The supposedly sophisticated, bidding-in-real-time code that determines which ad is placed on a website you visit, does so by fetching JSON from a bunch of different sites and then executing arbitrary code, and there's no authentication (or even signing) at all? A website can be part of an ad network and then be down for months (because that's how long grace period and redemption takes in ICANN land), and then pop up, and nobody has ever thought "hey, wait, is this the same guys?" or even "are we sure we can still bill them"?
People bitch about Internet of Things devices for having terrible security, but it looks like the ad networks in question haven't even thought about security!
FWIW, I think some advertising networks like The Dock (http://decknetwork.net) or Project Wonderful (https://www.projectwonderful.com) can be reasonable; but damn, those other fuckers aren't making my argument easy!
Today, Forbes also started giving me messages saying that I couldn't see any of their content at all without disabling my adblocker. Thus ensuring I never look at or share their content further afield ever again.
when an enemy ship tells you to power down your shields so you can truly enjoy the photon torpedo experience pic.twitter.com/dgrxYbKbl7 (https://t.co/dgrxYbKbl7)
— wilkie (@wilkieii) January 5, 2016 (https://twitter.com/wilkieii/status/684270238158958593)
Adblock Plus provides an "Adblock warning removal list" - a set of adblock rules that block site elements complaining about adblockers.
As they describe it: "The Adblock Warning Removal List specifically removes obtrusive messages and warnings targeted to users who use an adblocker. (https://easylist.adblockplus.org/en/)"
Aha. I was parsing that as a subscription to some kind of paid service, rather than (presumably) subscribing to a list of rules that get updated periodically.
Thanks. Something I should really investigate more, seeing as we have regional newspaper clients who have decided that a premium content paywall is just the thing their new site needs before launch next month. Interesting Times are looming.
Ah, yes, as mentioned it's a non-paid list of rules that's automagically updated. I prefer uBlock over Adblock, and the optional list it includes is called Anti-Adblock Killer, along with the list the weasel linked to.
In the future, all wars will be fought between ads, adblockers, antiadblockers, antiantiadblockers, antiantiantiadblockers, antiantiantiantiadblockers...
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theweaselking
(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-19 12:56 am (UTC)The supposedly sophisticated, bidding-in-real-time code that determines which ad is placed on a website you visit, does so by fetching JSON from a bunch of different sites and then executing arbitrary code, and there's no authentication (or even signing) at all? A website can be part of an ad network and then be down for months (because that's how long grace period and redemption takes in ICANN land), and then pop up, and nobody has ever thought "hey, wait, is this the same guys?" or even "are we sure we can still bill them"?
People bitch about Internet of Things devices for having terrible security, but it looks like the ad networks in question haven't even thought about security!
FWIW, I think some advertising networks like The Dock (http://decknetwork.net) or Project Wonderful (https://www.projectwonderful.com) can be reasonable; but damn, those other fuckers aren't making my argument easy!
(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-19 07:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-19 09:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 03:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:15 am (UTC)As they describe it: "The Adblock Warning Removal List specifically removes obtrusive messages and warnings targeted to users who use an adblocker. (https://easylist.adblockplus.org/en/)"
(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:27 am (UTC)Thanks. Something I should really investigate more, seeing as we have regional newspaper clients who have decided that a premium content paywall is just the thing their new site needs before launch next month. Interesting Times are looming.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-03-22 04:52 pm (UTC)