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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > Feedback > SmileTrain.org banner ads kinda gross

SmileTrain.org banner ads kinda gross
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IceEnclosure
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Mar 4, 2007, 03:19 AM
 
Dunno if it's not polite, or if I'm coming off as an ass, but I think the smiletrain.org banner ads are kind of gross looking. I'm not out looking for such imagery when I log into the macnn forums.

I recall seeing it for a couple of weeks now. Anyone else care? don't care?
ice
     
Railroader
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Location: Indy.
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Mar 4, 2007, 03:46 PM
 
I haven't seen them, but be prepared for a lot of banner-blocking posts to follow. And if you are offended by them I can probably be pretty certain I would be offended as well.

Personally I think MacNN should be sensitive to its viewers/users and take into account that this is an all-ages web site and should not use advertisers that offend.

EDIT: I am not offended by the ads. This is a good cause.
( Last edited by Railroader; Mar 16, 2007 at 02:01 PM. )
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Online
Mar 4, 2007, 06:41 PM
 
They're not offensive, just... unpleasant. For those who haven't seen it, it's a charity for children with a specific facial deformity. I'd guess a cleft lip.

I'm torn. I'd be lying if I said I wanted them to be there, but since it's a charity, asking to take them away seems unwise from a karmic perspective.
     
pixelbaker
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Status: Offline
Mar 4, 2007, 07:54 PM
 
what's gross about it? it's not gory or anything.
it's a charity and it's a fairly unobtrusive banner ad. I don't really see the problem
     
subego
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Mar 4, 2007, 08:30 PM
 
People's brains are accustomed to seeing faces be a certain way. It helps compensate for the fact that you see a bajillion of them, all the time.

When something is really wrong with someone's face, it can make you feel really uncomfortable.

That's what the ad is taking advantage of. It's trying to shock you into giving them money.

Not that they don't deserve money. I mean, for that very same reason, it's an unbelievably sucky thing to be afflicted with.
     
brokenjago
Mac Elite
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Location: Los Angeles, California
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Mar 4, 2007, 08:36 PM
 
I disagree that they should be removed. I feel that sometimes people need a rude awakening from their normal lives to realize that there are some very serious problems out there. Obviously having a cleft lip is not as bad as being aborted because you're the wrong sex (according to the parents, at least,) or many other horrible, horrible things that happen to kids, but it's certainly something that needs to be addressed, and I applaud that they're doing it something about it.
That's what the ad is taking advantage of. It's trying to shock you into giving them money.
You're right. Although it's definetly something that's easier to tackle than, for instance, World Hunger. $250 gets a kid a surgery, and makes their life unimaginably better.

If I could afford it, I would donate they $250 every month. But I can't, so I give what I can.

</bleeding heart>
Linkinus is king.
     
mac128k-1984
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Mar 4, 2007, 09:17 PM
 
I'm not offended but I was shocked. I vote not to have them blocked, the ads are for a far more worthy cause then some gambling site, or other advertisement that comes this way.
Michael
     
brokenjago
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Mar 6, 2007, 04:18 AM
 
For those who haven't seen the ad yet, here it is:

Link
Linkinus is king.
     
Person Man
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Mar 6, 2007, 09:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
Personally I think MacNN should be sensitive to its viewers/users and take into account that this is an all-ages web site and should not use advertisers that offend.
MacNN has no control over what their advertisers put in their banners, or so people claim. They can only remove ads from the rotation after the fact.

But it doesn't matter to me anymore. Because MacNN insists on linking to their less popular Electronista site in order to boost hits (and thus advertising revenue), I have blocked all ads from the MacNN family of websites.
     
centerchannel68
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Mar 16, 2007, 12:15 AM
 
I think it's gross. I don't want to look at deformed kids.
     
Mastrap
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Mar 17, 2007, 09:13 AM
 
I think it is important that these kinds of ads are included on macnn. This kind of stuff exists. We can help making it go away by making a donation, should we so desire. To say 'I don't want to look at disfigured children' is incredibly selfish IMO.
     
Atheist
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Mar 17, 2007, 09:57 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
I think it is important that these kinds of ads are included on macnn. This kind of stuff exists. We can help making it go away by making a donation, should we so desire. To say 'I don't want to look at disfigured children' is incredibly selfish IMO.
Count me among the 'selfish'.
     
Chuckit
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Mar 17, 2007, 05:06 PM
 
If you want the ads to go away, pay for the kids' surgery so the ads aren't needed. Nobody's going to block such a worthy cause.
Chuck
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"Instead of either 'multi-talented' or 'multitalented' use 'bisexual'."
     
subego
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Mar 17, 2007, 06:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
To say 'I don't want to look at disfigured children' is incredibly selfish IMO.

No, I'd say it's honest. Just as I would say someone who said they wanted to look at them was being dishonest.

Unequivocally demanding their removal is selfish, which as far as I can see, no one has done.

The people who want them taken away have demonstrated reservations about doing so.
     
Kevin
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Mar 17, 2007, 06:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by centerchannel68 View Post
I think it's gross. I don't want to look at deformed kids.
Karma is a bitch. That is all I have to say.
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
I think it is important that these kinds of ads are included on macnn. This kind of stuff exists. We can help making it go away by making a donation, should we so desire. To say 'I don't want to look at disfigured children' is incredibly selfish IMO.
Originally Posted by Chuckit View Post
If you want the ads to go away, pay for the kids' surgery so the ads aren't needed. Nobody's going to block such a worthy cause.


You know this sheeit is right when Mastrap, Chuckit and I are on the same page.
     
centerchannel68
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mastrap View Post
I think it is important that these kinds of ads are included on macnn. This kind of stuff exists. We can help making it go away by making a donation, should we so desire. To say 'I don't want to look at disfigured children' is incredibly selfish IMO.
I take being selfish as a compliment. Being selfless is the reason our society is all screwed up.
     
centerchannel68
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Kevin View Post
Karma is a bitch. That is all I have to say.
Luckily I only have to worry about the Lord judging me, and not karma, right Zimphire? Because Christianity universally says there is only ONE true god, and only one path to him, so all that karma stuff is just bullcrap.

PS: Are you saying you WANT to look at deformed kids? You're deranged.
     
Gossamer
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by centerchannel68 View Post
PS: Are you saying you WANT to look at deformed kids? You're deranged.
It's quite clear that he is not saying that.
     
Chuckit
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by centerchannel68 View Post
I take being selfish as a compliment. Being selfless is the reason our society is all screwed up.
…right. Our society is screwed up because people love and care for each other too much. Sounds about right. I'm seriously pissed off about how there are no poor people anymore, and how nobody's hated for their race, religion or sexual orientation these days.
Chuck
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Timo
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:44 PM
 
Hey everybody! Here's a cute little thread that perfectly encapsulates the non-tech bizarreness of this site!

It's got it all -- entitlement, teenage libertarianism, mischaracterizations, appeals to consious and rejection of same, ALL WRAPPED in DELCIOUS COMPLAINING galore! It's laughs, laughs and knee-slappers...Bookmark it now before you can't find it again.
     
Chuckit
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Mar 19, 2007, 09:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by Timo View Post
Hey everybody! Here's a cute little thread that perfectly encapsulates the non-tech bizarreness of this site!

It's got it all -- entitlement, teenage libertarianism, mischaracterizations, appeals to consious and rejection of same, ALL WRAPPED in DELCIOUS COMPLAINING galore! It's laughs, laughs and knee-slappers...Bookmark it now before you can't find it again.
R U MAKIN FUN OF MEE!?
Chuck
___
"Instead of either 'multi-talented' or 'multitalented' use 'bisexual'."
     
Mastrap
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Mar 19, 2007, 11:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by centerchannel68 View Post
I take being selfish as a compliment. Being selfless is the reason our society is all screwed up.
That explains a lot.
     
Gossamer
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Mar 20, 2007, 12:42 AM
 
Originally Posted by centerchannel68 View Post
I take being selfish as a compliment. Being selfless is the reason our society is all screwed up.
I do not believe that people doing good things for other people without any expectation of repayment is a problem that our society has.
     
centerchannel68
Baninated
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Mar 22, 2007, 11:25 AM
 
No, but people feeling forced into feeling bad for NOT feeling that way IS a problem we have. Altruistic religions try to force you to do things like that out of fear, punishment, and society disliking you, which makes any good act people do actually go through with very shallow indeed.

Altruism doesn't make sense.

And yes, Zimphire was saying he wants to look at them, because he had a problem with me saying I did NOT want to look at them, which means he must want to.
     
Dakar²
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Mar 22, 2007, 11:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by Gossamer View Post
I do not believe that people doing good things for other people without any expectation of repayment is a problem that our society has.
If only our political system would stop behaving this way maybe this country would have a brighter future.
     
brokenjago
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Mar 22, 2007, 04:54 PM
 
That explains a lot.
Tell me about it.
Linkinus is king.
     
dsteitz
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Aug 11, 2008, 12:47 PM
 
What a bunch of selfish oxygen thiefs. Thats the very reason these kids need help is because of the likes of folks like this. They can't even stand to look at the innocent souls with this affliction on a banner. What are the chances of you offering them a job? How else are these poor kids suppose to get help? Just have a banner with text on it and rainbows with smiley faces saying that there are poor kids in the world with facial disfigurements, please help?
     
sek929
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Aug 11, 2008, 12:52 PM
 
You registered just to post that?

WTF?
     
Chuckit
Clinically Insane
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Aug 11, 2008, 01:54 PM
 
I'm a little zombie, short and stout…
Chuck
___
"Instead of either 'multi-talented' or 'multitalented' use 'bisexual'."
     
   
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