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February 9, 2008 3:35 PM PST

Adblock Plus: The blissful, ad-free browsing experience

by Matt Asay
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I must admit, I've completely forgotten what Internet advertising looks like. I installed Adblock Plus with Firefox a year or so ago and I haven't seen an ad since.

Not a single one.

If you have yet to declare your independence from ads, I'd encourage you to do so. It's strangely serene browsing the web without advertisements.

It's not immoral to browse ad-free, as some suggest. No, there are far better business models for the web than simply spraying ad graffiti over everything. Entrepreneurs might just have to think again - use a little creativity - to figure them out.

In the meantime, I just wish there were a way to take Adblock Plus offline....

Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay.
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by GibsonSG February 9, 2008 5:41 PM PST
Isn't this website ad supported? LOL!
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by andrewpmk February 9, 2008 6:04 PM PST
It's ironic that you are promoting a tool that, if it becomes widespread, will put you out of work.
by Matt Asay February 9, 2008 6:20 PM PST
Not at all. 1. My work is to sell open-source software. The blog is for fun.

2. I don't believe that ads are the only way to make money online (follow the link I give). Digitization of content enables as many business models as it shutters.
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by ptkdude--2008 February 9, 2008 8:45 PM PST
I used to use AdBlock, but as soon as I realized it hosed up flash-based websites like homestarrunner.com, I disabled it. Once they get that fixed, I'll be back on the AdBlock bandwagon.
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by PACSferret February 10, 2008 4:34 AM PST
Hey Matt.. Obviously CNET takes all the ad revenue, then ;-)
If you're blocking all the ads, you may not have noticed, then, that as often as not, your blog advertises Microsoft. Ha.. They spotted you!
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by GibsonSG February 10, 2008 5:03 PM PST
I know...I was just poking a little fun...you write a great blog.
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by jamesvdm August 21, 2008 5:19 AM PDT
Providing quality content to online distributors (ie a website) is a better revenue model. One day Adblock Plus (http://adblockplus.org) or enterpriseadblock (http://enterpriseadblock.com) will force the Internet to this better quality model.
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About The Open Road

Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to the Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is general manager of the Americas division and vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

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