I've been blocking ads for so long that actually seeing them feels perverse

I use ad blockers and open source privacy focused software whenever I can but occasionally I have to use computers that don’t belong to me or an older phone where my usual applications aren’t installed and seeing all the advertisements just feels dirty and dystopian.

I think the worst ads are the text to speech ones that say “Download this app today”. The unblinking energenic people saying you can make a living at home are probably a close second.

viking,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

Absolutely. And it’s getting even worse, since some ad networks also broadcasting executable code in the form of javascript snippets intended to make interactive banners, where e.g. you move the mouse cursor over it, and an in-ad mouse button moves along. A bunch of those have been used to run malicious code on the machines and actually cause harm to the user, from crypto miners to keyloggers and trojans.

In this day and age, I consider a system without adblock to be compromised by default.

cyberpunk007,

This makes me wish noscript wasn’t a game every time I loaded a new site. What a pain in the ass to figure out how to make the site load properly without loading garbage scripts.

viking,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

I’m using uBlock origin with the cosmetic filter activated in combination with Ghostery, that gets most of the shit sorted without a whole lot of manual interventions.

ChunkMcHorkle,
@ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world avatar

It IS perverse. You’re having your eyes groped by strangers, all trying to get you to do what you have no desire to do. You just want to get what you came for and leave, but no, everywhere you look something is trying to block your path and distract you from your goal. And it’s not even honest: you already know that none of these extraneous, unwanted come-ons you’re seeing is anything close to true. In some cases, it’s a full-on mental assault.

It’s vile. I used to leave some on, but now there’s not even such a thing as “acceptable ads” anymore just because of the sheer numbers involved. So now I don’t just block: I go full extermination mode. I’m usually on desktop so if it’s a one time thing, like a single ad on YouTube that managed to sneak by all of my walls and filters and I can’t just pass it by because it’s stuck in my field of vision, I’ll actually do an “inspect element” and delete it on the spot. But otherwise, if I can’t block 100% or very close to it, I find a different site or source, or shut down altogether.

I genuinely don’t think our minds were made for this level of constant information onslaught and never-ending manipulation campaigns, and I don’t think it’s healthy or life-affirming to subject oneself to it without limit. So I don’t. People get angry about it, but hey, more for them to enjoy if that’s how they wanna roll.

ciaocibai,

I had a 16+ year old Reddit account, but was shocked when the whole 3rd party app situation was going down to learn that patently Reddit had ads. Between pihole and browser ad blockers even when I used the web version I never saw them. Don’t think I was missing anything.

CorrodedCranium,
@CorrodedCranium@leminal.space avatar

It IS perverse. You’re having your eyes groped by strangers, all trying to get you to do what you have no desire to do. You just want to get what you came for and leave, but no, everywhere you look something is trying to block your path and distract you from your goal. And it’s not even honest: you already know that none of these extraneous, unwanted come-ons you’re seeing is anything close to true. In some cases, it’s a full-on mental assault.

You paint an image in my head of a guy stopping you on the street to sell you a knock off Rolex.

_pete_,

This is the thing that got me.

I never used to mind ads that much, yea they were there but the sites had to earn money somehow and advertising was a fair way for them to do it. I’m not going to pay a subscription for every site that I want to visit.

Then one time I was looking at jeans on GAP and was bombarded for the next 3 weeks with ads for them on basically every damn site I visited.

I don’t hate ads that don’t track me about and are obnoxious in their presence, but that just doesn’t exist anymore.

Scubus,

And to ensure I don’t accidently use their site again, I grab it’s most background element and block it, hence effectively blocking the site as a whole.

shadowSprite,

My husband refuses to use ad blockers for some unknown reason (I installed them on his computer, he won’t fucking use them/turns them off) and also is the person who gets the cookie settings menu and clicks “accepts all” every time. I get so stressed trying to use his computer but also like dude! Have you any idea just what you are allowing them to access??? Granted, I’m somewhat ignorant when it comes to how to be completely safe and private on the internet, but I try, and to see someone just blatantly not care makes me lose my cool a little.

bug,

My condolences on the divorce

atrielienz,

It is jarring. I am feeling a little bad for actual writers though when I have to turn back from a news site because it doesn’t like my adblocker or pihole. I haven’t relented. But given the whole writers strike thing and the fact that I don’t want AI writing pretty much anything meant to be read by human eyes, I do feel bad.

ttmrichter,

I don’t.

If they were worth reading, they could publish.

Gorejelly,
Gorejelly avatar

I’ve been doing it for so many years across all devices and platforms that I actually get…confused for a second when one slips through. It is normally YouTube that slips through (they seem to be trying new things almost daily to get around any possible ad blocks), but sometimes it is from a major news web site or something. I actually have to look around for a second and then realize what has just happened.

prole,

I’ve been using uBlock Origin for years, and in that time I’ve never seen one YouTube ad. And I watch a lot of YouTube.

bappity,
@bappity@lemmy.world avatar

sat down to watch TV with the parents for the first time in a loooong time and when ads came on I was astounded how many there were and how long they were… insufferable TV ads >_>

electric_nan,

Whenever I see someone’s computer who doesn’t use adblocker it blows my mind. I can’t imagine going back to that shit.

agneev,

I put dns.adguard.com on their browsers and phones.

MystikIncarnate,

It’s a fun game of too many ads leading to adblockers, which leads to those not using adblockers to get twice as many ads, more people use adblockers, etc. Until the only way for a company to make money on a website is either to sell your data, or charge for the service.

Yay.

MoodyRaincloud,

The pattern is always the same. No ads - ads - no ads if you pay - no ads if you pay but we sell your data - personalised ads because you pay, and we sell your data.

ttmrichter,

I’d happily pay for a service if I could have a guarantee, with legal teeth (like a service level agreement with truly massive penalties for breach), that the service won’t ever do any of the following:

  1. Put an ad in front of my face.
  2. Sell my personal information.

I used to pay for some services to get the “ad-free” version, but almost invariably this chain got subsequently followed: ad-free → opt-in “curated” ads → opt-out “curated” ads → “curated” ads → dropping all pretense of there being any advantage to paying as the site becomes ad-o-rama.

So I won’t pay for sites. I just block their ads.

snake,

I just install uBO without saying anything ;)

spread,

Used to do this, however nowadays I worry it will fuck up their YouTube and they won’t be able to fix it themselves lol

iByteABit,

Chaotic Good

kaotic,

At this point I actively avoid brands that shove ads into my web browsing.

asteriskeverything,

I want to be there. I browse strictly on mobile I dont have a computer and I haven’t seen to be able to get anything to work properly the few times I tried. It’s so much worse on mobile cuz I’m so likely to accidentally tap the ad and they usually take up the whole screen and maybe 3 or 4 lines of am article before another ad. Plus one on top and bottom of the browser that is always there, plus a pop-up video auto playing in the corner.

bappity,
@bappity@lemmy.world avatar

for mobile if you have android try rethink dns 👀

cavvema,

For mobile I would say adding blocklists in the router.

bug,

Set your private DNS to something like dns.adguard.com, it’s a game changer!

theterrasque,

If you’re on Android, Firefox have ad block addon, and for YouTube you have revanced

AceFuzzLord,

Only time I ever see actual ads anymore are when I’m out and about and see billboards, when my parents are watching TV, or when I go to furaffinity on TOR for some NSFW images.

I’m fine with the ads on FA since they’re at the top and bottom of the pages and not intrusive at all and aren’t really much more than ads for probably shitty games (minus the Brok the Investigator ads) and art commission services the vast majority of the time.

cubedsteaks,

FA as in… Fur Affinity?

AceFuzzLord,

Yes. As in furaffinity.

toomanyjoints69,

Dundun duuun

sturmblast,

When I’m not using computers behind my three layers of filters I have here at home… I feel very sad for the internet.

Cat,
Cat avatar

What a great way to put it. Years ago my wife was annoyed when I started blocking ads because it was effecting streaming on some apps. Now if an ad gets through look out!

When we see ads, it is so annoying. Page loads are clunky and games blast you with ads.

Karlos_Cantana,
Karlos_Cantana avatar

I've wondered how businesses advertise anymore because I never see advertisements. I don't watch TV. I don't listen to radio. I have ad blockers on my devices. I just assumed most people used as blockers too.

yamanii,
@yamanii@lemmy.world avatar

Paid sponsorships mostly, since sponsorblock can’t do anything without anyone marking a segment as an ad, you will see it in a video eventually.

bappity,
@bappity@lemmy.world avatar

there’s always the boomers who can’t do it/don’t know it’s even possible and others that know nothing about computers that they can prey on

Spliffman1,

It ain’t just boomers bro

bappity,
@bappity@lemmy.world avatar

I did say others :P

ttmrichter,

I know more zoomers who don’t bother blocking ads than boomers who don’t.

Like by a LARGE amount.

TheHighRoad,
@TheHighRoad@lemmy.world avatar

Entire generations have been conditioned to accept ads due to the iPad, especially on YouTube.

Darkassassin07,
@Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca avatar

I think the worst ads are the text to speech ones that say “Download this app today”.

Dear god, they read themselves to you now?!? Kill it with fire!!

I want the creator drawn and quartered.

DirkMcCallahan,

Whenever I use a browser without adblock, it takes me back to the early 2000s, and not in a good way.

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