AdBlock replaced blocked ads with ads for Amnesty International

Well in the strategy.

1. Build add blocker

2. Get add blocker onto computers to block ads

3. ???

4. Profit

We finally learned what '???' is: Serve only ads that pay them or which they really like.

Which AdBlock is this?

Could be a little clearer... After all there's AdBlock, which nobody I know uses anymore, because shenanigans, and AdBlock+, with the opt out whitelist.

The article says AdBlock, and a quick Duck shows that's the one swapping ads, not AdBlock+.

But still, confusing.

Bait and switch

AB+

Disable ALL ads.

Solved.

Peace and harmony is restored.

Gambling their business model on inertia

The success of the whitelist/gatekeeper/extortion model is dependent on having a large number of users to dangle before an advertiser, but the mere appearance of ads will drive users away. AdBlock therefore seem to be relying on a fair amount of inertia in their userbase that will prevent them from switching. This works for UK energy companies, but I'm not sure how well it will work for AdBlock. I just timed how long it took me to switch from AdBlock to uBlock Origin: 28 seconds, including filling out the AdBlock exit survey.

Personally, I just add the servers of intrusive ads to my hosts file or block them in my router, if the advertisers don't want to play nice then neither will I.

I define intrusive ads as those that do any of the following, pop up, pop under, play sounds without being clicked on, play video without being clicked on, block me from seeing the screen until I click on them, react in any way to a mouse over event, ads that follow the fucking mouse around the screen until you click on them and a close second in the hatred stakes those that move to stay on the screen when you scroll the page

This is by no means a definitive list and may be added to as advertisers get more 'inventive' with the crap they spew onto my PC.

Non intrusive ads are not a problem, I even click on a few of them, after all these people are playing nice and it pays for the site.

But for anyone who shoves their ads in my face, I will take whatever steps I feel necessary to get your ads out of my face and ensure you never do it again.

Really enjoying Brave browser (Bravery: Block ads)......

I switched from Adblock+ to uBlock Origin as soon as Adblock+ "sold out"; I allow ads on the sites I want to support and who's ads are not intrusive. All others get blocked by default; one of the worst sites I know of, and visit, is www,pcgamer.com/uk. Twelve of the most intrusive type of ads run as soon as the page opens, needless to say, it's not "white listed".

Amnesty International are a notorious employer of chuggers and those other bastards that manipulate pensioners and vulnerable people into setting up Direct Debits, then ring them up at all hours begging for more money. They may have had noble intentions once but they are now just another national charitycorp like Oxfam - solicit donations, use donations to produce publicity begging for more donations, repeat.

I haven't seen any of these ads but if I do I'll be looking for another adblocker.

Uninstalled it ages ago

All this would be interesting if I hadn't binned ABP in favour of uBlock Origins when the former basically stopped working reliably with custom filters. It went from hiding elements one day to ignoring the filters the next for no particular reason.

uBlock on the other hand worked flawlessly. And better.

All the other shenanigans just makes a previous necessity look like a brilliant prescient choice.

ABP is now a dead product as far as I'm concerned.

I've learned this...

1. Ads keep the internet running. Blocking ads is like force-feeding kittens to puppies to make foie gras. Peta will soon be running an anti-ad-blocking campaign with the usual array of naked celebrities using their nakedness to tell me how wrong I am about everything.

2. If I see an ad I'm bound to buy something. Not letting me see ads is like a fundamental abuse of my human rights.

3. There are experts out there who know what I want and need far better than I do. These experts all work in marketing and it is selfish of me to not listen to their reasoned words. If I'm daft enough to accidentally run an ad-blocker, I expect a remote expert to sort it out for me and unblock what I need to see.

4. I do not own my computer or anything on it. I do however, wholly own the debt associated with it, and, when the next version of Windows makes my computer obsolete, I entirely own the guilt of contributing to the planet's demise through landfill. The Spanish put it best: mi data es su telemetry.

And I replaced Adblock with uBlock Origin. As much as I might support the objectives of Amnesty International I don't appreciate having my web pages manipulated in ways I didn't ask for.

I suspect that replacing ads with other ads will quickly lead to many lawyers topping up their kids' college savings accounts.

Blocking out things people don't want to see at their request is one thing, but once you start replacing them with other things that someone else paid you for that neither the website owner, nor the person browsing the website asked for, all your claims get a bit murky...