Ad Shower: Is It Just My End?

[olkofri]

Well, came back to the site to-day to find the ads have taken over. I used to see them atop, at the bottom, and there's of course the sponsors-dedicated side bar to the left. That's not a problem. Unlike ads with naughty content or that try to sell me stuff I have no interest in, I don't mind those ads about pipes & toby.

But then, I started noticing big ads in the thread pages as well. Big 1286 x 220 pixel ad panels at the top and the bottom, where they had never been before. Not impressed, but ** sigh ** Okaaay.

But then, this ?is just way too much:



Ads between individual replies is not just overkill: it's extremely vexing! It breaks the visual and textual flow, and makes the site look cheap and greedy.

I totally understand that sponsors are key to the site's economy and existence and that they need visibility in order to recoup their not inexpensive investment. As a website owner myself, I know that running a website is not cheap. But, does it have to be taken to the extreme of making the forum look like a two-bit site like Reddit?

 

[cortezattic]

This in-house spamming better stop soon or I, for one, will be gone (not that anyone cares).

 

[olkofri]

It's making me antsy as hell. Like, I am literally anxious to click on topics to open a thread. I know it sounds ridiculous but the anticipation of vexation is even worse than the vexation itself.

I've played nice: I regularly click on the ads on the left side panel. I buy from sponsors like SPC and Al Pascia. But I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to click on or buy from any site whose ad appears within the forum area proper.

 

[alaskanpiper]

First I've seen it as well. I'd rather have the site with it, than not at all, but mid thread does seem a rather annoying prospect. If it's necessary for more funding I get it, but damn.

I remember when they started doing this on instagram I felt the same way, but now I'm used to it. However instagram has targeted ads, and I soon realized that as long as I kept clicking on only the ones that sold women's swimwear and such, they kept showing up. My ads are almost 100% half naked women now. There are worse things in the world.

 

[olkofri]

To top it off, now there're ads before the Quick Reply panel as well:



And when these blend in with the inline ads the result is worse than the TV where you get 1 minute of movie and 3 of commercials:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I must have some sort of ad blocker that I wasn't aware of. I just see a rectangle that says "PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor".

 

[olkofri]

I must have some sort of ad blocker that I wasn't aware of. I just see a rectangle that says "PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor".

I've always gotten that too, Cosmic. Sometimes the ad banner displays such as in my first example, sometimes it doesn't, such as in the latter ones. Dunno why, I'm using uBlock Origin with default values by, well, default for all my browsing; on some sites, I have to use its granular controls, but never here. I never saw the need to defend myself from Pipesmagazine—it's been a trusted site whose content I enjoy, even the non-intrusive ads—but now I probably have to get my shields up.

 

[BROBS]

I see it now.. it's pooped in the beginning, middle, and end of a thread.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I see it now.. it's pooped in the beginning, middle, and end of a thread.

pooped is probably the right word

 

[olkofri]

This in-house spamming better stop soon or I, for one, will be gone (not that anyone cares).

Hey, you've helped me with advice before: I care.

 

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[alaskanpiper]

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[scloyd]

I find it annoying especially when there's two in a row as in this screenshot.

 

[seldom]

Yup. Here it is on this very thread.

 

[python]

Has anyone contacted @admin about it?

 

[Sonorisis]

Yikes. Russian bots?

 

[python]

I sent the info to Kevin. It could just be a glitch in the matrix.

 

[mso489]

Okay, guys, this is a hint we'd better stop scaring off the sponsors.

 

[BROBS]

EVERY SPONSOR ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4REAL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I restarted the browser, and I see them now too. Plus, there are these highlighted links imbedded in the comments now. Do you guys see those too, or is this something on my end, maybe a browser thing?