On the Internet, content may be king, but monetization through advertising runs a close second. But today’s ads seem more aggressive, intrusive, and annoying than ever. We’ve recently seen a return to a category of tools long known as ad blockers. What are the implications of ad blockers to lawyers and will they change the consumer’s Internet experience?

In this episode of The Kennedy-Mighell Report, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the return of ad-blocking technology, whether advertisements are still important in the online marketplace, and what this might mean for lawyers. They discuss the different types of ads from full page overlays, hard to find automatic sounds, Twitter or Facebook promotions, and the many pop-ups that are easy to accidently click on and hard to close. In the past, Dennis says, pop-ups became excessive and many people were using ad-blocking technology, but as browsers adapted, the need for ad blockers was reduced. Dennis also talks about the effect on bloggers, malware and security, and the alternatives he would like to see in the increasingly personalized Internet of 2015. Tom explains how YouTube, Google, and Apple are effectuating change and how he would like the option to pay for no advertisements, like in free versus paid apps. Finally, they discuss significance for lawyers with regard to ethical rules and technology competence and potential evidence for court.

In the second half of this podcast, Tom gives an early report on his new Windows Surface Book. Dennis chimes in to mention the similarities and differences of his Macbook. As always, stay tuned for Parting Shots: that one tip, website, or observation you can use the second the podcast ends.

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