Don't Use Ad-Supported Software
For years now I’ve refused to use any ad-supported software that I didn’t absolutely have to use. I pay money for whatever I use, but unfortunately sometimes the companies I pay still put ads into their product. I was a subscriber to the NYT online for far longer than I should have been, paying $15/mo to still see ads on their site and app. I paid for Hulu Plus for one month and canceled when I realized even when you pay you still see ads. I buy TV shows I want to watch on Amazon (paying real money) and then am inundated with ads before each episode of Archer… in a TV show I PAID for!
“We only have good/relevant ads!” I don’t care. I might trust you, but I still don’t want to see your ads. Your ads are stupid and intrusive and hog my browser’s resources and make me go through extensive lengths to get rid of them. Let me pay you to get rid of them. If you don’t do that, I’ll use an ad blocker.
“But that’s stealing content!” No it’s not. You gave it to me whether I saw the ad or not. In the US, where I live, dollars are legal tender for any debt public or private. If I owe you a debt, either accept cash or block me. If I go to a free concert sponsored by Bud Light, you can’t force me to drink your beer.
“Okay, we’ll refuse to show the content unless you unblock the ads!” Fine, but don’t expect me to come back. You know what I want more than free content? Ad-free content, at any cost. I would rather pay $5/mo to view your site than see ads on your site for free. If you block me from seeing your content and don’t allow me to pay you money, I won’t come back. But you know what’s more, media companies? If you block me, if you make me watch ads, and if you place demands on how I consume your content that I am paying for (sometimes multiple times), then demand to be the zeitgeist? I don’t feel bad doing whatever it takes to get around you.
“But that’s stealing content!” Sure, it probably (technically) is. And I don’t like doing that. But you can have one of two things: a limited audience of compliant customers, or a full generation of people giving your content free marketing on your behalf. When I hear “A Hulu Plus Exclusive!” what I really hear is “if this gets popular, you’re going to have to pirate it”. When Game of Thrones requires either a cable AND an HBO subscription or wait until the next day on Amazon for pay, The Pirate Bay has it the very moment it finishes. When The Simpsons comes to streaming days after it airs… actually that one kind of backfired because when was the last time you watched The Simpsons?
If you want everyone talking about what you’re producing, make sure everyone can see it. If you want to create the next hot game, let people pay a reasonable amount of money to skip your butt-fuckery. If you want your TV show to be the most talked-about thing in the world, let me watch it. If you want me to visit your website, don’t block me when I block your ads. Figuring out how to make money is your problem, not mine. My job is to give you fair compensation for your work. It’s completely up to me to define what “fair compensation” means.
Welcome to the millennial generation.