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[ NNSquad ] Re: Stripping or Replacing Web Site Ads?


On Dec 10, 2007 3:03 PM, Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com> wrote:
> One aspect not discussed here yet in depth is that the same basic
> technology used to *insert* material into third-party Web site data
> streams (by ISPs) could presumably be used to *replace* material as
> well.

Who says this isn't being done already?  I was already involved in one
project to look into such technology.  Thankfully, the provider chose
not to take that route, but the fact that it's been brought up means
that it's a viable route..

This is a two-way street, though..  All of the extensions that block
ads are essentially committing the same crime, albeit somewhat worse.
In the case of replacing existing ads, one of the easier ways to
handle it is to download the existing image to get the dimensions
required to replace it.  At least in that case, the ad is being
downloaded and the advertiser can see the hit.  In the case of
removing ads via user extensions, the sites are generally blocked via
the browser and no hits are recorded.  Which is worse?  And does the
user have the right to block ads?

> --Lauren--
> NNSquad Moderator


-- 
Jason 'XenoPhage' Frisvold
XenoPhage0@gmail.com
http://blog.godshell.com