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Tell HN: Disable adblocker when researching startup ideas

21 points by jinpan ↗ HN
Like many of us on here, I do all my web browsing with ublock origin enabled and am pretty happy with that.

However, researching startup ideas is the exception where I do want to see ads and prior work and others trying to sell their services. Ads very helpfully highlight potential competitors and now I do my research in a dedicated browser session without adblockers :)

8 comments

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zeppers
That there is some practical advice
paulryanrogers
It is curious how ad avoidance can be its own bubble for better and worse. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few ads on TV recently because they were funny and short enough to be worth a momentary laugh.

That said I still avoid broadcast TV generally and sites and services with onerous ads. Surfing without blockers also helps me boycott the worst offenders ethically, and taking my attention to more deserving places.

Rastonbury
However, content creation is not free, even the most well intentioned sites may need ads to keep the lights on. Alternative would be for authors to keep it behind paywall like substack or something
throwawaynay
Great content without ads was normal on the internet for decades

if anything ads and SEO pushed people to produce worse content to make more cash

creating good content costs nothing besides your time, hosting good content costs almost nothing if your website is designed correctly

paulryanrogers
> Great content without ads was normal on the internet for decades

How true is this? I began surfing the web around 1996, and recall seeing ads from day one. And video ads when surfing at the university that same year.

ffhhj
> researching startup ideas is the exception where I do want to see ads and prior work and others trying to sell their services. Ads very helpfully highlight potential competitors

Curious about your research method. How you keep notes and record your browsing session? I'm currently creating a tool for this purpose. Feel free to request crazy features.

jinpan
I jot down my notes in a google doc and paste links that I want to save.

If I really like an idea, I'll use these notes to write out a larger form memo that touches on GTM, product strategies, tech stacks, competition, etc.

ahonhn
The funny thing is that in print media I'll happily spend ages looking at the adverts. Its the fact that online the bloody things won't stop moving and flashing and eating my CPU that makes me end up having to block them all.