Here's Why I won't Remove My Ad Blocker Even If Indian Media Companies Force Me Almost all major Indian media websites have added ad-block detectors and this effects the future internet as we know it
By Rustam Singh
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Starting Thursday, 30th June 2016, a majority chunk of Indian media companies have started using ad-blocker detections on their web portals. If you haven't noticed it already, mainstream media websites would not load unless you have your ad blocker disabled, and that's very clearly written on their websites as well in a banner. Clearly judging form the trend, we can safely say that soon pretty much all famous websites, especially media firms, will have the same ad-block detectors on their websites as well. This move has frighteningly brought the debate between the future of advertisements, revenue, marketing and the way the internet itself works into debate in India. Which side will you be on?
Read More: Media houses are blocking ad-blockers and here's why you should be worried
Personally, I have time and again visibly expressed my dissent against the cancer of the internet that is advertisements, even though most revenue is earned via advertising itself only. There is an urgent call for marketers to research and work their magic to find a way to get rid of advertisements altogether. Here's why I won't be turning off my ad-blockers no matter how much mainstream Indian media companies (or any other website for that matter) asks me to:
Detectors can be over-written
Fopr every block on the internet, there's a anti-blocker. The same goes with ad-block detectors. There are several extensions out there for Chrome and Firefox that reverse the mechanism by which adblock detectors work. Basically, you can trick the website into thinking you don't have adblockers in place. If you don't want to slow your browsing experience down further, there are some work around to this such as disable some scripts too, which work on some websites. Others have a portal that needs to be blocked itself to continue. Either way, a workaround these blocks is just a few Google searches away.
It's perfectly legal
There is no law, anywhere on the planet that makes it illegal for any consumer to use ad-blockers or to use anti ad-blockers. The consumer, or you, makes the final choice in what he/she wants to view from the internet and it relies solely onto him. You're not breaking any law and are just fishing in the pockets of multi-millionaire media companies who are pushing spam into your feeds daily, robbing you of your valuable surfing space and data.
It significantly increases data allowance & speeds up usage
Cellular data in India is worth more than gold, for some odd reason. Despite the vigorous ad campaigns to introduce 4G networks in India, the net amount of data allowed for consumption is not even peanuts. In this insignificant data offered by companies and virtually no telecom offering truly unlimited data usage without data caps, it's important we get to utilize the internet data to the maximum allowed limit. Ads suck out a majority of our data consumption with their elaborate multimedia, flash, java and other architecture. Blocking them not only saves data consumption but also speeds up everyday usage.
It's a painlessly quick process
Blocking ads is very easy and rarely needs to be updated or serviced. There are several ad blocking extensions that auto-update thus eliminating you from literally any and every possible form of maintenance except installing one time. If you want a solution to block ads permanently system wide regardless of what browser you use, then click here.
Ads are an eye sore and drenched with malware
A significant source of phishing attacks, data breaches, malware and bombardment of your system with spam comes from ads. Not only do they become an eyesore or awkward situation with sometimes exp-licit or unregulated ads, the actual content for which you've opened the website becomes extremely small comparatively. Who wouldn't love a cleaner internet surfing experience?
Read More: Click here to read more about ad blocking from the cellular operator's side
What side of the ad blocking brigade are you? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page Entrepreneur India