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Web site fights Adblock by blocking Firefox
As long as most computer users don't make use of these plugins, the internet economy marches on. But just as some television networks are worried that PVRs will kill their entire business model, some web publishers are taking action to fight Adblock Plus.
Web designer and author Jack Lewis has taken the extreme step of preventing Firefox users from viewing his website. If you follow that link using Firefox, you'll be redirected to a "Why Firefox is Blocked" page. If you use Internet Explorer (or the IE Tab plugin for Firefox), you'll see Lewis's blog.
Lewis says he would have blocked Adblock Plus, but since there's no way to do that, he's prevented all Firefox users from reading his site. While this will probably result in a huge boost in short term traffic, we're not convinced it's worth the effort in the long run. We're guessing only a small portion of Firefox users actually use ad blocking software. So he's just shut the door on an enormous potential audience.
Lewis equates your decision to skip over the ads as "stealing" content by viewing the original material without the ads. You know, because when you get up to go to the bathroom during a TV commercial break, you're also stealing.
[via InfoWorld]
Comments
46
Subscribe to commentsBill MintonAug 25th 2007 4:28PM
About 20% of the FF users I know don't use Ad-Block. Given that only about 5% to 10% of the users I know use FF, it's not an "enormous potential audience".
The sampling of people I'm pulling my info from are the ones from work (primarily IT), family, and friends.
TaomynAug 25th 2007 4:28PM
ROFLMAO
What a jerk!
It's laughable as his "extreme step" is about as extreme as a wet paper bag and doesn't even work. Doesn't stop my Firefox+AdBlock Plus from viewing his worthless site so it isn't going to help more worthwhile sites from blocking anyone.
CrudsAug 25th 2007 4:27PM
He doesn't care about Adblock. Look at the links Firefox Myths or The Firefox Cult. It's clear Jack or what ever his name is doesn't like Firefox and he wants the world to know.
essjayAug 25th 2007 4:27PM
I think he's missing an even more obvious downside. If I'm a FireFox user, merrilying going about my business without Ad Block Plus installed, he's now informed me that such a plugin exists. Something I may never have found out by myself. He's actively promoting and, you know, all publicity is good publicity.
TaomynAug 25th 2007 4:26PM
ROFLMAO
What a jerk!
It's laughable as his "extreme step" is about as extreme as a wet paper bag and doesn't even work. Doesn't stop my Firefox+AdBlock Plus from viewing his worthless site so it isn't going to help more worthwhile sites from blocking anyone.
EricAug 25th 2007 4:26PM
Who?
Never heard of him.
This is probably one of the more arrogant and dumber things I've heard somebody do. So Jack Lewis, I block you!
Your content (and others like you, who fill their poorly designed site with obtrusive ads) is not important. Moreover, your thought process is weak and ineffectual.
If Firefox users visit your site and see this, they are more than likely not going to start IE to view your page. Part of the reason why Firefox is so popular is because of it's superiority in security over IE. People who use Firefox are aware of this, it's why they use it. You are offending them, and I wouldn't be surprised if your ad revenues sharply decline.
The Digg entry is not false. You are implying that all Firefox users are thieves. You're "punishing" people for "crimes" they didn't commit. You're also only setting your self up for reciprocity.
Good Luck with that. I personally won't visit your site, or give your site any more word of mouth after this, even though I think you're stupidity and arrogance warrants discussion. Even bad publicity is good publicity. I will give you neither.
You may wonder why this irks me so much. As a web designer having to work with IE's drawbacks I'd prefer to see it disappear, rather than ad block. You now give an advantage to one of the worst web browsers out there. I can't design web pages for Firefox only, I wouldn't make any money. I can also not design IE only web pages, because that is a poor and illogical practice.
Simply put, Jack Lewis, you are a hack. Have you ever heard of the concept of word of mouth? I take it that is what you are counting. Pulling a Dvorak, and calling attention to yourself by saying something stupid, just to get an internet flame contest seems to be what you're going after. However, much like a bad experience at a restaurant, your daftness will have an adverse effect.
I hope you wake up and realize that this is the internet and you simply cannot take your ball and go home, like a 2 year old, and survive.
CalidrisAug 25th 2007 4:26PM
Umm, OK...
Is his site at least interesting? No way I would go back to IE for anyone!
notnamedAug 25th 2007 4:25PM
His logic amuses me. The majority of internet users don't use Firefox, so it's economically viable to block Firefox. But if the majority of internet viewers don't use Firefox, what's the point in blocking it? You're only blocking a minority - and you don't get the ad revenue either way.
NickZatAug 25th 2007 4:25PM
Advertisers did it to themselves. If they didn’t have annoying ads, like flash animations that kill your bandwidth and CPU usage, popups, pop unders, annoying flashing effects, and even sound, then we wouldn’t have to block them.
Besides, no one cares what this guy has to say.
andysnatAug 25th 2007 4:25PM
His site is boring and useless, so I wont miss it.
VodkaAug 25th 2007 4:24PM
can't visit the site with Camino either ...
JohnAug 25th 2007 4:24PM
Thanks! I had forgotten about ad block!
datterAug 25th 2007 4:24PM
Reminds of of "big music"...
The music industry did not, and does not understand or accept the new paradigm... so they fight against MP3's instead of embracing the new direction. They mistakenly think THEY lead the market, instead of the truth which is they follow the market as set forth by the consumers. Big mistake on their part.
This nameless, bloggy web-guy (whoever he is) doesn't understand or embrace change. Sounds like he's stuck in one mode of ad revenue and refuses to bend or accomodate the market changing under his feet. So, like the music industry instead of moving with it and finding a new way to fit and generate revenue... he fights it, accomplishing nothing but proving he really, really just doesn't get it.
Sad on his part, but I suppose it's best if the little faceless guys sort this stuff out in advance so perhaps the larger web-presence people will learn from the mistakes of the little guy.
Good luck to this blog guy, whoever he is. Without a perspective shift, he's going to need it.
datter
http://www.datter.com
Gardiner WestboundAug 25th 2007 4:23PM
Jack Lewis who?
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction Adblock, NoScript and similar programs were developed because internet advertisers severely abused their audience.
EternityInBlackAug 25th 2007 4:23PM
I actually took a quick peek at a site - it's some religious fanatics' website. What a waste of time. Must be a slow news day :P
MilesAug 25th 2007 4:30PM
If this becomes pervasive, there will be extensions that forge the user-agent on a per site basis.
siZorsAug 25th 2007 4:22PM
Hey! There are no ad's in his RSS feed! Why doesn't he block that?
BrennanAug 25th 2007 4:22PM
I'd like to point out that the google ads he has on his page are like 60% firefox related ads.
Bryan PriceAug 25th 2007 4:31PM
Yeah, Brennan, I noticed that myself. I left a comment (and a blog post) basically blasting them. Juvenile, but less so than this website's antics.
http://www.bytehead.org/blog/2007/08/site-im-really-hating-right-now.php
is the blog post (I did a cut and paste on the comment).
JordanAug 25th 2007 4:31PM
If you look at the code on the why firefox is blocked site on how he blocks firefox... it just checks the useragent string... but even if i switch that using useragent switcher the site still someone seems to tell that im useing firefox? how does that work.