So AdBlock finally sold out.
It was inevitable. Just like AdBlock Plus and so many other adblockers before it, Michael finally caved in and sold both his business and his product to the ad giants and, presumably, made off with tons of money while throwing all his loyal users under the bus. I saw this coming a mile away when they temporarily renamed AdBlock to "BetaFish AdBlock" saying it was "just as a test" (per the staff) earlier this year.
I can't blame him; I'm not going to type up some long winded rant brimming with curse words and capital letters about how much I hate this move and ridicule the AdBlock staff. Everyone has their price point and it seems Michael finally reached his. It's just sad to see such a great product run by such a great staff fall victim to the "Acceptable Ads" dogma that so many quality adblockers suffer from.
"Allow some non-intrusive advertising" setting enabled by
default? Check. Product sold by its creator and now owned by an
anonymous corporate giant? Check.
A "greeting" (AKA sales pitch) telling us why we should support
this move and accept it? Check.
Public forums and discussions closed so no one can actually
"discuss" this new development? Check.
I'm not going to lie, having donated to Michael earlier this year, I feel ripped off by this move. But I digress; I have to remind myself I donated because of what AdBlock was and how well it served me in the past; not what it has become. I doubt I will keep this product installed, let alone continue to donate despite how much Michael and the new corporate lackeys try to sell me on it.
There is no such thing as "acceptable ads." Never. Period. End of story. If I enjoy a website or a service, I'll find a way to contribute and assist in said website or service's existence. Whether it's in the form of donations, subscription, purchasing something, etc. I will always try to help those who provide a valuable experience. I never want to be burdened with ads, ever. The concept of some independent third party arbitrarily deciding for me what ads are intrusive and which ads aren't that "help support sites I love" is laughable at best.
Anyway, I've written far more than I initially thought I would. Hope this helps some random reader browsing the AdBlock forums or provides valuable feedback for the staff. Congrats on making it this far and I hope you guys do well in all your future endeavors.
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Support Staff 1 Posted by Rhana on 15 Oct, 2015 04:18 AM
Hi Joe,
Our apologies for not getting back to you sooner. We take your feedback to heart, and have been wrestling with how best to respond. We understand your frustration. Truly. We wish we could share the details of the purchase and our participation in the Acceptable Ads program with you. However, the buyer wishes to remain anonymous and we are legally obligated not to reveal their identity, or any other details of the purchase.
We can tell you that our desire to make the web a better place by getting rid of evil advertising has not changed. We still do not, and never will, accept money to show ads that are simply unacceptable. We hope you continue to trust us, but when you get right down to it, it's your call and no one else's, and we think that's pretty much the way it ought to be.
Rhana
AdBlock Community Manager
Rhana closed this discussion on 15 Oct, 2015 04:18 AM.