How does ad filtering affect Metafilter's bottom line?

September 24, 2004 1:13 PM

Like many of us, I've got AdBlock installed in Mozilla/Firefox. I've gathered from reading threads that Google textads appear in a number of threads, often with hilarious results. However, I don't see these ads because I've got the iframe or whatever filtered out.

Does filtering the ads affect the pageviews or whatever mechanism is used to pay Matt? If so, I'll happily unblock the ads to keep Metafilter solvent. If not, I'm just as happy to skip them.
posted by stet to MetaFilter-Related at 1:13 PM (17 comments total)

I could be wrong, but I think Matt only gets paid if you click the google ad. Otherwise, he'd already be a very rich man.
posted by dobbs at 1:24 PM on September 24, 2004

Why do you even need to block the text ads?

I have adblock myself, and I only block ads that are intrusive, disruptive or otherwise impair my browsing experience. So far I've never felt that applies to any text ad, whether google or not.

Is all commerce anathema to you? :)
posted by Blue Stone at 1:48 PM on September 24, 2004

I only just installed AdBlock and I'm still drunk with exclusionary power. What can I say?
posted by stet at 1:55 PM on September 24, 2004

I'll have som of that then, I like getting drunk on power.
posted by dabitch at 2:21 PM on September 24, 2004

Trying to install AdBlock, but the downloaded .xpi file seems to be unrecognised by Windows. Any hints (",)
posted by dash_slot- at 3:55 PM on September 24, 2004

I don't mind if you block ads, feel free to continue doing it. Most comments about the ads make no sense, since they change so frequently as a thread grows.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:09 PM on September 24, 2004 [1 favorite]

Thanks Matt. I didn't want to be depriving you of any needed revenue. I like the dada-esque nature of comments about invisible ads as well.

Dash_slot-: Have you tried installing the extension in the browser directly after enabling software installation in the browser prefs? If you click on an .xpi link, you should get a software installation dialog box and hopefully bypass Windows entirely. At least I think so. I'm blissfully windows free.
posted by stet at 4:34 PM on September 24, 2004

Dash_slot-: Its only for Mozilla/Firefox, not ie.
posted by Iax at 5:07 PM on September 24, 2004

Is all commerce anathema to you? :)

commerce is when ed chooses to acquire a hat from phil to fill a perceived need for a hat.

advertising is when phil repeatedly dumps shit on ed's head in the hope he'll perceive a need for hats.
posted by quonsar at 7:16 PM on September 24, 2004

If people dumped shit on my head, I'd perceive a need for a hat right quick.
posted by kenko at 8:07 PM on September 24, 2004

If people dumped shit on my head, I'd perceive the need for a head mounted fan right quick.
posted by shepd at 1:19 AM on September 25, 2004

commerce is an enema to me
posted by mr.marx at 5:33 AM on September 25, 2004

Dash_slot-: Its only for Mozilla/Firefox, not ie.
Well, i'm using Firefox on a Windows XP machine.

I get an error on WinZip saying could not seek on EXE file. Am looking on forums now. This shit is almost enough to drive me back to another browser.
posted by dash_slot- at 3:23 PM on September 25, 2004

I've never seen an ad on Metafilter, other than that image one on the front page.

I'm pleased to hear that Matt doesn't care that I block them, but I wasn't concerned enough to ask. My bad.

dash_slot- : I highly recommend Admuncher, but it's not free after the trial period. I haven't had a popup or -under, or seen more than a couple of ads of any description, in a couple of years, at least on my home PC. It's always a shock to me how pervasive they've gotten when I use someone else's machine, or a public one.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:16 PM on September 25, 2004

dash_slot-: try dragging the xpi file into a Firefox window. You should get the install dialog then. Windows doesn't recognize the file extension because it isn't associated with an application yet (I don't know it works with XP, but with WinME at least, you can make those associations yourself). However, Firefox does recognize the .xpi extension and can handle it internally.
posted by skoosh at 1:01 AM on September 26, 2004

In case it wasn't clear above: I mean, drag the xpi file into an open Firefox window after saving it to some folder or the desktop.
posted by skoosh at 1:04 AM on September 26, 2004

Thanks for the tips guys - I have tried associating the file with Firefox & WinZip, unsuccessfully: the switch takes just fine, in the properties of the .xpi, but no dice.

I also opened the Extensions box & dropped it in - nothing happens. I did upgrade last week to FF 1.0 PR, but don't like it. As Ads are not too intrusive to me [I always have anothe r window open as Salon Premium pushes a new car at me, for example], I'll let it go for now.

Stav: nice tip, but I ain't in a postion to start shelling out for adblocking stuuf at the mo. Thx anyway.
posted by dash_slot- at 4:29 AM on September 26, 2004