The blocking of Web advertisements, typically the image in graphical Web advertisements.
Information
While ad blocking has existed for several years, it is still estimated
to be used by a relatively small percentage of the online population.
Standalone blocking solutions may have leveled off after the initial
wave of eager adopters, but adoption could grow considerably if the
functionality is bundled with other Web software. Initially introduced
by non-mainstream software companies, ad filtering technology has now
been integrated into popular application suites from major software
companies such as McAfee and Symantec.
Proponents claim that download times improve considerably by eliminating
slow-loading banners and buttons. A slow-loading advertisement can keep
an entire page from loading until the ad either loads or times out.
This one factor can cause more delays than the actual download and rendering
of all other page elements combined.
Opponents claim that ad blocking amounts to nothing more than theft,
as ad-free surfers use valuable resources without indirectly "paying"
in the form of viewing ads. A few publishers have gone so far as to
reject ad-blocking visitors.
If widely embraced, ad blocking might actually have some unintended consequences for Web surfers. By rejecting anything that is easily identified as an advertisement, ad-blocking software actually encourages more aggressive forms of generating revenue. If legitimate advertising is eliminated, content sites will feel the pressure to sacrifice editorial integrity by using sneaky advertorials, charge subscription fees for content... or be forced out of business.
