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IceEnclosure · Mar 22, 2007, 06:45 PM

Right clicking on these banner ads in the forums reveals a "Settings" option that is greyed out. Muting my computer is not an option. Do I need to employ some sort of sneaky selective ad blocker because of the banners on the 'nn? This is lame.

BTW, I've got three tabs open all with different forum pages loaded, and they're all playing this awful ad with NO option to mute or stop playing.

OldManMac · Mar 22, 2007, 09:19 PM

Thanks for posting this. I was playing iTunes while surfing tonight, and all of a sudden, I got this stupid music, and I didn't realize where it was coming from for a second. I figured it out, but it's annoying as hell!

besson3c · Mar 22, 2007, 09:26 PM

I've never seen an ad on MacNN thanks to the Firefox ad blocker extension, FWIW.

Dakar² · Mar 23, 2007, 08:26 AM

I reloaded a page 3 times and kept getting the ad.

mkbhatia · Mar 23, 2007, 02:52 PM

These ads appeared from one our third-party networks and as soon I knew about them around 2 pm PST, I had the entire network shut-off until the ad was removed. I also made sure that this would not happen again with that network. I think the ads were gone from rotation around 6 pm PT.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

best,
monish

Railroader · Mar 23, 2007, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I've never seen an ad on MacNN thanks to the Firefox ad blocker extension, FWIW.

There's nothing quite like taking away someone's ability to make a living is there?

Considering that MacNN has some of the lowest levels of intrusive ads and respect their audience's wishes (as show above), I won't consider blocking their ads.

IceEnclosure · Mar 31, 2007, 06:23 PM

thanks monish. yeah, I'm all for ads, they're generally fine. Employing ad blockers and such isn't something that one should have to do just so they can utilize a quality web destination(this place).

Kevin Moon · Apr 1, 2007, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

There's nothing quite like taking away someone's ability to make a living is there?

Considering that MacNN has some of the lowest levels of intrusive ads and respect their audience's wishes (as show above), I won't consider blocking their ads.

Get over it. If a site can't make it without the use of ads they obviously had nothing of value to offer in the first place.

Railroader · Apr 1, 2007, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin Moon

Get over it. If a site can't make it without the use of ads they obviously had nothing of value to offer in the first place.

Nah, you "get over it".

How would a site "make it" without ad revenue? Do you suggest a subscription service based site? Donation based?

Chuckit · Apr 1, 2007, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin Moon

Get over it. If a site can't make it without the use of ads they obviously had nothing of value to offer in the first place.

Go take an introductory economics course at your local community college, now.

To wit: If a site does not take money from its visitors or from third parties, it isn't making any money. That is not a situation conducive to "making it."

turtle777 · Apr 8, 2007, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

There's nothing quite like taking away someone's ability to make a living is there?

They should make Firefox that it loads the pic, but doesn't display it. That way, it will get reported as a hit, w/o you having to see it.

-t

besson3c · Apr 8, 2007, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

They should make Firefox that it loads the pic, but doesn't display it. That way, it will get reported as a hit, w/o you having to see it.

-t

Right. If MacNN is selling product placement to these ad providers, there is no way the ad providers will know that I'm using an ad blocker. If MacNN is making money on ad clicks, there is no way in hell I'm going to click on one of those ads anyway regardless of my ad blocker, no offense MacNN, I do appreciate you.

besson3c · Apr 8, 2007, 07:04 PM

I'd like to see one of those ninjas... Is there a screenshot?

Railroader · Apr 8, 2007, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

They should make Firefox that it loads the pic, but doesn't display it. That way, it will get reported as a hit, w/o you having to see it.

-t

That is essentially the same thing. Actually, it's slightly questionable because it borders on fraud.

Ads are there for a reason. They are easy to ignore. Pretty much anyone who uses an ad-blocker isn't going to click on one any way, so there's no real reason for that person to block them other than to be cool and brag about how they are "beating da man".

turtle777 · Apr 8, 2007, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

That is essentially the same thing. Actually, it's slightly questionable because it borders on fraud.

Ads are there for a reason. They are easy to ignore. Pretty much anyone who uses an ad-blocker isn't going to click on one any way, so there's no real reason for that person to block them other than to be cool and brag about how they are "beating da man".

It all depends if MacNN gets paid for views or click-thru's.

If they get paid for views, yes, it would be sort questionable, but I wouldn't call it borderline fraud.

Would it be fraud to close your eyes everytime when reloading the MacNN page, and then with closed eyes scroll down a bit so the top ad banner disappears ? It's not fraud, because I'm in no legal commitment to look at that ad.

If they are paid per click, they won't make money of me anyways, so I don't see a problem at all.

-t

Railroader · Apr 8, 2007, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

It all depends if MacNN gets paid for views or click-thru's.

If they get paid for views, yes, it would be sort questionable, but I wouldn't call it borderline fraud.

Would it be fraud to close your eyes everytime when reloading the MacNN page, and then with closed eyes scroll down a bit so the top ad banner disappears ? It's not fraud, because I'm in no legal commitment to look at that ad.

If they are paid per click, they won't make money of me anyways, so I don't see a problem at all.

-t

All good points, but don't you find it odd that some one who spends a lot of time here would actively lead to the site's demise? I do.

turtle777 · Apr 8, 2007, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

All good points, but don't you find it odd that some one who spends a lot of time here would actively lead to the site's demise? I do.

Well, yes and no, the point of contention were annoying banners that have sounds.
If that would become 'NN's prime source of ad income, I'd be gone. And I wouldn't care too much about 'NN going down with that.

-t

Railroader · Apr 9, 2007, 12:03 AM

I think it was made abundantly clear early in the thread that that was not MacNN's intentions.

Originally Posted by mkbhatia

These ads appeared from one our third-party networks and as soon I knew about them around 2 pm PST, I had the entire network shut-off until the ad was removed. I also made sure that this would not happen again with that network. I think the ads were gone from rotation around 6 pm PT.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

best,
monish

turtle777 · Apr 9, 2007, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

I think it was made abundantly clear early in the thread that that was not MacNN's intentions.

I know, but it ultimately doesn't matter. If they make their money by ads, and they can't control it, it will be their own demise.

-t