GRRR to these animated banners atop WA Forums!!!

I'm also getting momentary issues with these ads (from tribalfusion.com)

 

If you guys are using Firefox, go here to get the Adblock plugin:

https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=10&application=firefox

Then click on Adblock on the lower right hand corner of the Firefox browser window and block the iFrames, images and all non-WA image scripts (will be categorized as Scripts under Category). Once these scripts are blocked, you shouldn't see those banners.

 

I tried that but the only ones I appear to be able to block are from google...

 

That's odd, I had no trouble. The animated banners are from tribalfusion and I have them blocked. :browani:

Advertisers must hate Adblock...lol

 

Matt, I also block the scripts since these normally generate the banners. You can also edit the entry which is to be blocked by clicking in the text field at the bottom (where it says "New Filter") and deleting all the text after .com/.org/.net. This prevents most of the ads from reappearing as well.

 

If you're using the adblock extension, you REALLY REALLY REALLY need to download the "Filterset.G updater" located here: https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=1136&application=firefox

Basically it automatically updates your adblock filterset with one that blocks nearly every single ad I've come across. There's a guy who basically writes the filterset and tweaks it every couple of weeks to block as many ads as possible. He even takes suggestions and bug reports here: http://forum.pierceive.com/. Seeing WA with no ads, not even the google ones is truly great. It blocks all the stupid blinky ads at Hofo too... Also, for those of you so inclined, myspace looks 100x better with all the ads wiped out.

 

Do what you want, but that is a great way to put all the non-corporate, free content sites out of business. The absolute reality is that the ads pay the bills. I realize that most sites will run a ton of crap ads all over their forums. Since the very beginning we have made an effort to display the least intrusive ads possible. We have never had a pop-up, ever. That means giving up ad dollars.

If you choose to treat WA no better than forums that abuse their users with ads then that is your choice.

Are the google ads seriously that intrusive?

Ponderous man, ponderous....

 

Joe,

I understand your position 100%. Personally, I only block the tribalfusion ads because they lock up Firefox, I let the rest of them appear, including google.

Just FYI..........

 

Well, if I had to pick the lesser of two evils I'd definitely pick the google ads. However, instead of unblocking them in Firefox or whatever (thus allowing them on ALL sites I visit) I just load up the site in IE and click on a random few a couple of times a week. Mind you that's more than I'd ever bother to click on ads any other time but I do it simply because I do actually like the site and you don't have any other methods of getting revenue, it appears. Hofo obviously does the premium membership but I don't see it being worth it. The other forum I frequent (not so much anymore) is bikeforums.net and I actually paid a $25 one-time fee to get an ad-free version of the site with a few other perks. I'm rather surprised you haven't gone that route. Amusingly, I post on Hofo probably 2-3x as much but I'd be more willing to pay $10 a year here just out of principle

 

Joe, I agree with you 100%. The ads do pay the bills, no different than free or inexpensive magazine subscriptions.

I very much appreciate your effort to keep the ads at a minimum and not that intrusive or in poor taste. I would much rather have the small inconvinience of a few ads so I can learn and participate on this board.

Thank you

PS: I don't block any of the ads

 

I appreciate your reasons...I think many sites have way too many ads. In a perfect world people would just stop going to forums that abuse their members and guests...that isn't going to happen though.

I understand why, but please don't do this...it can cause big problems. More harm then good.

This is another big scam some forums pull. They make the non-premium member experience so horrendous to push you into paying to remove the ads. (I will refrain from naming some of those forums.) I don't agree with that practice at all. I don't agree with asking for money from the regular members who make a forum what it is. You guys are the forum, the content, the reason anybody participates here. Charging for premium memberships is like charging a newspaper reporter to write articles and then also keeping the advertising and subscription money.

Joe

 

Well, the one forum in question that I DID pay for a premium membership with wasn't like that, actually. I can see how something like that would happen, but in this case it was just the fact that I was using it so often and the like and I felt that the admin of the site deserved some compensation. Regardless, I don't see anything fundamentally wrong with blocking ads that I'm never going to click on anyway.