Ad-blocking software on the rise. Who is at fault?
Do you use an ad-blocker?
Adobe and PageFair claim ad-blocking software will cost website publishers like us $22 billion in 2015.
Ad-blocking software attempts to stop third party adverts from appearing on the websites that you visit so you can just enjoy reading the content without being bothered by advertisements.
The problem?
The content you enjoy reading is probably funded – wholly or partly – by those adverts. Meaning if everyone used an ad-blocker, the content you read could no longer be provided for free, and website publishers would either go bust, or charge a subscription for access to their content.
That’s not good news. For anyone. It could spell the beginning of the end for the open web.
Who is responsible? The Internet users themselves or the ad-block developers…?
But who is responsible? It would perhaps be easy to assign blame to the Internet users for using ad-blockers in the first place. If they didn’t use ad-blocking software this – of course – would not be an issue. Or perhaps to the developers who make ad-blocking software, because if it wasn’t for them, Internet users couldn’t block adverts.
But that all may be a tad short-sighted. Because, after all, why have Internet users turned to ad-blocking software in the first place?
…well how about the website publishers…?
And now the focus turns uncomfortably to the website publishers themselves.
It is no secret that there has been a rise in more intrusive forms of advertisements. More “in your face” pop-ups, adverts that cover up the content or – worst of all – videos that auto-play when you load a webpage. We’ve all encountered them. And they’re annoying.
And these forms of intrusive advertisements appear on mainstream websites, not just low quality websites. Media outlets have auto-playing adverts, as do otherwise respectable websites. This type of intrusive advertisement has worked itself into the mainstream, and it likely one of the reasons why many have turned to software aimed at preventing them from being bothered by it.
Intrusive adverts are annoying, but also annoying are spammy adverts peddling diet pills, get-rich-quick systems and dubious loan companies. And now the focus shifts from the website publisher to the ad platforms responsible for serving the adverts in the first place.
How about the ad platforms…?
Most websites get their ads from platforms like Google who are responsible for choosing with adverts to show. But when these platforms choose to allow spammy adverts in, it is difficult for the website publisher to keep them out, with often only the option to block specific adverts as they notice them appear.
Many smaller platforms also present a security or privacy risk to the visitor, with adverts capable of tracking visitors, potentially open to security breaches as well.
With spam-laden, even potentially malicious adverts appearing in even the most reputable of ad platforms, this is another reason why Internet users have turned to ad-blocking software.
So who is to blame for the rise in ad-blockers?
Whilst it may be convenient, even satisfying, to point the finger at one group of people and shout “it’s all your fault”, the reality is that the blame lies in many different places. And this means that we can all do our part to combat the potentially devastating battle between ad vs. ad blocking.
So…
The ad-blocking developers: It would perhaps be unfair to assign any significant blame to those who develop ad-blocking software, since they are just producing a product according to the valid demand for them.
With that said, ad-blocker developers should afford their software flexibility that can allow those who use them to enable adverts for websites that they trust, yet disable adverts for websites that produce intrusive, privacy-lacking or overly spammy advertisements.
This works better than a catch-all ‘block everything’ approach that would ultimately be detrimental to an open web environment.
You, the Internet visitor: Internet users have a variety of reasons for using ad-blocking software. Some valid. Some not so much. It is important to acknowledge that when you read content on a website like this, that it has been provided to you for free, and is funded by the same adverts you attempt to block.
So if you do choose ad-blocking software, disable it or allow it to show adverts for websites that you value, and use it to block intrusive adverts for low-quality, potentially malicious websites that you do not trust.
Website publishers: The onus is very much on website publishers to ensure their adverts are safe and non-intrusive, otherwise they will ultimately hurt themselves and other publishers in the long term.
Websites that knowingly bombard their visitors with poor quality adverts, with intrusive placement or auto-playing videos ultimately have to take responsibility for the increased use of ad-blocking software. Sadly some website publishers seem only interested in making as much revenue in the short-term with no thought for the long-term and this is hurting all publishers as more people turn to ad-blocking avenues.
Ad platforms And even if the website publishers do play fair, the ad platforms need to vet their adverts to ensure no poor quality adverts end up being placed onto the publishers website.
We, amongst others, have had to deal with complaints from our readers because Google have allowed a poor quality advert to appear on our pages. Our readers are often unaware that we really have little oversight as what adverts can be seen on our website at any one time.
A final word
At ThatsNonsense.com, we use reputable ad platforms and do not employ intrusive ad placement or auto-playing videos on any part of our website, and we work hard to block dubious adverts that get placed on our site from ad platforms (though they inevitably will at times). Whilst our users are not obliged to do this, we do ask them to disable their ad-blocking software when visiting our site and reading its content.
What do you think? Who is most at fault for the rise in ad-blocking software? Have your say below.