People are turning on ad blockers because of data-consuming ad tech

[SecularMotion]

The real reason people are turning on ad blockers is less about annoying ads and more about data consumed by the invisible tracking that goes on behind them, according to a new report by Secret Media.

Ads take up just 9% of the space on a web page, but are accountable for 54% of the load time, the study found.

This results from the data tracking and cookies that come with ads.

The theory is that frustration at this slow load time is causing people to turn on ad blockers.

http://www.businessinsider.com/secret-media-report-on-ad-blocking-2016-5

[lpbk2713]

1. I put HuffPo in my hosts file

Just because of all the junk they fill up each page with. The
time it takes to load up each page is just not worth it.

[ManiacJoe]

2. Turning off javascript for a site works wonders.

[TygrBright]

3. I might not be so adamant about ad-blocking...

...if a) they didn't slow down loading; and b) they didn't have tons of data-gathering and tracking attached to them.

Which is, indeed, sort of the same thing.

But, yeah.

A "flat" ad that takes up little screen real estate doesn't bother me much. I'd leave them, but I need the blockers to keep the nasty ones at bay.

wearily,
Bright

[mythology]

5. Also the automated fashion with which they load ads on the backend

also leaves it vulnerable to serving up malware infested ads.

I get a scummy site like drudgereport, but when perfectly normal sites like weather.com have malware injected, the process is broken.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/08/my-browser-visited-drudgereport-and-all-i-got-was-this-lousy-malware/

[Earth Bound Misfit]

4. Surfing without Ad-Blockers

Last edited Tue May 24, 2016, 02:22 AM - Edit history (2)

and custom Hosts file is a frikkin' NIGHTMARE. Without them I'd chuck all my devices from the top of 1 World Trade and buy an encyclopedia, no joke

[Pastiche423]

6. I prefer Ghostery

It does not slow down loading and it's wonderful to not see ads.