Block ads and trackers

Is using a site but blocking its ads (in contravention to its TOS) similar to using some opensource software but violating its license?
In both cases you are using someone else's stuff, but in contravention of the offered terms. Someone offers you something, on the condition that you agree to the terms, and you say "Thanks bud" and take it, but violate the offered terms. It's clearly wrong for opensource, why isn't a wrong for a website?

Wouldn't it be more upstanding and proper to simply not visit and use sites that have ads you disagree with?

@dsjoerg depends on ones system of ethics and also on the site. I disable adblock on some sites, on others like YT I actually would never do such a thing even if it hurts the creators of the content I watch. You might argue that it is self serving but I would not even mind ads that much if I knew that they would help the creative person behind the videos alone and not an unethical megacorporation that has a monopoly over large parts of the internet.

@#21 Even if their TOS requires me to be at risk of malware and their own marketers selling my history and information to unknown 3rd parties who will target me, I still say no way. Long gone are the days when I said, "what harm could it do?" I question the legality and ethicality of any website with a TOS that puts people in harms way.

#9 @asdf5656

I am unaware of very many sites that have content that isn't offered somewhere else. Perhaps editorial stuff but otherwise, you can generally find it on some other site if you search for it well enough.

When I encounter a site that tells me "Turn off your adblocker so I can spam you to death with ads", I block the site and never look back.

@dsjoerg

What sites require you to agree to a TOS that then tell you to turn off your ad-blocker? I am not saying they don't exist, pretty sure there are some out there but I have never run into any so curious about some examples. Most sites that I run into that tell me to turn off my ad blocker are news sites.

@OneDummHikk Looked around a little, looks like Youtube and Spotify are the most prominent. www.theverge.com/2019/2/7/18215845/spotify-ad-blockers-terms-of-service

See also http://blockadblock.com/adblocking/addressing-adblocking-terms-use-agreement/

@dsjoerg I have never used spotify so cant comment on that one. As for youtube, I have never had youtube cover up the content and tell me to turn my ad blocker off and then reload the page to see the content the way that news sites do. Also, I could be wrong, but, I don't recall ever agreeing to a Youtube TOS in order to use the site at any time in the past.

#21 very confused what open sorce tells you how to use.
I use Linux two computers two diferent distros one open the other free software neither has a TOS.
If someweb site denies content because you use ad block you can by-pass that

@MrGood8 "If someweb site denies content because you use ad block you can by-pass that"

Really? Care to explain how to defeat the New York Times?

@MrGood8 most open source software comes with a license where you agree not to do certain things. For example, the Lichess site software has this license: github.com/ornicar/lila/blob/master/LICENSE . Which says that you can copy the software, but if you use it commercially you have to share the source code of whatever changes you make to it. You could ignore the license if you disagree with it, but that'd be unethical and I don't think anyone should do that. If you don't like the terms, then don't use the software.

Same logic applies to using a website; if they are offering it under certain terms, and you don't like the terms, then don't use the website.