Annoying Ads Popping Up! (1 Viewer)

[Doug Pyle]

In the last couple days I noticed a disturbing change in the type of ads on this site: ads that pop up or hover and otherwise obscure the content of the web page. These significantly cheapen the look and detract from the credibility of the forum. I never encountered these types of ads at hometheaterforum.com in my memory over decades of forum participation. I don’t have an ad-free account, and have always seen banner ads or ads that are paced in or around the page, but never the popping up over content.

I strongly urge the new owners to please avoid having that kind of ad in the forum.

I don’t know how many respond the same as I, but I regularly avoid web sites with those kinds of ads, so those ads actually reduce web traffic at least by people like me.

The ads I’m referring to often require a click on an X to close the ad in order to see the web page content it obscures, or they hover over a portion of the web content and stay in view as you scroll, constantly obscuring a portion of the page. Adding to the annoying, degrading (to web site quality and credibility) nature of these ads are those types of hovering ads that also have video and sound, making it nearly impossible to pay attention to the forum discussion or reviews. I encountered these types of ads here yesterday. And just now, before posting this, a pop up completely blocked the page until I shut it. I don’t know what was advertised because all I noticed was that it was annoying and I needed to shut it.

I’d hate to say goodbye after all these years of enjoying this forum, so please consider your ads policy and not allow obstructing pop ups and hovering ads. Thank you!

Doug

 

[Jonathan]

In the last couple days I noticed a disturbing change in the type of ads on this site: ads that pop up or hover and otherwise obscure the content of the web page. These significantly cheapen the look and detract from the credibility of the forum. I never encountered these type of ads at hometheaterforum.com in my memory over decades of forum participation. I don’t have an ad-free account, and have always seen banner ads or ads that are paced in or around the page, but never the popping up over content.

I strongly urge the new owners to please avoid having that kind of ad in the forum.

I don’t know how many respond the same as I, but I regularly avoid web sites with those kinds of ads, so those ads actually reduce web traffic at least by people like me.

The ads I’m referring to often require a click on an X to close the ad in order to see the web page content it obscures, or they hover over a portion of the web content and stay in view as you scroll, constantly obscuring a portion of the page. Adding to the annoying, degrading (to web site quality and credibility) nature of these ads are those types of hovering ads that also have video and sound, making it nearly impossible to pay attention to the forum discussion or reviews. I encountered these types of ads here yesterday. And just now, before posting this. a pop up completely blocked the page until I shut it. I don’t know what was advertised because all I noticed was that it was annoying and I needed to shut it.

I’d hate to say goodbye after all these years of enjoying this forum, so please consider your ads policy and not allow obstructing pop ups and hovering ads. Thank you!

Doug

Hey Doug,

At this point, we haven't made any changes to the ads on the site.

Could you message me a screenshot of what you are seeing? It seems that either something changed with our ad provider, in which case I'll reach out to them, or something may be wrong with the device you are using.

 

[Doug Pyle]

Thanks so much for the quick reply! I’ll take a screen shot next time I encounter a pop up and send the image to you.

MUCH APPRECIATED!!

 

[TonyD]

 

[TonyD]

Also I’m guessing that why I see those pop up ads that are covering the entire screen

 

[TonyD]

 

[Jonathan]

I haven’t been able to login on my iPhone today.
When I try to login it says I’m already logged in.
I am not.

That's pretty weird. I get the same thing.

I made some changes, and it seems to be working for me now.

Are you able to log in now?

 

[Doug Pyle]

Hey Doug,

At this point, we haven't made any changes to the ads on the site.

Could you message me a screenshot of what you are seeing? It seems that either something changed with our ad provider, in which case I'll reach out to them, or something may be wrong with the device you are using.

Happened again just now: I’ve provided screenshot of an ad hovering over & obscuring content. If you provide me info on how to PM you, I’ll provide another screenshot of a pop up ad that completely blocks content until clicking the X to close the pop up (but it has location specific content so won’t post publicly here).

Ha! As I wrote this another ad obscured content on this very page - I’ll PM that one to you too. It mostly obscures the content under it covering nearly the entire screen.

This is not due to my device or browser as I’ve visited several other web sites since my last post and this is only happening at HTF (here).

Please work with your ad provider to exclude these intrusive ads, don’t let these types of ads ruin a great forum. Mahalo.

 

[Doug Pyle]

We don't want this thread to become a catch-all for technical forum issues.

I'll let the last few posts remain (along with Tony's expected answer) but let's use other appropriate threads, or create new ones, for questions about forum software issues.

Understood thanks. Glad that the new owner will look into the ads issue. Please redirect me to any other appropriate thread.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Understood thanks. Glad that the new owner will look into the ads issue. Please redirect me to any other appropriate thread.

I established a new thread for your forum issue.

 

[Doug Pyle]

Hey Doug,

At this point, we haven't made any changes to the ads on the site.

Could you message me a screenshot of what you are seeing? It seems that either something changed with our ad provider, in which case I'll reach out to them, or something may be wrong with the device you are using.

Robert made a new thread to track and discuss this issues. (Thanks Robert)

Jonathan, have you learned more about it from your ad provider for Home Theater Forum? There are others who posted examples, and I have another screenshot from a few minutes ago below.

Any hope of returning to simple (and more effective I would say ) ads that are banners or neatly wrapped blocks between content, instead of pop ups or semi-translucent overlays?

Today’s screenshot:

 

[midvalleyguy]

I'm now finding that ads pop up and obscure most if not all of a Forum page. I'm lucky to be able to read one line of a post (see attachment). I'm using Firefox Legacy on an old MacBook Pro. It's worse on my Samsung Galaxy A70 phone. Maybe the ads derive from Firefox, or my internet provider, but it's becoming extremely annoying. It only happens on HTF. Tiz a puzzlement

 

[Doug Pyle]

FWIW I also am using Firefox (on iPhone) when I see the popups (blocking this good forum)