If You're Blocking Ads While On ATS, You Get A Big Ugly Message

How much would you pay every month for an Ad-Free ATS?

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Oops, sorry, yeah everything is back to normal now.
And thanks for the communication. As someone else said, from experience, in a lot of other forums they'd never care to explain such decisions in this way.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
a reply to: PeterMcFly

I just think ad-blocking in general is unethical and overly-paranoid.

I've never blocked ads. I've never had problems.

Of course, I have intimate direct knowledge of how the ad technology works, and it's nothing like the FUD the ad-blocking companies feed you.

I will do as you have asked, however, the ads on your site made it impossible to read and are the reason
I installed ad-block to began with.
If ad-block is unethical then perhaps ATS not paying for member generated content is also unethical.
As you have said, you worked to streamline the ads, so even though a go-around is pretty simple I will get on board and I
encourage everyone to give it a try.
Regarding my ethics question, It was on my mind so I thought I'd say it. I like poking bears.

I might be leaving ATS because of this. I also started a post about this subject but it was moved to the trash can forum, whatever that is. No explanation given. I asked a mod to explain, it's the least they can do. It would hurt me to have to leave because I got to know a lot of characters on here but I do have principles. My adblock stays on for very good reasons [have had malware in the past from dodgy ads]. Adblock isn't illegal, so I can not see how a website can force you to disable it - or else.

Why on earth is this thread so hard to find and why can't we click on the stars?
I don't know who ATS thinks we are, but in my books WE are the CONTENT of this otherwise blank website, not the 'drain'. I don't USE their bandwidth for nothing. I am contributing and so are others with adblock enabled.
I also blocked those two childish banners at the side, telling me I am using their bandwidth...The cheek.

If I feel in any way unfairly treated I am outta here, as much as I will miss everybody; but it feels that ATS believes it is an entity that can exist without it's members. Someone needs a reality check.
What would they do if we all left?
Sit there with all the bandwidth and no content. That would be hilarious.

I wonder if this is even getting posted.

That's a good question the person above asks. If profits are to be made off user-generated content, when do the people who generate the content get a slice of the profits?

I'd like to see people who generate really good threads get a slice of the profits generated by their time and work. Any way to make that happen?

I might disable adblock if content generators were getting rewarded for their time and passion.

originally posted by: Painterz
That's a good question the person above asks. If profits are to be made off user-generated content, when do the people who generate the content get a slice of the profits?

I'd like to see people who generate really good threads get a slice of the profits generated by their time and work. Any way to make that happen?

I might disable adblock if content generators were getting rewarded for their time and passion.

That is such a good idea and I'd give you a star for that but I can't, for some reason there are no stars to click on this thread.

originally posted by: eriktheawful

originally posted by: vind21
So while I know its hurting you guys and other sites like you, I applaud ad blocker for making the internet use-able again, I do not want a world where I walk by a vending machine and it starts playing music and yelling at me to buy something, which is what the internet had largely become.

Hehehehe.

Have you been in some of the bigger chain stores lately? (Walmart, Sam's Club, Krogers, Bi-Lo, etc, etc).

They have these flat screen monitors on the end of the isles that blare out adverts at you, and in Sam's Club, they have these machines that sense motion near them and suddenly blurt out: "Want to try a sample? Scan your Sam's Card to get a free sample!" making me jump about 5 feet away from them.

Thankfully no, I found myself a nice place to live with decent human beings and local stores so i don't have to deal with that crap.

The one time i experienced this at a walmart about 2 or 3 years ago I jumped and broke the screen with my elbow because I stepped off to the side to check my phone and it took a few seconds to turn on and start screaming at me. I Did not feel bad about it at all, and then I left my stuff and walked out, I would rather pay a few bucks more ANYWHERE else.

We had a gas station that tried this in my area, those annoying pumps that talk to you, someone put a bullet hole in each and everyone of the speakers by the pumps, the station took them down and have not put them back up.

(Not that I would advise firing guns at gas stations, but ya know, a means to an end I suppose )

originally posted by: Hecate666

originally posted by: Painterz
That's a good question the person above asks. If profits are to be made off user-generated content, when do the people who generate the content get a slice of the profits?

I'd like to see people who generate really good threads get a slice of the profits generated by their time and work. Any way to make that happen?

I might disable adblock if content generators were getting rewarded for their time and passion.

That is such a good idea and I'd give you a star for that but I can't, for some reason there are no stars to click on this thread.

Thank you, I would star you back, but alas as you say, for some mysterious reason that feature has been disabled on this thread. I wonder why....

Why can't I see avatars any longer? Is this one of those 'punishments' for having [and KEEPING] adblock? What is going on? Can anyone else [with adblock] see avatars?
I am logged in.

a reply to: Hecate666


Adblock is on for me, and I cannot see any avatars.

So I'd guess you're right that avatars are disabled.

i'll quite happily whitelist ATS if only they'd be polite about it. you cant stop people using adblockers and people dont like being told what to do.

lots of sites use a polite message instead of ats' method of telling us what we can and cant do with our own computers.

originally posted by: Rikku
i'll quite happily whitelist ATS if only they'd be polite about it. you cant stop people using adblockers and people dont like being told what to do.

lots of sites use a polite message instead of ats' method of telling us what we can and cant do with our own computers.

20b) Ad Blockers: As the Websites are provided as a free service, in part through the income of our advertising, you agree not to use "ad-blocking" software or similar built-in web browser options designed to obfuscate or block online advertising while using the Websites.

[SNIP]

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
How much would you pay every month for an Ad-Free ATS?

---

Just use a better ad system using JPEG banners and NO annoying
POPUP autoplaying video screens ---- AND FINALLY tell the advertisers
to MAKE BETTER AND MORE INTERESTING ADS !!!!

---

a reply to: Daedalus

Not part of the discussion, but, I have to thank you and erictheawful, I laughed so hard, I still have to wipe away the tears, and my stomach hurts! Thank you!

Looks like my days on ATS are over then.

I've been coming to these boards since shortly after 9/11. I've watched the boards go from something great to something just mediocre.

Now we're being forced to view ads, or being forced to view faux ads telling me to turn off ad blockers. That's just too much for me.

For the record, I have no problem with ads. I have ads turned on for other websites in fact. (Reddit is a great example of how to do ads right.) What I do have a problem with are ads that take up as much space and are as distracting as those on ATS.

Goodbye folks, it's been nice.

So, I turned off my ad-block for ATS because I like you guys. The next time I went to log in, this ghastly thing prevented me from easily doing so.


I also have a WAS score of 1, but still see ads on the home, top topics and live page. Is that normal?

First few adds I saw were dealing with "Find your dream Mexican Girl" click here to get started. LOL.

originally posted by: Hecate666
My adblock stays on for very good reasons [have had malware in the past from dodgy ads].

Not from us.

Why on earth is this thread so hard to find and why can't we click on the stars?

This forum, Board Business, never had stars associated with posts.

I don't know who ATS thinks we are, but in my books WE are the CONTENT of this otherwise blank website, not the 'drain'. I don't USE their bandwidth for nothing.

And for that, you get the most advanced, most search-optimized user-generated content platform available. It's quote normal for your new threads to be indexed in Google and Bing searches within less than an hour after posting. Creating such a platform isn't easy.

You also get a free unrestricted upload space that's connected to a global CDN.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

^^ This. If you put "abovetopsecret.com" before your search keywords in Google, you'd be amazed how well it works folks.

originally posted by: StargateSG7
Just use a better ad system using JPEG banners and NO annoying
POPUP autoplaying video screens

Pop ups are/were certainly something not to be entertained on a forum, just sheer ignorance..as in bad manners, and always intrusive, and I would not hesitate to scrub them at will should there be a need, courtesy of my internet server.
There's not much wrong with banner ads that simply pander to forum text, but I guess even they are old hat now.
As for paying for an ad free site, not in a million years, not in a forum like this where potentially you are a here today, gone tomorrow member in default, and where that default may be undetermined.