One of the features of Apple’s new iOS 9 is the ability to block content when using the Safari mobile browser. Since much of the current web content is financed by ads, marketers and content providers have expressed opposition, claiming that the foundation of providing web content as we know it is threatened. The usual narrative is this: users won’t pay for content, so the only way web publishers can pay for providing content is through advertising.
The odd thing is that the ad model first emerged in a decidedly low tech context. Traditional newspapers have always used classified and display ads to pay for a large part of the cost of delivering their content. I didn’t block those ads, or stop reading the paper. So why do I use online ad blockers?
I just closed my Google account. It was easy. Log in, choose ‘My Account,’ select ‘Delete Account,’ ignore dire warnings of your life as you know it ending, done.