Are ads a social contract?
There have been a number of stories and news articles recently about advertisements, and specifically, how bad it is to avoid them. Most recently, there was a Slashdot article that claimed that using AdBlock in Firefox was breaking the social contract with the website hosting the ads.
Here’s my take on advertisement. I hate advertisements, and I refuse to pay attention to them, if I can possibly avoid them. I would prefer that they be gone entirely, even if it means I have to pay for things that would otherwise be free (such as TV). Much worse is that ads are invading things that I do pay for, such as movies. Ads are an abomination before god (or, at least before me), and I will use every method in my power to avoid them, block them, remove them, skip them, or anything else that keeps them away from my attention. And, if this causes the web sites I read or the TV stations I watch to go under, so be it. I will find something else to read or watch. It’s not worth it to me to put up with ads.
That said, I have been known to pay for content. I’ve paid for memberships at web sites, I buy movies. I’m willing to go to a micropayment economy, where I pay small amounts for the content I actually want. But, I will not put up with ads. Ever.
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