Grumpy Tech Guy: Isn’t that ironic - Adblock to display adverts

Adblock will soon be showing unblocked ads.

Millions installed Adblock in a bid to rid their browsers from increasingly crappy adverts, but now the Adblock team say they're going to replace "bad" adverts with ones they deem as "good".

Internet advertising is the bane of net users, second only to auto playing video clips. Trying to surf a website while adverts compete for attention is annoying. Now it is set to get worse.

Adblock will operate a system where website admins choose "good" adverts for their pages.

This is not about doing what is right for us end users. It is about making money. By controlling which adverts are viewable, Adblock is able to control a sizeable stream of money.

Despite the fact you downloaded Adblock to block adverts, you're now back at square one. Adblock users have good reason to be pretty pissed off right about now.

So what makes an advert "good"? Adblock say that this move is an extension of their "Acceptable Ads" program. Under the program, ad networks pay Adblock Plus to have their ads viewable. Factors such as intrusiveness and garishness and even decency seem to be taking a back seat to cash.

Certain sites will not display if they detect an adblocker (looking at you wired.com). If they hadn't of subjected me to such a fetid pile of god awful advertising nastiness, I wouldn't have needed adblocker. Now it appears I'm going to bin Adblock anyhow.

The adblocker updates go live as a beta today. They'll launch later in 2017. My advice is this: Dump Adblock – it is no longer fit for purpose. Choose an alternative, there's plenty to choose from. So long Adblock.