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A while ago, there was a bug huff about google modifying our content with the google toolbar. Now, out of revenge maybe, here comes the CustomizeGoogle extension for Firefox which removes ads from google's serps. Luckily the tool doesn't remove Adsense, yet.
My question is, if a program like this is legal, what is to stop microsoft from releasing IE7 with the same ad blocking turned on by default? Lets face it, nobody wants to see ads, if programs like Adblock and CustomizeGoogle become standard, what are we, as webmasters, going to do? Do I need to start selling coffee mugs with my sites logo on them?
Kaled.
I think a better way to put it is: are they people who are going to go out of their way to remov ads the sort of people who'd click on them anyway?
Thats true, on the same thought, how many even know there are programs right now that block advertising and that their free?
I don't have tivo (for cutting out commericals) because the box costs money and I would have to pay a monthly subscription service. This creates a barrier between me and commercial free tv. The only barrier stopping people currently from browsing without ads is a lack of knowledge that they can browse without ads.
I think I read somewhere that MS has already decided NOT to block adverts - Google's or anyone else's.
IE7 was just an example. Some floundering browser company trying to make a name for itself could easily advertise themselves as the first, no-ad browser. Even a national ISP like Verizon could offer ad blocking software for free. Just a gimmick to get people to sign up for their service.
My point is, pop-up blockers are part of most browsers and even ISP's are offering them. How long until someone starts promising a ad-free web surfing experience, and when and if they do, what are people who make money from web advertising going to do (including google)?
The reason why we have popup blockers was because they were becoming a serious irritant when surfing the web. Using the popup issue as an example, no one is going to care about advertisements unless the advertisements make themselves annoying--either my forcing the user to deal with them, make unwanted noise and etc. While as first, this methods will lead a greater response to the advertisement, it will eventually backfire as people seek ways to avoid these advertisements altogether. So long as the advertisements behave themselves, the websurfers will not be seeking to eliminate them from the websurfing experience.
Today all kinds of standard ad sizes and formats are already being blocked by end users who don't even know that it's happening. So these are not people who are going out of their way to block ads, they're just people who are taking some steps to try to make their computers safe from malicious invaders.
no one is going to care about advertisements unless the advertisements make themselves annoying
You or I may not want to plaster annoying flash, gif, or 3 sets of google ads all over our websites, but we would be in the minority. I already find most websites annoying, thats why I installed AdBlock in the first place. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people are the intrusive ads, how about the websites that make you watch a 30 second flash clip before they allow you to continue to the website. How is that not in your face annoying?
Symantec, McAfee and others already distribute (pretty widely) "Internet security" applications that also block ads of many kinds -- not just pop-ups.
If firefox or Opera had ad blocking on by default and started a big enough buzz that they started to take market share from IE, I have a feeling IE will follow suit no matter what they say today.
A pure flash website, where the content and ads are in the same swf might be a possiblity, but I don't know of any advertisers who offer flash embedded advertising. I hate flash (for this purpose at least), but I would hate making no money more.
Companies with stuff to sell would be ok (assuming their sites were displayed without interference).
Nerds and information sites would be ok.
Google would have a problem as would everyone riding on the backs of others.
Personally, I don't have a problem with non-animated adverts, on pages with useful content. But recently, I've found lots of Google results with nothing but adsense on the page - this really ticks me off.
Kaled.
Companies with stuff to sell would be ok (assuming their sites were displayed without interference).
Not if they used other websites to advertise.
Nerds and information sites would be ok.
I would think these would be the most affected.
Dont think MS would be too happy having to fork billions of dollars over to Google when they initiated that lil practice :P
