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Google Now Automatically Converts Flash Ads To HTML5
An anonymous reader writes "Google today began automatically converting Adobe Flash ads to HTML5. As a result, it's now even easier for advertisers to target users on the Google Display Network without a device or browser that supports Flash. Back in September, Google began offering interactive HTML5 backups when Flash wasn't supported. The Flash-to-HTML5 conversion tools for the Google Display Network and DoubleClick Campaign Manager created an HTML5 version of Flash ads, showing an actual ad rather than a static image backup. Now, Google will automatically convert eligible Flash campaigns, both existing and new, to HTML5."
I have flash turned off (who doesn't?) but lately I've noticed that ads have begun to autoplay again.
So, how do you make html5 "always ask first"?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Thanks, assholes, now we're going to have to figure out how to block this crap in HTML 5.
Will someone please kick the Google CEO in the crotch?
I'm tired of the internet being shat upon by asshole marketers.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Just use Lynx
While everyone else is bitching about ads being displayed (hey, adblock targets the CONTAINER, not the AD itself, so it is still blocked, just like static images were before!)...
I'm extremely THANKFUL for this! Seriously, can we not count the number of end-user exploits that have been transmitted through Flash advertising on some of the worlds largest and most visited web sites!? Adobe and the Flash platform have a horrendously bad reputation in the security market. As someone who has to constantly fix other people's computers, this is a much MUCH welcomed change!!
oh wait, shit, what am I saying... less broken computers = less paychecks for me... FUCK. NNNOOOO, BRING THE FLASH BACK!!! :-O
The FlashBlock extension for Firefox has an option for "Block HTML5 video as well." Silverlight, too.
Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
I cannot even begin to count the number of commenters here who pushed HTML5 as the best way to end, once and for all, those incredibly invasive and annoying Flash ads.
You got exactly what you were asking for.
So long as business is on the web, there will never, ever, ever be a technological "solution" to online advertising. There's simply too much money at stake for that to happen.
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
On the one hand, I know flash is bad and HTML5 is good. And even though advertising is bad it follows that advertising in HTML5 must be less bad than advertising in flash.
So, um... yay?
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
Single thread CPU performance stopped improving a good while ago - or more strictly speaking it goes up very slowly. Please.. these ads will only make everyone's life worse.
End result, everyone will have to block ads. I'm not buying a new motherboard, CPU and RAM to have the PC not struggle under the load of ads.
It's not necessarily the ads, (hell, I've clicked on a small static ad once or twice) it's the way they're implemented.
Let's take for example a company that will remain nameless but their initials are Seattle Post-Intelligencer. It's not that their website contains ads. It's that the pages take so long to load even with fiber to the house, and the ads autoplay, or pop over full page with hidden "dismiss" buttons, or pop under and autoplay (yes, I know I already said "autoplay") to an extent that it resembles a porn site.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Scalar vector graphics and sound are cool, but Flash was not wonderful technology. Adobe was not to blame; they just bought the existing monster.
Flash was foremost a huge CPU waster. And an easy to use vector for all sorts of security exploits (because the original code from Macromedia was an abomination).
And don't forget, Flash was so important you shouldn't even be able to uninstall it.
Try out Flash Control, which does block both Flash and HTML5 videos, and not just on YouTube.
Luckily greasmonkey userscripts are great for that sort of thing:
// ==UserScript==
// @name noAPK
// @namespace noAPK
// @description Attempts to hide posts by APK on Slashdot
// @include http://slashdot.org/*
// @include http://.slashdot.org/*
// @version 1
// @grant none
// ==/UserScript== /apk-hosts-file/im;
var posts = document.querySelectorAll('.commentBody');
var pattern =
Array.prototype.forEach.call(posts, function(el, i){
if(pattern.test(el.innerHTML)==true) {
el.style.display = 'none';
}
});
Flash or HTML5,if HTML5 is crapware and Digital Restrictions Malware rolled into one.
Yup, that works. Please mod parent +1 Informative...
These are all great opinions, but before I can take frequent contributor *apk* seriously, I need to know what opinion on 'hosts' is held by Frequent Contributor (TM) BENNET HASELTON!?!
"Our opponent is an alien starship packed with atomic bombs," I said. "we have a protractor"
Nothing to do with Flash, the popup covers most of the screen on my Note3, and there is no obvious way to get rid of it other than leave the site. I thought it was a varus, til I found I did not have the problem on other sites.
This is a major achievement in the foot shooting league.
Posted from my PDP8 using an ASR33.
Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
I would make the assumption that a company that creates a flash ad owns that content. Isn't it a violation of the DMCA for Google to use their content in a way not approved by them?
Yeah, it's like the HORROR the web looks like when you are working on an end user's PC and they only have Internet Exploder.
I guess there will be HTML5 blocker extensions soon.
And I'll use them. Why? I hate ads. To me there is NO SUCH THING as an acceptable ad. I will never surf without ad blockers running. And if you don't like it, take your site offline.
And now that its happened, I'm going to blow my own trumpet.
For all the people who bashed Flash and said HTML5 is our lord Geezus and Saviour, I hope you enjoy it because now that you've more or less killed flash all the things flash was being used for (I.E. annoying the living shit out of you with ads) is now in HTML5. The problem is, Flash was a plugin, you cold block it completely at that level and easily select the bits you wanted to play. Now with HTML5 the ads and annoying videos are part of the code so in order to block them you need to parse the code. This means advertisers can get even trickier in hiding ads as part of the content and ad blockers are going to have to wrestle with a higher number of false positives.
If you thought adwords was annoying, wait until you have adword videos in HTML5 (and if I've thought of it, you can bet that someone with less scruples has too). So you've killed flash and all the evil that was in flash is not moving to HTML 5 where it'll be easier to hide and harder to block. There's your victory, drink it in.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.