German Court rules that ad-blocking is legal

[Xorbot]

It's legal to tell our own computers to not connect to specific domains to download content?  Wow, I am surprised somebody had to state this in a legal battle.

[LAwLz]

The doublethink in their reasoning though. Giving a window before you can skip it because they don't want you to skip it before they see the ad, but that not counting as a view is ridiculous. It's super shady how little this is publicised, too. How many people avoid ad blocks and do this thinking that they are helping their favourite YouTubers? Must be loads.

It sounds like Google don't get any money either if you skip, so you are only helping the people behind the ad out when you don't block but skip.

Yeah I am sure a lot of people avoid AdBlock to help people like Linus out, but still skip the ads and therefore do the same amount of "damage" as the AdBlock users.

 

I am surprised that so few people know about this. I only heard about it less than a year ago but it has probably worked like this for a lot longer than that.

[Sakkura]

I'm not a partner so I don't know for sure, but I've heard quite a few people say that if you skip the ad it doesn't count. I don't know if that's true though.

 

 

 

and another reddit user saying the same thing.

 

 

So yes, it seems like people who skip ads are just as "bad" and "not supporting the content creators" as the people who use AdBlock.

 

Well then, I'll just go re-enable adblock on youtube. Man that's terrible. I thought it would at least give some small fraction of ad revenue for a partial view. There's no damn way I will ever be watching 30+ seconds of ads between youtube videos on a regular basis.

[Guest]

I would be stupified if they judged otherwise.

I would not be able to block advertisement on my own personal computer? You kidding me?

Then again I don't live there.

[mr moose]

 

 

So yes, it seems like people who skip ads are just as "bad" and "not supporting the content creators" as the people who use AdBlock.

 

Yes the end result is the same for the content creators regardless if you use adblock or skip the ad, the difference however is that choosing to give you the option to skip the ad and not pay the content creators was a choice made by google, ad servers and maybe even the content creator themselves.  However adblock takes that option away from the service providers altogether.  There lies the ethical dilemma for many people.

[othertomperson]

Yes the end result is the same for the content creators regardless if you use adblock or skip the ad, the difference however is that choosing to give you the option to skip the ad and not pay the content creators was a choice made by google, ad servers and maybe even the content creator themselves.  However adblock takes that option away from the service providers altogether.  There lies the ethical dilemma for many people.

 

I think the opposite. Ad blockers make no claim to be morally good or anything, they are what they are and people are fully aware of what they are doing. The shady way youtube's ads function, though, with people mistakenly believing themselves to be helping contributors is, imo, worse. It removes control out of the hands of consumers by limiting their understanding of what they're doing.

[mr moose]

I think the opposite. Ad blockers make no claim to be morally good or anything, they are what they are and people are fully aware of what they are doing. The shady way youtube's ads function, though, with people mistakenly believing themselves to be helping contributors is, imo, worse. It removes control out of the hands of consumers by limiting their understanding of what they're doing.

 

I never said adblock makes claims about morality,  whether something is ethical or not comes down to the consumers choice to both using it and how they use it.

[othertomperson]

I never said adblock makes claims about morality,  whether something is ethical or not comes down to the consumers choice to both using it and how they use it.

 

I didn't say you did. I said I find the surreptitious way skipping denies content creators revenue more morally questionable than the blatant rip-off associated with blocking the ads. How can you call out consumers on the ethics of the choices they are making when they are being kept in the dark as much as possible on what those choices actually involve?

[dalekphalm]

I didn't say you did. I said I find the surreptitious way skipping denies content creators revenue more morally questionable than the blatant rip-off associated with blocking the ads. How can you call out consumers on the ethics of the choices they are making when they are being kept in the dark as much as possible on what those choices actually involve?

Indeed, it's not morally wrong of the USER for hitting skip, since most of them don't realize what that is doing.

 

It's morally wrong of YOUTUBE, because it's misleading users into thinking they are supporting their channels.

[mr moose]

I didn't say you did. I said I find the surreptitious way skipping denies content creators revenue more morally questionable than the blatant rip-off associated with blocking the ads. How can you call out consumers on the ethics of the choices they are making when they are being kept in the dark as much as possible on what those choices actually involve?

Fair opinion.

 

this sums it up best.

 

Indeed, it's not morally wrong of the USER for hitting skip, since most of them don't realize what that is doing.

 

It's morally wrong of YOUTUBE, because it's misleading users into thinking they are supporting their channels.

 

 

I only wanted to draw a distinction between a user who chooses adblock which denies the content creator revenue whether they wanted the option or not, and a user that is just doing what youtube has allowed them to do not knowing the difference.

[dalekphalm]

Fair opinion.

 

this sums it up best.

 

 

 

I only wanted to draw a distinction between a user who chooses adblock which denies the content creator revenue whether they wanted the option or not, and a user that is just doing what youtube has allowed them to do not knowing the difference.

Indeed and it's an important distinction to make. Both are harmful to the channel creators, but a person hitting "skip" is objectively worse, since there's a false sense of contribution. Anyone that intentionally hits skip, knowing it will prevent ad revenue from being generated, may as well just use adblock.

[alicskysareblue]

great to hear it shouldnt be

 

I'm sorry linus as well as other content creators I get your issue with adblock, but lets be honest most ads online can be intrusive, slow down browsing and just generally be annoying.

 

one of the most common form of ads now are video ads that are loud, taking up space on the website and really slow down your browse and constantly repeat themselves. if ads were always as benign as the ones on linus tech tips then I would have no problem but 75% of the time they are a real PITA

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