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Many websites are free to use because they run adverts. That's fine. They need to pay the bills somehow and this means the content is free.
But sometimes, that advertising can get very annoying. Many ads are intrusive, deliberately, to try to attract your attention.
The thing is, you don't need to put up with this. It's quite simple to block 99.9% of web adverts, without being a techie or doing strange arcane stuff to your computer. The techniques work on Windows, Linux or Mac OS X, are easy to reverse and everything works just fine afterwards. You can even temporarily turn them off if you actually want to see an ad for some reason.
Another bonus is that it makes browsing faster, as your browser won't download all those ads. If you're on a 3G connection, it might even save you some of your bandwidth and possibly even money.
Oh, and by the way, all the tools below are free. Whatever you choose, DO NOT PAY for any allegedly privacy-enhancing tools. They're pretty much all rip-offs and not worth the money, and some are outright criminal and will steal your data and secretly send it back to HQ. Just don't.
So. Blocking ads, the free and easy way. How to do it depends on what browser you use.
If you use Firefox, it's an addon, which are all very simple to add and remove and the same ones work on Windows, Mac and Linux.
If you use Chrome, there are addons, but you can also use a universal blocker that will work with all your browsers.
For Safari and other browsers, it's generally easiest to use the universal one.
If you use Internet Explorer: seriously, don't. Don't use Internet Explorer. It is the Web equivalent of sharing a used needle with a stranger. It really, seriously is Not Safe. I am not making this up because I am not a Microsoft fan (although I'm not) – but some Microsoft tools are OK. Word is about the best word-processor there is, for example, and the combination of Outlook and Exchange Server is unbeatably powerful, too.
But Internet Explorer is not one of these. It's not a good browser – all its rivals beat it – but mostly, it is not safe. IE8 is better than 7, 7 is better than the terrible 6, and even 6 was safer than its predecessors, but seriously, none of them can be entirely trusted.
If you just want something simple, fast and easy with no frills, get Chrome. It's free and will keep you safer online as well as delivering a better experience.
If you don't like Google knowing what you're doing, use Safari or Firefox. You don't need to be a techie. Download the version for your computer, run the file you've downloaded to install it, then delete the download. Job done. Takes five minutes even if you're on a slow computer.
Saying that, if you install a universal blocker, it will block ads in IE as well. Just, please, don't use IE. There's a saying among techies: "friends don't let friends use Internet Explorer." And one of the easiest ways of telling a genuinely useful or knowledgeable techie from a clueless bluffer is that the fakers still use IE.
So, choosing a browser. If you don't know which to look at, well, here are some of the pros and cons.
Firefox: great browser. Very safe, reliable, tons of addons to customise it, but it's getting a bit big and slow these days.
Chrome: small, very fast, very simple and clean. However, Google will be able to track what you search for and some other things. Small but occasionally handy choice of extensions.
Safari: as quick as Chrome, but not quite as clean and simple. Excels at readable text. Windows and Mac only.
Others: there are quite a few minority players: Seamonkey, Flock, Camino or Shiira on the Mac, Epiphany on Linux and so on. To be honest, most don't really have any killer advantages any more and you might as well stick with one of the big names.
So, let's look at the main contenders in a bit more detail.
Firefox - http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
The daddy and the easiest one to block ads in. All you need to do is go to the Tools menu and pick Addons. If you already have some installed, it will show you the list, which is the second tab and entitled "Extensions". Ignore this; click the first icon along the top of the Addons dialog box, which is called "Get Add-ons". In the "Search all add-ons" box, type in:
adblock plus
… and hit the Enter or Return key. Assuming you don't already have ABP installed, it should be the first entry found. Click on that line to select it and click the "Add to Firefox" button at the right.
It will download it, ask you if you're sure, install it and then prompt you to restart Firefox. Do so.
If you want to add it manually, the above makes no sense or you're using a different Mozilla browser, such as Seamonkey, you can install AdBlock Plus directly from its webpage:
http://adblockplus.org/en/
When it reloads, it will take you to a screen which asks you which filter to use. If you're a native English speaker, just accept the default and press the "Subscribe" button. If you mainly use another language on the Web – German, French, whatever – then go down the list and look for a filter list targeted at your country.
That's all you really need to do. Once you've picked a filter and the screen has gone away, try visiting a site that's usually loaded with adverts, such as www.msn.co.uk or uk.yahoo.com, and admire the newly-minimal design with occasional tasteful areas of blank white space. ;¬)
If you want to be a little more thorough, I also recommend moving the AdBlock button from the toolbar (which can get a bit crowded) to the status bar (which usually isn't).
To do this, right-click on your shiny new red "Adblock" button – it's the hexagon with ABP on it in white. On the little menu that appears, go down to "Options" and tick "Show in status bar." Then do the same again, but this time, UN-tick "show in toolbar." That's it. Now you have a discreet little red logo at the bottom right corner instead of a big lairy one on the toolbar.
Chrome - http://www.google.com/chrome
There is a version of Adblock Plus for Chrome too, if you use that as your main browser. Runs on any platform Chrome does, too. You can get it by visiting
http://chromeadblock.com/
… and just clicking the "Install" button.
(Alternatively, visit the catchily-short address:
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom
...if you prefer.)
Again, you'll get a red Adblock logo in your toolbar, right next to the spanner; in Chrome, though, it shows a white hand, palm out, rather than the letters.
However, if you do use Chrome, there's a case to be made for using a system-wide blocker. You don't quite get the fine-grained control, but on the other hand, since Chrome shares its Internet setting with all the other browsers on a Windows PC or a Mac, then installing one universal blocker will nobble all the ads in all browsers.
Apple Safari - http://www.apple.com/safari/
I said earlier that Safari isn't quite as clean as Chrome. This may sound a bit vague, but there are reasons - it still has a separate "search" box, for instance. Also, it doesn't recognise some of the standard keystrokes that work on both Chrome and Firefox, such as Alt-D for the address bar or Ctrl-K to search. One big strength for Windows users ios that Safari uses Apple's own font-display methods rather than the built-in Microsoft ones. This means that Safari has the best text display of any Windows program – if you find yourself squinting or struggling when reading blocks of text, this is definitely the one to go for. Virtually no extensions at all on the PC, though. A few on its native Mac OS. Not an option if you run Linux, unfortunately.
There is a version of AdBlock for Safari, but only for certain versions on certain (recent) releases of Mac OS X. If you have an older version of either, or are using Safari on Windows, you're out of luck.
Other browsers
Opera - http://www.opera.com/
Opera is a great browser and runs on all the big platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux. It's sleek and fast and some people really love it. Personally, I find its user interface just a bit too different from everything else – I can't work out how to do the stuff I want. It has a built-in ad-blocker, but in my humble opinion, you need to be a bit of a geek and Opera expert to use it. But then, if you run Opera, you probably are a bit of a geek and an expert. It will work fine with a system-wide blocker, though – see below.
If you aren't happy with the browser on your cellphone, though, Opera is definitely the one to go for.
System-wide ad-blockers
Which brings us to the universal blocker. The biggest and best is called Privoxy (http://www.privoxy.org/) and it not only blocks ads but also makes it a bit harder for websites to trace what you're doing into the bargain, so if you're a bit paranoid, it's definitely worth a look.
The way it works is this. You install it, turn it on – this might mean you have to reboot your computer, but just the once – and then you very slightly change your Internet settings so that your browsers all talk to the Internet through Privoxy, instead of directly. Sounds a bit scary, but it's quite easy.
If you're after the Windows version, you can get the latest Privoxy from here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ijbswa/files/
It's the link where it says "Looking for the latest version?"
If you run Ubuntu or a derivative, use the Software Centre – it's a standard component.
Unfortunately, the Mac OS X version is no longer maintained, so for now, there's no easy way to run it. If you have an Intel Mac, use Chrome and add the Adblock extension. If you have Safari 5, you might be able to install Adblock from here: http://safariadblock.com/
If you're running a PowerPC Mac with OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") or 10.5 ("Leopard"), then you won't be able to install Chrome and probably not Adblock for Safari, but you might be able to install Privoxy 3.0.10, the last version for Mac OS X – you can get it here: http://www.macorchard.com/www/Privoxy.php
But sometimes, that advertising can get very annoying. Many ads are intrusive, deliberately, to try to attract your attention.
The thing is, you don't need to put up with this. It's quite simple to block 99.9% of web adverts, without being a techie or doing strange arcane stuff to your computer. The techniques work on Windows, Linux or Mac OS X, are easy to reverse and everything works just fine afterwards. You can even temporarily turn them off if you actually want to see an ad for some reason.
Another bonus is that it makes browsing faster, as your browser won't download all those ads. If you're on a 3G connection, it might even save you some of your bandwidth and possibly even money.
Oh, and by the way, all the tools below are free. Whatever you choose, DO NOT PAY for any allegedly privacy-enhancing tools. They're pretty much all rip-offs and not worth the money, and some are outright criminal and will steal your data and secretly send it back to HQ. Just don't.
So. Blocking ads, the free and easy way. How to do it depends on what browser you use.
If you use Firefox, it's an addon, which are all very simple to add and remove and the same ones work on Windows, Mac and Linux.
If you use Chrome, there are addons, but you can also use a universal blocker that will work with all your browsers.
For Safari and other browsers, it's generally easiest to use the universal one.
If you use Internet Explorer: seriously, don't. Don't use Internet Explorer. It is the Web equivalent of sharing a used needle with a stranger. It really, seriously is Not Safe. I am not making this up because I am not a Microsoft fan (although I'm not) – but some Microsoft tools are OK. Word is about the best word-processor there is, for example, and the combination of Outlook and Exchange Server is unbeatably powerful, too.
But Internet Explorer is not one of these. It's not a good browser – all its rivals beat it – but mostly, it is not safe. IE8 is better than 7, 7 is better than the terrible 6, and even 6 was safer than its predecessors, but seriously, none of them can be entirely trusted.
If you just want something simple, fast and easy with no frills, get Chrome. It's free and will keep you safer online as well as delivering a better experience.
If you don't like Google knowing what you're doing, use Safari or Firefox. You don't need to be a techie. Download the version for your computer, run the file you've downloaded to install it, then delete the download. Job done. Takes five minutes even if you're on a slow computer.
Saying that, if you install a universal blocker, it will block ads in IE as well. Just, please, don't use IE. There's a saying among techies: "friends don't let friends use Internet Explorer." And one of the easiest ways of telling a genuinely useful or knowledgeable techie from a clueless bluffer is that the fakers still use IE.
So, choosing a browser. If you don't know which to look at, well, here are some of the pros and cons.
Firefox: great browser. Very safe, reliable, tons of addons to customise it, but it's getting a bit big and slow these days.
Chrome: small, very fast, very simple and clean. However, Google will be able to track what you search for and some other things. Small but occasionally handy choice of extensions.
Safari: as quick as Chrome, but not quite as clean and simple. Excels at readable text. Windows and Mac only.
Others: there are quite a few minority players: Seamonkey, Flock, Camino or Shiira on the Mac, Epiphany on Linux and so on. To be honest, most don't really have any killer advantages any more and you might as well stick with one of the big names.
So, let's look at the main contenders in a bit more detail.
Firefox - http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
The daddy and the easiest one to block ads in. All you need to do is go to the Tools menu and pick Addons. If you already have some installed, it will show you the list, which is the second tab and entitled "Extensions". Ignore this; click the first icon along the top of the Addons dialog box, which is called "Get Add-ons". In the "Search all add-ons" box, type in:
adblock plus
… and hit the Enter or Return key. Assuming you don't already have ABP installed, it should be the first entry found. Click on that line to select it and click the "Add to Firefox" button at the right.
It will download it, ask you if you're sure, install it and then prompt you to restart Firefox. Do so.
If you want to add it manually, the above makes no sense or you're using a different Mozilla browser, such as Seamonkey, you can install AdBlock Plus directly from its webpage:
http://adblockplus.org/en/
When it reloads, it will take you to a screen which asks you which filter to use. If you're a native English speaker, just accept the default and press the "Subscribe" button. If you mainly use another language on the Web – German, French, whatever – then go down the list and look for a filter list targeted at your country.
That's all you really need to do. Once you've picked a filter and the screen has gone away, try visiting a site that's usually loaded with adverts, such as www.msn.co.uk or uk.yahoo.com, and admire the newly-minimal design with occasional tasteful areas of blank white space. ;¬)
If you want to be a little more thorough, I also recommend moving the AdBlock button from the toolbar (which can get a bit crowded) to the status bar (which usually isn't).
To do this, right-click on your shiny new red "Adblock" button – it's the hexagon with ABP on it in white. On the little menu that appears, go down to "Options" and tick "Show in status bar." Then do the same again, but this time, UN-tick "show in toolbar." That's it. Now you have a discreet little red logo at the bottom right corner instead of a big lairy one on the toolbar.
Chrome - http://www.google.com/chrome
There is a version of Adblock Plus for Chrome too, if you use that as your main browser. Runs on any platform Chrome does, too. You can get it by visiting
http://chromeadblock.com/
… and just clicking the "Install" button.
(Alternatively, visit the catchily-short address:
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom
...if you prefer.)
Again, you'll get a red Adblock logo in your toolbar, right next to the spanner; in Chrome, though, it shows a white hand, palm out, rather than the letters.
However, if you do use Chrome, there's a case to be made for using a system-wide blocker. You don't quite get the fine-grained control, but on the other hand, since Chrome shares its Internet setting with all the other browsers on a Windows PC or a Mac, then installing one universal blocker will nobble all the ads in all browsers.
Apple Safari - http://www.apple.com/safari/
I said earlier that Safari isn't quite as clean as Chrome. This may sound a bit vague, but there are reasons - it still has a separate "search" box, for instance. Also, it doesn't recognise some of the standard keystrokes that work on both Chrome and Firefox, such as Alt-D for the address bar or Ctrl-K to search. One big strength for Windows users ios that Safari uses Apple's own font-display methods rather than the built-in Microsoft ones. This means that Safari has the best text display of any Windows program – if you find yourself squinting or struggling when reading blocks of text, this is definitely the one to go for. Virtually no extensions at all on the PC, though. A few on its native Mac OS. Not an option if you run Linux, unfortunately.
There is a version of AdBlock for Safari, but only for certain versions on certain (recent) releases of Mac OS X. If you have an older version of either, or are using Safari on Windows, you're out of luck.
Other browsers
Opera - http://www.opera.com/
Opera is a great browser and runs on all the big platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux. It's sleek and fast and some people really love it. Personally, I find its user interface just a bit too different from everything else – I can't work out how to do the stuff I want. It has a built-in ad-blocker, but in my humble opinion, you need to be a bit of a geek and Opera expert to use it. But then, if you run Opera, you probably are a bit of a geek and an expert. It will work fine with a system-wide blocker, though – see below.
If you aren't happy with the browser on your cellphone, though, Opera is definitely the one to go for.
System-wide ad-blockers
Which brings us to the universal blocker. The biggest and best is called Privoxy (http://www.privoxy.org/) and it not only blocks ads but also makes it a bit harder for websites to trace what you're doing into the bargain, so if you're a bit paranoid, it's definitely worth a look.
The way it works is this. You install it, turn it on – this might mean you have to reboot your computer, but just the once – and then you very slightly change your Internet settings so that your browsers all talk to the Internet through Privoxy, instead of directly. Sounds a bit scary, but it's quite easy.
If you're after the Windows version, you can get the latest Privoxy from here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ijbswa/files/
It's the link where it says "Looking for the latest version?"
If you run Ubuntu or a derivative, use the Software Centre – it's a standard component.
Unfortunately, the Mac OS X version is no longer maintained, so for now, there's no easy way to run it. If you have an Intel Mac, use Chrome and add the Adblock extension. If you have Safari 5, you might be able to install Adblock from here: http://safariadblock.com/
If you're running a PowerPC Mac with OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") or 10.5 ("Leopard"), then you won't be able to install Chrome and probably not Adblock for Safari, but you might be able to install Privoxy 3.0.10, the last version for Mac OS X – you can get it here: http://www.macorchard.com/www/Privoxy.php
