# Adblock Plus sells out its users for money - unblocks ads



## qubit (Feb 4, 2015)

I was wondering why I was beginning to see a certain amount of annoying animated ads with AD+ installed. Now I know it's because they are selling out their users for money.

Time to dump this garbage and get a better ad blocker. If I had wanted to see ads I wouldn't have installed it in the first place. Note that I'm only bothered by animated ads, which most are. If they had nice stationary banner ads I'd never block them and think they add character to some sites, especially tech sites like this one.



*ADBLOCK PLUS *has been taking money from major tech companies to have their ads unblocked.

Google was the first company revealed to have paid for whitelisting with the popular advert blocking extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, but now it appears that Amazon and Microsoft have also paid Adblock Plus for whitelisting.

Read the rest at The Inquirer


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## Maban (Feb 4, 2015)

The negativity over this is some of the dumbest I've seen. These ads are part of their manually selected non-intrusive whitelist which you can disable whenever you want. If you don't like their whitelist, then create your own.


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## rooivalk (Feb 4, 2015)

you could use adblock edge.


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## Mark Smith (Feb 4, 2015)

Just use the hosts file from MVPS..... If you don't mind seeing "This page could not be displayed" all over the pages you visit, lol
http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts2.htm


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## 95Viper (Feb 4, 2015)

Old news... The Inquirer is. sorta, late with this story; like, about four years.  I believe it was first done in 2011 or so, when verson 2 came out and was reported all over the place, then.
It is not like they are hiding anything or it is some conspiracy... they provide that info right on their website.
And, they, even, tell you how to turn on blocking for the "acceptable" ads.


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## Schmuckley (Feb 4, 2015)

non-issue since i read this thread


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## squallvn1 (Feb 4, 2015)

I have been using AdBlock since the first version, at the start the ADS shall be blocked manually, so, we will do it again.


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## RejZoR (Feb 4, 2015)

It's an optional whitelist that ANYONE can disable. There is also AdBlock Edge that doesn't even have this feature...


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## Drone (Feb 4, 2015)

If that white/black/whateva list can be edited then why Google and Microsoft waste their money on this?


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## xfia (Feb 4, 2015)

I bet most people dont even edit it..  I mean I just disable it on sites I like to visit and if something comes up I dont like then I right click and block it.


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## Octopuss (Feb 4, 2015)

qubit said:


> I was wondering why I was beginning to see a certain amount of annoying animated ads with AD+ installed. Now I know it's because they are selling out their users for money.
> 
> Time to dump this garbage and get a better ad blocker. If I had wanted to see ads I wouldn't have installed it in the first place. Note that I'm only bothered by animated ads, which most are. If they had nice stationary banner ads I'd never block them and think they add character to some sites, especially tech sites like this one.
> 
> ...


Uh, stop being hysterical.
https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads

I couldn't give two fucks about how much money they make from whatever source (it's well deserved anyway!) as long as these ads are opt in/out, which they are. End of story.

You're late to the party anyway.


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## qubit (Feb 4, 2015)

Octopuss said:


> Uh, stop being hysterical.
> https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads
> 
> I couldn't give two fucks about how much money they make from whatever source (it's well deserved anyway!) as long as these ads are opt in/out, which they are. End of story.
> ...


 I see someone's got a big fat chip on their shoulder lol.


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## Octopuss (Feb 4, 2015)

What?


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## Maban (Feb 4, 2015)

I dislike fear-mongering posts such as this, qubit. ABP is simply expediting the process of non-intrusive ad selection. They have to meet the exact same criteria to be deemed non-intrusive. No one is paying them to get anything they wouldn't already allow by policy on there.

If you're seeing an animated ad, then it's likely that either you have configured ABP incorrectly or a mistake was made in the selection process. In case of the latter, instead of being a douche by spreading your unfounded hate of an already existent policy, simply report the offending ad to ABP and let them fix it. You wouldn't go around telling people not to use a product because of a single failure like some people we have seen recently (ahem...<user_name_here>).


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## Arctucas (Feb 4, 2015)

I used AdBlock with FF, but it became increasingly slower and slower to load webpages.

I got rid of AdBlock, and only use NoScript and Ghostery. No ads anywhere, and FF loads pages with no delay.


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## TheHunter (Feb 4, 2015)

rooivalk said:


> you could use adblock edge.


Just switched back to this. 

ublock is also a cool alternative,  although its still in beta..
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases


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## Maban (Feb 4, 2015)

"Adblock Edge is a fork of the Adblock Plus version 2.1.2 extension for blocking advertisements on the web. This fork will provide the same features as Adblock Plus 2.X and higher but without "acceptable ads" feature."

Could someone tell me the point of ABE? ABP has an option to disable the white list so I really don't understand the need for ABE.


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## Solaris17 (Feb 5, 2015)

Maban said:


> "Adblock Edge is a fork of the Adblock Plus version 2.1.2 extension for blocking advertisements on the web. This fork will provide the same features as Adblock Plus 2.X and higher but without "acceptable ads" feature."
> 
> Could someone tell me the point of ABE? ABP has an option to disable the white list so I really don't understand the need for ABE.



If I wanted adds blocked and their was an alternative I didn't need to fuck with to do so why wouldn't I do it?


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## Caring1 (Feb 5, 2015)

Arctucas said:


> I used AdBlock with FF, but it became increasingly slower and slower to load webpages.
> 
> I got rid of AdBlock, and only use NoScript and Ghostery. No ads anywhere, and FF loads pages with no delay.


That's more a problem with your system than with Adblock, mine runs fine with it installed on all my computers, no slowing at all.


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## qubit (Feb 5, 2015)

95Viper said:


> Old news... The Inquirer is. sorta, late with this story; like, about four years.  I believe it was first done in 2011 or so, when verson 2 came out and was reported all over the place, then.
> It is not like they are hiding anything or it is some conspiracy... they provide that info right on their website.
> And, they, even, tell you how to turn on blocking for the "acceptable" ads.


I think the difference here is who'se gotten onto that paid whitelist, which would help to explain the increase in ads I'm seeing. Other sites are also reporting the same thing.



Maban said:


> I dislike fear-mongering posts such as this, qubit. ABP is simply expediting the process of non-intrusive ad selection. They have to meet the exact same criteria to be deemed non-intrusive. No one is paying them to get anything they wouldn't already allow by policy on there.
> 
> If you're seeing an animated ad, then it's likely that either you have configured ABP incorrectly or a mistake was made in the selection process. In case of the latter, instead of being a douche by spreading your unfounded hate of an already existent policy, simply report the offending ad to ABP and let them fix it. You wouldn't go around telling people not to use a product because of a single failure like some people we have seen recently (ahem...<user_name_here>).



Look, I've noticed some ads getting through, I haven't whitelisted anything in AB+ and then I see this article about Microsoft and Google paying to get on their whitelist so I post about it to let others know about this. It's as simple as that. Really, don't read too much into it.

Calling me a douche who is "fearmongering" and "spreading unfounded hate" are ridiculous and annoying accusations from yourself  and is actually a personal attack which you can't do here, as you well know. I can quite easily say that you're an idiot who's simply polluting my thread with hate statements. See how it feels, hmmm? Let's have no more of this from you, thanks.



TheHunter said:


> Just switched back to this.
> 
> ublock is also a cool alternative,  although its still in beta..
> https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases


Thanks, I'll give it a try.


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## Nullifier (Feb 5, 2015)

I haven't seen any ads as of yet, maybe because of my version.
But if they start popping up what do I need to modify to get rid of them? I'm using chrome.


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## OneMoar (Feb 5, 2015)

filters are configurable and these fall under the "allow some unintrusive advertising" option in ABE
untick that option and away you go
as usual qubit is trolling with sensationalist headlines that he Googled up businessinsider is about 3 years late to the party on this one


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## qubit (Feb 5, 2015)

Xorium said:


> I haven't seen any ads as of yet, maybe because of my version.
> But if they start popping up what do I need to modify to get rid of them? I'm using chrome.


From the looks of it, you can just turn off the whitelist / "acceptable ads" list, or perhaps edit it. I haven't gotten around to fiddling around with it yet.

You may want to try Adblock Edge, posted about above, which doesn't use an "acceptable ads" list.


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## MT Alex (Feb 5, 2015)

OneMoar said:


> filters are configurable and these fall under the "allow some unintrusive advertising" option in ABE
> untick that option and away you go
> *as usual qubit is trolling with sensationalist headlines* that he Googled up businessinsider is about 3 years late to the party on this one



The Jerry Springer of TPU!


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## qubit (Feb 5, 2015)

OneMoar said:


> filters are configurable and these fall under the "allow some unintrusive advertising" option in ABE
> untick that option and away you go
> *as usual qubit is trolling* with sensationalist headlines that he Googled up businessinsider is about 3 years late to the party on this one


Pot calling the kettle black, much? All you ever do is troll people and make personal attacks. I've had loads of your troll posts deleted and you've been infracted and banned too (for over a year! ) for your childish behaviour many times. Looks like you're angling for another ban, lol.

I'm not "3 years too late", either. This is different and is being reported by other sites currently too, you idiot. Get your facts straight.


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## Nullifier (Feb 5, 2015)

qubit said:


> From the looks of it, you can just turn off the whitelist / "acceptable ads" list, or perhaps edit it. I haven't gotten around to fiddling around with it yet.
> 
> You may want to try Adblock Edge, posted about above, which doesn't use an "acceptable ads" list.


I did a quick search for adblock edge before posting the other message, but only found a version for firefox.


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## qubit (Feb 5, 2015)

Xorium said:


> I did a quick search for adblock edge before posting the other message, but only found a version for firefox.


I use FF, so I'm happy!


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## rooivalk (Feb 5, 2015)

Maban said:
			
		

> Could someone tell me the point of ABE? ABP has an option to disable the white list so I really don't understand the need for ABE.


For me, it's trust. The whitelisting simply isn't there, can't be manipulated to be enabled (I think), and shouldn't 'accidentally' be enabled by update.
In the past I also found a popped up ad being hidden by ABP but its wrapper not (it means you see invisible wall of unclickable content) meanwhile on ABE it's all clear. I'm not sure whether the problem is bug in the newer engine of ABP or simply because whitelisting, nevertheless it's super annoying.



			
				Xorium said:
			
		

> I did a quick search for adblock edge before posting the other message, but only found a version for firefox.


Oh I forgot, I also use FF. 
Chrome has fatal flaw for me: inability to render their own Google Fonts perfectly. The otherwise gorgeous fonts would look either a bit jaggies, thinner or stretched depending on the font. Sometimes it's simply not loading the custom font. It could be fix with CSS+JS but I can't expect every webmaster know that.


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## Nullifier (Feb 5, 2015)

rooivalk said:


> For me, it's trust. The whitelisting simply isn't there, can't be manipulated to be enabled (I think), and shouldn't 'accidentally' be enabled by update.
> In the past I also found a popped up ad being hidden by ABP but its wrapper not (it means you see invisible wall of unclickable content) meanwhile on ABE it's all clear. I'm not sure whether the problem is bug in the newer engine of ABP or simply because whitelisting, nevertheless it's super annoying.
> 
> 
> ...



On a project as big as chrome you think they would.
I seriously don't like how chrome scales things, i've just gotten use to it.


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## remixedcat (Feb 5, 2015)

OK I'm FUMING!!! I HAVE  to keep ads off for ALL sites due to possible malware and I gotta keep all my systems clean due to I test beta hardware and software for MAJOR COMPANIES and if shit gets leaked I might be SUED so i I gotta keep stuff extra secure and if these sellout ___________s wanna do this crap I will HOSTSFILE these ___ into oblivion.

another reason to use enterprise grade hardware to keep out shit like this.


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## Arjai (Feb 5, 2015)

https://getadblock.com/

Does it all, no fudging around with whitelists crap. all ads, gone.

You are welcome, works in FF and Chrome.


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## Maban (Feb 5, 2015)

qubit said:


> Look, I've noticed some ads getting through, I haven't whitelisted anything in AB+ and then I see this article about Microsoft and Google paying to get on their whitelist so I post about it to let others know about this. It's as simple as that. Really, don't read too much into it.
> 
> Calling me a douche who is "fearmongering" and "spreading unfounded hate" are ridiculous and annoying accusations from yourself  and is actually a persona attack which you can't do here, as you well know. I can quite easily say that you're an idiot who's simply polluting my thread with hate statements. See how it feels, hmmm? Let's have no more of this from you, thanks.


I had written what I felt was a good reply to this but I will abstain from it. I don't take back what I said as I believe it to be true. I have more to say if you want me to defend my argument but I would really rather not as I don't want to come off as negative. I don't enjoy negative discourse.

My advice for you as I've already stated is to report the offending ad so they can fix it. That helps everyone.


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## 95Viper (Feb 5, 2015)

qubit said:


> I think the difference here is who'se gotten onto that paid whitelist, which would help to explain the increase in ads I'm seeing. Other sites are also reporting the same thing.





qubit said:


> From the looks of it, you can just turn off the whitelist / "acceptable ads" list, or perhaps edit it. I haven't gotten around to fiddling around with it yet.



It doesn't really matter which one's pay,  if you turn off the "acceptable ads".

How to turn off "acceptable ads":


Spoiler






> *But I hate all ads!*
> 
> No problem, you can disable this feature at any time. To do so:
> 
> ...






However, if you are still seeing ads, and such... you may be using the wrong lists or need to report the ads to the list keepers sites. 

>This is a list of actively maintained filter subscriptions.< Also, in this subscription list you can other lists which block social media sites, those stupid "we require cookies" stuff, malware site lists, scam site lists, and privacy protection.

However, remember the more lists you add, the longer the search through them, so it may delay your browsing.

Quote from ABP on this:


Spoiler






> It is important to note that you should not add too many filterlists to Adblock Plus. This will slow down the adblocker, therefore, your browsing. As a rule of thumb, it is highly recommended to not use overlapping filterlists (e.g. choose either EasyList OR Fanboy's List).






Quote from ABP site on choosing the right list:


Spoiler






> *Choosing the right filterlist*
> 
> As previously described, Adblock Plus requires filterlists to block ads. By itself, Adblock Plus can only see the webpage you are loading, but has to be "told" by the filterlist which elements to block. When you install Adblock Plus for the first time, it will automatically suggest a filterlist to you based on the language settings of your browser.
> There are a two basic lists out there, EasyList and Fanboy's List. These two lists block the ads from the most popular (often English) websites. However, these lists do not block ads on less popular national websites. In the case that you, for example, come from Germany, you will have to subscribe to the national German filter list. In this case, this will be "EasyList Germany + EasyList". An overview of all the lists can be found here.
> ...






If you happen to be a poor typist or misspell sometimes, then URL fixer may help in FF.


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## OneMoar (Feb 5, 2015)

remixedcat said:


> OK I'm FUMING!!! I HAVE  to keep ads off for ALL sites due to possible malware and I gotta keep all my systems clean due to I test beta hardware and software for MAJOR COMPANIES and if shit gets leaked I might be SUED so i I gotta keep stuff extra secure and if these sellout ___________s wanna do this crap I will HOSTSFILE these ___ into oblivion.
> 
> another reason to use enterprise grade hardware to keep out shit like this.


don't feed the trolls and you need to read the thread before rage posting
this has been in ABP for nearly 3 years and you didn't notice


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## Octopuss (Feb 5, 2015)

Solaris17 said:


> If I wanted adds blocked and their was an alternative I didn't need to fuck with to do so why wouldn't I do it?


Uh, could you try again in english? The post doesn't make any sense at all. If you have difficulties, someone will surely help you translate it from your native language.


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## REAYTH (Feb 5, 2015)

qubit said:


> I use FF, so I'm happy!


And unsecure.


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## Ahhzz (Feb 5, 2015)

I only run Adblock on my droid. For the rest, I use ghostery, ublock, and DND. Which is probably over kill, but having spent too much time cleaning up after 4 different malware tools, I tend to like redundancy .


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## Solaris17 (Feb 6, 2015)

Octopuss said:


> Uh, could you try again in english? The post doesn't make any sense at all. If you have difficulties, someone will surely help you translate it from your native language.



Easy chief you can go sit down over there and let the adults talk about software policy. If you genuinely feel like you need to attempt to correct grammar and or spelling I suggest you do so here. http://www.gooverseas.com/teach-abroad/czech-republic

best of luck!


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## Octopuss (Feb 6, 2015)

Solaris17 said:


> Easy chief you can go sit down over there and let the adults talk about software policy. If you genuinely feel like you need to attempt to correct grammar and or spelling I suggest you do so here. http://www.gooverseas.com/teach-abroad/czech-republic
> 
> best of luck!


That insultive attitude will get you far. You sure look like an adult.
I was trying to help, because you're apparently not a native speaker (I'm not either, there's nothing bad about that) and struggle with english. The post didn't make any sense. That's all.


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## Maban (Feb 6, 2015)

It may have been written poorly but it was sensical. If you absolutely feel the need to nitpick, at least make it about the topic.


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## Arctucas (Feb 7, 2015)

Caring1 said:


> That's more a problem with your system than with Adblock, mine runs fine with it installed on all my computers, no slowing at all.



Yes, most likely, except that it is not.

And by slowing, I meant that rather than a webpage loading in ~ 1 second, it would take 2 or 3 seconds. Trivial, perhaps, but quite noticeable to me. 

The fact remains; with NoScript and Ghostery (and a substantial Hosts file, which I neglected to mention) I never see an ad or pop-up.


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## Octopuss (Feb 7, 2015)

Must be problem on your end. I am not getting any increased loading times either.


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## Devon68 (Feb 7, 2015)

Mine still blocks the annoying ones I had. I open a movie on putlocker and 2 or 3 other pages open until I can watch something. Now that I installed this it doesn't happen anymore, only on some xxx site's but that's maybe 1 or 2% of the time.

I'm still satisfied with it.
TNX for the info anyway


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## digibucc (Feb 7, 2015)

Octopuss said:


> That insultive attitude will get you far. You sure look like an adult.
> I was trying to help, because you're apparently not a native speaker (I'm not either, there's nothing bad about that) and struggle with english. The post didn't make any sense. That's all.


their post was easily understood, your reason for replying? not so much.


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## Arctucas (Feb 8, 2015)

Octopuss said:


> Must be problem on your end. I am not getting any increased loading times either.



Neither am I, since removing it.

So, how many ads do you see with AdBlock installed?

I see none what-so-ever with it _*not installed*_.

In my opinion, using ad-blockers that allow even one ad are a failure, and might as well be removed.

EDIT:

@Octopuss,

I will edit my post, rather than reply to your post below; I have no interest in arguing with you, or trying to see who gets the 'last word'.

I use what works best for me. If you have different results, then you should go with what works best for you.


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## Octopuss (Feb 8, 2015)

Whatever floats your boat.


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