Are People Blocking Firefox?

[ianm]

just stumbled on this article

Don’t Block Firefox!

A site has sprung-up recently called “Why Firefox is Blocked.” They claim that webmasters should block all users running the Firefox web browser (sorry, morons, but Firefox is king) because of the AdBlock Plus extension. They claim that users of the extension are thieves because they use websites while blocking the advertisements. By some weird logic, they believe that webmasters should be given the option of blocking AdBlock. Seeing as they aren’t, they think that Firefox itself should be blocked.

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if this is true, i can't say i've been aware of it - although i have come across some sites that say it was not compatible with my browser and should use ie.

what are your thoughts on this

[29FIVE Designs]

From a user point of view, I hate ads and feel that I should have the right to block them especially when some ads are pornographic. (I used to use the Ad Blocker in NIS 2007 {not using NIS 2007 anymore, slows down my computer and not a very good AV any more, but that's another subject}). From a webmaster point of view, I feel that first of all it is bad practice to have ads. Secondly, I feel that it is bad practice to block the second largest used browser. In the end, I don't think I would block the browser. Even though I may be losing money by the user blocking the ad, I would be losing more money by blocking the browser.

[ianm]

so this is just stupid war mongering by single minded people then? i personally agree with the the guy o that sit and you, i have the right to block the ads if i want, but could it get out of hand and become a problem?

[29FIVE Designs]

Yeah, I agree, it is a stupid battle between a single minded webmaster and the user. I would say that it could get out of hand and as a webmaster, I wouldn't do anything. If they block ads fine, and if they don't great.

[LeadMagnet]

It seems to me that anyone who would go to the trouble of installing an ad blocking plugin would not click on any advertising anyway, so what difference does it make? Nobody loses out.
The only ads i ever follow (and then only sometimes) are the ads on penny arcade because they're relevant to my interests.
Google ads or any other ads just get ignored automatically by me.

[ianm]

Originally Posted by LeadMagnet

It seems to me that anyone who would go to the trouble of installing an ad blocking plugin would not click on any advertising anyway...

i don't understand that one LM, the point of installing it is so we don't have to look at the damn advertising

[LeadMagnet]

Originally Posted by ianm

i don't understand that one LM, the point of installing it is so we don't have to look at the damn advertising

Yeah, obviously. My point is fairly simple though. You don't want to look at the advertising, so you probably wouldn't be the kind of person who would click on advertising if you could see it. Money through online ads is gained through clicks, not through views.

[ianm]

ok, i think i understand what you are trying to say, yes that's true, so basically this guy who is berating ff has invested highly in advertising i'm guessing and had a chip on his shoulder, besides, i mean loads of advertising ruins the purpose of the site - who'd want to go on a site covered n advertising anyway?

[Toon]

Sometimes adverts work, I saw on a forum the other day someone asking if any one had heard of the font, Stemple Garamond and the google ad at the top of the post said 'download Garamond fonts here'

You don't get much more relevant than that!

[LeadMagnet]

I never read google ads.
Never.