Is Norton Internet Security Blocking
Legitimate Links?
©
Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
www.thenetreporter.com
I'm
the first one to admit we need to curb the unbridled spam, pop-up
windows, banner ads and overall aggressive advertising currently
going unchecked online.
Like
everyone, I find it extremely frustrating to land on a website only
to get bombarded with distractions that make it extremely difficult
to determine if the website contains what I need.
However,
the solution offered by Norton Internet Security 2004
may represent a bigger problem than it solves.
Ad
blockers and pop-up blockers, like the one built into Norton Internet
Security 2004 (NIS 2004), are designed to block advertising.
"Ads"
appear defined as banners, pop-ups, and links with a commercial
intent.
When
turned on, these blockers literally modify web pages you visit which
contain code meeting certain criteria. In other words, they chop
out parts of the html pages before you ever even get a chance to
see them in your web browser - and that's where things get sticky.
You
see, NIS 2004 comes preloaded to decide what is
and what is not advertising, even to the point where they block
entire domains, such as qksrv.net, one of the largest affiliate
networks in the world (also known as Commission Junction).
It
also blocks Google Ad Sense content on individual websites.
In
fact, any link containing one of hundreds of other variables defined
by NIS 2004 will invoke automatic
censorship of that website's content.
Now
you may ask why this matters. Isn't it a good thing to block advertising?
Well,
I must insist the answer is "no" for several reasons:
First,
on my copy of NIS 2004 ad blocking came in the default "on"
position.
That
means users will experience content blocking without their express
consent.
Someone
else determines what is and what is not classified as advertising.
Ever
searched online for hours trying to find a particular product, gift,
service, or solution to a problem?
Now
imagine that you'll never find it because anywhere you might see
a link for it automatically gets deleted from every web page before
you view it.
Second,
on a personal level, do you really want someone else deciding if
a link, banner, flash object or other piece of content is appropriate
for you to view or not? (I'm not talking about p~rn~graphy or socially
unacceptable material - that's a different debate.)
What's
next after "ads?"
Will
"ad blocker" software turn into "content blocker"
software and start censoring various articles, web pages, and even
entire domains because they contain certain words someone else labeled
inappropriate?
Do
you want someone else thinking for you?
Third,
if you operate a responsible, customer-oriented, focused website
built around a central theme, how do you feel about a third-party
software blocking some or all of your money-making content... especially
after you've worked so hard to attract targeted visitors to your
site?
Now,
I'm not saying ad blockers are wrong. I'll also state for the record
that I LOVE Norton's products and have used them for years. If someone
wants to block advertising when they surf, that's their right.
However,
where I see a real problem is with the scope of the blocking and
the fact that, at least on my copy of NIS 2004, ad blocking came
in the default "on" position.
This
creates circumstances where it's likely the user doesn't know how
content is getting modified before they see it, and it sets a very
bad precedent for things to come.
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