The waste of code they call "trash block plus" (or something like that) is illegal and wrong. Granted, there are sites and blogs out there that should never see the light of day because they are like one big ad. But, that doesn't give anyone the right to create something that blocks ALL java ads.

It's like mass punishment. Your brother got in trouble so you're in trouble as well...it's not right.

Anyhow, when/if this junk starts going viral on the other side of the house (non-IMers) I have a feeling Google, Yahoo and others will be rounding up their best attorney's.

If it gets big it will be short lived. If not, it will stick around and continue to be good link bait, that's how I see it anyway.

Josh

Well, I did say rant away and I was hoping you'd be by as a staunch opponent of this technology. I agree with you and I hope that if/when it starts to affect the big players they will indeed do something about it. Whether that will help the little guys who knows?

Comparisons have been made with TV ads, but I can't see that as a like for like myself - sure we can switch channels or turn down the volume or go grab a beer from the refrigerator blah blah....I guess these folks don't understand product endorsement and placement right under their noses in a huge percentage of what they watch.

The only ad-free TV experience I know of is the lumbering beast that is the BBC and for the privilege of owning a TV in Britain you must pay an annual licence fee. (even if you never watch the BBC channels) There is no choice. You pay or risk huge fines if you don't and get caught - and they really do have TV Licence Police (unlike the library policeman they do exist, although they're not really police of course).I'd rather have ads and not pay, and I think most people would agree, even if advertising has become more and more intrusive, particularly in the US.

Internet advertising is not nearly as intrusive. I have ads in my sidebar and some contextual links within the text. If people don't want to see anything more, no-one is forcing them to and they can read on unmolested. If I work hard to give my site a balanced look I think it's wrong for someone else to decide what should or shouldn't be seen on the pages I create. After all, readers can vote with their feet and just not bother coming back.

As an example, some say, "Kontera ads annoy readers, you will lose readers if you use them". I say, maybe, but some readers will still read because they like what I write and can overlook it. They may never click on an ad on my site, but they still get to enjoy the blog, I'm not forcing anyone to buy anything they don't want to buy, I'm just offering them an opportunity surely?

If the big bun fight ever comes, I think you can add people like Amazon and other operators of big affiliate programs to join in, because they sure won't like the idea of millions of ad views and potential sales being taken away from them because a few geeks, intellectuals and plain crazy "ads are evil" evangelists claiming the moral high ground say it should be so. .

How people can hold such "extremist" views about advertising amazes me - it's just advertising for pity's sake. Re-evaluate your priorities and focus your energies on something that really is important.

(Oh, I wasn't link baiting either, but fair play to you - I guess I earned that one my friend :-)

There are other benefits to the BBC being ad-free. The biggest is that they do not need to produce for mass appeal, so they can focus on good quality programming but which appeals to a relatively niche audience.

Honestly the BBC produce some of the best TV we get in the UK.

Hi Andrew

Thanks for stopping by.

I wouldn't disagree with the quality issue, but the licence eliminates choice. I'm sure a lot of people would be prepared to pay to watch the BBC and listen to it's radio programming, but the licensing system takes away any consumer alternatives. You can't legally watch a television in the UK without a licence - end of story. I think that was fine back in the day, but in 2007 it seems antiquated, and the BBC should be able to function as a business in its own right like any other television company rather than imposing a tax on the nation. I'm a fan of the BBC, I just think it's about time they changed the system.