General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Rise of Ad-Blocking Software Threatens Online Revenue [View all]kentauros
(29,414 posts)We pay for access to the Internet. We have to pay for the equipment to give us access to the Internet, too. And sometimes, we do indeed click on ads, and sometimes accidentally.
I pay for ad-free access to DU. Other websites do the same thing, such as sites tied to magazines and newspapers. And yet, those same sites run ads for those who don't pay to access the sites ad-free. And still other sites offer all of their content ad-free to everyone (such as Wikipedia.)
People react badly when advertisers attempt to put their ads during televisions shows. I seem to remember Coke doing that for one show as an experiment, where text would appear within the content of the show telling people to buy their product and go to their website. It completely took one out of the program, interrupting it beyond what commercial breaks already do. It was a colossal failure. People not only stopped watching, they complained to the cable channel such that they never tried that technique again.
And yet, Internet advertisers don't have to worry about people complaining to the hosting site, as the site has no direct control over their advertisers the way TV and radio does. So, they are free to make their advertising as annoying as possible. No consequences to them, or so they thought.