Jamie,
You detest software with ads in them, yet you complain if people view your web pages but block your ads? So how do you differentiate between an app and a web page? What if I make a web page for reading mail say, it's OK to have ads in that? But if I write a stand alone email program, I shouldn't put ads in that (like Eudora does I believe)?
I detested programs with ads in 'em (because I don't like things that go behind my back like lots of adware does. However, I don't try to block them, I just plain don't use them (if I did, I wouldn't block the ads). Simply put, if you don't like ads on the internet, don't visit sites with them. It shouldn't be anyone's choice but the owner of the content on whether or not ads are displayed. If I choose to have ads on my site, and Joe Surfer doesn't like it - more power to him - go somewhere else. By my definition, a program is something running off you PC, a web site something running off the internet. When it's on my PC, I don't want it installing little "helper" apps to load at startup that eat up my system resources. But, if I choose to use that type of program, that is what I deserved to suffer through.
I'm not against ads in neither web pages or apps - but I disagree with your complaints when people block them.
What do you propose then? If people block the ads that pay me the money to create the content they come for, what I am suppose to do? Shut down? Just imagine if all the PERL script sites, like my own, who were supported by ads shut down. You could say good bye to Matt's Script Archive & CGI-Resources.com, Stepweb.com, Selena Sol/Extropia, and many others (including my Uninetsolutions.com). Would the net be happier without Matt's excellent scripts? I surely think not. The thing I emphasize, is it's one thing if it's my hobby (like many open source developers), it's another if it's my job. If it's my job, I have to make money somehow, and it surely doesn't help me to have people use up my bandwidth and give me absolutely nothing but more support requests in return. It costs money to produce software and maintain my site - first time somebody offers to give me enough money to take off my ads - they'd be gone. But no one does, so the ads stay. I could do like Oracle or any other proprietary software company and charge for software (no offense to Oracle), but instead I let visitors pay with ads. Would you rather pay with real cash? Personally, I think that all of the major ad companies (i.e. DoubleClick, 24/7, Flycast, Burst! Media, etc.) should try blocking site access to all of those who block ads. In other words, don't make me pay for what you refuse to. I'm sorry if this sounds like a flame, it isn't intended to. However, as a programmer, I have two choices - (1) quit programming or (2) find a way to make money programming. Ultimately, it comes down to those to choices, and I know which one I like better. My $0.02... -Tim ----------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy R. Butler Universal Networks Information Tech. Consultant Christian Web Services Since 1996 ICQ #12495932 AIM: Uninettm An Authorized IPSwitch Reseller tbutler@uninetsolutions.com http://www.uninetsolutions.com ===================== "Solutions that Work" =====================
In fact this debate has just inticed me to find a good ad blocker and install it... ;)
Jamie -- __________________________________________________________________ _________ Jamie O'Shaughnessy e-mail: joshaugh@uk.oracle.com Oracle Interactive Television Division phone : +44 118 92 45052 ______________________________________________________ __ __ _ __ . __ Opinions are my own and not those of... (__)|-</-\(__ |__(-_
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