No adblocker detected

Reactions to the “No adblocker detected” notice

• Many like the idea of a discreet, non-blocking banner that educates users about uBlock Origin and similar tools, especially since major institutions (FBI, CERN) are cited as recommending adblockers for security.
• Some suggest tightening the message (naming only trusted blockers, avoiding third‑party promo sites) and warn about domain-squatting / fake “official” pages.
• Others see it as paternalistic: it adds yet another prompt, may train nontechnical users to install random extensions on website request, and “wastes attention” even if well‑meant.

Adblockers as security and sanity tools

• Many describe adblockers as the best modern “antivirus,” due to malvertising, phishing ads, fake download ads, and even targeted campaigns via ad networks.
• People report corporate environments disabling extensions despite security training, which commenters argue is backwards: adblocking should be standard in banks, defense, public sector, etc.
• DNS-level solutions (Pi‑hole, NextDNS, router blocking) plus browser extensions are common; some proxies even block any URL containing /ads/.

Ethics and the “social contract” around ads

• One line of argument: users who block ads are “freeloading” on an implicit ad-supported bargain, helping to push sites toward paywalls.
• The dominant counterargument: the ad industry broke any social contract first through surveillance, tracking, dark patterns, autoplay, malware, and SEO/enshittification. Blocking is framed as self‑defense, not freeloading.
• Several say they’ll happily pay directly, or accept simple static, non‑tracking ads, but refuse pervasive profiling. Others argue users aren’t responsible for fixing publishers’ broken business models.

User experience of ads and the modern web

• People heavily insulated by blockers describe unfiltered web/YouTube/news sites as “crack dens” or “unusable,” with content pushed below the fold and pages overrun by popups and autoplay video.
• Some note many users simply don’t know adblockers exist or how to install them; others selectively whitelist respectful sites.

JavaScript control and technical tricks

• There’s interest in browsers offering easy post‑load JS disablement or click-to-enable behavior.
• Users discuss NoScript/UMatrix, bookmarklets to remove iframes or sticky elements, and aggressive monkey‑patching of browser APIs to break tracking, canvas/WebGL, websockets, and popups.
• Tradeoffs are acknowledged: many modern sites (banking, travel, tax, GitHub) barely work without JS, making strict blocking impractical for nontechnical users.

Cookies, localStorage, and regulation

• The thread clarifies that law cares about tracking, not the specific storage mechanism: replacing cookies with localStorage doesn’t avoid consent requirements.
• There’s frustration with GDPR/CCPA popups, especially when cookie blocking prevents even “reject” preferences from being remembered. Some wish for a standardized browser signal for consent/preferences that sites must honor.