Are you stealing content if you have an ad blocker?

[gohpep]

I record it on my cable STB DVR and then capture it via my HDMI capture card and use VideoRedo TVSuite to automatically cut out the commercials and then I watch it in MPC-BE. It's a lot of work but I prefer it this way so I don't have to keep skipping. 

 

Is Black Edition worth switching over from regular MPC? They've only been vague about what they improve, saying 'features and bug fixes', but is there a list of those improvements?

/offtopic

[Flawedspirit]

To answer the original question, people only get paid if ads are clicked. I refuse to ever click an ad, purely on principle, so there's really no difference.

[DeusProto]

Is Black Edition worth switching over from regular MPC?

/offtopic

IMO yes. It has a better UI, it has better and more extensive options, on screen toolbar when in full screen, and it can also stream Youtube videos directly from a URL. It also has a large community behind it - doom9 forums etc. 

 

Best used with madVR as renderer and LAV Filters for decoding and splitting (in either MPC's case). 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

When we pay for our data consumption on the net......minimal non intrusive ads to help support a GOOD site is somewhat reasonable...then again it should be reasonable to charge a site for "stealing your time" to fix the mess their site's ad's created on your system......Cheers

[+Eternal Tempest MVC]

I'm unaware of any law that blocking ads, or elements of a page is illegal in anyway.

Could argue how ethical it is, but that's not "stealing".

 

EU, in a nutshell has legally determined it's NOT illegal to block ads on sites.

https://adblockplus.org/blog/restating-the-obvious-adblocking-declared-legal

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Simple answer to the initial question: you are potentially restricting the site from providing future content by blocking adverts. It's not killing it (unless the guys running the site decide it isn't worth continuing with) but you're not outright killing it.

Consider the cost of keeping a popular site going, and if you don't want to make people pay then you're either going to put adverts in place or you're going to scale back on things that you offer.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I wonder if a global rating system of some sort, with strict ad requirements would help in the future, some method of filtering ad type and quantity with strict membership where an online search would portray this. May be too complicated but just a thought....   

[tompkin]

Simple answer to the initial question: you are potentially restricting the site from providing future content by blocking adverts. It's not killing it (unless the guys running the site decide it isn't worth continuing with) but you're not outright killing it.

Consider the cost of keeping a popular site going, and if you don't want to make people pay then you're either going to put adverts in place or you're going to scale back on things that you offer.

Honestly, that's fine with me. There's very little on the internet that can only be found in one place. If I go to a site that has intrusive ads I'll never go back again. It's that simple. That's the way to cut it out. If Cortana sends me too many ads I don't want, I wont use her. Having ads is one thing, pushing them in my face is another.

[TCA]

Here is a bit of the difference. In cable television, the ads are served to you "willy-nilly". There are no analytics involved so the ads aren't tailored to the individual viewer. In web ads, the ads are usually more tailored to the user.

Interestingly, I stopped watching television many years ago for that very reason. They were continually trying to "push" things at you, not only ads but content as well. I simply left. I went to the web. Now, years later, the same crap is here. At least on the web you still have more "choice".

Lol, I'm sorry but that's too funny seeing you get all butthurt over commercials. Just because they're airing them and paying the companies for a time slot doesn't mean you have to buy the stuff, same thing applies online. Just bc it's there doesn't mean you have to buy anything.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

I would rather pay for content (youtube, news websites, etc) rather than have ads.

[max22]

I would rather pay for content (youtube, news websites, etc) rather than have ads.

 

I rather pay for the ultimate ad blocker.

[tompkin]

Lol, I'm sorry but that's too funny seeing you get all butthurt over commercials. Just because they're airing them and paying the companies for a time slot doesn't mean you have to buy the stuff, same thing applies online. Just bc it's there doesn't mean you have to buy anything.

Yup, I get butthurt, but you know what? I've literally saved days of my life looking at things that *I* want to rather than what they want to. 

 

Nope not going to buy their stuff because I don't even know they want me to.   

[Shiranui]

Is not blocking but never looking stealing?

Is looking but never clicking stealing?

[compl3x]

I think ad-blocking could plausibly be called a quasi-security measure. Think about how exploitative and malicious a lot of advertising is. Installing things without permission. Highjacking browser start pages, and installing BHOs. Playing annoying advertisements, usually with sound.

 

Adblocking took off and now sites have to curate their ads much more carefully and convince visitors their ads are safe and unobtrusive. If you can get that trust from a recurring visitor and you blow it by allowing crap onto your pages you'll be re-blocked.

 

 

Is it stealing? No. People understand how the internet works and that putting up sites costs money and time. There is no specific agreement that says in order to use the internet you have to allow advertisements. If I watch a TV programme and make a cup of coffee or use the bathroom during an ad-break am I a thief then too?

[+Red King Subscriber²]

I think ad-blocking could plausibly be called a quasi-security measure. Think about how exploitative and malicious a lot of advertising is. Installing things without permission. Highjacking browser start pages, and installing BHOs. Playing annoying advertisements, usually with sound.

 

Adblocking took off and now sites have to curate their ads much more carefully and convince visitors their ads are safe and unobtrusive. If you can get that trust from a recurring visitor and you blow it by allowing crap onto your pages you'll be re-blocked.

 

 

Is it stealing? No. People understand how the internet works and that putting up sites costs money and time. There is no specific agreement that says in order to use the internet you have to allow advertisements. If I watch a TV programme and make a cup of coffee or use the bathroom during an ad-break am I a thief then too?

Annoying is true.

Only Adblock Plus - the sell out that no one should use anymore.

Sites will just detect it and block you.

I stopped using Hulu altogether because it detected adblock and refused to play the show. Same for comedy central (player stopped completely when trying to load a commercial).

I really hope all sites will switch to JS instead of plugins so it would be easier for someone to hack them and remove anti-adblocking measures.

I would pay for that TBH.

[compl3x]

Does it also detect uBlock? Or does it just detect all blocking software?

 

 

I can appreciate the need to raise revenue with advertisement, but let's not forget how mistreated we all were back in the day when there was no blocking software or it was pretty crappy. Fixing PCs which had been brought to a screeching halt because of all the crap installed without authorisation was a daily grind for me. 

[pqt]

If they reserve ad spaces that flows well with the site I'll allow it. I hate layout-breaking advertisements or ones that are so blatantly out-of-place.

 

 

In this case, I will remove the header one from appearing (above the logo) as it - in my eyes - is not following the flow of the site. It has been placed there and could not logically be replaced by another element if it were blocked. When blocked the site returns to the intended design structure. (Shifts up).

 

The one on the sidebar however I'm completely fine with, it flows with the site design and layout structure.

 

I do intend on upgraded to a paid account so the advertisements are gone, I frequent Neowin almost daily so it's more than fair that I do. But this is my usual take on advertisements.

 

OT: I don't think it's stealing content, one of the challenges of the site owner is monetizing enough to keep the site afloat without aggravating your viewer-base. Claiming that ad blockers are a bridge with 'stealing content' is metaphorically pointing the finger in my eyes. if you do ads right, you can still make it work and retain the respect of site guests.

[BinaryData]

I'm sorry, I still don't understand what I'm stealing by blocking their ads. I mean, it's not like I'm going up to someones house and stealing all their lightbulbs when I visit. That's just absurd. If anything, the company is stealing from me. Generating money off my muscle movement, in theory, isn't that considered work? Shouldn't you get paid for your work?