Are Adblocks Pointless Now?

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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Only site I visited that had that was The Atlantic. But yes it will become more common

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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Not pointless at all...now they just tell you which sites to avoid. If a website has no problem delivering malware on ad networks and yells at me for not wanting malware on my computer, then I have no problem not using that website.

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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All it means is you just need a better ad blocker. Many ad blockers now have features that will block the ad blocker notifications. Also those websites are crap, Forbes is essentially Buzzfeed for business types. Forbes had a whole scandal I think a year ago now where it asked you disable your ad blocker but when you did it served you malware infested ads.

I suggest uBlock Origin or go with network level protection and use a pihole.

Carjosse said:

All it means is you just need a better ad blocker. Many ad blockers now have features that will block the ad blocker notifications. Also those websites are crap, Forbes is essentially Buzzfeed for business types. Forbes had a whole scandal I think a year ago now where it asked you disable your ad blocker but when you did it served you malware infested ads.

I suggest uBlock Origin or go with network level protection and use a pihole.

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Downloaded Ublock - thanks for that
What is a pihole??

JANFU said:

Downloaded Ublock - thanks for that
What is a pihole??

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Make sure it uBlock Origin, not uBlock. A pihole is a program you install on Raspberry Pi and you redirect your traffic through it and it filters out ads at a network level instead of at browser level, it even works if you connect your mobile phone to it. You can also setup a VPN on the same Raspberry Pi if you want to access your home ad-block network when out and about. Though I would recommend renting a Linux server and doing it that way as the Raspberry Pi is very under powered for encryption and decryption.

Carjosse said:

Make sure it uBlock Origin, not uBlock. A pihole is a program you install on Raspberry Pi and you redirect your traffic through it and it filters out ads at a network level instead of at browser level, it even works if you connect your mobile phone to it. You can also setup a VPN on the same Raspberry Pi if you want to access your home ad-block network when out and about. Though I would recommend renting a Linux server and doing it that way as the Raspberry Pi is very under powered for encryption and decryption.

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Renting a server?? Costs-Does it protect me for mal/ransonware?

JANFU said:

Renting a server?? Costs-Does it protect me for mal/ransonware?

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Yes you can rent a Linux VPS for pretty cheap and just use that, the last I looked it was like $5/month. It does not protect you from those unless it is ad based malware, that is entirely on you.

Carjosse said:

A pihole is a program you install on Raspberry Pi and you redirect your traffic through it and it filters out ads at a network level instead of at browser level, it even works if you connect your mobile phone to it.

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I don't know about your solution specifically, but I know some ad filtering at the network level is recognized by websites and you get the same error you would with a client adblock. We use an Untangle firewall at work and use ad blocking on it and sometimes sites block us.

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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Archive the page, problem solved.

Carjosse said:

Yes you can rent a Linux VPS for pretty cheap and just use that, the last I looked it was like $5/month. It does not protect you from those unless it is ad based malware, that is entirely on you.

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I would rather subscribe to the content (if, of course, they make good enough content that you actually want to read). At least then the money is going to content creators.

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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**** em.

The reason Adblock exists is that advertisements on webpages got out of control. Obnoxious, intrusive, browser-crashing bull****. Endless pop ups, sudden uncommanded video or audio. And when it wasn't that, it was tricks. Advertisements masquerading as articles. Every software tool distributor I go to for some silly program to monitor CPU temperatures or open zip files has fake download links prominently displayed. Click bait list horse**** that makes you load ten different pages to read it all so they can deliver ten ads instead of one. They made web browsing a chore, and Adblock solves that problem. They did this to themselves, and they can go **** themselves.

What, Forbes et al can't survive without irritating their customers with ads? Guess they'll shut down. The market has spoken. Good riddance, I say, they sold their name to anyone who would pay. Now any two-bit hack can post horse**** under the Forbes name.

ModerateGOP said:

I've been using an adblocker probably ever since they came out, but now it seems like every site I want to visit yells at me for using it and worse won't load the pages I want unless I disable my adblocker. Most of these sites are reputable websites like Forbes, IBtimes, etc... I even recently went on Drudge to check out what the right wing was up to, and lo and behold, Drudge gave me the same message about adblockers. I had a Youtube adblocker but it stopped working awhile back and I had to find another one. My facebook blocker still works, but not like that does any good. Most of what I have on Facebook are sites like the ones mentioned above.

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Well yes and no. On mainstream sites I dont really care if I see ads. Hell I have it even disabled on Youtube these days.

However once you move off the mainstream sites, then I would say the adblocker is still essential.. at least for now. Sadly the anti-adblocker programmers are getting better and better in bypassing adblockers, and of course adblockers are now selling premium "dont get blocked" access to websites, so...

But the pop up kind of ads ... must die.....