New Advertisement Section smack dab in "Hot Replies" Section Or Virus? (ANNOYING)

I really have no objection to ATS using ad-revenue to earn money to keep the site running smoothly.
This is why I always disable my ad-blocking software before logging on.

BUT.. the addition of an advert sections right slap bang in the middle of the New Topics Feed has made me stop using that feature of ATS.
I used to leave that page open all day, but now it just loads a new add every 15 seconds

Where I live, internet is not free, or particularly fast. So this page has now just lost it's use for me.
The more that page is open, the more I personally pay.

Will have to browse the forums to find the new topics from now on.

Like most of us, I agree that ATS is and should be able to generate income from click advertising etc. Heck, I deal with companies on a daily basis that provide and sell this service. With that said, they have committed a mistake in ad placement, maybe not financially but certainly aesthetically. It looks cheap to be honest. I leave the live feed open all day, but having to scroll past this ugly block ad every time I want to look over the page is quite a pain.
When you are not logged into ATS there are advertisements all over the place, it actually deterred me from this site when I first started visiting ATS. I figured it was just another greedy site, like infowars, that was just here to push their own form of propaganda. Not until I really dove into the excellent user generated content was I able to look past that.

reply to post by MissConstrood


wrong place!

It slows my browser, I'm on an iPad, how can I stop it?

This sucks!

reply to post by ThinkingCap


I seem to get sound randomly. I hate the ads in the middle of the "Current Topics" window. I have fewer listings and all these bells and whistles I hate.

ATS, really?

[sigh]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6fc5629158f8.png[/atsimg]

This is how it appears on my screen. I have to admit it's rather annoying - I can deal with all the other ad's on ATS, in fact over the years I've mentally blocked them out lol, but this is a tad too much.

I suppose I could deal with it if the text inside the box didn't overflow below to the menu bar - it kinda makes me think it's an accident to be honest, or a work in progress.....

EDIT TO ADD - just realised this appears on the New Topics page itself too - I originally thought it was only on the pop-up from the fly-out menu bar. Bugger eh!

An image of the "Hot Replies" related ad. The second I saw this, I turned my screen away from my partner - I already feel a bit sheepish, as ATS browsing can lead to paranoia, but now I'm just embarrassed for anyone to see me browsing the site with the ads LITERALLY in the middle of a live feed. Shame related complaint! Please relocate.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3f26c3e6a92f.png[/atsimg]

aside: ...is the site running low on money??

maybe they could spend their ad income on a search engine that doesn't completely suck?

Originally posted by BrokenCircles
reply to post by juleol

 

reply to post by granpabobby

 

reply to post by ThinkingCap

 

Be careful.

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.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I guess I will be banned then. There is no WAY anyone tells me what extension to use. I have had adblock installed for years, and now ATS expects me to uninstall it?? Amazing...
It is such banners and popups that is the very reason people install such extensions. Ads spread malware, are annoying, makes my pc slow as heck and sometimes even nearly blows your eardrums if you happen to use headphones.

I would rather donate a few bucks than being forced to uninstall adblock.
Edit: And how is this expected to work for mobile users with limited bandwidth?? Just one ad can eat up megabytes and mobile broadband and such often comes with caps of 1gig per month.

Just tried adblock. It works, but there's still an empty space where the ad used to be. So it's still annoying to see a big empty space there.

After seeing the message about ad blockers, I disabled it. I like ATS. But that ad where it is...it's like bad feng shui or something.

Do people even still click on adds, If I want to buy somthing I will search for it, not wait for an add on a page.

Items for sale in adds are usually more expencive than shops that don't need to advertise and I use FireFox AddBlock so I never see any adds anyway unless I use IE on a rare occasion.

Originally posted by NeoSpace
Do people even still click on adds, If I want to buy somthing I will search for it, not wait for an add on a page.

Items for sale in adds are usually more expencive than shops that don't need to advertise and I use FireFox AddBlock so I never see any adds anyway unless I use IE on a rare occasion.

I have yet to click on any ads on this site, unless it was an accident....

There are site's that display some ad's worth clicking, due to cost saving that they offer. On ATS I typically get the same ad info I see all day at work, so it doesn't entice me to look further.

It's a CPC ad-placement technique used to acquire 'accidental' revenue.

By placing the ad next to 'high volume' links, the chances of accidentally clicking the item is higher.

Personally, I find this sort of ad-placement rather annoying.

Ads should flow with the page layout, not obstruct it.

Maybe you could center a IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII banner below or above the contents on that page instead.

All in all, it is your site. If you folks are hurting for revenue, up to you what you want to do.

Another thing I've noticed, is that you only get to see 6 links there now, instead of 10 (like the others).

I honestly would rather see one of those long(width ways) rectangle ads under the first post on every thread, than I would the current eye-sore on the new topics page.

The ad on the new topics page looks AWFUL. I don't mind ads in other places where they're well-fit with the actual website design, but that big ad on the new topics looks awful

I completely agree
I mainly use the new topics & my ATS pages on this site - and this is a hugely obtrusive advert that also takes away some topics.

Why not place it at the sides like my image below. Another point made that is very true - who clicks on these things nowadays unless it is a mistake?

Well, considering that it is against the rules to use Adblock, it makes sense that the advertisement shouldn't take up the middle, (and one of the) most active areas of ATS.

However I can understand if the administrators need cash, and this is their only way at this moment in time to do so.

But because there hasn't been an announcement at all, leaves me to believe this is a mistake.

So I hope that Skeptic is at least benefiting from this.

I will take off Adblock in order to keep my account here at ATS. And I will take a step back and realize that "momentary sacrifices" must be made if this is the case.

However, as the above poster has said, and even mapped out - Wouldn't it make more sense to make two slightly lesser annoying ads, and put them both on the sides of the page - rather than smack dab right in the middle?

It just seems like a big error. And it's odd that not one representative/mod/admin hasn't at least briefly given us a reason why.

I've got the website's New Topics page as my homepage, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Would like some closure on this guys.

Originally posted by ThinkingCap
Well, considering that it is against the rules to use Adblock, it makes sense that the advertisement shouldn't take up the middle, (and one of the) most active areas of ATS.

However I can understand if the administrators need cash, and this is their only way at this moment in time to do so.

But because there hasn't been an announcement at all, leaves me to believe this is a mistake.

....

I completely agree.
If the site is running low on cash/revenue, I believe an announcement to members (which includes a way to donate possibly) would help.

Seriously ATS, a video ad with SOUND in the middle of the most popular section of the website - and 4 less topics to fit now?

Guess how many of your subscribers you are encouraging to go get adblock now? I've never had a reason to download it before this

Just another reason why I visit this site less and less.

And as for placing ads on the sides instead, ROFL! Don't you think they know that? And they'll use it too!

The Idea that ATS is a community website is an absolute joke too. Skeptic Overlord has clearly expressed this is HIS website, and he'll do as he damn well pleases, and you will do as he wishes, or else (ooooooooooo)

What the interwebs needs is a true community conspiracy and alternate news site. ATS is clearly not that.

What's sad is that you and I both come here for the information posted and created by the community. When's the last time you came to ATS specifically for ATS generated content? (those radio shows and video series are some stellar productions, ) All they wanna do is try as hard as possible to make as much $$$ of their users as possible. Thus the degradation of ATS.

nvm