Yep site unusable!
Just been redirected off to http://popserve.adscpm.net/adsxml.php?uid=16&wid=3600&sbid=1&width=320&height=568&bw=980&bh=1377 whilst going from this thread to the main page.
Also got directed off to booking.com earlier through accessing this thread.
iPhone 6s running latest version of IOS11 and browsing using Safari. Home WiFi network.
Edit - and sent off here https://lp.gclexperts.com/newg_lp//GCLE/United_States_Opportunity?utm_lang=en&af=gcl_2531_1301619-1993967606-0&utm_clickid=15079984791367833122183329013688740&acsc=86204300 whilst posting this!
Perhaps Singletrack needs some quick cash to fund an autumn adventure to somewhere warm and sunny or they have an overdue bill to pay. I take it these dodgy ads pay them more money? They must do otherwise surely to **** it doesn't take six months plus to sort out this issue?
Getting it massively on my android phone too. Chromebook is fine so far.
I'd make a suggestion but got a warning the other day when I did.....
Same for me ad (pun!) well.
Good news though, I’ve just bought an iphone 6 for £10!!!!!
Constant redirects here (several whilst posting this!) including a voyeurs' camera streaming site and something to do with Russian Ladies; thank goodness my Wife wasn't in the room. My browsing history is suddenly going to look interesting!
Seriously though, it's getting silly.
Just updated software on IPhone 6s to latest version, still getting the redirect pop ups...
Looks like it’s just embedded into the site’s links. Sure they’re aware of it now and working on it..... confirmed only happening on WiFi connections... updating IOS wouldn’t make any difference at all
Sexy Bath Time . COM redirects this morning.
Can't possibly have anything to do with my search history, can it?
Only over wifi. Couldn't afford that much fun on my data plan.
Surely it can’t be that bad.
*reloads page without content blocker*
*waits 2 seconds*
Oh.
[img] 
[/img]
Yep - painful tonight- redirected all over the place.
It's probably only affecting mobile browsers. I'll just use the laptop and it'll be just fi....
[url= https://i.imgur.com/c7bgqxV.jp g" target="_blank">
https://i.imgur.com/c7bgqxV.jp g"/> [/img]
[/url]
Ok. Maybe not.
Amusingly, STW is now the riskiest site I visit.
Using a Mac and....no problem.
Android phone.....no problem.
interestingly I thought I would try browsing on my phone for a bit. NO issues ( I have had the redirects on the phone in the past) and no issues on my desktop but that has all the software we are not allowed to mention on it
Using a Mac and....no problem.
Android phone.....no problem.
I wonder why that could be.
STW - this forum/website/software/whateverthe**** makes this place work is ****ed and has been for nearly a week. You don't need screenshots - every man and his dog is complaining and I'm guessing site traffic is massively down because the forum is unuseable. The Landrover forum I spend equal time on is never borked like this place is.
Edited to add.
Content blocker app installed - still redirecting all over the place. I'm off counting rivets on the Landrover forum, let me know when this place is useable again. Ta ra.
ou don't need screenshots - every man and his dog is complaining and I'm guessing site traffic is massively down because the forum is unuseable. The Landrover forum I spend equal time on is never borked like this place is.
When you are trying to fix something, some idea of what is going on is what you need, somewhere something has gone wrong, they need some help to narrow down the search for what that is so they can look in the right direction.
tomhoward - MemberYou're the only person who hasn't already...
That's why he still wants to. 😆
I had the redirect thing last night on my android.... Didn't think to log in! Doh!
Mike Smith earlier:
Thanks Jamie....
Just one of the side effects of having to deal with tech support
If I wanted to read https://lecity.org/blogs/news/amber-lounge-monaco-teams-up-with-british-fashion-designer-safiyaa-to-kick-off-2017-monaco-grand-prix-weekend I would look up the blog myself.
I'm not a blog reader.
... I'd rather not have it auto-load (and then try and stop me going back to STW) while I'm trying to read a thread in STW! 👿
On my PC, not mobile/tablet, in this instance.
Edit: And I go back to thread I was reading and get greeted by http://movie.ienjoyapps.com/wim/lp/lp34/index_29.php?id=2 taking over the screen! Getting tired of this, might impose my own curfew on STW at this rate.
Edit2: Third takeovers of my browser window in three attempt to read threads, this time https://plarium.com/landings/en/throne/cave_view_f002r_a?plid=113737&pxl=exoclick&clickId=MjA2NDkyMHx8R0JSfHwxNzQ3MTExMnx8fDI3NTY5MTh8ODEuMTU5LjUyLjE1Nnw1MTF8fDM3ODU2Mnw0MXwyfDQwfDB8MHx8fHwxfHw1OWUyNzA0MTQ5Yzk5NS41NTMwMzkzMjQyMjQwNDQ5NTR8ODg0fHwxfDB8cG9wY2FzaC5uZXR8MHwwfDB8MXwwfDB8MHwwfDYyNjkxMzF8MHwyNjM3NDg3fDQwZTllNmM1OGQ0Mzk4ODYxNzhmOTEwNzI3Yzk5Mzkz&publisherId=2756918
Edit3: I click STW forum "overview" to be greeted with http://goto.vivastreet.co.uk/escorts/?utm_source=Adnium&utm_medium=popup&utm_content=9768&utm_campaign=adnium_popup_9768_4553_20873 screen takeover! 😯
This is poor.
Think I'm done here for the day.
So I assume there is an ad engine being used and STW has little/less control over what the engine serves up (which will be client driven based on tracking cookies stored on each PC, so not everyone gets the same ads).
Is it possible to modify the ad engine to just disable any javascript in whatever it serves up? Prevents any actions occurring and leaves just static picture adverts. Or is there a more static ad engine available?
deadkenny - ages ago in a previous discussion with Mark on this he said the animated ads were the ones that got most clicks therefore the most revenue. He wouldn't accept the argument that a reduction in these would reduce the "arms war" in ads thus leading to more click thrus from static ads.
You have to remember the ads from the forum support the whole of stw.
On the bright side I'm not having any issues browsing on a Chromebook.
To be honest I think this forum software sucks.... if you want to see how a forum should work I'd take a look at thehulltruth .com
1000's of people on line and no issues while ads are served in a reasonable way.
Been getting them constant on the mobile this morning. Bloody annoying. Saying my phone is damaged. Chrome on a Samsung. Will not view this fourm on a mobile anymore incase they do compromise information.
if you are getting redirects and constant pop ups using the site then their ad-blocking rule should get tossed. If they can't provide a safe forum experience then its up to you to prevent your computer getting possible intrusions onto your machine.
Sorry folks I went out day yesterday.
I’m going to highlight this thread again, thanks for your patience and sorry for the issues it’s causing some of you.
As mentioned Screenshots helps to try and narrow it down, posting direct links to the sites people are being forwarded causes a risk of someone clicking them.
Just about unusable. Booking.com and Iphobe others
Point of posting the link was in case the full address gave some clue as to the origin. Agreed that this poses a risk of people clicking the link, but since STW seems happy to send us off there with no clicking necessary I'm not sure posting the links is any different.
(Post composed offline and pasted in in the split second before redirect)
but since STW seems happy to send us off there
🙄
Being a dimwit here but does having my P make my browsing safer?
Being a dimwit here but does having my P make my browsing safer?
Yes.
Only on STW, obvs.
Being a P - and choosing to switch ads off - means you're not getting the rogue ads sent to your browser.
It would also appear that the majority (on this thread) are using iOS too? I spent some time yesterday browsing on my Android phone without logging in and didn't get any problems.
Cheers Scotroutes.
A thought/test is to delete cookies. May have to delete them all which would be a pain having to log back in to a lot of sites, but it would flush out all the ad tracking cookies which may be influencing which ads are being served to you.
Ensuring Do Not Track is enabled may (or may not) help also. Though a lot of sites can ignore this request header, it in theory instructs sites to not add tracking cookies, which are then picked up by advert code to show relevant ads. Likely only works having flushed tracking cookies first.
It's not blocking adverts but could explain why some people get particular problematic ads more than others. It could be the type of sites you browse regularly also. Keep off the porn and dodgy download sites 😉
Only on STW, obvs.
Now you tell me 🙁
@deadkennedy
Doesn't make a difference. Private browsing session in Safari, which Safari stopped loading in this instance:
[img] 
[/img]
Only way to stop them is P, content blocker or not use the forum.
...although, purely anecdotally, it does seem Safari as a browser may be more susceptible.
Sorry, I've been away for most of yesterday, just got home.
Ensuring Do Not Track is enabled may (or may not) help also.
By all means try, but tread carefully here as it might do the opposite. My understanding is that on your first visit you get served the "quality" adverts, and should only see the lower quality ones once they've been exhausted (it's a little more complex than that, but that's the gist I think). If you block the tracking cookie, you're potentially breaking the algorithm which is responsible for prioritising what you see.
I could be talking out of the top of my head here. My point is, keep an eye on it if you're going to do that.
Android mobile for me (quickly typed before redirect
So I assume there is an ad engine being used and STW has little/less control over what the engine serves up (which will be client driven based on tracking cookies stored on each PC, so not everyone gets the same ads).
Yes. When I talked to the team about it earlier this year, I was told that they (then) currently used three advertising companies who deliver the ads. How much actual granular control they have over content I'm not sure. This is under constant review - I know STW have disabled entire engines in the past when this has happened previously.
And yet I'm not having that problem(when not logged in). I do wonder what other factors are influencing it. Can you browse ok if you're not logged in?myti - Member
Android mobile for me (quickly typed before redirect
Cougar - I've read previous explanations regarding ad engines but they don't explain why the problem is so prevalent on this particular site given that it's a common approach.
I suspect that a key underlying cause/enabler of this problem is a market where website advertising space buyers are able to get away without doing sufficient due diligence and their own active monitoring to weed out and block those who pay them to deliver ads containing malware etc. Presumably they can get away without doing this because their customer base, i.e. forum owners like STW, are numerous, fragmented and individually so small that they have fairly weak bargaining power.
I would have expected it to make sense for forum owners to talk to one another and form a trade body, to help each other both to identify the sources of problems like this, and also to give themselves more clout when dealing with those who buy the ad space from them (i.e. 'if you don't do more to stop delivering these ads/malware to our users, then we [STW, pistonheads, Mumsnet etc. etc. will collectively stop using you]')
If STW does not already talk to other forum and website owners, then it should start doing so.
Road.cc has similar problems currently [url= http://road.cc/content/news/230562-bad-ad-update-2-its-all-about-code ]and is now showing the code on its webpages to help users help them to identify the source[/url]. I found that link by looking on the [url= https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=24&t=1701241 ]Pistonheads website[/url], where, surprise surprise, they too evidently have similar problems.
Cougar - I've read previous explanations regarding ad engines but they don't explain why the problem is so prevalent on this particular site given that it's a common approach.
It's not just this site, STW is in no way unique here. There's a few factors at play though I think.
1) I'd imagine the most vocal contributors use this site more than they do other forums. Ipso facto, they're more likely to experience issues on here than they are elsewhere.
2) Relating to 1), the more often you use the site, the more likely it is that you'll churn through the 'good' adverts and start hitting the backfill.
3) STW is a commercial endeavour. The revenue from magazine sales, [P]remier subs, merchandising and yes, advertising has to pay for staff wages (and hopefully turn a small profit). You cannot compare the STW forum directly with somewhere which has to cover their bandwidth and hosting costs and not much else. It's a different 'business model' (for want of a better term) and so the advertising requirements will also differ greatly I'd have thought.
I would have expected it to make sense for forum owners to talk to one another and form a trade body,
Totally agree that a Forum Owners Society would be a cool thing. How viable that is in practice, I don't know.
