Why I support adblockers & why YOU should too!

Ad-Blocking Tools

• uBlock Origin is an open-source browser extension that blocks ads across websites and works on multiple browsers and operating systems. Rossmann emphasizes that its community-maintained filter lists are publicly inspectable and regularly audited.
• SponsorBlock uses community-submitted timestamps to skip sponsored segments in YouTube videos.

Rossmann’s Views on Advertising

Rossmann recommends ad blocking partly as a privacy measure. He argues that targeted advertising encourages companies to collect personal data, alongside uses such as insurance and machine learning. In his view, reducing the value of ads can lessen the incentive to gather that data.

He also argues that ad revenue can be very small compared with the time viewers spend watching. As an example, he cites a video with about 200,000 views that earned roughly $100. He says viewers who want to support a creator could often help more with a small direct payment than by watching ads.

Rossmann criticizes the incentives created by ad-driven revenue: creators may be pushed toward clickbait titles, thumbnails, and topics to attract clicks and impressions. He argues that payment after viewers decide content was worthwhile could encourage more audience-focused work.

He says his position is not about depriving creators of income. Viewers who want to support them could instead give a small amount directly, such as a quarter or a dollar.

Additional Resource

Rossmann references a guide he wrote about using open-source software and reducing reliance on major technology companies. It includes a section on blocking ads across devices.

Main Speaker

Louis Rossmann