Why would he not stand up for the company that hosts his videos?
Get em Pach.
Fair? What is fair when you haven't paid them anything? What do they owe you?
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Pachter talks about AdBlock
- Thread starter DarkoMaledictus
- Start date
Why would he not stand up for the company that hosts his videos?
Get em Pach.
Fair? What is fair when you haven't paid them anything? What do they owe you?
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
Pachter isn't a games journalist.
Marvel
could never
That's a thing? christ.
I really wish they'd try to minimize the amount of flash ads too (they're not animated, but they're done in flash for some reason). Occasionally they will slow my browser down to a crawl, and I'll have to re-install flashblock (if flash is blocked, regular old banner ads will display instead).
Edit: Nevermind, they are animated! I just scroll by too fast usually, and by the time I see the one on the bottom it's reached it's steady state.
he should at least be a little more professional about it.
dude was acting like a kid.
Because the trailer is an ad for the game and gametrailers don't sell those games. They spend money and manpower hosting the videos. It's the hosting they need ads to cover, obviously.
Latvian Hitman
Member
Can't believe he conflated adblock with DVR-ing shows and skipping commercials.
Because browsers are ILLEGAL and made by SCUMBAGS
ChieSatonaka
Banned
Watching more of this video again...Look, as someone who actually likes giantbomb and goes there because they make funny videos, I still find this idea about game "professionals" to be a joke. No one is a fucking gaming professional in my opinion, we're all just gamers. We all have individual tastes, and nothing about Jeff Gerstmann's opinion, or Brad Shoemaker's opinion will sway me one way or another to buy a video game, because knowing their personalities so well, I know that like any gamer...they have a specific style of taste, and that's all gaming is. Their "professional" opinions mean jack shit, because everyone has their own taste.
I agree with the person who wrote in that we don't really need sites like gametrailers sometimes. Especially when a larger majority of their content isn't unique.
I agree with the person who wrote in that we don't really need sites like gametrailers sometimes. Especially when a larger majority of their content isn't unique.
outunderthestars
Banned
Sadly yes, by the way, I just watched Pachter's rant... holy shit, he seemed an enraged 15 years old. Talk about being professional.
TC McQueen
Member
While I understand that ads pay for a lot of content on the internet, unless it's a content creator I really like (such as SFDebris or RedLetterMedia), Hulu, or a forum I spend tons of time on (like GAF), I AdBlock and NoScript the shit out of every website I go to. The ads on so many sites are so invasive and easily used to compromise systems that I feel it's the only way to safely use the internet. GameTrailers shouldn't have 41 ads on a single page (this week's PachAttack) and neither should any other page. All that does is mess up the user experience to the point that ad blocking becomes standard behavior for all internet users.
You know I suddenly remember why I took GT off my rotation.
Besides that, I try to be fair about this, I turn off ABP on sites I care for and use the latest version which has an auto white list for websites that don't use stupid bullshit advertising.
What gets blocked after that is none of my concern.
Besides that, I try to be fair about this, I turn off ABP on sites I care for and use the latest version which has an auto white list for websites that don't use stupid bullshit advertising.
What gets blocked after that is none of my concern.
That's pretty much my opinion as well, thought I like Gametrailers. Comparing someone who writes with IGN with the people who produce Breaking Bad is hilarious.
When there is a standard that all gaming journalists must meet before they are employed, then you can make this argument.
BlackBuzzard
Banned
outunderthestars
Banned
I know me all joke about GAF Gold, but I would gladly pay a subscription for this site, just like I do for NPR, PBS, and Giant Bomb.
I thought I payed the fee to enter wonderland to my service provider already?
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
Same.
I run ABP (excluding certain sites--GAF is one). I wouldn't do it if ads weren't so goddamned intrusive. I don't mind the ones on GAF that much, I do wish they weren't flash based or w/e; but I'm willing to deal with it here. First they are in a rather benign location, second I want to 'give' back.
But on the vast majority of sites out there ads are intolerable. I don't want to watch a mandatory 10-15 sec ad about the new Jeep Wrangler.
DidntKnowJack
Member
While I agree with a lot of what he says and his general gist, there are right ways to advertise and there are nasty, invasive ways. I give any website a chance with ads and if they're non-invasive (like Neogaf) they go unfiltered. It's only when you start getting ads every 30 seconds or can't even scroll down a page to read an article because an advert is preventing you, that's when the filter comes out.
By the way, GiantBomb is free, but it also features a subscription model. While I disagree that Mr. Gerstmann is merely making enough to post rent or scrape enough to eat (come on), I agree he isn't exactly getting rich off of ads either.
And there would be no music if not for ads? I wasn't aware music was invented in the 20th century. But then again it is common knowledge that Beethoven went deaf as a direct result of invasive and loud advertising that riddled some of his less famous symphonies. Come on, Pach.
By the way, GiantBomb is free, but it also features a subscription model. While I disagree that Mr. Gerstmann is merely making enough to post rent or scrape enough to eat (come on), I agree he isn't exactly getting rich off of ads either.
And there would be no music if not for ads? I wasn't aware music was invented in the 20th century. But then again it is common knowledge that Beethoven went deaf as a direct result of invasive and loud advertising that riddled some of his less famous symphonies. Come on, Pach.
LOL.
Comparing not watching Pledge ads to not paying to get in a Amusement Park is a pretty funny comparison, I must admit. Question though, at Amusement Parks do you have to pay another company or corporation to be allowed to buy a Amusement park ticket? Do Amusement Park staff yell and bellow out jingles before rides?
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
I would LOVE to hear you back this up with an actual discussion that doesn't resolve around your horrid example.
Regardless of what I feel about adblock (which is more complicated than just "good" or "bad") it's not stealing. These sites are free to use. There's no condition you agreed to that you must load all of the content on the site and look at all of it. That's a bit hyperbolic. It's not stealing anymore than DVRing a show and fastforwarding the commercials is stealing.
GlamFM
Banned
Sorry, but that's just disgusting.
PshycoNinja
Member
Listen. I don't have an ad blocker. Never used one. I don't mind sitting through an ad for original content. I'd be more than happy to. But putting up an ad on a trailer is excessive. They did nothing but put the trailer on their site with a their watermark on it. That's all I am saying.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
TBF if there was an easy to use way to prevent tv from having ads I'm sure many would use it. In many cases ads are in conflict of interest with the user unless they're completely unobtrusive. Ironically the closest thing to an unobtrusive ad exist on the (a simple not too large banner that doesn't impede you in any way).
What I don't understand is companies stupid enough to think that an obtrusive ad will sell me anything other than complete disdain for the company in question. Ads work both ways, they can just as easily harm your brand as well as help it.
Commander Kook
Neo Member
I like Pachter and watch his videos often, but that rant was a bit ridiculous. He really went over the top with the DVR stuff.
I probably would too. There's a vaguely annoying Wolfenstien ad going around right now on GAF that flashes rapidly. >.<;
His job at the moment was to be an internet personality. And he still managed to be 10x more professional than the typical youtube reviewers that the person who wrote in the letter likely watches.
outunderthestars
Banned
Game Trailers needs more invasive ads because their overhead is exponentially larger than GAF's. This is just a message board, GT has editorial staff, engineers, production, marketing, etc etc. Comparing the two isn't exactly fair.
NullPointer
Member
I'd be open to this as well, depending upon the price of course.
Have a Nice Day
Member
You shouldn't.
Adblock is simply a good tool for blocking objectionable content from miners and conservative family members. And believe me, Pachter's own opinion is as corporate businessman and not as a consumer that is fed up with sites abusing pop-ups and video ads that harm individuals with limited bandwidth per month. e.g. 3G and 4G users.
With the whole net neutrality debate going on, I feel that that is more and more a mirage. In a few years adblock will be the last thing on the worries list of content providers as Neogaf.
gate stormer
Member
Just edit the host file. Problem solved for most ads.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Ads can also be morally questionable, they can contain virus spyware and all types of shit without even clicking them.
It's not half as black and white as your implying. The issue is how these blatantly malicious companies are allowed to have adds on popular websites in the first place.
So now we're just pulling things out of our asses?
Pretty much how I feel. There are few inconveniences in life I dislike as much as advertisements, I have pretty much a zero-tolerance policy towards them. I'm also worried by the influence advertisers have over content producers these days. Content should be made to fit the needs of the audience. When the audience is no longer paying, but the ads are subsidising everything then the whole relationship becomes weird. If the needs of the advertisers don't sync up with the needs of the users you can get some weird conflicts of interest. (Paid reviews and unmarked ads posing as columns being obvious examples.)
Just ask me to pay, and give me an ad-free environment. Or ask me to pay and I'll keep using adblock, same deal. I pay for my news online - journalists deserve to be paid, and I feel good knowing that I support my favourite newspaper. I do the same for other sites online. I give a bit to Wikipedia because it's a hell of a resource. I'd contribute to Gaf if that was available, but as far as I'm aware it's not. I am willing to pay for things I use regularly, most sites aren't willing to take my money (not that I have a lot of it, but still).
I stopped watching TV at the age of about 13 because I would no longer put up with ad breaks. Drove me crazy. Despite the advent of the DVR I never really went back to TV. I unplugged my 360 after the dashboard upgrade that introduced ads. It's a big deal to me, I refuse to apologise for it. If adblocker was defeated then that would reduce my desire to browse the web as a casual hobby in a massive way. A call-out from Michael Pachter (whom I like, and still like) isn't going to change how I feel.
DidntKnowJack
Member
I don't filter Game Trailers either.
edit: (Though honestly, I don't generally frequent sites like GT or IGN in the first place. Only when a random video is linked to here. It's very rare.)
(most) Websites don't have fences that cost a fee to cross. Instead, their editorial staff is paid purely from advertising on the website. That's their monetization. You are essentially saying "no, I will consume your work but not contribute to your monetization".
If an Amusement park had a bunch of annoying smiley faces yelling out taglines then consumers should go somewhere else until the Amusement park management decides to improve the quality of its product or ceases to exist.
AdBlock Plus has a setting in it that enables certain non-annoying adds to be displayed. This includes Google's text ads. The setting is turned on by default.