{ "attachments": [], "title": "The day the web shrugged?", "tags": [ "adblock", "advertising", "internet", "tracking", "privacy", "adtech", "safari" ], "year": "2015", "month": "09", "day": "21", "isDir": false, "slug": "blocked", "type": "entry", "date": "2015-09-21T19:00:00.000Z", "postName": "2015-09-21-blocked", "html": "\n\n\n

With iOS9, Apple just went and did it. They opened up the ability to implement\ncontent blocking extensions for Safari.

\n

\n

Who did what now?

\n

To hear some folks tell it, Apple just blew up the web. Those maniacs! In\nreality, Apple haven't blocked anything themselves. Rather, they\nopened up the capability to block. It's up to app developers to decide what\nto block. From there, it's up to users to decide whether & what app to\ninstall.

\n

There's a lot of choice to go around: If this is a nuclear strike, many\nhands happily turned their keys in the launch silos. It's a big nasty veto\nagainst the current state of affairs on the web.

\n
\nTrue to form, Apple didn't invent the content blocker. **They made\nthe tech more accessible.**\n
\n\n\n\n

Apple didn't start this

\n

Let's not pretend this is some sinister battle between corporate entities as\nan excuse to ignore or continue to discount the people in the middle.

\n

While Apple does do lots of things I dislike, they tend to champion user\nexperience for their many paying customers - i.e. mainly the\nfolks who buy hardware. In other words, none of this would be possible if\nthere weren't already people asking for it.

\n

Apple opening the door to\ncontent blockers that improve the user experience on the mobile web makes\nperfect sense. So does Apple's News app, considering that it serves to exploit\nthe opportunities offered by the self-inflicted wounds evident on today's\ntracking and ad laden web sites. (Of course, even there, the experience\nstill has wrinkles in need of ironing.)

\n

We've had things like Adblock Plus for years. But, practically speaking,\nthat's been an obscure convenience reserved for folks in the know. True to\nform, Apple didn't invent the content blocker. They made the tech more\naccessible. If this whole thing is a master stroke by Apple to stab at any\ncompetitor's heart, the blade was gladly thrust by the disgruntled masses\nassumed until now to be a passive compost heap.

\n

Going after Apple on this wave of ad block news is a red herring. This is user choice. Hi. I'm blocking your code on my computer. Negotiate.

— Les Orchard (@lmorchard) September 18, 2015
\n\n\n\n

Babies, bathwater, and ultimatums

\n

While the shock may be understandable, publishers facing reduced revenues do\nthemselves no favors with panicked reactions to these content blocking\nextensions.

\n

Proposing theft from an Apple Store, for example, is just stupid.

\n

Branding ad-block users as thieves also earns little sympathy. Especially not\nwhen the surveillance-driven infrastructure of delivering unwelcome messages\ngrows daily - all while user-owned data & attention & computing resources are\ntaken for granted. I'm sure to some folks - for right or wrong - the score\nfeels even.

\n

The reckoning is coming for an ad industry that grew reckless with user's bandwidth, privacy, CPU, and attention. About time.

— DHH (@dhh) September 17, 2015
\n\n\n\n

Claiming that some ad networks are the \"good guys\" is a too-subtle point\nwhen the crowds are looking to throw the bums out. That said, I do think\nmaking the distinction clear and aligning with user choice will be crucial\nfor the future.

\n

Sorry @gruber they just want to block all ads, seeing all as garbage. http://t.co/jsq5UdVqo5 pic.twitter.com/21Vcksj4jA

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) September 20, 2015
\n\n\n\n

Then, there's this proposition: Accept surveillance & marketing - or face the\ndeath of the web you love.

\n

Given the presumption - and frankly, the\narrogance - behind that stark ultimatum, it's no surprise that \"Tough, adapt or\ndie!\" is the response from many. Seriously? Those are the only\nchoices? Frankly, this strikes me as a failure of imagination. And, possibly\nan overestimation of value versus the price of the hassle.

\n
\n\n\n\n

Who knew they could talk?

\n

Yes, I understand that today's ad-funded model has been insanely successful.\nTurnkey services have empowered lots of folks to do their thing without\nworrying about inventory or implementation or influence. Frankly, even my own\nemployer Mozilla has benefited - and me along with it by way of a regular paycheck.

\n

Still, this ad-supported web was built on quiet acceptance by an audience who\nnever gave consent except by default. These are shaky foundations:\nBrowsers weren't really written to make computers do things their owners\ndon't want. So, refusal has long been possible. And defaults\ncan change. If this spike of consumer revolt grows & deepens,\nacceptance can evaporate and all the finger-wagging in the world won't un-pop\nthe bubble.

\n

Reminder: the ad debate is a proxy war for people's right to own and control a general purpose computer.

— mhoye (@mhoye) September 18, 2015
\n\n\n\n

No, I think digging out of this mess will require some thought & creativity -\nafter first accepting the possibility that the old model might actually\ncollapse. Have some empathy & listen: If your users are\nblocking your ads, maybe stop treating them like livestock and ask what's up.

\n

This could be the first round in a negotiation ends up with a better deal\nfor everyone involved. Who knows? This opening salvo of\nblock-all-the-things could be a first crude spastic kick from stakeholders\nwho were rarely asked or given seats at the table until they took them\njust now.

\n

Or, I guess lot of us could just be jerks who want something for nothing\nand that's why we can't have nice things. I hope that's not the case.

\n

Then\nUsers: Please DoNotTrack me\nAdTech+Publishers: Screw you\n\nNow \nAdTech+Publishers: Please DoNotAdBlock me \nUsers: Screw you

— Kontra (@counternotions) September 20, 2015
\n\n\n\n

To be continued

\n

I've got a few ideas. They're terrible, or else I'd already be a\nbillionaire. In the interests of keeping this short, I'll save them for \nanother blog post. Either way, I suspect that shaking the web out of comfy\nad-supported complacency could just possibly lead to interesting things -\nprovided we get the the finger pointing & wagging out of our systems and get\ndown to facing the challenge.

\n

Or, this could all blow over, and things will be back to business as usual\nin no time at all. Best not to rely on that, though.

\n\n\n\n", "body": "\n\n\nWith iOS9, Apple just went and did it. [They opened up the ability to implement\ncontent blocking extensions for Safari][contentblocking].\n\n[contentblocking]: https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/releasenotes/General/WhatsNewInSafari/Articles/Safari_9.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014305-CH9-SW8\n\n[](http://gizmodo.com/5150498/50-of-the-most-insane-things-never-seen-on-google-street-view/)\n\n## Who did what now?\n\nTo hear some folks tell it, Apple just blew up the web. Those maniacs! In\nreality, Apple haven't blocked anything themselves. Rather, they\nopened up the *capability* to block. It's up to app developers to decide what\nto block. From there, it's up to users to decide whether & what app to\ninstall.\n\nThere's a lot of choice to go around: If this is a nuclear strike, many\nhands happily turned their keys in the launch silos. It's a big nasty veto\nagainst the current state of affairs on the web.\n\n
\nTrue to form, Apple didn't invent the content blocker. **They made\nthe tech more accessible.**\n
\n\n## Apple didn't start this\n\nLet's not pretend this is some sinister battle between corporate entities as\nan excuse to ignore or continue to discount the people in the middle.\n\nWhile Apple does do lots of things I dislike, [they tend to champion user\nexperience for their many paying customers][applecustomers] - i.e. mainly the\nfolks who buy hardware. In other words, none of this would be possible if\nthere weren't already people asking for it.\n\n[applecustomers]: http://www.informationweek.com/it-life/tim-cook-customers-not-companies-should-control-their-data/d/d-id/1320684\n\nApple opening the door to\ncontent blockers that improve the user experience on the mobile web makes\nperfect sense. So does Apple's News app, considering that it serves to exploit\nthe opportunities offered by the self-inflicted wounds evident on today's\ntracking and ad laden web sites. (Of course, even there, [the experience\nstill has wrinkles in need of ironing][applenewsnyt].)\n\n[applenewsnyt]: https://twitter.com/khoi/status/645226687685337088\n\nWe've had things like [Adblock Plus][] for years. But, practically speaking,\nthat's been an obscure convenience reserved for folks in the know. True to\nform, Apple didn't invent the content blocker. They made the tech more\naccessible. If this whole thing is a master stroke by Apple to stab at any\ncompetitor's heart, the blade was gladly thrust by the disgruntled masses\nassumed until now to be [a passive compost heap][compost].\n\n[adblock plus]: https://adblockplus.org/\n[compost]: http://blog.lmorchard.com/2014/10/08/microblogging-like-its-2002/#Free_as_in_Lunch\n\n

Going after Apple on this wave of ad block news is a red herring. This is user choice. Hi. I'm blocking your code on my computer. Negotiate.

— Les Orchard (@lmorchard) September 18, 2015
\n\n## Babies, bathwater, and ultimatums\n\nWhile the shock may be understandable, publishers facing reduced revenues do\nthemselves no favors with panicked reactions to these content blocking\nextensions. \n\n[Proposing theft from an Apple Store][robapple], for example, is just stupid.\n\nBranding ad-block users as thieves also earns little sympathy. Especially not\nwhen the surveillance-driven infrastructure of delivering unwelcome messages\ngrows daily - all while user-owned data & attention & computing resources are\ntaken for granted. I'm sure to some folks - for right or wrong - the score\nfeels even.\n\n

The reckoning is coming for an ad industry that grew reckless with user's bandwidth, privacy, CPU, and attention. About time.

— DHH (@dhh) September 17, 2015
\n\nClaiming that some ad networks are the \"good guys\" is a too-subtle point\nwhen the crowds are looking to throw the bums out. That said, I do think\nmaking the distinction clear and aligning with user choice will be crucial\nfor the future.\n\n

Sorry @gruber they just want to block all ads, seeing all as garbage. http://t.co/jsq5UdVqo5 pic.twitter.com/21Vcksj4jA

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) September 20, 2015
\n\n[robapple]: http://fortune.com/2015/09/18/dear-apple-i-may-rob-your-store/\n\nThen, there's this proposition: [Accept surveillance & marketing - *or face the\ndeath of the web you love*.][webdeath] \n\nGiven the presumption - and frankly, the\narrogance - behind that stark ultimatum, it's no surprise that \"Tough, adapt or\ndie!\" is the response from many. Seriously? Those are the only\nchoices? Frankly, this strikes me as a failure of imagination. And, possibly\n[an overestimation of value][contentvalue] versus the price of the hassle.\n\n[contentvalue]: https://blog.growth.supply/content-used-to-be-king-now-its-the-joker-d40703c18c73\n[webdeath]: http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9338963/welcome-to-hell-apple-vs-google-vs-facebook-and-the-slow-death-of-the-web\n\n
\n\n## Who knew they could talk?\n\nYes, I understand that today's ad-funded model has been insanely successful.\nTurnkey services have empowered lots of folks to do their thing without\nworrying about inventory or implementation or influence. Frankly, even my own\nemployer Mozilla has benefited - and me along with it by way of a regular paycheck. \n\nStill, this ad-supported web was built on quiet acceptance by an audience who\nnever gave consent except by default. These are shaky foundations:\n[Browsers weren't really written to make computers do things their owners\ndon't want][browserchoice]. So, refusal has long been possible. [And defaults\ncan change][mozillacookies]. If this spike of consumer revolt grows & deepens,\nacceptance can evaporate and all the finger-wagging in the world won't un-pop\nthe bubble.\n\n[browserchoice]: http://blog.lmorchard.com/2015/08/07/web-awesome/#users-have-leverage\n[mozillacookies]: http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/ad-networks-beware-firefox-block-third-party-cookies-147513 \n\n

Reminder: the ad debate is a proxy war for people's right to own and control a general purpose computer.

— mhoye (@mhoye) September 18, 2015
\n\nNo, I think digging out of this mess will require some thought & creativity -\nafter first accepting the possibility that the old model might actually\ncollapse. Have some empathy & listen: If your users are\nblocking your ads, maybe stop treating them like livestock and ask what's up. \n\nThis *could* be the first round in a negotiation ends up with a better deal\nfor everyone involved. **Who knows?** This opening salvo of\nblock-all-the-things could be a first crude spastic kick from stakeholders\nwho were rarely asked or given seats at the table until they took them\njust now. \n\nOr, I guess lot of us could just be jerks who want something for nothing\nand that's why we can't have nice things. I hope that's not the case.\n\n

Then Users: Please DoNotTrack me AdTech+Publishers: Screw you Now AdTech+Publishers: Please DoNotAdBlock me Users: Screw you

— Kontra (@counternotions) September 20, 2015
\n\n## To be continued\n\nI've got a few ideas. They're terrible, or else I'd already be a\nbillionaire. In the interests of keeping this short, I'll save them for \nanother blog post. Either way, I suspect that shaking the web out of comfy\nad-supported complacency could just possibly lead to interesting things -\nprovided we get the the finger pointing & wagging out of our systems and get\ndown to facing the challenge.\n\nOr, this could all blow over, and things will be back to business as usual\nin no time at all. Best not to rely on that, though.\n\n\n\n\n", "parentPath": "./content/posts/archives/2015", "path": "2015/09/21/blocked", "thumbnail": "/uploads/2015/blocked/damnyoualltohell.png", "needsBuild": true, "prevPostPath": "2015/09/21/react-native-android", "prevPostTitle": "Adding Android to a multi-platform React app", "nextPostPath": "2015/10/18/being-nice-at-alterconf", "nextPostTitle": "Being nice at AlterConf" }