Adblock Plus

From adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads:

"Advertising should be clearly marked as such with the word "advertising" or its equivalent, and it should be distinguishable from page content, for instance via a border and/or different a background color."

Using either chrome Version 29.0.1547.76 m or Firefox 24 (with adBlock) on October 4, 2013, it appears that Google search no longer uses a yellow background to separate advertisement results from search results. I suggest that it be removed from the allow list.

For example see https://www.google.ca/search?q=lab+notebook+software

Thanks for keeping an eye out, brainsturgeon.

This is likely an issue with your screen contrast. In your example, Google is using hex color #fef4ea in the ad background. You can get more details on the color at http://www.color-hex.com/color/fef4ea.

The FTC closely monitor's adherence to guidance it provides search engines to distinguish paid advertisements. The FTC site is not active at the time of this writing due to the Gov't shutdown, but here is a cached version of the FTC guidance: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us.

I doubt they would venture against this guidance for implications that are much worse than being taken of the adblock white list.

You're right! Thanks for the quick reply.

Needless to say, I feel pretty silly now.

ANY ad host that tracks a users browse and search results, and ANY ad hosts that significantly reduces browser speed and performance when not blocked, does NOT fit the criteria of exceptable ads, unless, that criteria does not include privacy issues, ad tracking issues and browser speed and performance issues. and if this is the case, then you NEED to reconsider your criteria.

Temba wrote:ANY ad host that tracks a users browse and search results, and ANY ad hosts that significantly reduces browser speed and performance when not blocked, does NOT fit the criteria of exceptable ads, unless, that criteria does not include privacy issues, ad tracking issues and browser speed and performance issues. and if this is the case, then you NEED to reconsider your criteria.

The criteria indeed do not include privacy issues, and although browser speed and performance aren't directly mentioned (partially because some of it is client- or connection-dependent), ads that meet the criteria are significantly less likely to adversely affect browser performance than ads that don't: https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#criteria

Is there an option to remove the 'sponsored results' (aka ads) from Google search results that have started appearing in the last month despite having ABP installed?

(Ironically, it's probably in Google's interests to allow users to choose not have these ads displayed, as they will otherwise migrate to other search engines where the first results displayed are actual search results.)

Temp wrote:Is there an option to remove the 'sponsored results' (aka ads) from Google search results that have started appearing in the last month despite having ABP installed?

Update: fixed

I enabled the ABP toolbar, clicked 'report a problem' said 'ads are displayed' - it then said ABP is currently disabled would you like to re-enable it? Problem solved.

It clearly wasn't disabled in the Firefox add-on settings (I'm not daft).

This is likely an issue with your screen contrast. In your example, Google is using hex color #fef4ea in the ad background. You can get more details on the color at http://www.color-hex.com/color/fef4ea.

In my opinion, this color is too bright to distinguish the ads from the search results.

To allow Google search ads to be hidden, disable the acceptable-ads whitelist: https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#optout

Temp wrote:(Ironically, it's probably in Google's interests to allow users to choose not have these ads displayed, as they will otherwise migrate to other search engines where the first results displayed are actual search results.)

That sounds like a business strategy of losing money on every sale but making it up in volume; Google needs to show ads to remain viable (more than 99% of its revenue comes from ads), and as long as Google's results are the most relevant, users will tolerate them.

Hero wrote:This is likely an issue with your screen contrast. In your example, Google is using hex color #fef4ea in the ad background. You can get more details on the color at http://www.color-hex.com/color/fef4ea.

Jesus who knew colour could be so complex!? Barely a difference at all it appears to me. Surely there should be a kind of sliding scale factor at play here?

lewisje wrote:To allow Google search ads to be hidden, disable the acceptable-ads whitelist: https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#optout.

I think we will see more of these search ads across the board now that all this activity is happening on smartphones. Google facing problems with regular ad revenue decline (like Facebook and Yahoo), as they are beginning to be paid less and less per click. The amount of paid ads however still rose, meaning their quarterly results were a heluva lot more than Wall St. expected (see Quotenet here - http://www.quotenet.com/). I think there will be more pop up video ads, and preview ads like on youtube, as banner and columns are pushed out. Something to look forward to ...

But I don't understand how this works? I though Google paid to be on the white list and so remain unblocked ...?

read
https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads

you can disable that feature

I find whenever I pull up a video, any video on FB it by-passes AdBlock, the videos are loaded with ads and constantly interrupt the videos.