Asklemmy

Ads annoy me to no end so yes. I use NextDNS on all of my devices + uBo in my browsers

By default I have AdBlock (uBlock origin) on, but I generally turn it off for YouTube and Twitch to support content creators (except when the creator is unmonetized, then I leave it on).

And I also turn it off for a some websites that are free of corporate BS and have interesting content. Funny enough, most of these websites happen to not have any ads or trackers in the first place.

uBlock Origin or the built-in adblocker, depending on the browser I use. On iOS I use AdGuard.

I treat adblockers the same as an antivirus at this point, there have been multiple times that I've seen ads for scams and malware, so I save myself the headache and use an adblocker. I believe it was Linus from Linus Tech Tips who said adblocking YouTube ads is piracy, if so then call me a filthy pirate.

Absolutely I use ad block. Ublock origin, plus a couple other privacy related extensions, plus browser configured with most privacy settings turned up all the way.

Most publishers seem to have no interest in giving me a good browsing experience, only in shoving as many ads as possible down my throat and violating my privacy as much as possible. So I have zero sympathy. I have sympathy for the smaller websites that then get locked as well, that wouldn't otherwise have intrusive ads, but I am not going to subject myself to the larger ones just for their benefit.

Without ad block I have found a lot of websites almost totally unusable, or significantly more time wasting. Reddit is of course a big one, new Reddit without ad block is a total clusterfuck. YouTube is also pretty bad.

Thing is, I'm happy to pay. I'm looking forward to an era when I can do microtransactions in crypto to pay a website a couple pennies for content I like.

Man I don't even know how people use the internet without an adblocker. It's literally impossible to focus on the content with all the pop ups and banner ads it's such a bad experience.

This is the pcgamer website without adblock!

I discovered this this morning as I was trying out a Lemmy app (thunder) instead of my ad blocked Firefox and followed an article link.

In less than 600 words there were:

• 3 full page ads to dismiss
• an auto playing video taking up 1/4 of the screen that follows as you scroll
• a sticky animated footer banner
• and a half page animated ad between each paragraph.

Fuck that. Fuck any organizational that does that to it's product or has that level of contempt for it's users.

I support content creators but ad block is necessary for safety, privacy, and the overall usability of the Internet.

I use uBlock Origin on individual devices and a Pi-Hole on a network level.

My reasoning:

1. As a web developer, everything I make and publish is either for fun or for profit. The things I create for fun, I don't expect to make money or even be financially sustainable. If I did, they would be things I create for profit. If I create something for fun, I try to either leverage a free hosting service or host it myself, to avoid outrageous costs. If I create something for profit, I tend to use a simple subscription model. If someone wants to use something I've created for profit, they can pay me for it. I would love to throw money at the sites I use on a regular basis to help sustain them. I do so with a YouTube Premium subscription, paid subscriptions to apps that I use, Github sponsorships, and several Patreon memberships.

As such, by using an ad blocker, I'm not expecting anything of others that I wouldn't do, myself.

2. As someone with both ADHD and autism, I will never require someone to pay me using their attention. Some of us have a limited supply of that, and have to ration it as-is.

3. I have never once seen an ad on a website, banner or otherwise, and thought "Wow, I should buy that."

4. They are a waste of my screen space, CPU cycles, network bandwidth, patience, attention, and time.

5. I don't want to be tracked.

6. They often reduce performance of the content they are meant to compliment and support, which will make me less likely to stick around. A while back, I encountered some ads on a web game was built using WebGL. Any time ads would load, there was a half-second pause in the game, even on my rather substantially-spec'd PC (Ryzen 9 5950X, 64GB DDR4-3600, GTX 3080).

Ads are mental poison, so yes.

I use an ad blocker in all my clients plus pihole on my local network... And outside with a VPN.

If a creator is really useful, I support them directly through donations or paid subscriptions. Other than that, I can't stand ads.

Wow, there are a lot of comments describing how neccessary it must be to use adblock. I don't think I can actually change anyone's mind here, but I'm going to share my perspective anyway:

While I don't agree with the statement quoted in the original post, I do think that ads are neccessary for most websites I visit to function. Not because of the content creators, but because of the companies running the platforms.

I know, ads can be problematic. But to outright block all ads is no solution. Privacy and data protection are very important to me, so I'm against every form of targeted ads. But just generic or maybe contextual ads? I don't see any harm in that. Malware is mentioned often in other comments. I disable JavaScript whenever I can. That's absolutely enough for blocking all ads to not make any real difference in terms of security. Although I have to admit that blocking scripts also blocks some ads.

But still, I see all ads on YouTube and search engines for example. And I'm happy to see them. It's incredible that such platforms, providing so many people with access to so much content from so many other people can actually exist. There are a lot of resources needed for this.

And if I still don't want to see ads simply because I don't want to? Then I don't have to, even without any adblockers. If I don't think a website is worth the ads it thinks it needs to show me, then I don't have to use it. I can just leave. If it is easy to provide the same service without ads then there must be countless alternatives already.

uBlock origin on my PC, AdGuard on my Google Pixel

I do want people to make their money but not to the point I get malware from a single click.

I use unlock origin because it blocks ads and other annoying web features like cookies and newsletters popins.

I use adblocker because I hate pages being full of them and specially with pop-ups

If I don't block ads, then I'm stealing from the advertiser who's paying per impression to someone who isn't interested in their crap.

If the ad makes noise, moves around the screen, crashes my browser, or otherwise actively interferes with my ability to obtain the information I was looking for, It'll leave me with such a negative impression that I won't buy anything from that brand, now or ever -- or from the creator who allowed them to break an otherwise good website.

So really, by blocking ads, I'm defending the good reputation of both creators and their sponsors.

Yes, I haven't seen an advertisement short of billboards on the highway in years.

I understand the necessity for advertisements in funding the internet. I would happily pay $5 or $10 one time to use my favorite sites, but obviously the majority of sites will always be advertiser-funded.

The major reason I still insist on using ad and tracking blockers (plus other userscripts and whatnot) it's because of how unbelievably insane online advertising has become. There is so much predation and privacy violations that it boggles the mind. Advertiser companies can collect databases larger than most people's closest family and friends know about them. By using many diverse and complicated methods, they can know things like your sexuality, your exact age, your current location, your race, your gender, your height, your weight, your address, and so much more. They also will sell all this information to consolidators at a drop of the hat.

Not only that, but with things like invasive pop-ups, fake download buttons, annoying interruptions every few seconds while consuming your content, and other invasive and annoying advertiser practices have made the modern web practically unusable without an ad blocker.

Now, if companies didn't basically steal and then sell your soul, and they didn't detract from the actual media in the most annoying and predatory ways possible, I might consider turning off my ad blocker. I don't actually hate advertisements, there are plenty of ads that I've seen that I absolutely love, but the kind of advertising that has become the face of the modern internet is just unacceptable and I will not yield for any morality reasons until advertising firms do the same.

I use adblock wherever I can as ads have only become more annoying and intrusive over time. It's incredibly frustrating going to a site and having three banner ads covering 60% of the screen, or seeing an unskippable ad interrupt a YouTube video every 90 seconds. It's wasted time I will never get back, and it feels like theft of my life. I wish I could have adblock everywhere outside of the internet.

I do, because they are my devices and I get to choose what they do. Not some content creator.

Fuck ads. They always fuck me when I try to make money online. If the only way I'm allowed to make money is with "a real job" then they should "get a real job" too. Fuck 'em.

uBlock Origin on desktop and Blokada on Android

The internet is literally unusable without one these days.

Well if the content creator cared about the consumer they wouldnt make it impossible to enjoy thier site without adblock. plenty of community run sites have ads that arent annoying and im happy to allowlist em

Yes! Mostly because of the trackers. I also use Firefox's strict tracking protection and resist fingerprinting.

Every now and then I turn off my ad-blockers (Pi-Hole, ABP, uBlock Origin, and Ghostery) for a particular site that I feel bad for blocking...and then re-enable them all once all the adverts -- and sheer volume of trackers -- spew data left, right, and centre. Unfortunately ad-blockers are just like condoms: they keep your machine virii-safe[r]. Much better use of your time, and likely better for a creator's pocket, is supporting them via Pateron or whatever gubbings they offer.

I also have an alternative use for uBlock Origin too -- blocking webpage elements on certain sites (such as WRC) that like to spoil things on their landing page when all you want to do is login and watch the event without being spoiled...!

I don't know in today world how to use the web without AdBlock, got to work and was task analysing how other companies present their products, there is so much ads today on YouTube it's insane, I added Unlock instantly.

You have to be worth it for me to accept ads on your website, and short is my whitelist. But monkeytype.com is an example of a website I voluntarily leave ads on

Yes. When I visit my parents, who don't use adblocker, I get really anxious when I have to face the enormous flood of ads that you get without it. I wouldn't be able to concetrate to anything if I were interupted frequently with ad breaks. I also hate how ads volume loudness has been maximized, so they sound more loud than normal content.

I've never used them.

If I like an app or site, but the ads are annoying me, I do one of these:

• If there's an option to pay the creator/aggregator to eliminate the ads, and the cost/benefit is worth it, I'll pay.

• If there is no option to pay, but the app/content is worth the ads annoyance, I'll keep using the app/site and watch/skip/ignore the ads.

• If there is no option to pay, or there is, but the price is higher than what I perceive as the app/content value, I'll stop using the app/site.

For example, I paid for Baconreader Premium, but I watch YouTube ads, and I removed several sites from my google home page feed because they had more ads than content.

I'm also stop using Reddit, as I don't think it's worth enduring their obnoxious native app.

And no, I don't use pirated software, nor watch or listen to pirated movies or music. If something is priced above what I consider it's worth, I just don't use it.

Yes, Baconreader Premium could be consider as a "reddit ad blocker", but it operated within Reddit's approval. Now Reddit changed their rules, and it's their rules.

I use PiHole on my home network to block ads across all devices. I mostly use it specifically for our smart TV as our Samsung loves to display Big Mac ads and track the hell out of everything. This way I can still stream to it. I have my phone and computer routed through it but my girlfriend doesn’t like how it slows down TikTok. Probably a reason for that 😁

I've used adblockers from the very beginning when there were just banner and popup ads. It always blows my mind when I happen to use the web on a device that doesn't have an adblocker, some pages are almost unusable without one.

I use AdBlock, PiHole, and several tracking protections because I'm fucking tired of being treated like a product by bigtech. I also have various websites blocked on the DNS level, using only privacy-respecting frontends (youtube, reddit, twitter)