Adblock Plus is a Firefox plug-in that will block most display ads on web sites. One cool feature is you can subscribe to an ad listing service so that the plug-in already knows what to block when you enter a site. And if something sneaks through you can right-click in and choose to remove it. Sounds good, right?
Maybe not. The concern expressed by some groups is that this type of technology will threaten the online-advertising business. And as much as we might all dislike ads, I’m not sure anyone would feel better having the shell out money for content that’s now ad supported. At the moment this is still a small segment of the market, and who knows if it will ever amount to much. The larger question is who is in charge of the content? Can the content creator force me to see their material in the way they want, ads included? Or can I choose to have stuff displayed on my computer in the style I prefer.
Ultimately it may all be a moot point. The average user still doesn’t know how to change the default home page or resize text — are they really going to seek out, install and configure an ad blocking program? Most people will just mentally tune them out, blocking them virtually rather than actually. Anyhow I’m giving Adblock plus a try…
Adblock Plus threatens the online revenue model – International Herald Tribune
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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