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

[kathyd]

Actually, I know I'm not the only one who's struggling with the increasing number of adverts - and not even static adverts - which are making it harder for me to use this forum, and to concentrate on the posts when I'm here...

Whilst I fully understand the need for an organisation to cover its costs and make a profit, I'm sure it's fairly widely known by now that moving images on a web page are not always considered best practice - they make it much slower for pages to load, and they cause problems for people trying to read stuff while they flicker around the edges of our vision. Obviously I don't include optional moving images like videos in this.

We don't all have unlimited bandwidth, and superfast internet connections. We don't all have shiny new computers with big processing power. And unfortunately we don't all have unlimited tolerance levels and patience either - I know for a fact that at least one experienced person whose advice I value very highly has stopped using one of the forums here on a frequent basis because the over-abundance of ads is making it intolerable for her - what a sad loss .

Perhaps if a moderator reads this they could flag up the concern to the powers that be, and ask them nicely on my behalf to re-consider their advertising policy and try to strike a more acceptable balance that would keep everyone happy please?

Thanks

[veggiechicken]

Use Adblocker Kathy. The moving, flashing ads drive me crazy too so I've switched off

[kathyd]

Hi VC - I already tried it after reading similar concerns to mine on another thread - unfortunately it caused as many problems as it solved! It took over my web browser, installed things I specifically said 'no' to, tried to take control of my searching, and adverts were still popping up briefly while it tried to hide them from me - which took ages!!! I decided that timewise at least I was better of with the adverts!

I do understand both sides of this issue, honestly - I used to be an IT curriculum manager at an adult learning centre, and responsible for the strategic side of IT across the centre too (not technical, just bossy ). But I believe there comes a point where an organisation has to decide how many 'customers' it's happy to upset in order to make a few extra quid... I'm not suggesting they stop advertising, just that they re-think how they go about it.

[Soylent Green]

'Adblocker'? I'll have to look into that thanks VC. Yes they drive me mad too! I go to log in and find that I've activated a link and an advert comes up full size. What a faff! I'd rather pay a forum subscription than have all these adverts

[alldigging]

The ad that appears, and scrolls away so the page moves makes me sick. I'm halfway down the page by the time it does it so I don't read it anyway.

[zazen999]

The ad that appears, and scrolls away so the page moves makes me sick. I'm halfway down the page by the time it does it so I don't read it anyway.

Me too. I hate it.

[zazen999]

Actually, I know I'm not the only one who's struggling with the increasing number of adverts - and not even static adverts - which are making it harder for me to use this forum, and to concentrate on the posts when I'm here...

Whilst I fully understand the need for an organisation to cover its costs and make a profit, I'm sure it's fairly widely known by now that moving images on a web page are not always considered best practice - they make it much slower for pages to load, and they cause problems for people trying to read stuff while they flicker around the edges of our vision. Obviously I don't include optional moving images like videos in this.

We don't all have unlimited bandwidth, and superfast internet connections. We don't all have shiny new computers with big processing power. And unfortunately we don't all have unlimited tolerance levels and patience either - I know for a fact that at least one experienced person whose advice I value very highly has stopped using one of the forums here on a frequent basis because the over-abundance of ads is making it intolerable for her - what a sad loss .

Perhaps if a moderator reads this they could flag up the concern to the powers that be, and ask them nicely on my behalf to re-consider their advertising policy and try to strike a more acceptable balance that would keep everyone happy please?

Thanks

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.

[veggiechicken]

Suggestions? I could live with static ads but its the moving, flashing, flickering ones that do me 'ed in. I think they put me off the products rather than make me want to know more.
And a very big round of applause to the Mods (especially for all their hard work in keeping this place safe and on the right track) and to all the Grapes who make this Forum the best gardening Forum there is.
Of course, Thanks to GYO and Admin for making it available to us freely. Just calm down the ads and it would be the very very best Forum

[KarlB924]

Static ads would also potentially decrease loading times, as moving .gif images can end up with a very large filesize. Text adboxes are even quicker to load; look at google for example.

Making adverts less annoying and yet at the same time more interesting is the trick - annoying ads drive people away, but to attract clicks and earn revenue, they need to attract attention in a positive way.

[Soylent Green]

I agree with VC and I wouldn't want to appear ungrateful, but the rolling ads are a nuisance. I'm already a subscriber and I don't need ads jumping out and telling me to subscribe and getting in the way of me navigating the site. Can the flashing ads be turned off for subscribers?

[Soylent Green]

What is it they say? Quality not quantity?
I'm sure that if the adverts faded slowly into each other rather than quickly flashing up it would make a difference. Also you can have adverts that match the subject matter. 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!

[KarlB924]

@Soylent: The 'Adchoices' adverts are tailored to the sorts of sites you visit and the demographic it determines you to belong to, through some internet voodoo... so if you're getting Bangkok dating adverts you should probably clear your internet cache

It has an 'opt out' if you click on the little blue triangle in the top right corner of the advert, but who knows what adverts you'll get then.

My adverts seem to all be for RSPB hedgehog homes, international shipping and Over-50's life cover... I wouldn't mind the last one, but I'm only 28!

[Kirk]

I noticed that a small program/app or whatever called "plugin-container.exe" was using 90%+ of the cpu time. I started keeping the task manager available and would shut the .exe down when it became too much. That made things immediatly quicker.

Seems it runs the small animated adverts in fairly small frames/windows so why it need 98% of the cpu is beyond me.

It started when I accepted a java update about 5-6 weeks ago. For some reason I accepted another jave update last week and I no longer get as much of a problem.

I regularily deleted all the cookies (and I do mean all) so don't get any really targetted adverts.

So check the task manager processes and see what "plugin-container.exe" comes up with for cpu usage.

It is fast becoming a situation where the adverts become so intrusive that I start avoiding the site or just visit it so briefly that no advert is seen.

[zazen999]

What is it they say? Quality not quantity?
I'm sure that if the adverts faded slowly into each other rather than quickly flashing up it would make a difference. Also you can have adverts that match the subject matter. 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!

The more you type that, the more those ads will target you. That's how they work...

[veggiechicken]

I've just "indulged" myself in some Ads - and my opinion hasn't changed. They're a distraction. Many of them are not even gardening related. I've had walk-in baths, shoes, clouds (whatever they are) - but at least I didn't have any of Soylent's ads. The only one that appealed to me was The Harrogate Flower Show as it was static, timely and could be relevant if I lived nearer.