Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Braden Collins — Sat, 25 May 2013 03:39:10 GMT

I'm just going to add my two cents by backing Arlo on this. The ads are needed to keep the forum running. I've even clicked on some of the ads so they do work and occasionally I'll even learn something by doing so. I've never found the ads distracting.

We all complain when we are expected to give our services away for free, so I think it would be a bit hypocritical to block ads as this effectively means you are asking Arlo to give away his services for free.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:18:54 GMT

[quote user="Tom Waterworth"]however I would like to know if other people use adblocking software, and do they turn it off for certain websites?[/quote]

It's nothing personal to Arlo, but I run ad blocking software at home and at work. Not specifically for here, but for generally enhanced browsing.

I turned it off, but things looked so odd (I cannot stand moving adverts) that I have turned it back on.

I do a similar thing on TV, where I will Sky Plus programmes so I can zoom through adverts at X30.

My friendly computer wizzkid/nerd told me that when I get a new computer to download AVG, Anti-spywaer, Anti-malware and Add Blocker Plus. He sees peoples computers messed up everyday so I took his advice.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:45:43 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]Ooh, who are the guinea pigs? ;)[/quote]

Architects.

[/quote]

Just had a quick, unregistered look at their site, Inbuilding.org

Lol- made me smile- with forum discussions like

Front or Rear Extension?

and

How do we stop selling ourselves short?

I guess we're not that different eh? But our site looks much better!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

mariette asselbergs — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:21:24 GMT

Yes Arlo, no more problem. Many thanks!

(I posted this somewhere already but didn't seem to xcome through).

Mariette

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:59:58 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Martin? Marriette? Have I cured it?

[/quote] As in my reply to your PM its fixed on my computer.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Bob Russell — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:27:30 GMT

It is really easy to switch Adblocker off for a particular site. Left click and click'Don't run on pages on this domain'. It goes from red to green - easy!

Arlo is happy and ads get blocked everywhere else.

If you use anti-Adblocker software they will get round it sooner or later!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:37:21 GMT

You know, I'm really starting to feel sorry for the ad sales guy; every time this thing slips down, Arlo replies!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:12:07 GMT

[quote user="Tom Waterworth"]Arlo - please don't take my previous comment the wrong way - there was no maliciousness intended at all.

As I have understood in the past (and you have mentioned here), is that you are not "paid-per-click" for adverts, and you are paid for duration on the site and member visit statistics. It this is the case, then how does having people running ad-blocking software affect the revenue for this site? Does the revenue work as a referral fee based on duration on the advertisers' website?

I run adblocking software all the time for ALL websites. I could turn it off each time I visit this site and if I remember I will certainly endeavor to do so as I respect your desire to have an open community - however I would like to know if other people use adblocking software, and do they turn it off for certain websites?[/quote]

And I am sorry if I came down a bit hard on your post! I guess I'm a tad sensitive to things like ad-blocking software!

I believe (and I am not alone in this), that the value of advertising lies primarily in the exposure the brand gets, and NOT the number of people who click on a banner. After all, people don't click magazine adverts! People click on things that meet an immediate need or interest and clicks are just a measure of that.

With this in mind, we record the number of times banners are displayed on the site (page views), and report that to the client. Adblocking software prevents ads being displayed at all, so if everyone were to use it, our page views would drop, and we would have disappointed clients. So adblocking doesn't directly affect our revenue. But it certainly affects it indirectly.

Over the last few days, I've noticed that our ad software includes an option to enable something which is supposed to circumvent ad blockers. As with all of these things, it won't be foolproof, but I might try it out. It would save you having to switch your software on or off!

As to how many others are using it, the very high page views we record on the site suggest very few.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Niall Taylor — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:03:15 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]I have reinstated the Massey University's jet propelled dog advert (I rather like that one), and fingers crossed it is no longer overlaying the menus.[/quote]

Oh no!!!

Now the rocket propelled dog completely clashes with the Milennium Falcon back drop I use in firefox - I insist you change it immediately!

Niall

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:13:37 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"]and I found some useful information on the Felimazole site.[/quote]

Well stone the crows!

I think I have now found the problem with certain banners overlaying the top navigation, and I THINK I have may have fixed it.

I have reinstated the Massey University's jet propelled dog advert (I rather like that one), and fingers crossed it is no longer overlaying the menus.

Martin? Marriette? Have I cured it?

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Tom Waterworth — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:10:12 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Well, nice idea, but we don't actually sell the banners based on clicks, just duration on the site. And whilst it is fantastic for us to be able to report lots of clicks to our advertisers, so thanks for clicking, I would rather they were based on genuine interest rather than a round of applause for the site, so to speak. Maybe that's nuts, though, and it doesn't matter so much why people click, just that they have.

[/quote]

Arlo - please don't take my previous comment the wrong way - there was no maliciousness intended at all.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Thomas Johnson — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:55:52 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Meanwhile, back at HQ, the subject of this thread and its continued bumping up the list is giving our ad sales chap palpitations!

[/quote]

Don't worry! It keeps reminding me that I should click on the ads to support your website, and I found some useful information on the Felimazole site.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:10:41 GMT

Meanwhile, back at HQ, the subject of this thread and its continued bumping up the list is giving our ad sales chap palpitations!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:09:24 GMT

[quote user="Cat Henstridge"]In fact I bet the revenue goes up every time this discussion gets posted!)[/quote]

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Cat Henstridge — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:53:59 GMT

We've been here before. The adverts are how this site is funded, without them it wouldn't exist at all, so not only should we all be accepting their presence, we should all be clicking on them as a way of paying our way! (In fact I bet the revenue goes up every time this discussion gets posted!)

I use Safari on a Mac and Mozilla on a PC and have never had any problems at all! Ditto on an iPhone.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:37:56 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I use Google Chrome and the ads obstruct the toolbar drop-downs[/quote]

Which they absolutely categorically 100% should not do. Adverts should NEVER interfere with the functionality of the site.

I've got the source code files over this morning, and looking into why those adverts overlaid main menu items.

As one of the people affected, perhaps you can help me test it Martin!

(I'll send you a message when I think I have fixed it, upload it when you reply, then you can tell me if it is cured).

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:19:55 GMT

Having moaned about this before I've accepted that Arlo needs support from advertising but the Massey ad was even more irritating than the Drontal one. I use Google Chrome and the ads obstruct the toolbar drop-downs but as the community tool is the only one I regularly use found that even when the ads are obscuring the 'forums' tab clicking on the main 'community' tab still defaults to the forum.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:11:30 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]Ooh, who are the guinea pigs? ;)[/quote]

Architects.

[/quote]

The repressed comic in me was hoping you were going to say "lawyers"

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:29 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]Ooh, who are the guinea pigs? ;)[/quote]

Architects.

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:30:34 GMT

Ooh, who are the guinea pigs? ;) (the ads have never bothered me; I don't click them much but I do pay attention to what's being promoted!)

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:12:50 GMT

[quote user="Andrew Kent"]Arlo - could you make the forums appear as adverts to Ad blockers?[/quote]

Laughed out loud. Now THERE is an idea!

I bet it is technically possible. But behind the scenes, I am now investing a very large amount of money upgrading one of my other communities onto the very latest all-singing, all-dancing platform. I've briefed the developers that it needs to retain the same overall look and feel as VetSurgeon. Then, when we've thoroughly road-tested it with the other community, we can upgrade this site.

I'll ask whether they can add a bit of ad-blocking-blocking code whilst they are at it

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:35 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]I will even admit to clicking on some occasionally[/quote]

You make it sound like a furtive activity, like taking a magazine from the top shelf of a newsagent used to be

Seriously, thanks for the supportive post (and James)

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Andrew Kent — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:59:36 GMT

I have always found the ads on this site to be very sensitively placed and, as Gillian says, find the occasional one interesting/useful.

they are certainly a small price to pay for participating in the site. Arlo - could you make the forums appear as adverts to Ad blockers? Them if people use them they would block access to the good stuff as well as the ads?!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:19:13 GMT

Hear hear - they don't bother me at all and I will even admit to clicking on some occasionally....I find looking up marketing info on drugs and services online a lot easier and more time saving than on paper. I just bin pretty much all 'junk mail' that arrives at work without much of a glance- so am much more likely to be influenced by adverts on here than arriving via snail mail.

I am also aware that it is the adverts that enable this site....and long may it continue. I am a big fan of this site both for the knowledge I gain, its access to experts, and the fact that it that enables isolated vets (physically or mentally) to connect with others in a similar situation.

Keep up the good work Arlo........and the ads are fine!!!!!

Re: Extremely irritating adverts on this website!!!

James Laidlaw — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:32 GMT

I don't find the ads a problem. Using my brain, I can ignore them, rather than having to install blocking software. The only ad I remember on here is the spinning Yorkshire terrier head, but only because that caused an uproar! Carry on Arlo, the site is great and you do an excellent job running it.