Slow loading pages, headaches with flashing adverts... am I the only one?

[alldigging]

http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/ads/

For info about google ads and info on opting out

[Thelma Sanders]

I've got ad-blocker, now, so don't see most............ but the GYO ad that pops up and causes the screen to scroll up and down is really annoying.

I'm sorry but if I wanted to subscribe then I can see the banner at the top, I don't need reminding so much

[Soylent Green]

This is a mine field! Not to mention very annoying, even when you try to remove the ads it tells you that your 'anti cookie' controls are too high and you need to drop down a level to allow the cookies to be removed. That's the problem with the internet 90% of the dross is forced on you and you are supposed to just grin and bear it. I'll take Zazen999's advice (thank you) and stop writing in those keywords. I think that's where I've been going wrong, the search cookies don't understand my weird sense of humour.

[Two_Sheds]

Right now I can see dating sites that will hook me up with 'Ting Tong from Ping Pong' not really what I'm looking for. I need a new greenhouse not a Bangkok lady boy!

@Soylent: The 'Adchoices' adverts are tailored to the sorts of sites you visit and the demographic it determines you to belong to,

I was getting the adu1t dat1ng site ads too: I hadn't searched for them or any other dating site, nor has anyone else on my computer, plus I use C-Cleaner regularly, which cleans my cache, browsing history etc.

The only way I could get rid of the ads was to use ABP

[kathyd]

More than happy to. However I know what the response will be and that is; what would your suggestion be? To remove advertising would mean a subscription service. How much would you and others be willing to pay for the shedloads of free advice and guidance that is given here at all hours day and night, not including the shedloads of free hours that the moderators do to keep it spam free? I'd love to get a wage for this so I'm keen to get views on it.

If you have any other suggestions, please let us know and we will put them to the powers that be.

OK... well first off, there are (or certainly used to be) dozens of free forums out there for people to use - the 'price' being advertising banners of course. I set one up at work, but we were able to select what types of ads would or wouldn't be suitable for our client group. One possibility.

Secondly, it's likely that the mag has agreed to show 'google ads' or similar and make some money from them. This would explain why the ads are a) targetted sometimes (I get French ads for example), and b) are totally inappropriate at other times - yes, I'm also getting offers of dates from women in south east asia or somewhere. No idea if it's possible to opt in or out of different categories of ads in this scenario, but it's worth looking into - even if it's just 'static ads only'.

Thirdly, whether they have any control over external ads or not, their own advertising banner could certainly be amended so it doesn't move around so much.

Fourthly, it's quite likely that their web person could introduce a button we could click on to 'hide all ads', or 'hide dynamic ads' or whatever. This then gives us the choice of whether we want to view them or not.

Fifthly (is that a real word?), IF they're using a free forum, and IF the mods don't get paid for their work, then I'm not sure how justified they'd be in squealing about costs and having to make it subscription only, because their costs would be minimal. After all, it's the moderators, and the other users of the forum, who are providing all that 'expert advice' rather than paid specialists on the magazine staff - unless I'm being totally unfair of course. I'm sure they'll have to factor in a manager's time to over-see it all, but we all know how that one works so I'm sure we can afford to be realistic about 'real' costs . This is just another form of PR and advertising and should be paid for from the approriate budget heading.

I'd also like to mention that the magazine is quite happy to use the forum to gather free content for its magazine, so it does benefit in other ways too.

So - woffle aside - to respond to your hypothetical questions:

1. a. I'd explore whether I could opt out of moving adverts under whatever agreement I've currently got with whoever it is.

1. b. I'd at least ensure that my own banners and other adverts were static.

2. I'd look at other free forums and see what they offer me - more flexibility in types of ads would be good.

3. If I really needed revenue from advertising, but I didn't like the T&Cs attached to the forum I'm using, I'd consider setting up my own forum and finding my own advertisers eg people who already advertise in the magazine and who might be persuaded to go on-line as well - I presume I already have access to someone who sells advertising space, and I have an exisiting database of advertisers too.

4. I'd think long and hard about subscriptions for a forum - there's an awful lot of competition out there, and it's all free at the moment . Any potential subscription costs would be better incorporated into the magazine cover price.

[Two_Sheds]

it's the moderators, and the other users of the forum, who are providing all that 'expert advice'

Not only on here, but in the magazine. Unless it's entirely coincidental, I've seen advice & techniques discussed on here written up as an article in the mag. So the mag is getting free copy too

[Soylent Green]

Hi Two Sheds,
I have just gone into my PC and put the cookie control right up to maximum. It slows the internet down a bit, but now I have no adverts at all on this forum. Yes I didn't want to say too much on the subject of 'unwanted websites' because if you protest too much you end up looking guilty, however I find these unwanted websites harassing and down right offensive. It's amazing what you can get away with on the internet, it makes you want to unplug it all and go and live with the Amish!

[veggiechicken]

Not only on here, but in the magazine. Unless it's entirely coincidental, I've seen advice & techniques discussed on here written up as an article in the mag. So the mag is getting free copy too

If you take out of the magazine the Forum member's polls and views, including those that appear on Twitter and the articles which are written by advertisers plus all the ads, you come down to the GYO magazine content. I don't have a recent copy to hand to count what's left but I have done it before Try it

[kathyd]

Do you know, the silly thing is that most of us are probably quite happy for it to be that way too! I really don't have a problem with a magazine (openly) using forum info and comments - after all, that's what a forum is for, open and free exchange of views and sharing of info and expertise etc. I would, however, have a problem with such a magazine then trying to make me pay for the priviledge of providing it with those thoughts and comments!

But to be fair, that might not be an issue - we're making assumptions and jumping the gun. We've expressed a concern with the way in which the moving ads in particular are affecting our enjoyment of, and even our ability to use, the forum. We've suggested some ways in which that might be addressed. We should probably give them chance to respond before we get even more grumpy . Any other ideas on what could be done to improve things would no doubt be helpful to Zazen though, since she's rashly offered to pass on our issues to admin for us .

[veggiechicken]

I've subscribed to the mag for most of the time since it was first published. It has changed over the years - and there is a lot more emphasis on the Forum and the benefits of being a member. I agree wholeheartedly - its a great Forum, but if the ads are putting people off participating then its something that GYO should address. A mass walkout would not be in their interests

[Two_Sheds]

I'm not grumpy at all, I realise, and accept, that anything I put on here can be used in the mag. I wouldn't pay to use the forum, this one or any forum.

Adverts are incredibly annoying: we are bombarded with sales & marketing these days, on our mobiles, TVs, landlines, on our computers and through our letterboxes.

I don't think I've ever bought something as a direct result of an advert (I probably have, but it's rare).
I turn adverts off, block them, ignore them. Even before we had Sky, I used to videotape TV progs so that I could ffwd through the ads

[Nicos]

I've brought this thread to the attention of Admin.

What they will do, I don't know- but it's good for them to realise the general feeling on the forum!

[marchogaeth]

I've brought this thread to the attention of Admin.

What they will do, I don't know- but it's good for them to realise the general feeling on the forum!

Thank you. I'm not hopeful of any positive response after there was so much concern over the "expert forums" which was ignored.

[Compo72]

Yesterday when I tried to read the latest forum threads
The page would not open on my mobile .
Kept whirling round

I buy the magazine as and when I can.
It has some good articles .

Find this forum , first rate and informative .

Well done everyone . Keep up the good work

[marchogaeth]

I want to add that it's really annoying that, even with pictures turned off, I can rarely access this web site from my Kindle any more whereas when I first got it there was now problem at all.