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Popups/ redirects
 

[Closed] Popups/ redirects

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Cougar - the redirects are completely ruinous. They come up almost every time you open a post on android, often with an audio announcement and won't let you go back with a single click. They come up when you try to submit a post, so you then lose your post. They are really awful. I haven't used the site properly on my phone for a few weeks now.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:47 pm
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Speaking as a forum user and not playing the “STW apologist” card here, I genuinely don’t know what all the fuss is about.  It’s mildly irritating sure, and if it were down to me I’d only have it appear when there was new news (cos that’s it’s purpose, to announce new things), but it’s way less irritating than just about every other commercial website on the planet.

Well it's suggesting I buy something or click something - it's an advert. If it's there to tell us there is new news then it's just replicating the stuff to the right, or below or on the front page.

It would be mildly irritating if I could get rid of it easily, the speed varies on mobile and if you miss it your waiting for the next one as the implementation covers stuff up. Like many users I have a number of devices, that means I get the same add as I swap between them, whats that I read it and didn't care once, or wasn't bothered when the news story was in the side bar or below or on the home page? Guess I will be bothered to click it now...

Also successful advertising is targeted, it sends you things you are likely to want or need so maybe Mark needs to think about what mag subscribers need - it's not another magazine.

We all get the need to monitise the site and to extract as much as they can to fund the whole thing - that is why some of us just stump up the cash up front. The warning signs are there though you can have the best ways to get ad revenue, click throughs and page hits but if traffic is down then more ads aint the answer.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:47 pm
Posts: 21016
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Every time there’s any change there’s outrage because it’s slightly different, and there have been plenty of things tried and removed over the years (remember the short-lived inline hotlinking, for instance?).

To be fair, things have been complained about and things have been changed because of that. So that's a positive.

People will always complain about change. It cannot be otherwise.

But....and I'm genuinely trying to be constructive, pushing the (excellent) content to people who have already paid to read it really, genuinely annoys them. And you can't change that either.

I've no problem with pushing stuff that is genuinely new to me, if it's not relentles and overbearing.

How about the extra 'P' content (including access to back issues etc) displayed on the right sidebar? It would provide easy access to the stuff I pay for and enjoy. I'd use the features more than I do, so everyone's a winner.

Through The Grinder - people like long term reviews and the format suits the website - push that somewhere.

And a gallery of all Clover's watercolours would be nice too.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:50 pm
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From what I can gather there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes into trying new things, to see what works and what doesn’t.

Well, I can tell you one thing: copy/pasting the dictionary definition of "advert" certainly doesn't work. So perhaps they could try fixing copy/paste.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> I think a few people might have raised this before.</span>

EDIT: They might even fix the underline button. Again, I think it's been mentioned.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:51 pm
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Posted : 16/04/2018 12:52 pm
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why is the right bar on the left covering the forum?


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:54 pm
Posts: 36
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My sub isnt due to renew until Sept, but I switch off auto renew for now.

STW have got until then to sort this mess out before I consider turning it back on again.

It’s mildly irritating sure, and if it were down to me I’d only have it appear when there was new news

It's "mildly" irritating because:

1) I dont need "new news" shouting at me. I can even manage to find the homepage all on my lil'ol lonesome. Why do grownups need to be treated like morons?

2) If I tell the slide to * off, I mean * off. Not "only kidding, you can come back again on my other devices later today. And again tomorrow, I really want to read the SAME words all the time, every day."

3) it's symptomatic of the slapdash change implementation and bug handling over the last month or so. So little (anything?) that has been "tried" out on us as guinea pigs has genuinely had user experience improvements as the core aim Im getting pretty pissed with the relentless disregard for the user base. Some of whom, ahem, have been here since twas all green fields and certainly like to think have contributed cash and content over the years to be taken a little bit more seriously than unpaid alpha testers.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:55 pm
 Drac
Posts: 50615
 

why is the right bar on the left covering the forum?

Probably due to coding appearing in Junkyard’s post, sorry Junkyard I’ll have to delete it.


 
Posted : 16/04/2018 12:57 pm
Posts: 0
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why is the right bar on the left covering the forum?

Because I had the temerity to copy/past from another webpage, or at least I think I'm responsible for this:

<ul class="forums bbp-replies">
<li style="list-style-type: none">
<ul class="forums bbp-replies">
<li class="bbp-body">
<div class="st-topic-reply ">
<div class="loop-item-44 user-id-284 bbp-parent-forum-180317 bbp-parent-topic-9888939 bbp-reply-position-360 odd post-9944668 reply type-reply status-publish hentry">
<div class="bbp-reply-content">

<header class=”main-header oneClick-disabled cts-disabled head-medium”>
<div class=”waypoint-wrapper header-row header-first-row” data-href=”source-luna”>
<h1 class=”head-entry”><span class=”me” data-syllable=”ad·ver·tise·ment”><span class=”js-headword”><span class=”syllable”>ad</span><span class=”syllable”>ver</span><span class=”syllable”>tise</span><span class=”last-syllable”>ment</span></span></span></h1>
<div class=”audio-wrapper cts-disabled”>
<div class=”speaker”></div>
</div>
<h3 class=”head-entry-variants”><span class=”dbox-roman”>or </span><span class=”dbox-bold” data-syllable=”ad·ver·tize·ment”>advertizement</span></h3>
</div>
<div class=”header-row header-extras pronounce pronset”>
<div><span class=”pron spellpron”>[ad-ver-<span class=”dbox-bold”>tahyz</span>-m<span class=”dbox-italic”>uh</span> nt, ad-<span class=”dbox-bold”>vur</span>-tis-m<span class=”dbox-italic”>uh</span> nt, -tiz-] </span></div>
<div><button class=”prontoggle pronounce-button pronounce-Spell-button”>Spell</button> <button class=”syllable-button syllable-button-off” data-header=”1″>Syllables</button></div>
</div>
<div class=”header-row”>
<ul class=”headword-bar-list”>

</div>
</div>
</div>

  • Word Origin
  • </div>
    </header>
    <div class=”deep-link-synonyms”>See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com</div>
    <div class=”source-data”>
    <div class=”def-list”><section class=”def-pbk ce-spot” data-collapse-expand=”{"target": ".def-set", "type": "def"}”><header class=”luna-data-header”><span class=”dbox-pg”><span class=”oneClick-link”>noun</span></span></header>
    <div class=”def-set”><span class=”def-number”><span class=”oneClick-link”>1. </span></span><span class=”oneClick-link”>a</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>paid</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>announcement,</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>as</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>of</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>goods</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>for</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>sale,</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>in</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>newspapers</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>or </span><span class=”oneClick-link”>magazines,</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>on</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>radio</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>or</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>television,</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>etc.</span></div>
    <div class=”def-set”><span class=”def-number”><span class=”oneClick-link”>2. </span></span><span class=”oneClick-link”>a</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>public</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>notice,</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>especially</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>in</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>print.</span></div>
    <div class=”def-set”><span class=”def-number”><span class=”oneClick-link”>3. </span></span><span class=”oneClick-link”>the</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>action</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>of</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>making</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>generally</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>known;</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>a</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>calling</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>to</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>the</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>attention</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>of</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>the </span><span class=”oneClick-link”>public:</span>
    <div class=”def-content”>
    <div class=”def-block def-inline-example”><span class=”dbox-example”><span class=”oneClick-link”>The</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>news</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>of</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>this</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>event</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>will</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>receive</span> <span class=”oneClick-link”>wide</span> <span class=”oneClick-link oneClick-available”>advertisement.</span></span></div>
    </div>
    </div>
    </section></div>
    </div>

    Needless to say, the page I copied from didn't look like that


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 12:57 pm
    Posts: 7630
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    Probably due to coding appearing in Junkyard’s post, sorry Junkyard I’ll have to [s]delete it.[/s] actually fix the bloody problem and leave your post as it is.

    That'd be the correct answer, you can delete posts to fix things in the beta forum. Oh, wait...


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:07 pm
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    Chatting to my mates  out on a ride yesterday,  most were saying either they don't come here any more, or very rarely due to this popup/redirects issue. It's taken me three attempts to post this because of all the new phones I keep winning. This has been going on for months now and isn't getting sorted.


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:13 pm
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    That’d be the correct answer, you can delete posts to fix things in the beta forum. Oh, wait…

    Don't worry, they'll have a slide down advert/not advert that nobody asked for tomorrow instead 🙄


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:16 pm
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    Changes and improvements are great - if they are improvements. The issue is that the existing stuff isn't working properly so adding changes just makes things worse.


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:19 pm
     DezB
    Posts: 54367
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    The slider isn’t an advert. 

    Oh yes it bloody is. Hence Adblock blocking the Advert.


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:27 pm
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    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:27 pm
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    You shouldn’t be seeing adverts if you’re logged in as a premier subscriber (and “no ads” is now the default setting unless you change it).  Something’s wrong if so.

    That would be true if i stayed logged in but i still have to log in nearly every time i visit, by which time all the pop ups have been blocked


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 1:59 pm
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    by which time all the pop ups have been blocked
    - almost doesn't make it worth logging in as if everything is blocked you can get on with reading the content...saves time and gets more read (in the same amount of time)...


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 8:21 pm
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    Ah, I think you have given us the answer to why DuckDuckGo is working for you.  It’s not the search engine but rather the fact that you are using an app with a blocker built in.  That makes much more sense that just the search engine

    Thing is, I’ve been using DuckDuckGo within Safari for the last year or so, and I don’t get all the other issues either, as I explained further back, the only difference in the appearance of the site is that I get a couple more ads showing within posts! That’s it, I’m still using the app, because I’ve found it easier to have just the one page open in DuckDuckGo then I can search for stuff in Safari and come straight back, instead of searching among a bunch of open pages. It’ll be interesting to see how long it is before I get asked to log back in, that happens maybe once, possibly twice a week using DuckDuckGo through Safari.

    I ask again, why don’t those who are most vocal about what’s happening to the forum install the DuckDuckGo app from the Play Store and try it, or go into the browser and change the default search from Google to DuckDuckGo; or won’t Google allow the default search to be changed? If not, just use the app!

    Oh, and I’m not a Premier user, or subscriber, so neither are of any consequence.


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 9:26 pm
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    Briefly tried to use the mobile site on Android Chrome this evening. Kept logging me out, hitting the 'log in' link just refreshed the main forum menu page and used that opportunity to serve me another few adverts. Chrome blocked a few pop-ups as well in that time.

    I do wonder if the claimed increase in page impressions is just people trying the same action a few times, closing and reopening the site when it crashes, then giving up, as I did.

    Obviously, it still can't cope with the Android keyboard I use successfully everywhere else, but that's to be expected.

    PS Oh, and Chrome crashed a few times and needed restarting while on STW. Which I can't say is definitively an STW issue, but who knows?


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 9:41 pm
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    Are you on comission from duckduckgoose or something countzero.

    It doesn't solve the issue of why it's not working on a very common combination of os and browser .

    It's nothing more than a sticking plaster and frankly laughable but I wait for the sticky at the top telling all android chrome users to use it as it's easier than fixing the issue.....

    Fyi I have not had any more pop up interruptions since I changed the pop up permissions and delete the one stw gave it's self ......

    I still get 10000000 pop ups blocked every now and again though


     
    Posted : 16/04/2018 10:16 pm
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    Came here to whinge about popups and redirects. Took 4 attempts to access thread...


     
    Posted : 17/04/2018 7:21 am
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    But guuuuuuuuuuuuuuys, they've TWO IT people working on this. And they did such a good job someone sent them beers!

    I've no idea where they got these guys from or what their qualifications or background are, but this is an object lesson in how not to implement changes. I'd expect to get fired for causing all these problems.
    But I've heard of testing, so I doubt I'd be in this position.


     
    Posted : 17/04/2018 7:38 am
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    The lad who emailed me had the same surname as Mark .

    Could explain how he got the job


     
    Posted : 17/04/2018 9:00 am
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    And there was me thinking it was sorted as I'd not had any for a while.

    Well, cleared all my cookies to allow log in and then this comes on whilst trying to look at the leyzeyne tools on the front page.

    It was a good cycling communty website that's gone down the drain, despite clouds.

    http://samsung-prize-giveaway.today/lp/5268c20b-7313-4334-81d6-4fa22007ebf2/?brand=Motorola&fid=2618&code=GB&os=Android&clk=347618403&uid=2&ip=213.205.242.76&parm3=pubmatic_bidder_EU&aclid=&parm4=29661645&model=G+%285%29&city=London&country=United+Kingdom&cid=515&pid=79&language=en&parm5=singletrackworld.com&parm1=campaign&isp=EE+Mobile&parm2=0


     
    Posted : 26/04/2018 3:25 pm
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    Back again.


     
    Posted : 06/05/2018 9:43 pm
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    Hopefully this is in the right place? Redirects are back, going to a (sound on) page saying "critical microsoft errors". Yesterday's redirect URL appears to have been taken down ( http://poorsubluxation.bid/189/8-040e54ec5e930fdc3f39b021048dc20/); I didn't copy today's one before closing the window.


     
    Posted : 15/05/2018 3:30 pm
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    Aha, found it. It went to  https://d10aw5pwt5bzpe.cloudfront.net/; no idea what ad it came from of course 🙁


     
    Posted : 15/05/2018 3:38 pm
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    Last night on a 6s iPhone


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:11 pm
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    As per johndoh, same phone, same browser, same popups.

    RM.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:17 pm
     Drac
    Posts: 50615
     

    Cheers guys.

    Chrome version with which iOS?

    i’ll try testing on my devices.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:29 pm
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    Version 11.3.1


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:45 pm
     Drac
    Posts: 50615
     

    Cheers.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:48 pm
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    Chrome version with which iOS?

    Same iOS as above - Chrome is v66.0.3359.122.

    If it helps; last week they seemed to be getting blocked by the popup filter, but now no popups - just redirects.

    RM.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:53 pm
     Drac
    Posts: 50615
     

    Can’t trigger anything on my iPad I’ll try my mobile when it’s updated.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 12:56 pm
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    Drac - some additional info if it helps:

    For me as a non-P, it doesn't seem to matter if I'm logged in or not - but it does seem to be intermittent. For example earlier Page 2 of the 'Jordan Peterson on Chris Evans' was redirecting every time I loaded it earlier - now it isn't. For me anyways.

    RM.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 1:11 pm
     Drac
    Posts: 50615
     

    Ta.

    Gives me somewhere to try and trigger it, I’ll have to try logged out a my P will block any potential Ads that may cause this.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 1:17 pm
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    Getting redirects to a face Windows defender page on Chrome running in Windows 10. Only had Android redirects previously.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 2:06 pm
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    <div class="bbp-reply-author">nicko74
    <div class="bbp-author-role">
    <div class="">Member</div>
    </div>
    </div>

    <div class="bbp-reply-content">

    Hopefully this is in the right place? Redirects are back, going to a (sound on) page saying “critical microsoft errors”. Yesterday’s redirect URL appears to have been taken down ( http://poorsubluxation.bid/189/8-040e54ec5e930fdc3f39b021048dc20/ ); I didn’t copy today’s one before closing the window.

    </div>
    Also getting this last few days on w10 pc with Firefox


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 2:29 pm
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    Sorry, I should have said - this is on W10 with Chrome x64.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 2:39 pm
     Drac
    Posts: 50615
     

    Cheers folks.


     
    Posted : 17/05/2018 2:42 pm
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    Ok was thinking what all the moaning has been about but last night got booted off the site on a redirect (windows phone) and today on android. The back button doesn't work so you have to close the tab!?

    Wouldn't mind if when loggrd in i stayed logged in but after half an hour you get kicked out (eg log in before dinner then afterwards need to log in again).


     
    Posted : 18/05/2018 7:11 am
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    http://safety.microsoft.com.xonxncyhms.cc9yuw6e6yw0prcgtfw3g.trade/ow/en/index.php

    ARRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


     
    Posted : 18/05/2018 12:21 pm
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    Got redirected with the "Virus Warning" one last night. Stupidly followed the download, then after a couple of second realised that it was a scam and whipped the battery out. Scanned it afterwards and got a clean bill of health.

    Really not impressed. I was just warming to the idea of coming back too after the last series of **** ups.


     
    Posted : 18/05/2018 1:56 pm
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    Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the forum...

    The "National Consumer Center(sic)" spammy pop ups are back.


     
    Posted : 10/07/2018 4:56 pm
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    Getting loads of these this morning...

    Popup


     
    Posted : 25/08/2018 9:07 am
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