A complaint! (Wayyy too obnoxious Ad)

[Rinnon]

I'm sorry if it seems like every time I post, it's to complain about something, or ask you to change something... just know I only do it because I care!

So anyways, today's topic is about Ads, and how obnoxious is TOO obnoxious. I'll just start by saying I don't use an adblocker. My understanding is that if I do, you guys don't get your ad revenue. I'll even go so far as to sometimes click through ads just because I know you guys get extra revenue for click throughs. (You do... right?)

So that being said, I'm not anti-ads or anything. I didn't like the giant ads that took up the entire left and right sides of the site, but they weren't that big a deal. I also didn't like the ones that you'd roll over, and they'd expand... those are a pain, but again, I can deal.

What is too much though for me, is the one that expands on it's own, complete with sound that is on by default. Those are two things that I really think should never be in ads on a reputable site.

Sound on by default is probably the worst. If I had headphones on, listening to music, or I am trying to compute in silence, but foolishly left the speakers on, if I hear a super loud sound on a website, I close my browser almost immediately. It's just not cool to be assaulted by noise.

The expanding on it's own though is almost as bad. I'll be TRYING to read the home page, and it decides to fill up with green liquidy stuff from an ad. Even AFTER closing the Ad to make that go away, I was unable to click on some links on the home page, it just kept taking me to the ad's page. An ad that actually interferes with my ability to use the site? Very, very, not cool.

So, I'll close by saying, I'm not even sure if you guys actually get direct control over your ads, which ones you allow, etc. Maybe it's the parent company, etc. But if you DO have a say in it, I REALLY strong encourage you to consider removing ads that behave so obnoxiously, even IF they get you the most money.

Anyone else feel the same way? Or do you just feel I'm whining?

 

[madster111]

Use ADBlocker.

Notice your web pages now load 20x quicker.

 

[MattAY]

^ Haha, we get this complaint like 4 times a year, and everytime the solution is - to use ADBlocker.

 

[UghRochester]

^ Haha, we get this complaint like 4 times a year, and everytime the solution is - to use ADBlocker.

True dat.

 

[Icepick]

sure, use ad-blocker

hey tell the average user looking for cheats who doesnt use the forum to go download and install ad-blocker as well

it's worthwhile to complain, that way it can be fixed, instead of the young-ish user doesnt come here, cant click around it, says fuck it and leaves to a different site without a bullshit ad

 

[MattAY]

Know what the problem is then? Kids are too impatient - the parents problem.

 

[Not_Anthony_Sev]

Hey Rinnon,

I take things like this very seriously. So thanks for pointing it out here. In the future feel free to PM to get it to me faster, or even grab my email from the staff page. I'd say my door is always open but it's not. It's closed. But you can always email me.

About the ads... I had a discussion with the team in charge of this type of thing and we talked through the end-user experience here on GR. They're going to be sticking to a new set of standards so we don't have issues like this again. Auto-sound ads will be a no go, or at least a hell of a lot less in the future. The ad team is a lot more understanding than you'd expect, and I'm also pretty pushy

Rest assured, we're working on toning things down a bit. But notice I said toning things down. The truth is, we need the ads. We need the revenues generated. How else are we going to pay our staff, our freelancers, keep having giveaways and Haiku Fridays?

If you're using Ad blocker - STOP. STOP using ad blocker. Don't be a dick. If you're using ad blocker, Daniel is going to get fired (sorry Daniel, blame the dicks, not me). Seriously, though, if you're using it, you're hurting the site that you say you love so much. That's like telling your kids how much you love them, then beating the shit out of them. Well, maybe not THAT bad. I can't stress it enough, you're absolutely, positively hurting the site, the site's content output, and writing staff by blocking ads.

And this isn't corporate talk pulling my strings here. I used to own a site on my own, and I know how the advertising game works. It ain't easy, and in this economy, there's no money. If you can't afford games, then how do you expect publishers to have money to spend on our ads? And if they're not buying our ad space, or if YOU'RE BLOCKING IT, then how are we going to make any money? This isn't a gold mine here, so don't take away what scraps we do have.

When I speak to you guys here on the forums, I speak as candidly as possible. What I am saying is true. Ad blocker hurts GR. And the ads will be different in the future to prevent this sort of thing.

Feedback, guys. Keep providing it and I can make changes. Haven't I proven at all that I'm capable of changing things around here? But don't get out the pitchforks and torches (ad blocker) without at least letting me know.

Now that you know, I'm going to post embarrassing picture of anyone who brings up ad blocker again.

 

[Not_Anthony_Sev]

Oh and Rinnon. Are you from Canada? I'm assuming it was the wrigley's ad.

 

[danielrbischoff]

If you're using ad blocker, Daniel is going to get fired (sorry Daniel, blame the dicks, not me).

 

[De-Ting]

I was browsing from my iTouch last night and an ad on the home page was stretching the entire screen.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

So if I keep using Adblocker, then Daniel will get fired?

A necessary sacrifice.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Dan? You cussed in front of a lady?

 

[madster111]

Open the store with half decent things and i'll buy from GR to offset the money lost from adblocking.

But sorry, i'm not going to let bullshit ads pop up all over my screen, at the start of youtube videos, and other crap like that - all while slowing down my page loading substantially (FLASH ADS ARE GREAT GUYS, LETS USE MORE) just so that Dan doesn't get fired.

He can come work for me if he has to. He can review the games and take the pictures of the lesbians, possibly at the same time.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Open the store with half decent things and i'll buy from GR to offset the money lost from adblocking.

But sorry, i'm not going to let bullshit ads pop up all over my screen, at the start of youtube videos, and other crap like that - all while slowing down my page loading substantially (FLASH ADS ARE GREAT GUYS, LETS USE MORE) just so that Dan doesn't get fired.

This. I've made my points about the GR store before, and if there was some stuff on there worth getting when it was open I would've. But there wasn't, so I didn't.

 

[Rinnon]

Awesome response Anthony. Very much appreciated! (Side note, I promise I check the site more than I check the forums. XD) I was pretty confident ad blockers kill revenue for sites, but it's good to hear it straight from the horses mouth in this case. And yeah as you said, you guys need ads to stay alive. I'd never try to suggest there should be NO ads, that would be unrealistic. As long as they don't assault me with sound and cover the whole screen, I'm happy. =)

And yeah, you got it. It was the damn Wrigley's ad.

 

[schimmel]

I won't quit using adblocker simply because this isn't the only site I browse. I have it enabled for any site I visit because I DO NOT LIKE ADS. They fill up my screen, make my loading time take longer, try to sell me things I don't care about or advertise movies that 90% of the time I have no interest in seeing, and link me to things when I accidentally scroll over a word in an article. It's not only this site, it's most sites on the internet, and because of this and this alone I'll keep my adblocker enabled.

I'm sorry it detracts from the ad revenue from this site, but like Madster said, if the store sold actual worthwhile things I would spend my own money on GR to make up for the ads I block

 

[Rinnon]

I won't quit using adblocker simply because this isn't the only site I browse. I have it enabled for any site I visit because I think I am entitled to view all websites on the Internet however I want and I don't care if the businesses running them make money or go under.

There, fixed that for you.

 

[schimmel]

I won't quit using adblocker simply because this isn't the only site I browse. I have it enabled for any site I visit because I think I am entitled to view all websites on the Internet however I want and I don't care if the businesses running them make money or go under.

There, fixed that for you.

Yes, considering I pay to use the internet I honestly do believe I am entitled to view websites however I want, and I want to view them ad-free, so I will. If you don't like that you can suck it. Just sayin'

 

[Rinnon]

Oh yeah? And I pay taxes on roads, I don't figure I'm entitled to go to all the shops that use those roads and get their services for free. Do you? Because that's pretty much what you're saying. You think any of the 50 bucks you pay to your ISP goes to ANY of the websites you use? It sure as hell does not. All YOU are paying for, is a roadway to each of these websites. And each of those websites has to keep itself afloat somehow. If they didn't, you wouldn't have much of an Internet to browse at all.

And it's not like it's HARD to support websites you go to. All you have to do is nothing! NOTHING. But no, god forbid there be an ANNOYING ad on a website! We can't have that! Who cares if the website doesn't make any money, who cares if they have to close down, and put people out of jobs, we can't have YOU be annoyed be an ad! In short, you'd rather put people out of jobs, than be annoyed by an ad on a website you're not paying for. And you tell ME to suck it? Wow. You sir, are a f ucking asshole. Why don't you go to your local university and take a class in Ethics? Sounds like you could use it.

 

[danielrbischoff]

OK, not to get in the middle or anything, but what do you guys think about sites like Gamespot and IGN that offer subscription plans? Not saying that GR could support or will support that but I've always wondered what people thought of that stuff.