Why you MUST not use an ad blocker - unless you want to pay for content

[Canadamus Prime]

I appreciate what you're trying to say Kathleen, esp. since I'm currently studying to be a content creator myself at college right now, but there's a flaw in your logic.

When you use an adblocker - who are you hurting with this seemingly innocent act?

Advertisers? Yes, a little bit, they lose some eyes on their message.

Not really since odds are I wouldn't be interested in what they're offering anyway.

Websites? Yes, a little bit, as they lose a fraction of a cent for each ad you don't see.

Not really since they get payed by the Advertiser whether I actually see the advertisement or not.

Content Creators and regular people? Yes! Why? Crap flows downhill my friend.

Not really, see above.

You? The most - read on.

Well that's debatable. Again since I said the Advertiser pays the website creators regardless of whether or not I actually see the ad. So if the website is still getting paid and paying it's content creators, I'm not losing anything.

The only one you could legitimately say is harmed by my use of an ad-blocker is the Advertiser, but as I said before, since odds are I wouldn't be interested in their product or service anyway, and as such not clicking on the ad, well what's the difference? And since many of these ads are obnoxious and annoying, I don't feel particularly obligated to have to put up with them.

 

[flangleelgnalf]

my computer seems to only block ads that try to open pop up windows, and i dont ever see those type's here.

 

[Andantil]

I use an ad-blocker because I don't care about the shit that's being advertised.

And who the hell clicks ads anyway? Who's actually dumb enough to willingly click ads?

 

[Lyri]

Nom nom nom

So, I'd like to say that I don't use an ad blocker since I understand that websites need revenue for their expenses whatever they may be.

However, I do find the adverts incredibly intrusive. Most of the adverts that jump in on the videos for the escapists content really get me. Not because of their content but just because of how they function or where they are place.
I remember the Heinekken one being the least intrusive but some of them made the viewing window feel so incredibly tiny and would be a constant distraction for focus.

The thing is for me I don't click ads, I just don't trust them or where they could be leading me too.
All to often you see ads thrown out by Google Ads and it leads to a blatant scam site (Starcraft 2 multiplayer guides being the most recent I've seen). This has pretty much tainted my outlook on all adverts I see.
I'm pretty certain that adverts I see here on the escapist are quite legitimate, however I'm here to watch LRR or ZP and I'm not here to be reminded that I want a new Honda or to enjoy doritos thanks to a local store whilst the world cup was on.
I do think some of these adverts are just poorly placed with regards to content of advert & the website.
The current Fable 3 one is situated well and it's short enough to not irritate.

I have no problem with adverts being present, I just wish where they were present would change.

Small note:I just recalled that I do use an adblocker, but that's actually a small script for facebook to get rid of the google ads that run down the side of pages.
It also makes it looks pretty sleek.

 

[Sovvolf]

Don't really use an ad-blocker. One of the reasons is that I can't be arsed downloading one, the other is that... I can deal with the ads. Yeah, true sometimes watching one ad over and over again when trying to watch a vid does get old but I can live with it. Most ads are around 15/20 seconds long and I guess if watching these things is supporting the website then I'll deal with it.

Besides, I mostly just fiddle around doing something else when the ad plays so I win that one and so does which ever website that uses them.

 

[Delusibeta]

Ehh. To use The Escapist as an example, they're pretty good on advertising, even though I often have banners for Escapist shows and have never seen a non-Pub Club video advert, other than that annoying "pop-out" video player advert (good luck blocking that without screwing things up!).

Although the current advert I see as a type into this box (a banner video promoting Stella Artois and its "World Draught Masters" thingy) would be annoying if I had slow/capped internet, since it's a looping video (although at least it has the decency to be silent and to count down from 3 if I accidentally roll over it. More video adverts should do that)

Of course, on the other extreme, is I currently get spammy and annoying adverts (e.g. that old "You're the 1000000th visitor! Click here to claim your prize!" pop-up that I make sure to close via the taskbar) if I ever wander to TV Tropes, so obviously there's still a hell of a lot of room for improvement.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Now see, I'm in strange position. I don't get ads a whole lot (except those rpg-whatever-things that the escapist has sometimes, the Sir walken PSA crap that went on a while and regular, passive banners), yet I don't think - I'm not sure, I can't remember - that I'm using an Adblocker. And this works fine for me.

 

[movienut]

This could be one option instead of the type of advertising we have now? Is this better because it's 'less intrusive', or is it worse, because it muzzles creative freedoms?

I think most companies would consider the modern consumer too jaded for that approach to work anyhow, so I doubt it would be an option.

I think banner ads and side panels, like the google ads, are fine. The issue is, as you pointed out, that some of the comercials are as long as the content. Perhaps a poster type ad at the start of a segment with a web link would work? Short, non intrusive and unavoidable?

I would love to think that people should support these projects through direct donations and product purchases but I am not sure how realistic that is...unless your name is Felicia Day of course!

 

[Lady Kathleen]

There might be a flaw in yours.

I appreciate what you're trying to say Kathleen, esp. since I'm currently studying to be a content creator myself at college right now, but there's a flaw in your logic.

When you use an adblocker - who are you hurting with this seemingly innocent act?

Advertisers? Yes, a little bit, they lose some eyes on their message.

Not really since odds are I wouldn't be interested in what they're offering anyway.

Maybe, maybe not. A lot of advertising isn't to sell you a product, but to increase back of mind awareness - for example, you want a snack. If you've seen a billboard for a snickers, you're not going to run out and buy one right away, but you might remember snickers the next time you're looking at candy bars.

Websites? Yes, a little bit, as they lose a fraction of a cent for each ad you don't see.

Not really since they get payed by the Advertiser whether I actually see the advertisement or not.

Not quite. Advertisers typically pay money for a certain amount of impressions, the less impressions, the longer the ad has to run, the less space they can sell to other ads. Also, low impression rates mean the website can't charge very much for the ad placement.

Content Creators and regular people? Yes! Why? Crap flows downhill my friend.

Not really, see above.

Dude, I assure you, if money doesn't come in, it doesn't go out.

You? The most - read on.

Well that's debatable. Again since I said the Advertiser pays the website creators regardless of whether or not I actually see the ad. So if the website is still getting paid and paying it's content creators, I'm not losing anything.

See above. If the website can't sell ads, or make money, there's nothing left over for people to make money with.

The only one you could legitimately say is harmed by my use of an ad-blocker is the Advertiser, but as I said before, since odds are I wouldn't be interested in their product or service anyway, and as such not clicking on the ad, well what's the difference? And since many of these ads are obnoxious and annoying, I don't feel particularly obligated to have to put up with them.

Bad ads are bad, irritating and shitty. However, not all ads are bad. What about the Old Spice ads? The problem with blocking ALL ads is that you're cutting advertising out of the content equation. Without money feeding the system, people don't get compensated for their work, and can't run their websites.

 

[Cgull]

I've no issue with subscribing (Pub Club, Last.fm) or donating (various) to sites/shows if I like the content within. It's a fair transaction, I feel good doing it, the site can continue to do what it does. Everyone's a winner

With that out the way, I hate ads. With a passion. I can understand the point of the original post (adblockers stifle income + website dies = world ends) but with almost every site/blog out there having ads all over the place it gets more than a little tiring closing random boxes/videos/epilepsy inducing 'You has won prize, yay!' signs. It also doesn't help that they waste bandwith, have the potential to be a wee bit malicious and are, all in all, bloody irritating.

Reagrding the original post, I disagree with the following sentence entirely; 'So holy shit, if you like an artist, buy a print. If you like ENN, watch an ad. If you like a writer, buy their book.' Buying a print or book is a direct, unforced act of showing appreciation for the work of the creator, equivalent in my mind to donating to a site or show. Watching an ad is a brute force form of support that doesn't really allow any discretion. Don't like the content? Tough, you're watching/allowing the ad, you're supporting it. I've never been forced to pay to read a few pages of Twilight to support an author I couldn't care less about, why should I treat the internet any differently?

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I do use an adblocker but it's mainly because of the pop up ads that flash and play loud music/sounds

I do plan on subscribing when I can, that reminds me does it automatically renew the subscription?

To my knowledge, yes.

And while I am here.

Do not confess, teach, admit to, or promote ad-blocking software that will allow users to block the ads of this site.

Taken straight from the User Guidelines on the top of this forum

People, the rule is as clear as day. You can't make an excuse if you get punished when the rule is written in a manner that targets that subject. That said, I can pull out at least 8 users who have admitted to using Ad-blockers in this thread alone. Please people, I'm not a moderator, but think about what you write next time. The moderators have a very strict stance against ad-blocking and those who were here when it happened probably remember the infamous bans that have taken place because of it. Do yourselves a favor and don't put yourselves up for mod wrath like that.

 

[The Bum]

I don't have a ad blocker, I'll put up with them until I've got some spare cash to join the Pub club.

It's not the fact that I have to wacth the ads it's just one ad that grinds my gears: The slim jim ads. WAIT WAIT DON'T HIT ME I understand that we need ads to keep the escapist going, and I know that slim jim probaly pays us a shitload of money. (I hope they do)
But really it's just that the ads if anything have a adverse affect I used to eat a slim jim every day on the way to school. Now i hate the bloody things.


I don't hate the ads, just those ads.

 

[Lilani]

One main issue here is that today's experienced veterans of the Internet are used to not having to being forced to sit through ads like previews at a movie. It is ingrained into their noggins that what was once free must always stay free, and so when it comes to things like mandatory ads on sites like this, or Hulu, or even YouTube now they feel personally offended. They feel like they're getting the runaround, and being needlessly inconvenienced.

The difference is now there is a NEED for that revenue, as it is costing more and more real money to keep up with the skykrocketing cost of having something on the Internet, and having it at a respectable quality.

So now they feel entitled to their ad-free environments, as they functioned just fine without them before. Personally I see no problem with it, I'm just thankful YouTube and Hulu haven't resorted to forcing subscriptions for the use their services (...yet. Knock on wood).

 

[Canid117]

I refuse to watch another Slim Jim ad before trying to watch an old ZP. I am not in the target market and the ad looks like it was rejected from Nickelodean.

 

[jumb]

I don't click on the ads anyway, so I don't care if I see them or not.

You say it hurts the content creators by not having ads, but I disagree and I blame the advertisers. Stupid annoying, flashy ads, which can have sound effects and often fuck up the formatting of the page are what takes away from the experience that the creators have created.

If the ads weren't so offensively garish noone would really care about blocking them.

 

[Red Albatross]

Sorry, not happening. I won't watch commercials, and I won't watch ads. Stop making ads irritating and bloated with Flash, scripts, and whatnot, stop hogging my bandwidth, stop taking up the entire screen if I mouse over a sidebar by accident. Stop pretending that I actually give a crap about what you're pitching. Stop pretending that I won't deliberately buy from a competitor if I find a company's ads particularly annoying.

To get people to look at ads, advertising companies have to not only start producing ads that are actually interesting, but also insinuate them into a context that will make a difference. Here's a "cool story, bro" example: I like (American) football. But good holy goddamn, I cannot watch it on TV anymore because there's twice as much advertising as there is game. I started watching ice hockey whenever it's on TV. The commercials are short and don't play often, because the game won't stop just for commercials. However, I will usually sit through and watch the few commercials that do air - because missing 30 seconds of a hockey game because I walked downstairs to get a drink almost always results in missing something important. I find it deliciously ironic that the TV networks just don't get it, because they're morons. The more commercials you cram into my sports and programs, the less inclined I'll be to actually watch them.

 

[zehydra]

Regardless of whether or not the ads pay off, we've had the internet for over a decade now, and it is still flourishing.

Pop-up blockers are, btw, a safety issue, because for a while, Trojans on websites would hijack your computer via pop-up ad.