Readability is an experimental application that makes it WAY easier to read long blocks of text online. It does this by stripping away images, ads, and complex site structure using a bookmarklet that can be activated on just about any page.
Oh, and it might be the end of the Internet as we know it. I’ll get to that in a second.
People’s reactions are pretty dramatic when they come across Readability for the first time. In a recent article, New York Times columnist David Pogue captured some of the excitement and concern expressed by first-time users:
When I mentioned Readability on Twitter, there were hundreds of “OMG, this changes everything!” responses.
There were also a few remarks like, “Hey, without the ads, how do you expect Web sites to pay for those articles you’re enjoying?”
This is the fear. If people are able to block ads as they surf the Web, then advertisers will stop buying space. If no one is buying ad space, then the content creators lose their main source of revenue, and the whole system comes crashing down.
In the same way that the VHS player and TiVo struck fear into the hearts of advertisers by giving TV viewers the ability to bypass ads, Readability gives Web users a glimpse into a world of ad-free content that some will find terrifying.
Rethink Communications Partner Chris Staples on the concept of an ad-free Web
Beyond the cautious apprehension that should always come along with the introduction of new technology, I don’t think that anyone has too much to worry about here. Why? Because when it comes down to it, the Internet just isn’t that much fun without all the bells and whistles. Can you imagine your favorite websites without any pictures, videos, or interactive elements? It would be pretty bleak.
I’d also wager that, for the same reason that most TiVo owners don’t bother skipping through the ads (laziness) , the vast majority of the online population won’t go to the trouble of blocking out the ads on every page that they visit, even given the capability.
Where we might see this sort of technology really start to threaten the ad supported content model is if someone was to expand on this concept and develop a full fledged browser with similar functionality.
If that happens, then watch out.
For the time being, Readability is a great tool for isolating text and making it easier to read long articles, but it’s not the end of the Internet.
Photo by Flickr user mediaboytodd
About the Author: Jon is a former adbuster and perpetual media junkie who shares well with others. He spends his days concocting social strategy at SmarttNet, a Vancouver Internet marketing firm. Follow him on twitter!
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