The guy behind Why Firefox is Blocked (it is now unblocked) has posted a script that allows publishers to detect whether readers' browsers are equipped with the Adblock Plus plug-in and take appropriate actions.
I have been using Adblock Plus for two weeks now and I think it's great. It is so on two levels: adless pages look great, and the software, if widely adopted, will put pressure on ad makers to create better ads. I explain why on the Hill Holliday blog.
I've also been listening to reactions from across the web. Very, very entertaining. Here are some:
Network Performance Daily: "Adblock, and its counterpart, Filterset.G, did not come from a vacuum. They responded to demand and solved a problem."
CNet: "In the end, a few things are clear: Users of advertisement-skipping technology are essentially engaged in theft of resources"
Escape Job Hell: "Well, if you were smart, you’d be using several different techniques to monetize your blog. That way, the ads that people weren’t going to click in the first place are now out of the way. Now the people blocking the adsense ads have less clutter on their screen and they can pay more attention to your other features."
The Register: "As more and more people install AdBlock Plus, which is officially recommended by Mozilla, will Google continue to fund the browser?"
Rough Type: "Microsoft's laissez-faire attitude may seem surprising, but it reflects a cold strategic calculation. Microsoft knows that ad blockers pose a far greater threat to Google than to itself."
The NYTimes article that started it all is on International Herald Tribune that doesn't require the annoying registration.
More quotes have been collected by ComputerWorld.
Earlier:
NYTimes on AdBlock Plus
