaint compared to everything. I never run adblock because I honestly don't feel that the ads are annoying enough to warrant its use in any capacity, really. :/

I honestly don't do half of what you do and I really haven't had malicious code in years. Not since Vista I think.

And I look at a LOT of porn. Seriously. Gads of it. And that's where all the worst stuff is supposed to come from.

 

[KisaiTenshi]

... Am I the only one that doesn't get all of the malware ads everyone keeps saying they get?

Maybe it's because I'm that one dude that likes to run MalwareBytes every other day and Avasts, Malwares, and Spybot: Search and Destroy's the computer weekly, but I've really never had an issue with ads breaking the computer.

As for annoying ads, again, I must be blessed or something, since I don't subscribe to the Escapist and the ads I do deal with are, for the most part, pretty good. There WAS this one really annoying about craft somethings or something or other that always kept expanding into the reply box in comments that pissed me off, but it was a really small complaint compared to everything. I never run adblock because I honestly don't feel that the ads are annoying enough to warrant its use in any capacity, really. :/

I have never received any malware from ads. The worst crap I have to see is when someone links me to something that ends up being on a file sharing site and I'm bombarded with 42 download boxes, none of which are the file in question.

I have Spybot S&D, and that's currently my favorite. Ad Aware was the first though, however all these programs are trying to be antivirus products now and it's a bit obnoxious.

Ugh when I used to work at a computer store they used to make us upsell Norton Security Suite AND Spyware Sweeper, and yet I'd use Spybot to actually detect the malware. Protip: Computer stores hate you if have no antivirus/anti-malware tools and/or fail to update them. If you're too lazy and cheap, install the free Microsoft stuff, that's better than nothing. Otherwise, yes please keep coming to us so we can wipe the machine out at 120$/hr instead of you paying for an anti-virus product.

 

[Freyar]

... Am I the only one that doesn't get all of the malware ads everyone keeps saying they get?

That or you're just lucky and didn't get hit by it. Even with my legitimate browsing (IE: No Pronz) I was served a milicious advertisement from a sidebar on a machinima site as well as one from Gamespot. Both of these I reported, but that was enough for me to want to clamp down on the whole issue. I'd much rather be safe than sorry when it comes to infections and vetting scripts is part of the whole case.

That said, I do want to support content I like, and part of that rolls into paying for the subscription I have on The Escapist. While it's a modicum amount of money once it's all split, I get to view the site without ads and as far as I can tell there's no qualms with that since I'm paying for the content I'm viewing. (Safe to say that overall Jimquisition is the reason I'm continuing to pay here.)

Other sites are a different story, and I white-list on a case-by-case basis. If I like the content and feel the content creator has done a sufficient job to earn some money (because let's face it, with the landslide of content on Youtube, we have the Steam Early Access problem there as well) I'll white-list the page enough to be served the advertisements provided they follow a few rules.

1)Advertisements cannot be longer (or bigger) than the original piece of content I am there to read or view.
2)Advertisements that are image-based SHOULD NOT automatically push audio.
3)Advertisements that cause a flag for any security reason will result in being blocked once more for the entire domain.

I understand the need for advertising revenue and I understand the frustration that has to be there for the guys that are responsible for making sure everyone gets paid, but ultimately the advertisers are the ones that have damaged their own business model by being 100% TOO DAMNED GREEDY and being unable to audit their security practices. Advertisers pushed too hard and not only annoyed users but put their systems at risk. Users then decided to defend themselves by blocking potential scripts and content that was a known source of difficulty.

 

[Zacharious-khan]

Seems like the B& hammer is being swung pretty hard in this thread, i think i'll just play it safe and just say
THANK GOD FOR JIM

 

[karkashan]

Ever since Kotaku gave me two separate malware/worms/virus/evilcomputerthings I never turn off Adblock completely. I do try to remember to turn it off when I watch videos here, though if I could watch it in HTML5 without a pub account so I could watch it on my Wii U, that would be great (although I understand why/if the E! wants to keep it the way it is).

grimabepraised

 

[Torque2100]

I started watching this video expecting to really disagree with you, Jim. I run Adblock, I'm not proud of this fact but it's something is, in my experience, absolutely necessary for using the internet safely these days. This is after several incidents where the Adservs for the websites I had thought trustworthy played ads that hijacked my browsing session, attempted to install malware on my computer, and used my Amazon log-in to search for Porn thus embarrassing me when I logged in to my Amazon to show my mom how to order something and found my recommendations page flooded with Hentai DVDs and Sex Toys.

How am I under any obligation to view the content of an Adserv when the Adservs themselves cannot be bothered to properly police the content that is uploaded to them? I am of the opinion that once data gets onto a person's computer, no one else has the right to tell them how it can or cannot be compiled. This goes for Game Modding as well. If Advertisers are going to be so incredibly irresponsible that they will release ads that break formatting, crash browsers, auto-play and drown out videos we're trying to watch and allow their customers to spread malicious software around the web, does that not mean that the individual user has not only a right but an obligation to protect themselves from it.

I'm not going to disable Adblock but I do like that many sites are offering Subscriptions and I think the Subscription model is the way to go. It allows people to support sites they like, it allows content creators to continue to work without both sides being shackled to an increasingly irresponsible Internet Advertising Industry.

You have convinced me Jim. I'm going to be buying a subscription.

 

[M920CAIN]

Well, I'll give it some thought Jim, that's all I can say, but how about this. I only remove adblock just for the part of the site where your videos are? I mean I prefer a case by case decision rather than going full frontal.

 

[Remus]

Seems like the B& hammer is being swung pretty hard in this thread, i think i'll just play it safe and just say
THANK GOD FOR JIM

Careful. I got a warning for playing it safe. THANK GOD FOR JIM

 

[IceForce]

I see the mods are still active in this thread (albeit, covertly).

Despite the obvious censorship ramifications, I still would've personally rather seen this thread locked from the get-go.
Many many dozens of users would've been saved warnings/suspensions/whatever, had this been done.

I understand that the forum rules have very little flexibility. That being the case, you've got to weigh up what's best for the site; steadfastly refusing to lock the thread and instead annoying your users with warnings, or locking the thread and completely removing the likelihood of any users even GETTING any warnings (in this thread, on this topic).

 

[DoctorImpossible]

edit: Nothing to see here, sorry

 

[KisaiTenshi]

I see the mods are still active in this thread (albeit, covertly).

Despite the obvious censorship ramifications, I still would've personally rather seen this thread locked from the get-go.
Many many dozens of users would've been saved warnings/suspensions/whatever, had this been done.

I understand that the forum rules have very little flexibility. That being the case, you've got to weigh up what's best for the site; steadfastly refusing to lock the thread and instead annoying your users with warnings, or locking the thread and completely removing the likelihood of any users even GETTING any warnings (in this thread, on this topic).

Everyone who posted to this thread knew exactly what the risks were.

 

[mcnally86]

Maybe it is because he asked for honesty and sincerity so people are martyring themselves in his comment section. I also want to point out that the censorship system does not work. I find myself reading posts that were sectioned off more carefully than I would have otherwise. They just seem like they might be more interesting.

 

[Kaymish]

i use ad block but ive had it turned off on the escapist for yonks the ads on this site are not bad enough for me to justify to myself to use it and to be fair sometimes they are interesting enough that i will click them though i do suppose i am lucky that the escapist does not seam to have many ad brokers/whatever they are in my region so i can get away with the few ads they do have and i found that the site is optomised to have the ads displayed and it changes the formatting slightly when i have it on or off
additionally i read alot of web comics and unless the creator has been particularly bad with plastering her site with ads i turn it off there too
i suppose i use it because i hate getting blasted in the face and sometimes the ads break how a website works and often the site owners dont care thet only the ads are being displayed and noone can actually view the content thats under there and i tuen it off to sites that have proved they can be responsible and that i actually like

 

[Sansha]

It took me a long time to get AdBlock. It was actually imgur that was the final straw, when they came out with ads with sound, but Blip and Doug Walker's site playing full-length trailers... that was it. When it started unapologetically started fucking with my online experience, that was it for me.

I have it disabled on Escapist, mostly because I'm a Pub-Club member, which I paid for specifically to not see ads. What was the last thing for me was a year ago, the Valentine's week condom ads were just... couldn't deal; ten bucks paid.

I like supporting content creators, but if the ads are obnoxious, intrusive and, worst of all long, then... well, sorry.

 

[tweedpol]

Never had or used Adblock, I'm one of those self-righteous people who doesn't (often) stream films illegally online (thank god for netflix) but I should say, as I read through this forum, there's an ad autoplaying - with sound - somewhere on this tab, that I can't find and if I could find I couldn't fucking shut up. Not so bad when reading a forum and I can mute the whole computer, but when I'm watching a video which let's not forget is the main string to the Escapist bow, it makes me really want to stab 'em right in the server...

 

[PlayerDos]

I see the mods are still active in this thread (albeit, covertly).

Despite the obvious censorship ramifications, I still would've personally rather seen this thread locked from the get-go.
Many many dozens of users would've been saved warnings/suspensions/whatever, had this been done.

I understand that the forum rules have very little flexibility. That being the case, you've got to weigh up what's best for the site; steadfastly refusing to lock the thread and instead annoying your users with warnings, or locking the thread and completely removing the likelihood of any users even GETTING any warnings (in this thread, on this topic).

Everyone who posted to this thread knew exactly what the risks were.

Let's not pretend this is fighting in a war or something.

Sure some probably figured the moderation would probably be really dumb about it (considering a content creator of this website made the fucking thread), but nobody likes to be punished, or see people punished, for mentioning adblock in a thread about adblock made by a content creator who just made a video about adblock and asked us to discuss adblock.

Why isn't Jim getting a warning? He made the thread. I'm sure if I went and made this thread it'd get locked and I'd get suspended because I'm on probation. Why didn't the mods lock the thread? Clearly they don't want us talking about it, so why are they lurking a thread that isn't getting locked just handing out warnings+ to every post they deem too adblocky?

Maybe people should have known better, but the way this was done was incredibly stupid. Don't want us discussing it Escapist? Fine. Hand out warnings+ for mentions of it like you already do. Don't let content creators make threads about the banned issues and then leave said threads open though, because that is bullshit.

 

[Marter]

Sure some probably figured the moderation would probably be really dumb about it (considering a content creator of this website made the fucking thread), but nobody likes to be punished, or see people punished, for mentioning adblock in a thread about adblock made by a content creator who just made a video about adblock and asked us to discuss adblock.

Why isn't Jim getting a warning? He made the thread. I'm sure if I went and made this thread it'd get locked and I'd get suspended because I'm on probation. Why didn't the mods lock the thread? Clearly they don't want us talking about it, so why are they lurking a thread that isn't getting locked just handing out warnings+ to every post they deem too adblocky?

Maybe people should have known better, but the way this was done was incredibly stupid. Don't want us discussing it Escapist? Fine. Hand out warnings+ for mentions of it like you already do. Don't let content creators make threads about the banned issues and then leave said threads open though, because that is bullshit.

A) Nobody was punished for mentioning adblock. Hundreds of posts have discussed it without receiving wrath. Please don't make false accusations.

B) Jim isn't getting a warning because (1) nothing he said would receive a warning in this thread if said by a user and (2) content creators are held to different standard than forum users. At least, in terms of the content they create. If Jim came onto the forums and said "I adblock The Escapist" he would be warned. He didn't do that.

C) We don't lock content threads. That directive is not the moderators'.

 

[PlayerDos]

A) Nobody was punished for mentioning adblock. Hundreds of posts have discussed it without receiving wrath. Please don't make false accusations.

Kaitaiser and Thephil were warned, and that's only the first two pages. This was made because Jim was talking about people using Adblock. They talked about using it and they got warned. I can't fathom what they were punished for if it wasn't talking about Adblock. Did they talk about doing crack and then edit that part out or something? This is part of what I said, nobody even knows why some are getting warned and some aren't. Some say they use it and get warned, some say they use it and don't.

B) Jim isn't getting a warning because (1) nothing he said would receive a warning in this thread if said by a user and (2) content creators are held to different standard than forum users. At least, in terms of the content they create. If Jim came onto the forums and said "I adblock The Escapist" he would be warned. He didn't do that.

He's prompting discussion about adblock and people who use it. If that's somehow not something that would recieve a warning then that's interesting considering people who are mentioning using it on the escapist are all getting warned for it.

C) We don't lock content threads. That directive is not the moderators'.

Okay.

 

[Marter]

Kaitaiser and Thephil were warned, and that's only the first two pages. This was made because Jim was talking about people using Adblock. They talked about using it and they got warned. I can't fathom what they were punished for if it wasn't talking about Adblock. Did they talk about doing crack and then edit that part out or something? This is part of what I said, nobody even knows why some are getting warned and some aren't. Some say they use it and get warned, some say they use it and don't.
They were not warned for discussing it or mentioning it, which is what you claimed. They were warned for saying they adblock the site.

He's prompting discussion about adblock and people who use it. If that's somehow not something that would recieve a warning then that's interesting considering people who are mentioning using it on the escapist are all getting warned for it.
Content creators are exempt from the Code of Conduct when creating content. I already said that. The rules of the thread, then, were altered in order to allow for a discussion. Yes, if anyone created just a random thread about it, the thread would be locked and the author warned. That's not what happened.

 

[PlayerDos]

Kaitaiser and Thephil were warned, and that's only the first two pages. This was made because Jim was talking about people using Adblock. They talked about using it and they got warned. I can't fathom what they were punished for if it wasn't talking about Adblock. Did they talk about doing crack and then edit that part out or something? This is part of what I said, nobody even knows why some are getting warned and some aren't. Some say they use it and get warned, some say they use it and don't.
They were not warned for discussing it or mentioning it, which is what you claimed. They were warned for saying they adblock the site.

Dude. The video was for Jim talking about people USING IT.

I don't know if you think I was being dishonest in saying people were talking about it as if the mere mention gets them banned, but I figured it was kind of a given that I meant people talking about USING IT. Since the video was about using it on the Jimquisition and other content on the escapist. That's why I said talking about the video or discussing what it talks about it is bait. The video was about using adblock on the Jimquisition, Escapist and web content cause Jim says he gets why we would. People talk about why they did and why they are stopping and why they are resuming and they get banned. That is why I consider it bait.