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Playing Around With Tracking Protection In IE9

Roberto123 writes "I have tried out the Tracking Protection feature in the coming Internet Explorer 9 browser from Microsoft. While the feature does effectively block ads from Web sites, I'm not yet convinced that giving the users the options to select content to 'Block' or 'Allow' will be that effective."

138 comments

  1. Better than not having it by Lunoria · · Score: 1

    Getting rid off all the crappy and misleading ads is a plus for IE 9. TFA was vague if it was turned on as default or not. Even if people will have to turn it on, they might realize the benefits.

    1. Re:Better than not having it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would say that most people think of a Computer with Internet the same as Television.
      If I just watch content then how could I get a virus? I was just watching!
      I have to agree with them at the most fundamental level.

    2. Re:Better than not having it by causality · · Score: 3

      I would say that most people think of a Computer with Internet the same as Television.
      If I just watch content then how could I get a virus? I was just watching!
      I have to agree with them at the most fundamental level.

      The difference is that television is one-to-many communication and fundamentally one-way.

      The Internet is many-to-many communication and fundamentally two-way.

      The people who fail to recognize the difference and the implications of that difference are simply wrong. Fundamentally wrong, if you like. The fact that assuming security doesn't matter is a sure way to get 0wned is a very strong argument against them. I am all for advocating what someone believes is an ideal expectation, but not when it contradicts the manifest reality. Then it's just ignorance. Ignorance is not and has never been a solid foundation for good decision-making.

      --
      It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
    3. Re:Better than not having it by louden+obscure · · Score: 2

      Of course they think of their computer as an appliance, that is how PC makers market them. That is how Microsoft markets Its OS. And to throw in an automotive analogy, it's how Toyota markets their vehicles.

      --
      Serenity now, insanity later.
    4. Re:Better than not having it by schnikies79 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ahh, "sheeple". The key word to let you know that the entire argument is worthless dribble.

      --
      Gone!
    5. Re:Better than not having it by Kjella · · Score: 1

      That the Internet is two way is rather obvious but it isn't really enough, you have to understand that your browser actually executes code. Otherwise they just see it as a very advanced channel selection, you send an URL, you get a page to watch back. And honestly if the web was nothing but html/images 99.99% of the current attacks would fail.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    6. Re:Better than not having it by Baseclass · · Score: 2

      Personally, I don't want to see ad-blocking go main stream (I feel the same way about Linux too, but that's another rant)
      Over the years I've become quite adept at writing rules for adblock to block ads, trackers, and otherwise undesirable content.
      This will only serve to make advertisers come up ways to make advertising more difficult to block and ultimately more obtrusive.

      --
      ^^vv<><>BA
    7. Re:Better than not having it by Riven.exe · · Score: 1

      Personally, I don't want to see ad-blocking go main stream

      Don't worry, IE9 will never be mainstream. People will stick with IE6 at workplaces, Firefox/Chrome/Opera/etc. at home and webkit browsers on mobiles. Even Microsoft's own mobile OS don't and most likely won't use IE9 rendering engine, much less features.

    8. Re:Better than not having it by sortius_nod · · Score: 1

      Yeh, I stopped reading at that word and just scrolled down to see a comment like this. Fucking pisses me off when people use "sheeple", a sense of superiority doesn't bode well for any argument.

    9. Re:Better than not having it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The first post is an adequate response to yours.

    10. Re:Better than not having it by kevinmenzel · · Score: 1

      Insanely off topic, I know, but where do you live that Toyota markets their vehicles like that? When I see Toyota being advertised, they typically position themselves in the fun to drive category, not the get you from point a to point b category - at least in terms of cars like the Matrix, their trucks tend to be advertised in terms of unbelieveable ruggedness... doesn't scream "appliance" to me...

    11. Re:Better than not having it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is Sheeple anyway? Is that like Women who are also People. She-ple? If it is I don't want anything to do with it

    12. Re:Better than not having it by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Didn't Microsoft do a campaign: "The Wow Starts Now!!"? And one with Jerry Seinfeld?

      Design/advertising aren't usually the same thing. People know they're buying an appliance but they associate the decision with image presented in the adverts.

      Despite their "fun to drive" advertising Toyota has stopped making Supras and MR2s - their only fun cars. Even their slightly-fun Celica was eventually canned in favor of more mundane models.

      --
      No sig today...
    13. Re:Better than not having it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I stopped reading TFA at "for-profit". Once someone self identifies by using commie speak then I know their entire thesis is worthless drivel.

    14. Re:Better than not having it by CapOblivious2010 · · Score: 2

      The difference is that television is one-to-many communication and fundamentally one-way. The Internet is many-to-many communication and fundamentally two-way.

      But TV is also many-to-many (there are hundreds of content providers) and is (indirectly) two-way as well: if I see an ad for an appealing product, I might pick up the phone and purchase it. But note that doing so takes overt action on my part, as should any two-way actions on the web.

      The people who fail to recognize the difference and the implications of that difference are simply wrong. Fundamentally wrong, if you like. The fact that assuming security doesn't matter is a sure way to get 0wned is a very strong argument against them.

      Or perhaps it's a strong argument against the current, totally pathetic, state of affairs - where simply browsing to a website (even a "safe" site like CNN, if it's been hacked) can infest your computer. I don't think that telling grandma it's her own fault she got pwned by doing nothing more than clicking a hyperlink in an email is a good use of the industry's time - better to spend that time making sure it cannot happen again.

      Look, we got into this disaster innocently enough - the academic environment where the early work was done simply wasn't conducive to the sort of paranoia necessary in the real world. OK fine, no one's pointing fingers. But let's not pretend that the current situation is reasonable! Getting back to the TV analogy, it's as if switching to the wrong channel (or even the right channel, if it's been taken over by bad guys) could cause your TV to explode, embedding shrapnel in your face - and then we (the industry) have the balls to blame the viewer for not understanding the different between NTSC and PAL and why Beta was better than VHS and the fact that HDMI carries sound but DVI doesn't. Well of course your TV blew up, you ignorant moron! Anyone who watches TV without taking a couple years of electrical engineering and signal theory deserves to have shrapnel in their face! Fricken' Noobs!

    15. Re:Better than not having it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not turned on by default. Nor is it ads, that's just a nice side effect. What it does is keep a running count of javascript or images from 3rd party sites that appear on web sites you browse to. Once that goes over a threshold of 10 (?) sites, and assuming you turned automatic on, those scripts will be blocked. This does have side effects - content CDNs for example, will end up getting blocked.

  2. Hooray by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Begin the Microsoft bashing for giving users more options that resemble functionality available in Firefox (with addons)!

    1. Re:Hooray by hawkingradiation · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Give me the option of blocking all of Microsoft partner's ads while keeping Google's and I will consider installing it, not being mandated by the operating system's pre-installed browser. Who needs a content filter on their PC?

      --
      Society use your Sciences
  3. HTML by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Go back to old-school HTML. No Java, no scripts, no BS.

    1. Re:HTML by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, No java and No scripts at least.

      There was still the horrors of BS like blink tags, animated tiled backgrounds marquees and embedded midi.

    2. Re:HTML by nhstar · · Score: 1

      oh, but to bring back the original Hampster Dance!!!

      *nostalgic swoon*

      --
      --- no sig to see here... move along.
    3. Re:HTML by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Or the old version of x10's website. So much blinkey, I could never order from them. It made me go blind.

  4. Re:Who cares? by santax · · Score: 2

    Because it comes pre-installed. And a lot of people want/need something that works out of the box. They don't know about add-ons. They don't care about security, they just want to surf the web.

  5. Call Centre Tech Support... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As someone who has worked in call centre tech support, may I be among the first to say that this will be yet another 'feature' that bored children will mess with to break their web browser. While activating Tracking Protection will probably be relatively easy, no doubt the button to reset this feature to defaults (and remove any blacklisting) will be hidden seven layers deep in complex "Options" dialogs.

    1. Re:Call Centre Tech Support... by westlake · · Score: 3, Informative

      no doubt the button to reset this feature to defaults (and remove any blacklisting) will be hidden seven layers deep in complex "Options" dialogs

      Tools>Safety>Tracking Protection>Disable

    2. Re:Call Centre Tech Support... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quit with yo' crazy tech jibber jabber foo'.

    3. Re:Call Centre Tech Support... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yay! Only 4 layers deep. Whew! That was close!

  6. bing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    An nodoubt it will have a backdoor to allow tracking by Bing

    1. Re:bing! by high_rolla · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bing doesn't need a backdoor. Its probably easier for them to just Google you to find out about you.

      --
      Ryans Tutorials - A collection of technology tutorials.
    2. Re:bing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, if Microsoft want to know about your life, it's probably easier for them to just make sure you're fucked, via your politicians.

  7. Re:Who cares? by causality · · Score: 1

    Because it comes pre-installed. And a lot of people want/need something that works out of the box. They don't know about add-ons. They don't care about security, they just want to surf the web.

    If they choose not to care about security that's fine, but then I don't want to hear their complaints when they get some kind of infection.

    Welcome to the world of responsible adulthood, where you make your bed and lay in it. The amount of effort people spend to fight against accepting this reality is quite a bit greater than the effort it would take to become decently secure.

    The only injustice is that the black-hats can compromise the machines of those who don't care about security and use them to degrade the Internet experience of those who do, usually in the form of spam and DDoS attacks. So ultimately Microsoft getting its act together regarding security would be a good thing.

    --
    It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
  8. Tired of MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Being cynical, I would say that the default list of "Trusted providers" = Microsoft partners and Google is out. Good thing nowadays we have some choice in browser selection. Microsoft can be its own ecosystem until it is a paramecium in some pond somewhere. Like a previous poster said: why use Microsoft IE9 nowadays when there is Chrome for Mac, Linux and Windows as well as Firefox for most other platforms out there? Cue Microsoft trolls: "This looks like a great thing from Microsoft, you know you don't have to use it". "I was a sceptic at first, but the more I look at this new feature, the most it seems it will help computing platforms everywhere" "No that is not true...this is an add on like an extension for Firefox"...

    1. Re:Tired of MS by ClubStew · · Score: 3, Informative

      Have you even looked at the list of providers? They are third-party sites, like eTrust that has been around for ages.

    2. Re:Tired of MS by Nerull · · Score: 4, Funny

      Don't bring facts into this.

  9. Re:Who cares? by santax · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let me get this straight. It's my fault if someone kills me in my home. I should have cared better about security? It's not the consumers fault for believing when they buy a pc with legal software they have everything they need. When I buy a new car, I'm not going to take it to a garage to check the brakes, you just assume it works. Not everybody knows a thing or 2 about software/hardware. No matter how you turn it. It's still the baddies fault.

  10. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Also
    Ghostery => http://www.ghostery.com/
    Https-Everywhere => https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
    Beef Taco => http://jmhobbs.github.com/beef-taco

    then you will have a chance of good browsing without telling everybody where you have been and who you ate for lunch

  11. Could this be the nuclear option against Google? by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If Microsoft suddenly get good ad blocking - as in, really good ad blocking, they could completely cut off all oxygen from Google. Of course, MS also makes some money from web advertising, but they don't need it to live like Google does. Also, it really would improve the quality of the user experience in IE if this were done well and thoroughly.

  12. Re:Who cares? by causality · · Score: 2

    Let me get this straight. It's my fault if someone kills me in my home. I should have cared better about security?
    It's not the consumers fault for believing when they buy a pc with legal software they have everything they need. When I buy a new car, I'm not going to take it to a garage to check the brakes, you just assume it works. Not everybody knows a thing or 2 about software/hardware.
    No matter how you turn it. It's still the baddies fault.

    The problem with broad analogies is that they fail to account for the fact that one situation is not like the others.

    A "pc with legal software" is more like a firearm. At least in the States, it's legal to own. That doesn't mean it isn't potentially dangerous if misused. A general-purpose computer is a powerful machine. It is not a mere appliance. It can both help and harm its owner. Which one occurs depends on the owner and what the owner is willing to invest in his or her own experience.

    Computers are not yet ready for the stupid, ignorant, careless, irresponsible, etc. They are not idiot-proof. In the case of Microsoft, they will fail to live up to the marketing claims of security and ease-of-use. It is up to We the People, or if you like, We the Customer to realize this and act accordingly. Certainly the government is not going to make Microsoft liable for damages suffered by compromises of its operating systems. So it's up to the users. Ideal or non-ideal, just or unjust, that is the reality. You either deny it and suffer or acknowledge it and avoid preventable suffering. That much is your choice. It's about the only choice you're going to have in the matter, right or wrong.

    Those who disagree with me can always get compromised and complain about how much of a victim they are. As for me, I'd rather inform myself and protect myself. Every adult has the same choice in the matter. Ultimately, reality is a really tough thing with which to argue.

    --
    It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
  13. Re:Who cares? by DeathFromSomewhere · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I do, because Firefox has slowly turned into a bloated pile of ass. Ironically, it's now more bloated and slower then IE9. This isn't 2004 anymore and we aren't talking about IE6.

    --
    -1 overrated isn't the same thing as "I disagree".
  14. Re:Who cares? by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You should care, because if ad block becomes defacto and comes preinstalled with IE9, ad agencies would quickly start workaround it (just like how hulu does currently (hulu's policy is, you can use adblock, but you would have to putup with a min of absolute silence and blank screen before the show continues))

  15. This site is optimized for Chrome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Please download Chrome to continue viewing the site (with ads).

    1. Re:This site is optimized for Chrome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spoof user agent.

    2. Re:This site is optimized for Chrome by delinear · · Score: 1

      IE has conditional comments which would be the obvious method of blocking content to IE users and wouldn't be negated by UA-spoofing (not to mention that users capable of spoofing the user agent probably already have plenty of options for ad blocking using alternative browsers + plugins).

  16. Re:So they invented AdBlock? by LittlePud · · Score: 1

    Mod parent down. Link is a troll (goatse).

  17. Same can be said for Facebook. by dclozier · · Score: 2

    However, it would be trivial to make sites unusable unless advertisements are enabled. This is where all of the ad blocking is leading to I think.

    1. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      I am totally looking forward to this. I'm not just hating on Facebook either. "We'll make it up with advertising" just doesn't work for me. I'm happy to stop visiting a site when they restrict my access due to ad-blocking.

    2. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not quite sure how... If my understanding of how browsers work all the server does is send information at the request of a client. The only way they could detect ad blocking is by not having the data for that particular object requested by the client. Even if they were to use the lack of an ad content request as a method to disable ad blockers, they would still be unable to see if that data actually ever did make it to the user's screen, so they may end up just wasting bandwidth. I would imagine that is why this method hasn't been put to use.

    3. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Render the whole page in one massive Flash applet. It would be really really difficult to write an ad blocker that could go into a Flash applet and block things. There's no easily accessible DOM like HTML has, and the browser has no control over anything rendered by Flash. You'd have to bake the adblocker into Flash itself somehow.

      You could ban Flash from making any requests for advertisements, but it would be trivial for the website to detect that. (ie try to load advertisement X, Y, or Z. If they don't work try a few more. At some point, decide that they can't all be down at the same time, so there must be an ad blocker. Then proceed howsoever you wish.)

    4. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by qvatch · · Score: 1

      Enter the promotional code from the end of the advertisement below to login....

    5. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would a whole site rendered in flash be functional on older machines? That might leave a lot of potential clients without access.

    6. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 1

      Make it like Hulu. Make the user sit through the time that takes for the ad to complete with no sound and a blank screen, only then display content (enforce this on the server side). Most users would prefer something happening rather than staring at a blank screen, and hence just like FF's Adblock, Microsoft would opt to not block these ads.

    7. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by dclozier · · Score: 1

      The page content could be set with text that fades into view after an onload event would scans the document to see that the ad content areas have been loaded. (javascript objects present, innerHTML available or whatnot) Of course one could turn off the use of CSS to view the content but I think most would prefer not to see pages in such a naked presentation. This was just off the top of my head. I'm sure more can be done to make viewing content a pain when ads are being blocked.

    8. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Dwedit · · Score: 2

      Just because it's binary doesn't mean it's not parsable. A SWF file is a very well-known file format, made up of a sequence of Tags. Some tags define images, sounds, or shapes, while other tags place them in the frame, while other tags define the Actionscript code.

      So, if you're using a local HTTP proxy program, you could change the content of a SWF file as it downloads.

    9. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by MadMaverick9 · · Score: 1

      Would a whole site rendered in flash be functional on older machines?

      maybe ... but a whole site rendered in flash is useless with regards to search engines.
      search engines still work with text and images only.

    10. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MS will probably backpedal quickly once Facebook using sheeple start crying "I can't get on my facebook anymore [with IE9]!", which is a sizable demographic.

    11. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by igb · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Actually, it wouldn't. You can normally write a computer program to mimic any human interaction within a browser. There are exceptions, but if content-providers were to move to (say) captchas in adverts prior to serving content, they would be writing their own death warrant: even if they didn't get killed by related providers who didn't impose this load, the simple (im) practicalities and (un) reliability of captchas would mean that far fewer people would read the page, unless it was utterly indispensable.

      Ad-supported models are inherently brittle. They rely on advertisers being willing to purchase space, because they believe it to be worth their while. If consumers are unwilling to watch (and, indeed, act on) adverts, the magic money tree suddenly goes bare. No amount of howling that people who skip adverts are "stealing" content will put the fruit back on it. In the UK --- I don't know enough about the US --- the PVR has essentially killed one of the advertising-supported channels (ITV) to the point that its target demographic is now variously the old, poor and stupid who cannot manage a PVR. The smaller advertising-supported channels (ITV2/3/4, say) contain nothing but debt consolidation and personal injury shark adverts, and no-one with a post-16 education would find anything they might want to buy, even if they watched the adverts, which they don't. Unable to see their model is in a death spiral, the owners chase to the bottom, with programming aimed at the diminishing pool of viewers who are prepared to watch. The same is happening with Channel 5, while Channel 4 (which isn't directly ad-supported, but is indirectly ad-supported because as well as its own, small, advertising sales it is funded by a levy on ITV) has seen the writing on the wall and is desperately seeking funding as a top-slice on the BBC license income.

      TV is progressively going subscription. Yes, some of the subscription channels also show adverts, but that's gravy, in the manner of adverts in cinemas, and they could live without it by just raising their subscriptions. It's only a matter of time before "free", advertising-supported, web content goes the same way. How are AOL these days?

    12. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Firehed · · Score: 1

      That's just not true. You have to write your Flash in a specific way in order to allow content to be crawled by search engines (I think they provide some sort of XML endpoint), but they're not completely inaccessible.

      Which is too damn bad, since that above anything else could probably kill flash sites once and for all.

      --
      How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
    13. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      However, it would be trivial to make sites unusable unless advertisements are enabled. This is where all of the ad blocking is leading to I think.

      Actually, it wouldn't. You can normally write a computer program to mimic any human interaction within a browser.

      What is true is that you can make sites untrivial to use unless advertisements are enabled. There's a TON of sites that don't work unless you allow all scripts. Maybe they're actively checking to see if scripts have been downloaded from their ad delivery sites, I'm not sure; I do know that I've been blacklisting a lot of results from google searches because even after I enable all the domains I feel safe with, they don't deliver me any content.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    14. Re:Same can be said for Facebook. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      However, it would be trivial to make sites unusable unless advertisements are enabled. This is where all of the ad blocking is leading to I think.

      Actually, it wouldn't.

      Yes it would. There are many sites (and a few high profile very popular sites) in existance already that won't work without scripts / cookies enabled. This is not a big stretch from that at all.

      As a web developer, trust me when I say, it is very, very easy to make a site unusable according to pretty much any criteria you choose. Of course, depending on how far you are willing to go you will almost certainly end up hindering legitimate users at some point (its the whole DRM fiasco all over again).

      Speaking as a user, I really don't want to see any of my favourite ad-supported websites die or go subscription only. An ad-blocking arms race is coming, no doubt - I've been expecting one for years now but it hasn't quite materialised as of yet. We shall see.

  18. Other Products Had This 10 years Ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The ability to block or allow specific web content was in a little-known product called AtGuard by WRQ ten years ago. It was pretty awesome. If IE 9 is anything like it, everybody will be using it.

  19. It's not... by umask077 · · Score: 1

    It's really not about if the option will be effective. Its really about the user and level of competency with computers that despite the years of integration of tech, maybe users are a FAIL.

    --
    --- Always remember. 99.36% of all statistics are inaccurate.
  20. So... by gaderael · · Score: 0

    It'll be Microsoft's less effective version of AdBlock Plus and NoScript?

    --
    Anyone got a light for my sig?
    1. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Depends on whether you measure effectiveness by # of ads blocked for one tech-savy user or # of users protected from tracking ads, regardless of how savy they are.

      As much as I love NoScript, with the daily updates and having to micro-manage policies to make some sites usable, it's not something that's going to work for your typical Grandma.

  21. Translation: I hate Microsoft! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > While the feature does effectively block ads from Web sites,
    > I'm not yet convinced

    Translation: It's Microsoft, so I have to find fault with it!

    You just sound stupid.

    1. Re:Translation: I hate Microsoft! by rudy_wayne · · Score: 1

      > While the feature does effectively block ads from Web sites,
      > I'm not yet convinced

      Translation: It's Microsoft, so I have to find fault with it!

      You just sound stupid.

      No. The proper translation is: This might be a step in the right direction, but, Microsoft has a history of not really giving a fuck about making a good web browser, so we'll have to wait and see.

  22. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    When I buy a new car, I'm not going to take it to a garage to check the brakes, you just assume it works.

    Just for your future reference, if you get behind the wheel of a car and plow into a person because you failed to verify the breaks worked properly, it will be You who the law holds responsible, and it will be you in jail under manslaughter charges.

    And personally I hope you live and drive very very far away from me, knowing you would willingly get into a 2 ton dangerous device and not even check first if it can be driven safely.

    You sir are a danger to others around you and a menace to human life.

  23. Re:Who cares? by metrix007 · · Score: 2

    Given that IE is the most secure browser after Chrome, your point misses the mark by a large margin.

    --
    If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
  24. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I buy a new car, I'm not going to take it to a garage to check the brakes, you just assume it works.

    Just for your future reference, if you get behind the wheel of a car and plow into a person because you failed to verify the breaks worked properly, it will be You who the law holds responsible, and it will be you in jail under manslaughter charges.

    And personally I hope you live and drive very very far away from me, knowing you would willingly get into a 2 ton dangerous device and not even check first if it can be driven safely.

    You sir are a danger to others around you and a menace to human life.

    How old are you?

  25. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That would imply that somehow MS had managed to string two lines of code together.

    Any browser maker could stop their browser from requesting content not served from the URL in the address bar.

    The question you should ponder is why this hasn't happened at all in the last 15 years.

    Could it be that there is just far too much vested interest by ALL the major browser 'manufacturers'?

  26. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    As consumers, we don't really want that. That will lead to : "Gmail can no longer be offered free from [some date about a 3 months from now that is long enough to give time to move in theory, but not practically]. Our usage data tracks that Gmail is used for about 80% of time that you run Windows. Accordingly the license price is 150 Euro. Upgrades cost more".

    Oh dear....

  27. Tag them all by lucm · · Score: 1

    Ad tracking reminds me of scanning a printout. It is suboptimal and error-prone.

    Because dogs have a hard time sniffing explosives such as Semtex, the manufacturers are legally bound to inject a chemical in the explosive so the dogs can detect them. I know the internets cannot be tamed like explosive manufacturers, but if some ad tagging standard was published by the W3C or some other organization, real, efficient, cross-platform ad-blocking could happen.

    Until then, ad tracking is an amazing field for data-mining enthusiasts, but not much more.

    --
    lucm, indeed.
    1. Re:Tag them all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If some ad tagging standard was published by the W3C...everyone would ignore it and life would go on as usual.

      Seriously, what ad company in their right mind would tag their ads as such?

    2. Re:Tag them all by lucm · · Score: 1

      It's just like SSL certificates. You can visit a website using SSL but your browser will (should) tell you if the certificate is not valid. Invalid or missing certificate won't prevent you from using the website but you get to choose and to make it work you need a cross-browser standard.

      The problem with current ad-blocking technologies is that there is no definitive authority on what should/could be blocked or how it should be blocked, and many plugins will block everything. All that does is hurting website owners that need ad revenue.

      Ads are not a bad thing; if you read a specialized trade magazine you probably are interested by the ads because they usually are relevant to the purpose of the magazine. The problem is generic ads that are not really relevant to whatever website they are displayed on; they are basically like spam that marketing people still use because they are cost-effective. Now if there was a way to filter them out, they would become less attractive and advertising money would be better spent on ads targeted to people that will read them.

      This does not seem possible, however remember how crazy was the domain name trade before Google; it was so hard to gain some visibility on the internet that people were paying insane amounts of money to get catchy domain names. Now with Google you can have a lousy domain name, you could even host your stuff on Geocities if it still existed and people could find you easily if your content is somehow relevant. The same kind of paradigm shift is now required with ads, and I believe this can be done by proper tagging.

      --
      lucm, indeed.
  28. Chestnuts by symbolset · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Derived from an old chestnut.

    Your post advocates a

    (X) technical ( ) legislative ( ) market-based ( ) vigilante

    approach to fighting Internet Tracking. Your idea will not work. Here is why it won't work. (One or more of the following may apply to your particular idea, and it may have other flaws which used to vary from state to state before a bad federal law was passed.)

    (X) Trackers can easily use it to identify those they want to track the most
    (X) User preferences and other legitimate tracking uses would be affected
    (X) No one will be able to find the guy or collect the money
    ( ) It is defenseless against brute force attacks
    ( ) It will stop tracking for two weeks and then we'll be stuck with it
    ( ) Users of the Web will not put up with it
    ( ) Microsoft will not put up with it
    ( ) The police will not put up with it
    (X) Requires too much cooperation from trackers
    (X) Requires immediate total cooperation from everybody at once
    (X) Many Web users cannot afford to lose business or alienate potential employers
    (X) Trackers don't care about invalid addresses in their lists
    ( ) Anyone could anonymously destroy anyone else's career or business

    Specifically, your plan fails to account for

    ( ) Laws expressly prohibiting it
    (X) Lack of centrally controlling authority for web tracking
    ( ) Open relays in foreign countries
    ( ) Ease of searching tiny alphanumeric address space of all IP addresses
    (X) Asshats
    (X) Jurisdictional problems
    ( ) Unpopularity of weird new taxes
    ( ) Public reluctance to accept weird new forms of money
    (X) Huge existing software investment in shopping carts
    (X) Susceptibility of protocols other than HTTP to attack
    (X) Willingness of users to install browser plugins
    (X) Armies of worm riddled broadband-connected Windows boxes
    (X) Eternal arms race involved in all filtering approaches
    (X) Extreme profitability of web tracking
    ( ) Joe jobs and/or identity theft
    (X) Technically illiterate politicians
    (X) Extreme stupidity on the part of people who do business with affiliate programs
    (X) Dishonesty on the part of trackers themselves
    ( ) Bandwidth costs that are unaffected by client filtering
    ( ) IE

    and the following philosophical objections may also apply:

    (X) Ideas similar to yours are easy to come up with, yet none have ever
    been shown practical
    (X) Any scheme based on opt-out is unacceptable
    (X) HTML headers should not be the subject of legislation
    (X) Blacklists suck
    ( ) Whitelists suck
    ( ) We should be able to talk about Viagra without being censored
    ( ) Countermeasures should not involve wire fraud or credit card fraud
    ( ) Countermeasures should not involve sabotage of public networks
    ( ) Countermeasures must work if phased in gradually
    ( ) Browsing should be free
    (X) Why should we have to trust you and your servers?
    ( ) Incompatiblity with open source or open source licenses
    (X) Feel-good measures do nothing to solve the problem
    ( ) Temporary/one-time IP addresses are cumbersome
    (X) I don't want the government reading my tracking preferences
    (X) Killing them that way is not slow and painful enough

    Furthermore, this is what I think about you:

    (X) Sorry dude, but I don't think it would work.
    ( ) This is a stupid idea, and you're a stupid person for suggesting it.
    ( ) Nice try, assh0le! I'm going to find out where you live and burn your
    house down!

    --
    Help stamp out iliturcy.
  29. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by Wiiboy1 · · Score: 1

    If Microsoft suddenly get good ad blocking - as in, really good ad blocking, they could completely cut off all oxygen from Google. Of course, MS also makes some money from web advertising, but they don't need it to live like Google does. Also, it really would improve the quality of the user experience in IE if this were done well and thoroughly.

    Problem being that, in doing so, they would cut off oxygen to every site on the internet that uses ads for revenue (probably some massive percentage).

    That's what bother me about ad blocking. As the owner of a small site that will be paid for by ad revenue (because I'm broke), I see this as an extremely bad thing. Maybe good from a consumer perspective, but bad from any other.

    And as someone else said, it's possible many website owners would just tell anyone using IE w/ ad blocking to either jump off a cliff or switch to, say, Chrome.

  30. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But its not about having good ad blocking, its about having OK ad blocking so they can advertise they have ad blocking.

  31. Re:Who cares? by monkyyy · · Score: 0

    actually no; a better example would be zombies that can open doors but cant break windows or locks or even go on rocky terrain,
    anyone can walk pass them with ease, they have to bite u for like 30 seconds and u cant get it cleaned for the infection to spread

    and it still spreads by people not locking their doors at night, and in that case i would blame them

    while on the other hand a hacker(not someone spreading malware to get as many computers in a bot net as possible, but some targeting you) would someone who can pick locks and has a gun and in that case most people cant defend themselves (including myself)

    --
    warning pointless sig
  32. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by abednegoyulo · · Score: 1

    If it is a nuclear option, then I better be hangin' with my ohmies.

  33. Re:So they invented AdBlock? by monkyyy · · Score: 0

    thanks almost clicked it

    --
    warning pointless sig
  34. How is this news that matters at /.? by 517714 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Linux users run Firefox because they are so smart, Mac users run Safari because they are brainwashed, Windows users still run IE6 since their IT department won't let them upgrade, and there's that guy who runs Opera.

    --
    The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
    1. Re:How is this news that matters at /.? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, that's me all right - for that is The One True Browser! (although the Flash support sucks)

  35. No ads benefits folks you may not like by Invisible+Now · · Score: 2, Interesting

    No ads = less diverse content. There will be unintended consequences. If one person blocks ads then they're just a free-rider. If everyone does, the web will really suck. Sure, some sweet folks will continue to post hobby sites, just as in the golden days of yore. And non-profits will publish. And big corporate sales and propaganda sites. And the Government and lobbyists. (BTW: They're all selling you something, aren't they?) But most of what makes the web diverse and useful and free today will die if advertising is eliminated. You don't have to click, just like you don't have to listen or look at ads in conventional free media. I'm sure that is seen as a victory for some, but not me. Almost all the cool, independent sites will wither. Maybe a few rich kids can keep BoingBoing alive, but... What may happen is what I would do with my ad supported but still public-serving sites. Block the ads that enable me to give you content: No access to the site. You'll never know what you're missing.

    --

    "Knowing everything doesn't help..."

    1. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by symbolset · · Score: 1

      Tracking is good. It enables ad providers to provide ads that are for stuff you might want rather than random ads. Your experience becomes a field of desireable things rather than a field of lollipops interspersed with landmines.

      Tracking is bad. It enables evil corporations to compile a dossier of what you like and target your weaknesses. It's an opportunity for vendors to dig into your subconscious even more then they do already and trick you into buying things that aren't what you want by presenting them in the way that works for you.

      Which is it? Unfortunately, both. Technology will not do away with "Caveat Emptor."

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    2. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Superdarion · · Score: 1, Insightful

      No ads = less diverse content.

      No, you see, people who look for add-ons like adblock don't do it to freeride the internet. Most of us are actually willing to see (and, god help us all, click) adds in the websites we visit. That's all fine and pretty. The problem arises when some stupid sites start doing flash-based advertisements; big, flashy, cpu-consuming, epilepsy-inducing, "facebook of sex" banners that keep making my head hurt and that occupy most of the real-state in a website.

      Or do you think that any regular user will seek adblock in order to go around free of google text-based advertising? Hell, I even went thru the trouble of specifically white-listing google from my addblock because my problem is not with them or anyone being friendly but with those horrible flash ads that pollute many websites.

      Ad blocking will not cause less diverse content. It will cause a shift of paradigm. It will change the ads and turn them into friendly things that bother very few so that the regular user will never even think about seeking ad blocking software (or even manually activating the IE9 option).

      And it is precisely what happens with TV, except that for TV there is a central organism (country-specific, of course) that watches over the ad companies and doesn't allow them to do whatever they want. The internet can't have such a thing (well, it can, but we don't want it), so now we have the free market actually regulating itself, as it should. I think this is fucking awesome!

    3. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by CAIMLAS · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I had to read your post twice, because it made absolutely no sense to me. Then, I realized I understood you - I still don't think it makes sense.

      No ads = less diverse content.

      When I think of "sites with ads" I think of: sites like cracked.com, link aggregators, and facebook - sites with no content of value

      There will be unintended consequences. If one person blocks ads then they're just a free-rider. If everyone does, the web will really suck.

      Unsubstantiated claim. On what basis do you make it? The absence of twitter, facebook and the like is hardly a game-stopper.

      Sure, some sweet folks will continue to post hobby sites, just as in the golden days of yore. And non-profits will publish. And big corporate sales and propaganda sites. And the Government and lobbyists. (BTW: They're all selling you something, aren't they?) But most of what makes the web diverse and useful and free today will die if advertising is eliminated.

      Wait - I'm completely lost by these statements. Aren't these "will still be around" sites the actual content on the Internet - the stuff that brought us all here in the first place? By your Slashdot UUID it would seem you're likely old enough to remember the days of dialup and maybe even BBSes; surely "the web" isn't more functionally useful now to you than it was back then? Honestly: it was easier to find stuff back then because there was a lot less noise (at least now that google has insisted on making their search engine less functional than astavista).

      There will still be sites like Debka and WND, which get most of their revenue through syndication and memberships - if that's what you'd miss. CNN, Fox News and the like would likely be cut down to size if the syndicated adverts were all gone, as well. Wikipedia, by far the most useful "modern" web source? No ads to speak of, so 'blocking' them isn't a matter.

      But even if that happens, getting rid of "all ads" is unlikely to happen. Honestly: I hope it doesn't happen.

      Let me explain. I'm really adverse to ads. They bother me on a 'ok, now my eyes are twitching and i need a cigarette' level. However, within specific contexts, I appreciate them. For instance, I went to the trouble of disabling ad blocking on a couple sites I frequent because:

      1) the sites were small: either community or proprietor run, with strong communities
      2) the ads were communally targeted (ie for the group/community interests)
      3) the ads were specifically picked/allowed by the site proprietors/owners/managers
      4) the ads weren't intrusive or excessive

      If advertisers hadn't decided to nuke users from orbit for short-term monetary gain, the popularity (and capability) of ad blocking software would've never come to be. They dug their own grave: they're providing nothing useful to their customers at this point, and need to re-think their business. (This goes for Google as well. Their ad noise is worse now than AltaVista was when I decided to stop using them.)

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    4. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Most of us are actually willing to see (and, god help us all, click) adds in the websites we visit

      [citation needed]
      Sorry, but i can pull facts out of my ass too.

      Most people are lazy and will just grab the biggest lists, and as many as possible, to get rid of ads because you people pushed it so hard.

      Don't want to see flash ads? FLASHBLOCK.
      Don't like ads that abuse Javascript? NOSCRIPT.
      There was never a need for Adblock. I've never used it, and i never will.
      Most advertisers are perfectly fine, besides the odd one who abuses GIFs by making them have a high framerate.
      But even that is seriously low now because it is a potential epilepsy risk.
      The others can easily be blocked with a simple HOSTS entry for the entire domains they own.

      Not only that, the developer of adblock is seriously lacking in balls and gave up his attempts to reverse the damage he done since someone would have probably forked the project.
      Yeah, like that would matter, adblock is probably the first things most Firefox kiddies search for, what other name could you use, addblock, adbblock, you can't compete with it, it already has most of the users for the foreseeable future.
      He could have created a whole directory of trusted sites based on a simple "like / dislike" system and the meta tag, but he explained it terribly, he made everyone panic and dropped it entirely in fear of the fork.

      I'm all for blocking people who use adblock, it is easily detectable and impossible to prevent given current FF extensions API, and most other extensions APIs in other browsers in fact.
      Wait, i will restate that, i'm all for blocking adblockers who block a sites ads if the site isn't using abusive advertising.
      People will be straight at me for that line with "then we will go to another site", no you won't, you won't, don't even say that, especially if it is a large site like this, IGN or many others.
      If every one of them done it, you'd be lost and confused, begging for a new version of adblock like the freeriders you are.

    5. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No ads = less diverse content.

      When I think of "sites with ads" I think of: sites like cracked.com, link aggregators, and facebook - sites with no content of value

      I take it you haven't noticed the ads on this site then? ... oh... I see what you did there...

    6. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I think of "sites with ads" I think of: sites like cracked.com, link aggregators, and facebook - sites with no content of value

      WTF? Cracked.com has lots of funny original articles. That's all I read when I go there. What am I missing?

    7. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by TheThiefMaster · · Score: 1

      No ads = less diverse content.

      When I think of "sites with ads" I think of: sites like cracked.com, link aggregators, and facebook - sites with no content of value

      Slashdot has ads. If you pay, or have high karma, they go away, but they are there.

    8. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by AlexiaDeath · · Score: 1

      If a site is blocking me based on a browser plug-in I use, they really must not want my time and potentially even money. Users benefit to sites in more ways than clicks. Slashdot understands that, and lets people with high karma to disable ads. They understand that these people bring value beyond their clicks and ad impressions.

    9. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by improfane · · Score: 1

      Sounds like you run a website and make $$$ from advertising.

      CEO Jones, you can't fool us!

      --
      Slashdot needs Geekcode | Can anyone recommend any good SCIFI? My tastes: Foundation, Startide Rising, CITY, Ringworld,
    10. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Superdarion · · Score: 1

      So, you suggest that instead of Adblock I go and install Flashblock and Noscript AND go manually edit my Hosts file, which would mean going around looking for the actual domain of the culprit ad? And you say there's no need for adblock?

      Using flashblock means blocking all flash, which is not something I want. Using Noscript creates a similar problem. Whitelisting sites is posible with those two, I think, but then so it is with adblock.

      That simple "like/dislike" interfase you speak of already exists in adblock. It's as simple as clicking in the red button at the top-right of my screen (on chrome, at least) and right there you see the option to whitelist either this specific site or the whole slashdot.org domain.

    11. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1
      I think too many people turn this into a false dilemma. It isn't block all ads or allow all ads.

      In fact, it would be a valuable feedback to a ad producing company to see numbers on how many times their ads are blocked.

      I use ad-Block and a hostfile. But I don't just arbitrarily block everything. What gets killed on my computer are advertisements that look like freaking Llamatron, or completely stupid ones that annoy the hell out of you trying to get you to click on them. Well behaved ads even get a look

      The industry itself should be interested in maintaining decent ads, because for many people the bad ones drag the good ones down with them. A related issue is the sound level on some commercials. a commercial comes on much louder than the normal level, and it's irritating as hell. "They" say it is just compression, but I've measured 9 db difference. I reflexively mute the TV, and don't hear another commercial in that segment. If the sound level stays the same, I leave it on.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    12. Re:No ads benefits folks you may not like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Flashblock just puts a block on flash automatically loading, you just click the placeholder to load the flash content you want.

  36. Chrome by Conrthomas · · Score: 1

    Whiiiiiiich is exactly why I use chrome.

  37. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by weicco · · Score: 1

    And as someone else said, it's possible many website owners would just tell anyone using IE w/ ad blocking to either jump off a cliff or switch to, say, Chrome.

    Switch to Chrome and install adblock, just as I did? ;)

    --
    You don't know what you don't know.
  38. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

    >>If Microsoft suddenly get good ad blocking - as in, really good ad blocking, they could completely cut off all oxygen from Google.

    You do realize that "tracking protection" (what TFA is about) and "ad blocking" are two different things, right?

    It is entirely possible to block tracking without blocking ads, and vice versa.

    In Firefox terms, it is the difference between Ghostery and AdBlock Plus.

  39. Re:thedailynewhiphop.com by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

    I've been wondering when I'd start actually seeing these crop up here. This is purely to boost the site's google rating. Spam blockers and web filters have been blocking these guys for weeks now. Does Google ignore the content on here rated 0 or below? It should.

  40. Insanity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All this fucktisement stress wouldn't be important to the point where the user makes ad-blocking #1(or in the top 3) on their priority list of browser choices if web developers didn't cluster fuck their websites will ads on every corner/side in the most annoying pop-up/on-top/sliding advertisement bars with sound or distracting color flashing movements.

    Even the video player now has fking built in advertisement bars! As if the page itself on top, left, right, bottom, inside and between wasn't enough...insane if they think people will buy a product because they recognised it from some annoying website like that.

    Web developers would likely get more page hits or ad hits if they didn't choose for such massivly nagging and hated advertisement techniques.

  41. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by syousef · · Score: 2

    If Microsoft suddenly get good ad blocking - as in, really good ad blocking, they could completely cut off all oxygen from Google. Of course, MS also makes some money from web advertising, but they don't need it to live like Google does. Also, it really would improve the quality of the user experience in IE if this were done well and thoroughly.

    Google would just get really good at detecting Ad blocking and refuse to serve search results and other content if you block their ads.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  42. Is IE 9 avaible? by elleinsmith · · Score: 1

    Is IE 9 avaible? right now?

  43. Re:Is IE 9 avaible? by dingen · · Score: 2
    --
    Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
  44. Ad-blocking by Arancaytar · · Score: 1

    Since it is now in all major browsers, I wonder how the idiots running the "why firefox is blocked" campaign are going to react. Maybe they will now block the internet.

    1. Re:Ad-blocking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since it is now in all major browsers, I wonder how the idiots running the "why firefox is blocked" campaign are going to react. Maybe they will now block the internet.

      Well, to play devil's advocate - if the whole internet is blocking their only source of paying for their operation, they just as well might. At least they will not have to pay the serving cost. Currently the adblock users are in the same situation as the anti-vaccine people: The choice to run adblock currently doesn't lead to any real negative consequences, like sites you like to surf having to shut down for lack of income, because enough of a critical mass is not blocking ads. But if enough people start doing that, the consequences will show.

      But, as many people here seem to be mistaken about -- all major browsers are not blocking ads, that is still an addon some users choose to install. IE9 tracking protection is about... tracking protection -- it is a privacy tool.

  45. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because a lot of people don't like Firefox. I know it must come as a horrible shock to you, but your beloved browser isn't the best browser in most peoples' eyes.

  46. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me get this straight. It's my fault if someone kills me in my home.

    Not only that, in blue states your corpse could be held responsible for any harm that befalls your killer in the commission of your murder.

  47. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by delinear · · Score: 1

    I think even that would be a happy compromise for those sites - after all it's the current position and it seems to work (besides, people who hate ads enough to jump through the additional hoops probably wouldn't buy anyway). What isn't in anyone's interests is for the major browser to block all ads by default - I say this as someone who has had adblock installed almost from day one but rarely uses it. I don't mind site owners getting paid based on my viewing their content but it's also nice to know I have a fallback if I ever come across an ad that abuses its position. This move will more likely either mean much more pervasive advertising across the board with measures to prevent blocking or everything moves to a subscription model (and a lot of niche interest sites die out through lack of financial support).

  48. Re:Could this be the nuclear option against Google by ThePromenader · · Score: 0

    I totally agree - this move is a direct attack on Google. This was my first thought when I read the article title - When is MS going to use their b(tr)illions to make a good product without resorting to half-assed copying and underhanded moves?

    --

    No, no sig. Really.

    ThePromenader
  49. Re:Who cares? by sglewis100 · · Score: 1

    When I buy a new car, I'm not going to take it to a garage to check the brakes, you just assume it works.

    Just for your future reference, if you get behind the wheel of a car and plow into a person because you failed to verify the breaks worked properly, it will be You who the law holds responsible, and it will be you in jail under manslaughter charges.

    That's possibly one of the most absurd replies to a car analogy I've ever seen. Which is striking, considering how many car analogies there are on Slashdot. Considering that dealers inspect cars at time of delivery, and that even those with absolutely no knowledge about cars tend to still take cars out on test drives, there really is no expectation for brake failure. I certainly never drive off the lot and right to a mechanic for a brake inspection with a new car.

  50. Re:thedailynewhiphop.com by asdf7890 · · Score: 1

    Does Google ignore the content on here rated 0 or below? It should.

    I doubt it, and I'd say it shouldn't (at least not by their own hand).

    They wouldn't want to waste time interpreting slashdot pages as they are indexed, the time writing the code to do that would be wasted as it is a moving target (they'd have to re-engineer the code if slashdot makes changes to the layout, and getting it working reliably in the first place would take quite some testing time) and they'd have to do the same for every significant site with a ranking system.

    Much better to just request the page and hope that the default settings combined with reasonable moderation stops the links appearing in a way that is significant to the indexing algorithm.

  51. Re:Who cares? by wjsteele · · Score: 1

    A "pc with legal software" is more like a firearm. At least in the States, it's legal to own.

    That would be all of them, since it is, after all, a Constitutional Amendment that gives us that right!

    Bill

    --
    It's my Sig and you can't have it. Mine! All Mine!
  52. No ads bennies I DO LIKE a lot (security & spe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "If one person blocks ads then they're just a free-rider." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    First of all: NOBODY RIDES FOR FREE online, nobody. You're paying for online time to your ISP/BSP, & that is enough as is!

    I.E.-> I am not additionally going to allow something that impedes superior performance or security online to invade my time, or annoy me...

    ---

    "No ads = less diverse content." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    See my p.s. below, as to "LESS DIVERSE CONTENT" (content, such as malicious script in adbanners, & slowing us down to all hell too for online time WE PAY FOR OUT OF OUR OWN POCKETS... &, for what? So someone can infest us with malware, slowness, and to pay for THEIR lives?? No thank you!)

    ---

    "There will be unintended consequences." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    Yes, like a user gains MORE SPEED by not downloading & processing adbanner content, as well as less chance of malware infestations too!

    (I'll take it, for blocking adbanners - after all, it's MY ONLINE TIME I PAY FOR OUT OF MY OWN POCKET is why... & I want ALL of what I pay for, not just some, not 1/2... ALL!)

    ---

    "If everyone does, the web will really suck." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    Oh, really? Perhaps the QUALITY of the web will actually go UP because only the strong sites will remain?? Have you considered THAT much???

    ---

    "Sure, some sweet folks will continue to post hobby sites, just as in the golden days of yore. And non-profits will publish. And big corporate sales and propaganda sites. And the Government and lobbyists. (BTW: They're all selling you something, aren't they?) " - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    Well, there you are then, you said it yourself: IF someone's serious OR passionate about what they're into, & want to put it online?? Nothing will stop them really...

    ---

    "But most of what makes the web diverse and useful and free today will die if advertising is eliminated." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    It hasn't died yet, and many, Many, MANY 1,000's of folks block out adbanners for more speed and yes, more security online... period!

    (Or have you never heard of things like browser addons such as Adblock, or even HOSTS files, for those very purposes? I haven't seen the "web die" yet, & those tools have been around, for AGES!)

    ---

    "You don't have to click, just like you don't have to listen or look at ads in conventional free media. " - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    You're right - I don't. I never see them in the 1st place, due to layered security of using HOSTS files here (covers ALL webbound apps) & AdBlock in FF for example (or FF's own INTERNAL lists for this), or Opera's native urlfilter.ini/filter.ini, or IE9's new "do not track" feature too!

    ---

    "I'm sure that is seen as a victory for some, but not me." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    Oh, of COURSE NOT from you: Your ENTIRE POST sounds as if it comes from the viewpoint/perspective of a disgruntled webmaster whose site is experiencing less revenue... well TOO BAD: You came into this "eyes wide shut" then - this IS the nature of things in business: Things, change! You either adapt, or die.

    ---

    "Almost all the cool, independent sites will wither." - by Invisible Now (525401) on Monday February 28, @01:41AM (#35335760)

    Funny, but

  53. Toss this on "for good measure" also (LSE malware) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Top off the list of malicious hacks & slowdowns adbanners expose folks online to I posted @ the termination of my init. post here -> http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2014770&cid=35337228 :

    ---

    London Stock Exchange Web Site Serving Malware:

    http://www.securityweek.com/london-stock-exchange-web-site-serving-malware

    ---

    "HOT OFF THE PRESSES", today...

    APK

    P.S.=> The "penguins" won't like this either, because not only did the London Stock Exchange FLOP after only 2 days on the job using Linux, but... it appears that it's been "hacked/cracked" also (via malicious adbanners being inserted & served up to the general public as well)... apk

  54. Tracker article has trackers by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 1

    Is there any irony in a site with an article about tracking-protection having (according to Ghostery) 10 trackers?

    Can any web-masters on /. explain why some sites (especially "magazine" sites) have so damn many trackers? How many ad-networks do you subscribe to?

    --
    Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
  55. Re:No ads bennies I DO LIKE a lot (security & by Merk42 · · Score: 1

    Yes let's ban all ads, then a lot of people won't be able to put anything up because they can't afford the bandwidth costs. They of course could recoup those costs with a paywall, but people like you wouldn't pay it because of your entitlement.

  56. Entitlement? Brains is more like it... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "They of course could recoup those costs with a paywall, but people like you wouldn't pay it because of your entitlement." - by Merk42 (1906718) on Monday February 28, @10:07AM (#35337862)

    Seems to ME that both advertisers AND WEBMASTERS have the sense of "entitlement" here, not users... after all - you're the one making it sound as if adbanners are "mandatory" & they are CLEARLY not...

    Lastly/Once more - People already PAY ENOUGH ALREADY just to be online, but they do NOT PAY TO KEEP SOME WEBMASTER or ADVERTISER there! )

    (OR, is the list in my p.s. below not worth avoiding for the end-user??)

    BOTTOM-LINE HERE, is THIS, for the "end-user", by blocking out adbanners:

    More speed, more security, & a less annoying web-surfing experience (just by blocking-out adbanners alone!)... AND, getting ALL OF WHAT YOU PAY FOR, speed-wise too!

    "Beat that with a stick"

    ---

    "Yes let's ban all ads, then a lot of people won't be able to put anything up because they can't afford the bandwidth costs." - by Merk42 (1906718) on Monday February 28, @10:07AM (#35337862)

    Then, as I said above? ONLY THE STRONG (or determined & passionate/sincere about their love of a particular topic they start a website on) WILL SURVIVE... period!

    ("Welcome to the Jungle", in other words, & "The Times they are a changin'"!)

    APK

    P.S.=> Again, for your reference (w/ a NEW one I just added, showing the London Stock Exchange serving up malware via adbanners, today, "hot off the presses"):

    ---

    Ad networks owned by Google, Microsoft serve malware:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/13/doubleclick_msn_malware_attacks/

    ---

    Attacks Targeting Classified Ad Sites Surge:

    http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/02/02/1433210/Attacks-Targeting-Classified-Ad-Sites-Surge

    ---

    Hackers Respond To Help Wanted Ads With Malware:

    http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/01/20/0228258/Hackers-Respond-To-Help-Wanted-Ads-With-Malware

    ---

    Hackers Use Banner Ads on Major Sites to Hijack Your PC:

    http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/11/doubleclick

    ---

    Ruskie gang hijacks Microsoft network to push penis pills:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/12/microsoft_ips_hijacked/

    ---

    Major ISPs Injecting Ads, Vulnerabilities Into Web:

    http://it.slashdot.org/it/08/04/19/2148215.shtml

    ---

    Users Know Advertisers Watch Them, and Hate It:

    http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/04/02/0058247.shtml

    ---

    Two Major Ad Networks Found Serving Malware:

    http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/12/13/0128249/Two-Major-Ad-Networks-Found-Serving-Malware

    ---

    ADBANNERS SLOW DOWN THE WEB:

    http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/11/30/166218

    ---

    THE NEXT AD YOU CLICK MAY BE A VIRUS:

    http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/06/15/2056219/The-Next-Ad-You-Click-May-Be-a-Virus

    ---

    NY TIMES INFECTED WITH MALWARE ADBANNER:

    1. Re:Entitlement? Brains is more like it... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Switch sides. Your stupidity and incompetence make you staunchly PRO-ads.

  57. Tracking protection or ad-blocking? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Title makes it sound like it's talking about preventing tracking, whereas the text is more about ad blocking. If it were about preventing tracking, you wouldn't expect to see fewer ads; you'd just expect the ads to be more generic. An ad server, instead of deciding, "This client was browsing midget porn sites recently, so let's show the $8 CPM targeted midget porn ad on this Phoronix page about AMD," would decide, "We don't know who this is, so just show 'em the $0.80 CPM remnant."

  58. Yoda: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Begun, the Browser-Ad-Blocking Wars has.

    I hope so. I'm suprised it hasnt already happen long time ago.

  59. Forget browser-based ad-blocking, use a hosts file by unassimilatible · · Score: 1
    The first line of defense should be a modified hosts file, regularly updated. Simple, old school, browser-independent.

    PeerBlock is also your friend.

    --
    Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
  60. Somehow I doubt it matters by HalAtWork · · Score: 1
    Some stats from the "Why firefox is blocked" site:

    Total 285,460
    Average Per Day 21
    Average Visit Length 0:34
    Last Hour 1
    Today 17
    This Week 140

  61. Ad hominem AC "attack" best you got? LMAO! apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject-line, & this:

    "Switch sides. Your stupidity and incompetence make you staunchly PRO-ads." - by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 28, @12:37PM (#35339526)

    IF that's the "best you've got", trying to be "clever" on YOUR part? Please... it's invalid in logical debate!

    APK

    P.S.=> And, your ad hominem attacks on myself? Well... it certainly isn't disproving my points here in this exchange as to WHY folks block ads (more speed, more security, etc. by doing so, & FOLKS PAY FOR THEIR ONLINE SPEED, too):

    ---

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2014770&cid=35337228

    ---

    OR, here either:

    ---

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2014770&cid=35338106

    ---

    The best part of whenever you "spin-CON-troll" fanboys do your ad hominem attacks on me, is simple: You show EVERYONE HERE READING that my points are, unassailable & solid!... & for that? I actually THANK you! apk

    1. Re:Ad hominem AC "attack" best you got? LMAO! apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are violently anti-blocking. You are literally agitating for the death penalty for anyone using, possessing, or creating them. The only question is whether you are doing it intentionally.

  62. Re:Who cares? by zach_the_lizard · · Score: 1

    I've had a dealership not tighten a line up enough, and my brake fluid slowly drained out. It was fine on the way home, but the next morning I had no ability to brake. Thankfully my emergency brake worked and I had an alternative ride.

    --
    SSC
  63. Re:Who cares? by sglewis100 · · Score: 1

    So was your point that we SHOULD all have every new car purchase immediately towed (not road safe until verified) to a third party mechanic for an inspection, or just that sometimes things happen?

  64. WTF are you rambling off topic about now??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How do you figure I am "anti-blocking":

    "You are violently anti-blocking." - by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 28, @02:57PM (#35340704)

    Especially after my 1st reply here:

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2014770&cid=35337228

    (Which is, of course, ANYTHING BUT "anti-adbanner blocking" because I am ALL for it, &, for a # of SOLID GOOD REASONS end-users benefit by, no questions asked, for THEIR MONIES THEY PAY TO BE ONLINE no less!)

    Namely (via this enumerated list that summarizes my 1st post here in this very exchange):

    ---

    1.) More speed

    2.) More security

    3.) More anonymity vs. tracking

    4.) An unobtrusive "HBO Internet" (no commercials).

    ---

    ?

    APK

    P.S.=> This, lol, I have to see... especially after the 1st HUGELY FAILED attempt @ disproving my points here:

    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2014770&cid=35338106

    apk

  65. internet explorer 9 blocking adds ... fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I noticed that although it blocked adds. On almost all sites this was done very well. Only problem is that it seems is that it just hides the add from display but the link of the add is still active. Firefox add remove(add-on) removes the link of the add. So you cant miss click the add.

  66. Re:Who cares? by zach_the_lizard · · Score: 1

    Sometimes things happen, and that dealership mechanics are not always the best.

    --
    SSC