[techtalk] RE: [grrltalk] webads

[Lothan]

From: grrltalk-admin at linuxchix.org
> [mailto:grrltalk-admin at linuxchix.org]On Behalf Of James A. Sutherland
>
> >Blocking advertisements on web pages is no different than
> changing channels
> >on the TV when the ads come on. I have not been paid nor
> contracted to watch
> >the blasted things so I exercise my right to block any and all
> advertising.
> >I also exercise my right to block cookies from any site I deem
> fit. In other
> >words, I block all cookies that are used for anything other than direct
> >shopping requirements.
>
> The original post was mine - I wouldn't really describe the character
> as a "friend", though. We are both part of the Campaign for Unmetered
> Telecommunications here in the UK, campaigning for flat-rate (i.e. not
> charged per minute) Internet access and local calls, which is how we
> "met" - we often argue about whether or not filtering ads etc is OK.
>
> My POV is that for the most part, we are free to do WTF we want with
> an HTTP connection, within reason (no DoS attacks etc). If I want to
> run a Perl script to e-mail me the front page of <insert news service
> here> every morning, that's OK - no need for me to download any of the
> images, advertising or otherwise.

I completely agree. There's nothing saying you must use a web browser or
that you must download any or all graphics, scripts, cookies, etc. from a
site. I admit I am somewhat amused at the number of sites that throw
javascript errors (typically 'document.x.y is null or not an object') after
I started blocking all ads.

On a complete different tangent, I never did understand how folks in the UK
could tolerate metered service for local calls. It just seems so...
uncivilized. Of course, I was born and bred in the USA so I come from a
completely different background and point of view.