Should Writers Be Using AdBlock?

In total, I’ve blocked 140,075 ads since I installed Adblock on my computer.

That’s a hell of a lot of ads I’ve blocked. And that’s a lot of cheddar I’ve taken away from Facebook and Google.

But it’s not just tech goliaths that have had their ads blocked by me. Some of my favorite publications have also missed out on a chance to “impress” me. And that’s a problem.

As a writer and editor for a small law publication, I am well aware of how reliant my income is on traffic and ads. While sponsored content, white papers, and other monetizing options can eek out some funds for publications similar to ours, it is certainly not enough to cover an editorial staff and a stable of quality writers.

Every click or impression an ad receives means something when you’re a small publication.

And although I know this very well, I still actively use AdBlock, and I do not wish to go back.

With AdBlock, my favorite sites load quickly. I am no longer disgusted by grotesque images of weird diseases. My browser no longer experiences the onslaught of Flash ads that can bring down the best computer on the market.

It’s wonderful.

But as a writer, I feel ashamed. In many ways, I feel as if I am betraying my fellow writers. After all, the least I could do to support the work of a writer or publication I enjoy is to deal with a few annoying ads, right?

Apparently not, and it appears to be the same for everyone else.

AdBlock and its competitors are growing. It’s gotten to the point that a number of publications are paying for the right to display ads on their own site:

Whitelisting is free for all small and medium-sized websites and blogs. However, managing this list requires significant effort on our side and this task cannot be completely taken over by volunteers as it happens with common filter lists.

Note that we will never whitelist any ads that don’t meet these criteria. There is no way to buy a spot in the whitelist. Also note that whitelisting is free for small- and medium-sized websites.

In addition, we received startup capital from our investors, like Tim Schumacher, who believe in Acceptable Ads and want to see the concept succeed.

To say this is a racket is an understatement, but to say that advertisers and publishers don’t deserve it is also disingenuous. Advertising on the web has been notoriously awful for a very long time. In its current state, it is no surprise that ads are a ticking time bomb. And it’s a shame that the industry did not do something about it beforehand.

So as a writer, should you and I install AdBlock?

The honorable answer is no. By using AdBlock, we are biting the hand that feeds the majority of us. We should tough out the crappy ads, encourage our publishers to use ads that aren’t awful, and let our readers instill the fear of a drying revenue stream

But I am not always honorable, nor am I a good advocate for shitty solutions for the sake of principal. AdBlock is going to stay in my life, at least until the powers that be stopping crippling my computer with awful Flash ads and godawful pop-up ads. I hope for the sake of my future paycheck, this is solved sooner rather than later.

140,088

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