Forum Home Forum Home > Site News, Newbies, Help and Improvements > Help us improve the site
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Invasive and insulting ads
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedInvasive and insulting ads

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Invasive and insulting ads
    Posted: December 08 2007 at 10:49
I don't know for sure how the ads work, but I think the site effectively sells its space to an ad providing company, It is them who select the ads which are displayed.
 
There is something to this effect in the privacy policy (which I had not read beforeEmbarrassed) right at the bottom of the home page.
 
In order to keep the two issues separate (annoyances vs. malware) I'll restrict any updates on the malware issue to this thread: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=43331


Edited by Easy Livin - December 08 2007 at 10:50
Back to Top
Slartibartfast View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam

Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 08 2007 at 10:39
I understand the necessity of ads and I thank you guys for taking care of the bad ones. I do think a little more screening and vigilance would be nice. 
Scam ads (anything that promises something free) and ads with sound should not be allowed. 

Music and music related ads are totally fine and frankly those advertisers are going to get the most bang for their buck here anyway.

On a little aside, I fell for a spam scam e-mail that promised a free laptop, they kept making you jump through all of these offer hoops and once I saw it basically never ends and realized that I had been suckered I quit.  Maybe I was just one hoop away from that free laptop.  Angry 

On a positive note, one of the offers was BMG Music Club, which generally sucks in terms of their progressive music selections (I pretty much have all the good stuff there), but I did get my first Porcupine Tree album (In Absentia) there.  Of course, I had to go to other sources for the rest of their stuff.


Edited by Slartibartfast - December 08 2007 at 10:43
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 08 2007 at 04:15
Just to keep you updated, M@x is still investigating the Malware ad, but it is proving very difficult to trace. He is making some changes, and may seek some help from those who have reported it.
Back to Top
stonebeard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 08 2007 at 00:07
I agree with MO. Ads are OK, but the iPOD ads and especially the Malware thing (is must be a virus-installer or something because it keeps coming back) are very invasive and very insulting and make PA no fun to come to. I'll gladly sit back with a google ad thing at the top or bottom of the screen, just no pop-ups or audio ads.
Back to Top
Man Overboard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 07 2007 at 23:57
Originally posted by Easy Livin Easy Livin wrote:

Looks like you missed this thread MO:
 
M@x is dealing with it.


I didn't bother checking for other threads, I was under the assumption that other threads on this subject would be locked.
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2007 at 17:00
Looks like you missed this thread MO:
 
M@x is dealing with it.
Back to Top
Man Overboard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2007 at 16:27
Originally posted by MonkeyphoneAlex MonkeyphoneAlex wrote:

Originally posted by Man Overboard Man Overboard wrote:


If the ads were reasonable and non-intrusive/destructive, would it really hurt to let them through, rather than having your cake and eating it too by blocking them? 


As I've stated previously in this thread, I have no problem with a few visual ads to help pay for the site.  It is, however, EXTREMELY irritating to have the ads make noise/speak every time I refresh the page, especially since I have music playing on my computer 90 percent of the time I spend on this site.


Agreed.

I'm also quite against this new ad that crashes my Firefox with its attempt to install "anti-spyware software".  The site that ProgArchives forcefully directs you to is classified by Google as "harmful to computers".  Christ.
Back to Top
MonkeyphoneAlex View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: September 27 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 234
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2007 at 23:08
Originally posted by Man Overboard Man Overboard wrote:


If the ads were reasonable and non-intrusive/destructive, would it really hurt to let them through, rather than having your cake and eating it too by blocking them? 


As I've stated previously in this thread, I have no problem with a few visual ads to help pay for the site.  It is, however, EXTREMELY irritating to have the ads make noise/speak every time I refresh the page, especially since I have music playing on my computer 90 percent of the time I spend on this site.
"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."
-FZ
Back to Top
ghost_of_morphy View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2755
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 29 2007 at 02:41
I'm all for the site making money.  I find very few of the ads really detract from the experience of the site.  My only real objection is to the sound in the various Ipod ads.  Someone would make me very happy indeed if we could get rid of those.   As for the rest, I see no reason to complain.
Back to Top
mosni lamf View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie


Joined: May 04 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 50
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 28 2007 at 17:01
I have an ad-blocker and I still get many ads, including the one that Peter refered to. Of all the web pages that I regularly visit, PA is I think the most intrusive in terms of ads.
 
I don't want to sound arrogant, I know I'm not an active poster, but I've been visiting the site for a long time, and I can say that my visits have become much much rarer lately. I cannot bother to go through such a flurry of ads. When I click on a page that links to a presentation of a band or an artist, and I see on average 5 to 7 frames containing ads, even if they're not intrusive in the usual sense of the term, I feel insulted, and I think it's an insult for the artist too (or at least very disminishing of his work).
 
For me, the ads soil the credibility and the independance of the site as a resource for musical artists. The forum has like 16,254 registered members who could potentially contribute financially, plus many unregistered visitors. Would it really be unthinkable to start maintaining it from voluntary contributions only?


Edited by mosni lamf - November 28 2007 at 17:05
-Hitler was a vegetarian.
-Bring me coffee or tea.
-Why don't you eat carrots?
-Eat that question.
Back to Top
Man Erg View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: August 26 2004
Location: Isle of Lucy
Status: Offline
Points: 7456
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 26 2007 at 04:48
Well,I can't be sure but, On Saturday,my PC acquired a 'worm' virus and I had to go out a buy a new hard drive and new security software.This happened when I have Ad Block and Pop up Blocker!

The only site that I had been on so far that day was PAs.

What happened was,and I'm not blaming PAS for this occurence,was when I was about to click the scroll bar a pop up advertising smiley emoticons appeared out of nowhere and would not go away.I then re-booted my PC and an alert came up saying that I had a major security / spyware problem.

I reported this to my IP who told be to do a search and restore data which I had already done.None of my security systems could find the 'bug' so I have spent the past 36 hours un-installing and re-installing everything on my PC and backing everything up to my hard seperate drive!

Edited by Man Erg - November 26 2007 at 04:55

Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb.
Back to Top
Man Overboard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 26 2007 at 04:28
Look...  my tone might be harsh and weary, but it's only because I've got the best interests of the site at heart, and I want to see this problem solved.  It hurts a bit to be given such an insult as to be completely ignored and to have the proposal mistaken for a common complaint...  Ouch

There is a cause and effect relationship to blocking ads.  The more they're blocked, the more have to be unloaded to compensate for the users who use bandwidth but do not see the ads.  The more they compensate, the worse the ads get, as anyone who's been here for over a year has probably seen. 

I'm not asking for the world here.  Only that people step back for a moment, examine the problem at its roots, and try to come out with a solution that will make the users and the administrators both happy.  I've outlined a -possible- solution to this in the thread I linked above.  Perhaps this can be a starting point to bring the advert situation back down to a reasonable level, like many other self-sufficient sites with a similar userbase.  Or if the idea is completely out of the question, maybe it can at least be an inspiration to show that it -is- fixable, and that it should be.  I'm sure that no one -really- like being bombarded with ads.

If the ads were reasonable and non-intrusive/destructive, would it really hurt to let them through, rather than having your cake and eating it too by blocking them?  I don't want to see ProgArchives vanish, either in a muddled haze of spyware -or- from a lack of server funding.  I've been here far too long and have far too much attachment to ever leave, even if at times it's exactly what I feel like doing.  Tongue


Edited by Man Overboard - November 26 2007 at 04:30
Back to Top
Man Overboard View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 26 2007 at 03:28
I came up with a reasonable solution to the problem in this thread.  No one knows how to read paragraphs consisting of more than 4 sentences, however, and it was locked, so I'm sure it doesn't matter.  But if you want a -serious- solution to the problem, try reading it.
Back to Top
Easy Livin View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 23 2007 at 17:12
M@x is continuing to listen to the feedback about the e-bay ads. He has updated them to be more region specific, and therefore more relevant for European members.
 
Interestingly, M@x says there has been a good response to those ads in terms of people clicking through on them.
Back to Top
KoS View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 17 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Status: Offline
Points: 16310
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2007 at 00:35
Yes, they promise rock-solid abs in less than six weeks!
All with the low price of 4, count 'em 4 E-Z payments of $29.99, S&H not included.
Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 31 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9669
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2007 at 00:24
Originally posted by king of Siam king of Siam wrote:

You people still don't know of AdBlock?

ShockedThere are PEOPLE here now? I thought we just had progholes! Embarrassed
 
 
 
Vast ist this AbBlock you speak of, mein King of Spam? Some kind of exercise regime?Confused
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
Back to Top
KoS View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: May 17 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Status: Offline
Points: 16310
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2007 at 00:05
You people still don't know of AdBlock?

Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 31 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9669
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2007 at 23:53
Originally posted by Poser Poser wrote:

Find An Asian Wife
Chinese women seek men for love and marriage.
 
LOL Ha! For that charming, oh-so-romantic little exercise in duplicity and Internet scamming, read: "Desperate Chinese women and the evil snakehead gangs who prey upon them seek lonely, gullible Western suckers for hasty marriage, emigration to a free country, and expensive divorce."
 
Men significantly outnumber women in good ol' one-child-only, girl-baby-aborting China -- as if Chinese women can't find husbands there! Stern%20Smile
 
Don't say I didn't warn ya, ya buncha proghole horndogs! Wink
 
 
 
 


Edited by Peter - November 20 2007 at 00:02
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
Back to Top
Peter View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: January 31 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9669
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2007 at 08:09
Originally posted by Poser Poser wrote:

Find An Asian Wife
Chinese women seek men for love and marriage. Join today for free.
www.chnlove.com

Is this one of the insulting ones? I don't get it...
The google Ads always brighten my day...especially the one that says "Respiratory Therapy Prog". I want some!
Well, I think that one could be seen as demeaning, at least, but it was an invitation to "pimp your profile" that originally raised my ire.
(See my first post.)
 
The main issue, though, is pop ups that cover the screen, and take time to get rid of. The main offender in that regard (Monster.ca) is still here.Thumbs%20Down
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
Back to Top
Poser View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 31 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 121
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2007 at 21:11
Find An Asian Wife
Chinese women seek men for love and marriage. Join today for free.
www.chnlove.com

Is this one of the insulting ones? I don't get it...
The google Ads always brighten my day...especially the one that says "Respiratory Therapy Prog". I want some!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.374 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.