Firefox blocked
So soon after our browser discussion I read this on slashdot today:
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/08/17/1359206.shtml
Its about a web site that deliberately blocks Firefox because some users have the ad blocker installed. Their logic being the ads pay for the content, so not viewing them is akin to stealing the content. Some great debate and insightful comments at /. as usual.
I tried to look at the site but it just got /.’d so is unreachable at the moment even from IE.
do you feel bad for not viewing other peoples ads?
Also I found this site with some usage stats:
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
roughly 35% ff, 35% IE6, 20% IE7, with IE6 losing share to ff and IE7. They also discuss how their stats may be biased.
cheers
Simon
Friday, 17th August, 2007 at 10:05 pm
At least in common law countries, it’s legal to use any means NOT SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED BY LAW to block ads. It’s no more stealing from web sites by blocking their pop-ups than it is using Tivo to view recorded TV programs without their commercials. Another analogy: most magazines earn more from ad revenue than from newsstand sales and subscriptions combined, but does that mean magazine readers should feel obliged to read the ads as well as the articles?
Friday, 17th August, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Or what if you walked (/drove!) past a bill board - are you obliged to look at it?
His arguments seem unconvincing, and his techniques weak, I just thought it was an interesting development.
He certainly got a ton of traffic, but probably not too many ad clicks.
Friday, 17th August, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t IE have some form of ad blocker available now too? I’ve never looked, as I prefer Firefox, but it also support add-ins and pop-up blockers…
Friday, 17th August, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Ken, yes I think there is some sort of blocker for most browsers. This guy just seems to have taken exception to ff users.