Comments on: Site owner blocks Firefox users! http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/ Tom Raftery, social media consultant, speaker, blogger and podcaster Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:53:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Pete http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-112501 Pete Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:10:11 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-112501 He blocks Camino, too. Just another money grubbing whack-job. He blocks Camino, too. Just another money grubbing whack-job.

]]> By: Paul M. Watson http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109958 Paul M. Watson Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:45:17 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109958 Even though I don't like AdBlock I do have to agree, in part, with Kiran. AdBlock is tiny percentage of the market. My "contract" argument is weak (though not without merit.) I asked around the building and even amongst 120 techy people only a handful had AdBlock. Even though I don’t like AdBlock I do have to agree, in part, with Kiran. AdBlock is tiny percentage of the market. My “contract” argument is weak (though not without merit.)

I asked around the building and even amongst 120 techy people only a handful had AdBlock.

]]> By: Kiran Bettadapur http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109957 Kiran Bettadapur Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:34:34 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109957 This is much ado about nothing, really! It is his site. He has the right to restrict access any which way he wants. A side note, would his turning off all Firefox users qualify as "discrimination?" And, what people do with their browsers, including installing AdBlock, is their business! This is much ado about nothing, really!

It is his site. He has the right to restrict access any which way he wants. A side note, would his turning off all Firefox users qualify as “discrimination?”

And, what people do with their browsers, including installing AdBlock, is their business!

]]> By: bernard http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109914 bernard Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:24:17 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109914 1. This guy is a jesus freak, so he is mad from the outset! 2. If you really want to read his site, then you can turn off ad-block, if you don't then nothing lost. Ad-block blocks ads by two ways (or at least in the past this was how it worked): 1) it downloads the ad, but doesn't actually display it, or 2) it doesn't actually download the ad at all. His other choice, of course, is to have a subscription only, closed website. I'd like to see how much revenue he makes then. Using adblock, is as "legal" as turning down the radio volume when ad breaks start. People will watch/read/listen how they want to watch/read/listen. If you don't want to provide the content, then don't. People will either move on, or change their way of consuming the content. bernard 1. This guy is a jesus freak, so he is mad from the outset!

2. If you really want to read his site, then you can turn off ad-block, if you don’t then nothing lost.

Ad-block blocks ads by two ways (or at least in the past this was how it worked): 1) it downloads the ad, but doesn’t actually display it, or 2) it doesn’t actually download the ad at all.

His other choice, of course, is to have a subscription only, closed website. I’d like to see how much revenue he makes then.

Using adblock, is as “legal” as turning down the radio volume when ad breaks start.

People will watch/read/listen how they want to watch/read/listen.

If you don’t want to provide the content, then don’t.

People will either move on, or change their way of consuming the content.

bernard

]]> By: Tom Raftery http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109876 Tom Raftery Sun, 26 Aug 2007 08:26:26 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109876 @Branedy - I don't think the plugin tells the server that it is not downloading the ads @thebigman87 and @Eoin - I have to agree with you. I think Adblock is fantastic. I have mentioned several times on this blog that it is my favourite Firefox plugin. As Eoin said, it is not theft to channel surf. Also, I read most sites through my rss reader so I see very few ads that sites publish, in any case. @Branedy - I don’t think the plugin tells the server that it is not downloading the ads

@thebigman87 and @Eoin - I have to agree with you. I think Adblock is fantastic. I have mentioned several times on this blog that it is my favourite Firefox plugin.

As Eoin said, it is not theft to channel surf.

Also, I read most sites through my rss reader so I see very few ads that sites publish, in any case.

]]> By: Eoin Prout http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109868 Eoin Prout Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:53:12 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109868 Is it theft to channel surf during TV commercials !!!? I don't think so. There is no implied contract with people viewing a site, if he wants one a real contract then he should restrict his websites to members only with a terms and conditions, Otherwise the visitor is free to do whatever they like with the content, within copyright restrictions of course. Is it theft to channel surf during TV commercials !!!?
I don’t think so.

There is no implied contract with people viewing a site, if he wants one a real contract then he should restrict his websites to members only with a terms and conditions, Otherwise the visitor is free to do whatever they like with the content, within copyright restrictions of course.

]]> By: thebigman87 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109865 thebigman87 Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:15:53 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109865 Well I'm going to break from the pack and say Ad Blocking is a good thing. It's your computer and it's up to you how you wish to enjoy the Content or not enjoy it as the case might be. Much how the likes of Sky + and Tivo enable users to skip through Ads. Now, I think he may have said one good thing, if you are reliant on Ads then there should be a method if you so wish to "not allow" users who are not allowing you to make revenue. But at the end of the day, there is obvious demand for Non-Ad revenue sites maybe Web Developers aren't listening to it's own audience to which it rely's so much on. Well I’m going to break from the pack and say Ad Blocking is a good thing.

It’s your computer and it’s up to you how you wish to enjoy the Content or not enjoy it as the case might be. Much how the likes of Sky + and Tivo enable users to skip through Ads.

Now, I think he may have said one good thing, if you are reliant on Ads then there should be a method if you so wish to “not allow” users who are not allowing you to make revenue.

But at the end of the day, there is obvious demand for Non-Ad revenue sites maybe Web Developers aren’t listening to it’s own audience to which it rely’s so much on.

]]> By: Cormac http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109824 Cormac Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:30:04 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109824 I'm very much against Adblock myself. I installed it once and it provided one of the worst web expierences ever. Adblock was presenting white areas where there would be ads, a lot of webpages looked very naked as Adblocked skwed the natural appearance of the site. I would love to see Adblock and other ad blocking extensions illegalised but it's never going to happen. I’m very much against Adblock myself. I installed it once and it provided one of the worst web expierences ever. Adblock was presenting white areas where there would be ads, a lot of webpages looked very naked as Adblocked skwed the natural appearance of the site.

I would love to see Adblock and other ad blocking extensions illegalised but it’s never going to happen.

]]> By: Branedy http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109821 Branedy Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:40:12 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109821 Does Firefox indicate to the web server it's denial of advert loading? Or does it just dump the data to the bitbucket? Does Firefox indicate to the web server it’s denial of advert loading? Or does it just dump the data to the bitbucket?

]]> By: Paul M. Watson http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109818 Paul M. Watson Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:25:32 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109818 It is a silly move on his part and the campaign is daft. But I do get irritated when I see people using AdBlock. As a web-developer I see it as part of the contract of using a website. We give you free content and you get to see some adverts. People need to realise just how ad funded the web is. Google is 90% ad funded. Without ads they have no revenue. And many other web companies are in the same boat. And the argument "I never click ads anyway, they are just annoying" doesn't float. Techies use that argument all the time. Don't use AdBlock. Don't block your visitors either. Anyway. Rant over. :) It is a silly move on his part and the campaign is daft. But I do get irritated when I see people using AdBlock. As a web-developer I see it as part of the contract of using a website. We give you free content and you get to see some adverts.

People need to realise just how ad funded the web is. Google is 90% ad funded. Without ads they have no revenue. And many other web companies are in the same boat.

And the argument “I never click ads anyway, they are just annoying” doesn’t float. Techies use that argument all the time.

Don’t use AdBlock. Don’t block your visitors either.

Anyway. Rant over. :)

]]> By: Eoghan McCabe http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109814 Eoghan McCabe Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:07:03 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109814 It does seem foolish to blanket-ban Firefox users, but I can understand how he feels if his business revenue depends on ads. It does seem foolish to blanket-ban Firefox users, but I can understand how he feels if his business revenue depends on ads.

]]> By: Colm Doyle http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109813 Colm Doyle Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:59:44 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/site-owner-blocks-firefox-users/#comment-109813 Haha, what a headcase! Haha, what a headcase!

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