Advertising on the web is pretty ubiquitous, but in my opinion, sometimes site owners go a little overboard on the size and number of ads they present to a user on a page. I’m one of those people who almost never clicks ads (I’m really frugal), so having to look at them is simply distracting. Fortunately, the Firefox web browser has a simple, free plugin that will completely eliminate ads from most of your browsing experience automatically.

It’s called Adblock Plus, and it’s one of my most highly recommended Firefox addons. Getting set up is easy:

1. Download and install Firefox.
2. Open Firefox, and browse to the Adblock Plus addon page.
3. A popup window will confirm the installation. Click the “Install” button in the bottom right.
4. Restart Firefox.
5. After you restart, you should be presented with a screen to select a filter subscription. In the US the best selection is EasyList, listed first. Check the radio box next to the name, and hit “Subscribe” button at the bottom.
6. You’re done! Enjoy browsing without ads!

One caveat: Just like any security software, Adblock isn’t perfect. I have seen ads sneak through the filters, and I have seen it block images that weren’t actually ads. That second one is the real danger. If you visit a site and something just doesn’t seem right, you should disable blocking for that site and see if that doesn’t fix things. Adblock installs a button on the toolbar for just such occasions:

If you have problems, you should check out the FAQ and documentation for assistance, as most problems can be rectified there. If you don’t find any answer there, visit their forums and look a little more (chances are someone else had the same problem). Then, if all efforts are fruitless, post your question and get some help.