Question for HN: What will happen to the web when uBlock Origin becomes prevelent enough? Currently the vast majority of the internet is completely (or mostly) ad funded: Twitter, Facebook, newspapers, Reddit, YouTube, etc etc. Adblockers like uBlock Origin hurt these sites by deriving them of revenue. Currently, there hasn't been too much of an effect because the adblock usage rate is low enough that adblocking free riders don't cause enough harm.
However, this calculus changes quite a bit when adblock penetration reaches high enough levels. Once 80-90% of users use adblock I don't see how these sites will survive. And that adblock penetration rate increases year over year due to efforts like this.
The real question is what will happen next. Will the government move to rule adblocking illegal? Will websites engage in sophisticated technical anti-adblock measures? Will companies like Google and Twitter give up on advertising and shutter their existing businesses? All I can say is that the current situation doesn't seem sustainable.
However, this calculus changes quite a bit when adblock penetration reaches high enough levels. Once 80-90% of users use adblock I don't see how these sites will survive. And that adblock penetration rate increases year over year due to efforts like this.
The real question is what will happen next. Will the government move to rule adblocking illegal? Will websites engage in sophisticated technical anti-adblock measures? Will companies like Google and Twitter give up on advertising and shutter their existing businesses? All I can say is that the current situation doesn't seem sustainable.