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Does Adblock Violate A Social Contract?
almondjoy writes "Newsforge is currently running a story on Firefox extensions where the author states the following regarding use of the AdBlock extension: 'If you use this tool ... there are those who would assert you are not holding up your end of a 'social contract' between yourself and the Web site that you are browsing' Would you be volating a social contract hitting the 30sec skip button on Tivo? Or putting a strip of paper across the bottom of our TV screen to block out those super annoying scrolling banners? I have found that using the combination of AdBlock and FlashBlock extensions in Firefox has greatly enhanced my browsing experience. Has acceptance of web sites crammed with advertising content become part of my social contract with society?"
Bandwidth costs money. The content you read cost money to build too. Why do you think you are entitled to receive something without giving something back in return?
What kind of idiot are you? If they weren't selling anything with highly irritating flashing ads, they wouldn't use them anymore. OK, so you recognize that != means "not equal to," but above and beyond basic syntax, it appears your brain is completely devoid of reasoning skills. I vote that we have your feeding tube removed. You should stick to real estate or something and avoid technical jobs. We don't need any more of you floating around, according to our 17th or 18th place finish in coding abilities worldwide. Fucktard. Come back when you grow a pube.
If you don't agree to subject yourself to the advertising, the appropriate course of action in a social contract situation is to not use the content that comes with the advertising. Of course social contracts are nonbinding, but there are deleterious effects if ignored. If more people observed their half of the social contract we wouldn't have the escalating arms race that has created this mess we have today.
That's the answer? Are you sure? To what?
Last time I checked I wasn't forcibly required to have Slashdot show up in my inbox four or five times a day.
Ads are a legitimate form of advertising, spam (by definition) is not.
"Most of the advertising agencies I've worked with beleive that banner ads and intrusive advertising simply do not work. The craze over exposure (how many eyeballs can I get in front of, regardless of the experience) has been replaced with an emphasis on targetted and uesful advertising."
I prefer to be annoyed by pop-ups than be stalked by
"targeting" ads. I find that it is neither "fascinating" nor "useful" to have my privacy invaded, and if I find someone is tracking me and sending me "personalized ads to improve my browsing experience" I will not consider buying their product or visit their website.