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

a reply to: berenike

Participate more. Get your post count up to the point where you don't have to see them.

I have my post count up and have not been able to see them for years, and I still have to undo the adblock as of yesterday, that was the first time.

So basically, you want us to stop using ATS all together???

Noted...

Whats the difference between never once having clicked an ad and having ad block??
I never click all the crap that pops up... Never.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn

autoplaying, impossible to avoid or pause or mute, sound-producing video ads.

There's a rather simple fix for that...but I'm not so sure I can discuss it here. I've been reprimanded in the past for simply speaking about adblock, so I'll not test the waters again.....but if you look around I'm sure you can find some solutions.

I'm also not sure if stopping auto playing ads is the same as outright blocking ads. Maybe someone can come along and clarify that one.

originally posted by: dug88
I prefer to keep JavaScript and flash disabled on most sites unless I need them

First. There's no good reason to block JavaScript as it's pretty much now a core component of how content is displayed on many, if not most, websites.

Flash is pretty much a deprecated technology at this point. HTML5/CSS3 is rapidly making Flash pointless.

and have most trackers and smart cookies blocked.

99.8% of the reasons you believe you should block such things are the result of a great deal of FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) that has been spread by the very same firms that provide the software.

Back when Congress was considering the "Do Not Track" legislation, I was part of the educational/lobbying effort that help lawmakers understand the actual issues. The proposed legislation was pause, and the proponents were asked to find examples of where people were harmed by the use of cookies or other online tracking mechanisms. Despite six months of looking for examples, none were found.

The closest thing to "harm" that was found were the pricing practices of Amazon. If you searched for a digital camera on Amazon, and didn't buy it, you'd see targeted ads on other websites for that and similar cameras. After six impressions of the ad, Amazon would lower the price, hoping that you'd be incentivized to buy it. The only potential "harm" was to the person who paid a little more when they bought it right away.

originally posted by: flice
Whats the difference between never once having clicked an ad and having ad block??

As has been stated several times, we get paid when the ad is shown. Nearly all our ads are this way.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

If I don't see them, even though I have white listed ATS...how are you getting paid then?

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord


The rise in ads that many would find "overwhelming," too numerous, or otherwise irritating is directly related to the rise in ad blocking. As more and more users blocked ads, advertisers and publishers were forced to find ways to monetize the impressions that weren't blocking.

How can that be true ? Aggressive ads were present a long time before adblockers were even a mainstream thing. It's the contrary that happened : it was because ads were aggressive to begin with that it lead to adblockers. I remember the time of windows 95 and 98, it was a total mess, ads and pop-ups all over the place with no control at all.

originally posted by: Jakal26
If I don't see them, even though I have white listed ATS...how are you getting paid then?

Your account status has reached the point where we wouldn't show you ads. You superstar you.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I see. Thanks for the quick answer.
However, I don't mind the ads, if they aren't intrusive (like the auto play and rolling ads type stuff)

I'd rather just "see" them [ignore them] and then ya'll get paid. I have no problem supporting this site in that way.


..........
Now, having said that....please don't inundate me with a ton of crappy ads, bro.

originally posted by: gosseyn
How can that be true ? Aggressive ads were present a long time before adblockers were even a mainstream thing. It's the contrary that happened : it was because ads were aggressive to begin with that it lead to adblockers. I remember the time of windows 95 and 98, it was a total mess, ads and pop-ups all over the place with no control at all.

Well, you're going way back to the point where few ads paid very much, and hosting fees were 10x what they are now.

Around 2008-2010 there was a point at which normal ads started to pay well, and hosting fees were coming down. This was the sweet-spot that was destroyed by ad blockers.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

it's unethical and overly-paranoid to NOT want to be bombarded with advertisements for crap i don't want, don't need, and have zero interest in?

You guys have had some SERIOUSLY obnoxious ads on this site, over the years.

Like that one for, i think it was ford, where it would play a video....that goddamn thing liked to reload itself periodically, and, so, because i like to leave the front page loaded in a tab, my computer would start playing the loud, obnoxious video, out of nowhere.

This one time...it woke me up out of a sound sleep.

Garbage like that is why i block ads... I'm not trying to steal from you..hell, i donate to ATS. I just don't like being bombarded with adverts.....but, to you, that apparently makes me unethical and overly-paranoid.

I'd say that perhaps i should rethink my financial contributions to this site, but i'm sure you wouldn't care.....if i do anything, i'll probably just stop visiting altogether. It's getting pretty stupid around here anyway..

Hey, maybe you can set it up so people who wanna use the site ad-free, can pay a subscription of some sort. This way, they don't hafta see ads, and you still get money. seems like a win for everyone.

originally posted by: Daedalus
Hey, maybe you can set it up so people who wanna use the site ad-free, can pay a subscription of some sort. This way, they don't hafta see ads, and you still get money. seems like a win for everyone.

I'm working on that.

Hey I've known to not have an adblocker on ATS since the day I signed up, I took it seriously as a term and condition of my membership, why all the bitching and moaning now? You all got a little spoiled it seems and think you were doing something OTHER than breaking the T and Cs by having an adblocker.

If its a favorite site, keep it alive.

Stop whinging about getting a free place to hangout and have some of the best conversations with people around the world.

Slackers.

Keep ATS running. If you don't help keep ATS alive, time to shut your mouths and go to pleasant places like 4chan or GLP, bye bye.....

I usually access ATS on my iPad, and I rarely see ads, and don't have an ad blocker installed. I'm okay with un-intrusive ads. Today I'm working on my laptop and I'm barely able to use ATS, as it says I'm using an ad blocker. But I'm not using an ad blocker, I can't even find anything on my system with the words "ad" or "block". Pretty strange, but maybe someone can give me a clue as to what might be causing this.

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
a reply to: berenike

Participate more. Get your post count up to the point where you don't have to see them.

I have my post count up and have not been able to see them for years, and I still have to undo the adblock as of yesterday, that was the first time.

My post was aimed at people who can still see the ads and who would 'suffer' if they undid their adblock.

I was addressing those whose major objection is not so much about undoing the block but more about having to see the ads without it.

a reply to: zazzafrazz

But....I can't.
Apparently, I'm a "super star" (or some such nonsense...lol) and am not privy to the ads, so no money for ATS.

Hell, if all it takes for them to make some cash is for some ads to hang out at the sides of my screen, send em my way.

a reply to: berenike

It's nice living in a world where "suffering" is defined as seeing some ads on a site from the comfort of our homes/offices/whatever....lol lol

I love "first world problems".

a reply to: SkepticOverlord
At the center of the issue is the one (and only) line of defense the user community has...to block ads (not just on ATS, but everywhere).
How is that a "line of defense?" No ads are attacking you.


Royal screw-up here, I hit edit instead of quote.

Bad day.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

So how do you make money from us who have reached the no ad threshold ?

Is the idea that we're creating worthy content, so we're rewarded with no ads while others who come to view our worthy content but haven't reached the threshold are effectively paying for us to create our worthy content ad free ?

Why didn't I get called a super star?