So in response to my mailing earlier about CNN's bizarre new "click [the close window] X to accept" pop-up, I'm getting folks again sending me "oh, this extension would block that" or "this app hides that" responses.

I don't know how often I have to say this, but here we are again.

I am utterly disinterested in workarounds for "dark patterns" -- and such pop-ups are examples of what might be categorized that way. I am uninterested in ad blockers.

I *am* interested in trying to make sure that such pop-ups and ads that are abusive not be presented in the first place -- because most people are going to see them when they are present, because most people aren't techies who know how to workaround this stuff.

Techies (including me) can take care of ourselves. It's time that more techies started thinking beyond themselves to what these experiences are like for less technical folks faced with these interfaces.

Best, -L