Why interrupt our browsing due to "Adblock Detected!" that will not go away?

[ohmster]

Okay, I am not crazy about ads. Small, unobtrusive ads are okay, it does help defray site operations cost. Ever since Android started pumping out apps by the thousands, it seems that new rules for ads were written. Jam ads *everywhere*, force them on people, make them wait and stare at an ad for several seconds before they can proceed, and even apps that never actually close but remain running processes to what end? Could it be those strange out of nowhere ads that now pop up in my statusbar? So yes, I do use Adblock. And I can understand why a site like thewindowsclub would prefer you do not use Adblock on their site to maximize ad revenue. Some websites are rather nice, polite, and diplomatic about requests to allow ads and not use any sort of Adblocker on their website by politely *asking* the user to please disable adblock on their site.

The rest is up to the visitor. He can disable adblock on the site or whitelist it, especially if the site is nice about it and does not have obnoxious ads. But when a site like thewindowsclub "forces" you to disable your adblock or whitelist them, they have taken my freedom of choice away. And I do not take kindly of anyone trampling on my rights to privacy or my comfort zone for living. thewindowsclub goes so far as to say "Uh oh, Adblock detected, here is how to disable adblock on this site". What if I do not want to disable adblock at all, period? Even the developers of adblock software have taken to hear that sites do really need the revenue and they default to allowing some non-intrusive advertising to pass through. What is wrong with that? Non-intrusive, what is the problem? You want to jam "Intrusive" ads down my throat, is that it? The thing that irritates me the most is that this is not a request, it is a command and if you do not shut off your adblocker, you cannot view the site until you do.

This is *exactly* what takes that warm and fuzzy all over feeling away from potentially very good, very informative, and very useful websites. Where there is a will, there is a way, so even adblock can be hidden from sites like thewindowsclub, the warning never triggers, and you read a nice, clean page. SWIM does this all the time and I fail to see the problem with it.



Define SWIM: "Someone Who Isn't Me". What do you guys think about this? Do you believe that websites should force you to view all of their ads in order to visit the site, or do you feel that choice should be yours, especially if you do allow non-intrusive ads to pass through?

[HappyAndyK]

Hi ohmster

I am an individual blogger. This is not some company running this site. I started this site for fun as my passion, and I still run it single-handedly. I spend over 8-10 hrs working on this site, and I do it because I enjoy it and I make money. Now it has grown - and so have the costs.

You talked about taking 'freedom of choice away', But Sir, Have you realize the costs that are involved when ANY user who blocks my ads visits my site? Bandwidth usage is the direct cost. It may be small for 1 visitor, but when a site gets millions of visitors of which, say 25%, choose to block ads, the amount is big.

I agree, "developers of AdBlock software have taken to hear that sites do really need the revenue". They too have said that they need funds to maintain their lists. So how do they go about generating money? Block ads - and then take money from large sites to unblock them! Now that's not a nice way of generating revenue.

TheWindowsClub.com incurs the costs for the following purposes:

Payments to authors
Hosting charges
Content Delivery Network service provider
Sucuri Web Firewall & Antivirus to protect our website
Our developers have developed over 75 useful freeware which are completely free to use and do not bundle any crapware.
Website development and maintenance expenses, etc.

I have to pay these costs. Who is going to pay them? The ads!

When visitors come to my site using an adblocker, they steal my right to make money - and yes I want to make money too. Not only that, they use my bandwidth/CDN/, et. free - and that costs money you see.

I have stayed away from bundling my free software with 3rd-party crapware. I do not display popup or pop-under ads. I use only Google AdSense.

But unfortunately as you rightly pointed out, some websites jam their pages with ads, and that is what led to the entire problem.

I tried the 'request' approach for 2 months. It made no difference. I have seen bloggers requesting people to donate to them via Patreon and other such sites - but it does not help really.

So to cut down my costs, I have to resort to this. Some large sites have already moved beyond this and adopted the Paid approach for Subscribers. The 'free' internet as we know might just change, not too far in the future.

I am just a small individual blogger trying to survive & ensure that I continue to maintain the blog the way I want to. So till another monetizing way is found, the ads will stay. Newspapers are cheap because they are supported by ads. Open your TV, and you see ads. Walk down the street, and you see huge billboards and hoardings. So I think it is the time that folks start proactively deciding - which sites that want to adblock and which sites they want to support by whitelisting them, instead of just using adblockers across all sites.

Hope you understand and decide to whitelist this site.

With warm regards.

[IamP]

So I think it is time that folks start proactively deciding - which sites that want to adblock and which sites they want to support by whitelisting them, insteading of just using adblockers across all sites.

I joined your site solely for the purpose of responding to your foregoing explanation. Here is how is really works: I come across an issue regarding windows and your site pops up in a search engine. I go to your site, my adblocker kicks in, and I get your suppression screen. What to do, what to do? I have two choices; either whitelist for access, or just close your website and go on to the next site that will give me to the information I need. It's not like your site is the only game in town, so to speak. There are many other sites that don't create a speed-bump to my browsing. Moreover, rather than try to draw in a new user, you are setting up a roadblock for them to even see if whitelisting your site is worth it. Yes, yes, I know it only takes a second or so to whitelist a site, but -- why bother when other sites give me the information I want. As in your example of TV advertising: if I see an ad I can (a) walk away and do something until the ad is over, (b) silence the ad, (c) flip to another channel until the ad is over, and (d), just DVR the program and FF through the ads (my favorite). Billboards don't interfere with my driving or walking and I need not look at them.

So, overall, you can certainly do whatever you want with your own blog, but the typical user will just click on to the next site. You're simply turning away potential subscribers before they even get to see your site, and who might otherwise find your site worth being whitelisted.

[HappyAndyK]

I joined your site solely for the purpose of responding to your foregoing explanation. Here is how is really works: I come across an issue regarding windows and your site pops up in a search engine. I go to your site, my adblocker kicks in, and I get your suppression screen. What to do, what to do? I have two choices; either whitelist for access, or just close your website and go on to the next site that will give me to the information I need. It's not like your site is the only game in town, so to speak. There are many other sites that don't create a speed-bump to my browsing. Moreover, rather than try to draw in a new user, you are setting up a roadblock for them to even see if whitelisting your site is worth it. Yes, yes, I know it only takes a second or so to whitelist a site, but -- why bother when other sites give me the information I want. As in your example of TV advertising: if I see an ad I can (a) walk away and do something until the ad is over, (b) silence the ad, (c) flip to another channel until the ad is over, and (d), just DVR the program and FF through the ads (my favorite). Billboards don't interfere with my driving or walking and I need not look at them.

So, overall, you can certainly do whatever you want with your own blog, but the typical user will just click on to the next site. You're simply turning away potential subscribers before they even get to see your site, and who might otherwise find your site worth being whitelisted.

I can understand if some visitors want to walk away. But my dashboard statistics show that most are prefering to whitelist this site.

But then it's a free world and folks are free to take their decisions.

Thanks for expressing your views.

[noadspleas]

Chiming in to say I am also walking away from your website because of this. It is a sure way to lose business and customers.

[noadspleas]

For anyone coming here from Google, here is how you can at least get the content from The Windows Club before the blocker kicks in:

1. Type in the URL
2. When the site initially loads, hit CTRL + A and then CTRL + C for "Select All" and "Copy"
3. Open new Word document
4. Hit CTRL + V for "Paste" and enjoy!

[HappyAndyK]

Chiming in to say I am also walking away from your website because of this. It is a sure way to lose business and customers.

Business? Customers? I dont get it ... what are you paying or giving me? :P