Taboola

This is the place to discuss issues with the acceptable ads list like a website no longer complying with the criteria.
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Arohanui
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 4:54 am

Taboola

Post by Arohanui »

First let me thank the creators for an extension that makes browsing the web possible for me. Really, I can't thank you enough. However, I'm disappointed by recent behavior.

Initially, I was fully in favour of the "acceptable ad" whitelist scheme: I do feel guilty that I sap the revenues of websites that provide valuable content, and the whitelist protocol seemed to fit my definition of "acceptable" perfectly. I liked the idea that this scheme would encourage advertisers to do the right thing. I have no problem whatever with Google's ads (which are the ones I see most often), and in fact sometimes they're even useful.

But I've had to turn off the whitelist because the Taboola ads are just completely outrageous, and I cannot understand how anyone thought that whitelisting them wouldn't ruin users' trust in the scheme. Given the search hits for "Taboola", it's clear I'm not the only one.

I'm not here to slap you on the wrist for taking money from someone you shouldn't have. This is just a plea that you sort this out, and let me know when you have so that I can turn the whitelisting back on.
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mapx
Posts: 21940
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:01 pm

Re: Taboola

Post by mapx »

if you use firefox:

- go to about:config, search for
extensions.adblockplus.subscriptions_exceptionscheckbox
double click ==> false

- then click "add a subscription", "add a different subscription":
add https://easylist-downloads.adblockplus. ... nrules.txt

which is the exceptions list (acceptable ads)

Now, you can manually disable all the filters you don't like (like taboola crap)
Arohanui
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 4:54 am

Re: Taboola

Post by Arohanui »

Sadly, I use Chrome (and I'd rather leave the whitelist off than switch to Firefox).

Is there any chance that the whitelist could be broken down by advertiser, so that I can choose the ones I consider acceptable?
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fanboy
Posts: 3446
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2007 4:45 am
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Re: Taboola

Post by fanboy »

Taboola mixes too many ads and content, its completely understandable that Easylist blocks it by default. If you wish to white list your site you're free do to so.
Morgon
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2016 3:23 am

Re: Taboola

Post by Morgon »

Taboola ads should NOT be considered 'Acceptable' under any circumstances.
Please reconsider your position.
topbob
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:16 pm

Re: Taboola

Post by topbob »

Well I saw a couple ads from Taboola the past day or two, making me begin to wonder what was going on, then I come to the forums and encounter all these conflicting philosophies that people have towards ads.
So far, to my knowledge, this is how you add Taboola to your custom filters.
greiner wrote:
gksa wrote:Yes, I could just add filters to block Taboola specifically, but I've tried, and it has proven too challenging. Clearly Taboola is intent on making it as difficult as possible. It looks like it will be easier when using AdBlock.
Which filters did you try? Presumably the following filters should be more than sufficient to hide all of Taboola's content:

Code: Select all

##[id^="taboola"]
##[class^="trc_"]
I'll let you know if this works (in Chrome,)
As for everything else (opinions, philosophies towards ads, ad revenue, etc,) I make no excuses, I despise all advertisement fundamentally, and am able to notice what it does to the human psyche. This also carries over to all other advertisements in the world. Obviously this is unavoidable in any other place, unless you simply look away, mute it, or otherwise make a conscious decision to not look at these ads.
timtak
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 1:05 am

Re: Taboola

Post by timtak »

I did not really notice all the google ads and other whitelisted ads until Taboola's fake National Enquirer type content ads started appearing.
They are designed to make themselves look like links to editorial content from the same place as that which one is reading so
as well as being a waste of time, and not only are the low, they are also a "you were duped" slap in the face, almost by way of punishment.

I guess that more and more people will select to remove the whole white list as I have done.

If it were easier (check boxes, not code) to remove just taboola then I would.

Thanks to ABP for the otherwise great software.

Tim
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