Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilemma of ad-blocking

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by chrisBob on Tuesday December 08, 2015 @12:20PM (#10697798)

I can't imagine feeling so entitled that I would argue that people owe me web and TV content. I think that your option if you don't like the advertising that is supporting a service is to not use that service. If you feel strongly about it you could even tell the station/site the reason you are no longer using their service.

I really don't understand the argument that "I don't like how they want me to pay for this service; therefore it is ok to steal it"

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by icebraining on Tuesday December 08, 2015 @12:23PM (#10697826)

I don't understand that argument either; but no one is making it. First, filtering ads is not stealing. Secondly, nobody says content is owed - those companies are free not to provide it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by thefastlane on Tuesday December 08, 2015 @12:49PM (#10698005)

no one is 'stealing' anything and elevating the notion of adblocking from 'unethical' (it isn't) to 'theft' (which it definitely isn't) is exactly the sort of language-twisting that corporations attempt to employ and legitimise to where we don't even think about it.

as many others will explain on HN: i own my hardware; the code i choose to run or not run on my machine is my choice. got a problem with that? feel free to shut down your web site or put it behind a paywall. i have a whole shelf of books that i should be reading anyway rather than surfing the web. i won't miss your web site one bit. i promise.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by Lawtonfogle on Tuesday December 08, 2015 @12:34PM (#10697903)

>I can't imagine feeling so entitled that I would argue that people owe me web and TV content.

I can't (ok, really I can, but I don't like to) imagine feeling so entitled that I would not only force someone else's computer to execute code at their detriment for my benefit, but then argue them selfish for deciding to limit what code I can get their computer to execute.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by muddi900 on Tuesday December 08, 2015 @12:31PM (#10697880)

So you like watch ads when they come on? You never change the channel?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mozilla’s newest app perfectly captures the ethical dilem... by neves on Wednesday December 09, 2015 @08:15PM (#10708198)

It would be anti-ethical! You shouldn't even go to the bathroom:-)

[ Parent | on HN ]