[Closed] What's going on with STW and all the ads?

Is it just me that this happens to but I am a premier subscriber and keep getting logged out

and now i want pizza and i've just had breakfast. that's not a good start to the day

gofasterstripes - Member
Sorry I'm late to this one.

Anyone banned yet?

I've considered it, but for some reason the subject matter doesn't bother me anymore.

I have zero issues with them, the layout works perfectly well on a touch-screen device, a double-tap in the main discussion/threads section zooms in and the ads disappear off the sides. Rotate into landscape, it expands to fill the extra real-estate.
What's so bad about that? Works fine for me,

I was watching a film last night on TV then all of a sudden this ad appeared on the screen, making noise and ranting on about stuff I didn't want then another one and more, it just kept happening all the way through the film...

Which design agency do you work for, BTW? Just curious about your graphics/design background.

Yeah I'm not sure I get your logic there.

I understand the need for adverts and I've no issue with them, never have. The banner I understand is there for a purpose but it's pointless if only half the banner (hence half the text) is visible without zooming out (this is on a PC). On my ipad the banners are barely 3mm wide so utterly pointless (not that I'm complaining about that).

I don't need to work in graphic design to realise the banners and some ads are not working as intended.

Incidentally the banners are gone today and now I have a grey background usually only available to subscribers. Now I am tempted to subscribe!

I do wonder if STW could go for product placement opportunities like they do in films?

Members could have companies bid to have their logo associated with every post they make.

Any suggestions for good member/company combo's?

It hasn't bothered me up to now except that when STW was first published the mag's stated philosophy was to have as little advertising as possible. However the middle section of the web page is enough for reading posts.

What IS bothering me is that in the last few days a new kind of ad has started appearing that scrolls down like a curtain and takes over the whole screen, looking worryingly like a malware attack.

Thought I better respond as the OP.

Before posting the thread I did scan the first couple of pages for a similar thread but couldn't see one.

For the record I think the site design is good. Infact, the ease of navigation to the parts I'm interested in are the reason I no longer spend time on PB or BR.

I see no need for the mag banners though. It's well publisied on the site without taking up a third of the page, every page. Having the banners is more likely to stop me using the site then sign up for the mag.

As for the other ads, I think the main problem is that they are getting fancier and there's loads of different ones all doing their own thing. It slows my laptop so much it's hardly worth logging on. Also, after the banner and ads there's very little screen room left for actual forum threads.

The site was crashing IE9 at work. However having opted out of every possible thing in google and AOL it all seems well

As most others have said and I'm sure it no longer bears repeating, no problem with ads but they were making the site unuseable.

Reading this thread:

Load page 1 and as I'm halfway through reading the first few posts a National Lottery Ad takes over the whole screen and I have to close the browser to get rid of it (X thing didn't work). Try again and get the same Ad but it clears this time. Go to page 2 and after 30 seconds or so I get a silver-grey Ad that makes no sense to me, clear that and the Lottery one re-appears!

Bloody frustrating but not as bad as my incredibly slow connection. Building next door gets fibre, I get 0.8meg on a good day. Not bad for the middle of Cardiff 🙁

Still better than BikeRadar though 😆

Cycle Chat doesn't have ads but it's not as funny as STW. I only go to CC for sensible discussion.

Those who are getting the page takeover ads... like BBC and Lottery ads... where are you? ie. What country?

Also, the ads are restricted based on cookies. If you have a no follow option set on your browser, disabled cookies or are using an incognito browser then the caps won't work properly and you will get more ads.

I'm still looking for the source of those screen takeover ads.

I was just browsing this thread without logging in and a whole page advert for "I survived a Zombie Apocalypse" appeared. I'm in Glasgow at the moment and need no reminders that the Apocalypse is ongoing! 😯

[img] [/img]

That's in the UK Mark (I had to go Incognito to get it). Seems to pop up at some point after page refresh.

Cheers for that.

I 'think' I may have found it. Coming from a network called Tribalfusion.
I've blocked the BBC on that network now... which I never expected I'd ever be doing... and also spotted that floating ads were allowed by default on that network - normally that's not the case. Anyway.. box ticked now and we shall see what happens.
Keep reporting them on this thread please and I'll do my best.

I forgot to add that I also suffer from those whole page adverts. I'm in the UK, North Yorks.

Mark - Resident Grumpy
Those who are getting the page takeover ads... like BBC and Lottery ads... where are you? ie. What country?

SE England

In addition to This yesterday

sands - Member
In the last few of days I’ve had a couple of full-screen adverts – Age UK and Volvo cars – only happens when I’ve been viewing STW.

This morning, I’ve just had full-screen BBC3 advertising Zombie Apocalypse and National lottery with a background of diamonds.

Today (just after midnight) had Volvo again and some Army click-the-video ad.

However, nothing else since.

HTH

[quote=Mark ]Cheers for that.
I 'think' I may have found it. Coming from a network called Tribalfusion.
I've blocked the BBC on that network now...Don't we pay a license fee to avoid that sort of thing 😉

Today (just after midnight) had Volvo again and some Army click-the-video ad.

Volvo for sale.

This is the third page I've visited since logging on 5 minutes ago - a 'take-over' ad has appeared on every page, takes about 20 seconds to load and locks up my browser when I try to close it.

Tried to help someone on another thread but wondering why I bother. I'm out of here until this forum becomes useable again.

G 👿

Manchester and I've had the Volvo full-page three times in two days as well as another I can't remember.

😆

*this* is how you do targeted advertising.

Content and advert in perfect harmony;

[img] [/img]

Excelling there!

*chortles*

These adverts get ever more devious. Now having to play "find the log in link" 😡
[img] [/img]

Yeah, I had the same this morning. When I was logged-out....again.

Whats happening with the Honda Advert. Admittedly my work browser is poor and out of date and not my own choice, IE9, but the site redirects to an add that takes over the page I cannot close?