CONGRATULATIONS! Avoiding loud ads on the web

You've downloaded and installed Firefox. You've gotten the latest Adblock Plus plug-in for Firefox. Yet somehow you're still hearing that annoying voice screaming out of your speakers, "CONGRATULATIONS!" You've won something that is not real, that doesn't exist, but please click on something so somebody gets paid. While pop-up blockers and other ad blockers are important tools for computer users that spend a lot of time on the Internet, it's becoming increasingly more common for websites to use Flash-based ads.

Due in large part to the popularity of YouTube and other video sharing sites, Flash is estimated to be installed on 95% of Internet-enabled computers, maybe more. Being on 95% of computers makes Flash a target for the bane of all Internet users: advertisers (sometimes indistinguishable from spammers) and hackers. It is for this reason that you should check the Adobe Flash website often for updates to keep ahead of the latest security threats. But what to do about the annoying CONGRATULATIONS advertising voice?

For that, there's FlashBlock. Now you might be thinking, "I installed Flash to watch YouTube videos and check out my favorite band's website, why would I want to block Flash content?" Before you get your video streams all in a bunch, let me explain the glory that is FlashBlock.

FlashBlock operates by replacing Flash content on a page with a simply box that shows the Flash "F" logo. When you click once on this box, Firefox will load the Flash content. To put it simply, it puts one more click in between you and any Flash content you come across on the web. But it that's not all it does. FlashBlock also has a white list function, meaning you can add sites like YouTube to this list and all Flash content on the YouTube domain will be auto-loaded without the

extra click. To add sites to the white list, simply right-click on Flash content from a site (say a YouTube video) and select the "Allow Flash (always)." You can also right-click on Flash content and select the "Options" button then navigating the the "White List" tab and add websites manually.

FlashBlock is a simply and powerful plugin that can go the last mile in blocking annoying ads, especially those with audio. There is also a version of FlashBlock for the Chrome and Chromium web browsers. I guess the other, simpler option is surfing the web with your speakers or headphones muted ;-)

A note on ad blocking: Blocking ads is, to some, controversial. You see, people's livelihoods depend on shattering your zen-like Internet experience with flashy blinking ads and loud noise. Aside from the desire to have a semblance of privacy from the never-satiable consumption pushers, there's also the matter of Internet bandwidth. This is becoming a much larger issue in the mobile world where data service plans often have a capped amount of bandwidth for the month. If 10% of your mobile bandwidth is being used to serve you ads (a conservative estimate in the Flash and Silverlight era) that means you are in a very real way footing the advertisers bill. FlashBlocking and ad blocking is thus useful for those with a limited monthly Internet cap or those that are still stuck on dial up Internet, or even individuals with Internet speeds that are no longer considered broadband by the FCC (sub 3 Mbps Internet service, which includes me!).