Adverts and Annoying Video Loop on RMweb

[Lichfeldian]

I haven't been on RMweb for some time, but having logged on, I find the page swamped with adverts and a particularly annoying video loop, initially of wildlife and then of a motorway camera scene. Despite cancelling this video, it keeps coming back. When I joined, I recall one of the reasons for subscribing was to get advert free access, so what's going on now please?

[younGGuns7]

Oh dear I feel a quick AY attack imminent. It obvious you haven’t search the menu to see if this topic is current 

[woodenhead]

Gold members don't see adverts, but your account is not showing as Gold so you will see adverts.

 

If you have just subscribed to the magazine that is not the same as Gold membership.

[Dungrange]

1 hour ago, Lichfeldian said:

When I joined, I recall one of the reasons for subscribing was to get advert free access, so what's going on now please?

 

You're not showing up a having subscribed to the site.  Subscribers have a gold box around their posts.

Edited February 2, 2022 by Dungrange

[ejstubbs]

21 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

If you set tracking protection to Strict in your browser you won't see any adverts

 

That rather depends on which browser you're using, doesn't it?  On my desktop machine, only Firefox of the three browsers I have installed has such a setting, and it's the browser I use least frequently.  (And, as it happens, the Adblock Plus Firefox extension blocks the pop-up videos regardless of the tracking settings.)

[ejstubbs]

<Deleted double post caused by site response time issues>

Edited February 2, 2022 by ejstubbs

[martin_wynne]

32 minutes ago, ejstubbs said:

 

That rather depends on which browser you're using, doesn't it?

 

 

And informs your choice of which browser is worth using. The Strict setting is readily available in Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Instructions here:

 

 https://mobilesyrup.com/2020/03/01/how-to-privacy-settings-tracker-blocking-chrome-edge-firefox/

 

Martin.

[Jeff Smith]

40 minutes ago, ejstubbs said:

<Deleted double post caused by site response time issues>

Talking of deleting posts, I have had several posts replicated, presumably due to site response time but cannot delete them.  If you delete the text in edit mode you still have to leave at least one character.  However I just discovered the 'hide' option so I guess that is as good......

[AY Mod]

Just now, Jeff Smith said:

I have had several posts replicated, presumably due to site response time but cannot delete them.  If you delete the text in edit mode you still have to leave at least one character

 

Please refer to the big red notice at the top of every page.

 

1 minute ago, Jeff Smith said:

However I just discovered the 'hide' option so I guess that is as good

 

That's the correct thing to do.

 

I've deleted the duplicate post about duplicate posts.

[Jol Wilkinson]

On 02/02/2022 at 17:53, martin_wynne said:

 

And informs your choice of which browser is worth using. The Strict setting is readily available in Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Instructions here:

 

 https://mobilesyrup.com/2020/03/01/how-to-privacy-settings-tracker-blocking-chrome-edge-firefox/

 

Martin.

 

Martin,

 

I have got Chrome on my PC and Laptop and even with the Advanced Settings as recommended on the site in your link (and have been for years), it doesn't stop any of the adverts or videos on RMWeb. 

 

Jol

[martin_wynne]

2 hours ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Martin,

 

I have got Chrome on my PC and Laptop and even with the Advanced Settings as recommended on the site in your link (and have been for years), it doesn't stop any of the adverts or videos on RMWeb. 

 

 

Hi Jol,

 

It seems Google are dragging their feet on implementing Strict tracking protection in Chrome. Essentially of course being Google they have a vested interest in harvesting tracking data, which is why I don't use their Chrome browser.

 

But Strict tracking protection is available in Firefox and Microsoft Edge, so if you don't want to see the intrusive advertising on RMweb I would suggest using Firefox or Edge for viewing RMweb -- you don't have to use it for anything else if you don't want to. I've been using Firefox for about 20 years and I've never found any reason to use any other browser.

 

Using Firefox with tracking protection set to Strict I don't see any advertising on this site, even if I log out (I'm a Gold subscriber, so I wouldn't see it anyway when logged in).

 

I wouldn't mind seeing some plain model advertising, i.e. words, pictures, links, etc. It's the unnecessary trackers which advertisers use to harvest personal data which I object to. Look at all these trackers that RMweb tries to set on my computer every time I go to a new page. This is even while I'm logged in on Gold -- if I log out there are a whole lot more:

 

 

(p.s. Anyone who uses Ad-blockers or tracking protection on RMweb should take out a subscription to compensate RMweb for the lost advertising revenue.)

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

Edited February 4, 2022 by martin_wynne

[Jeff Smith]

Where is the subscription info?

[Wheatley]

Before this gets locked like all the other advertising threads, can I just say that I'm fine with most of the adverts, event the caterpillar videos, but the full page ad which has to be swatted between clicking on a topic and getting to that topic, is a pain in the bum. Especially as all the ads seem to be in Russian. 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Wheatley

[Dungrange]

Not sure why your adverts are in Russian - mine are in English.  They don't seem to be between every topic, but following Martin's information above, I'm currently logged in RMWeb via Chrome (my normal browser) and via MS Edge and on Chrome the video is playing in the bottom right, but on Edge there is no video.

[martin_wynne]

1 hour ago, Jeff Smith said:

Where is the subscription info?

 

It's a good question. The Warners web sites are all but impenetrable in getting definitive details.

 

I'm currently paying £5.99 monthly via PayPal to Warners Group Publications. Exactly what the product is that I'm paying for I'm not too clear. For that I get a digital subscription to BRM and 4 other Warners magazines, and access to the entire archive of all 5 of them -- which is the best part of the whole deal for me, thousands of back-number magazines and all searchable. In the process RMweb turns Gold, but the why and wherefore of that appears to be a mystery. I believe it is possible to take out a Gold RMweb subscription by itself for some lesser amount, and there is talk of a Silver subscription for even less. What the differences in the product would be I haven't the faintest idea.

 

For the £5.99 subscription go to:

 

  https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/store/membership-subscriptions

 

This is what I see when I log in:

 

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

Edited February 4, 2022 by martin_wynne

[Dungrange]

12 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

Exactly what the product is that I'm paying for I'm not too clear -- nowhere is RMweb mentioned.

 

The general membership page - https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/membership does mention RMWeb Gold membership as one of the elements of the package that you are subscribed to.

[martin_wynne]

.

As an example of what makes the subscription such a great deal, here is Part 1 of an article taken at random from EIM magazine, Feb 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

All pages can be downloaded as PDFs and zoomed for hi-res detail.

 

The archive stuff as above is pure gold, and there is page after page of it in hundreds of magazine back numbers. And Gold membership of RMweb too.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[rab]

On 02/02/2022 at 15:59, Lichfeldian said:

I haven't been on RMweb for some time, but having logged on, I find the page swamped with adverts and a particularly annoying video loop, initially of wildlife and then of a motorway camera scene. Despite cancelling this video, it keeps coming back. When I joined, I recall one of the reasons for subscribing was to get advert free access, so what's going on now please?

To paraphrase Fawlty Towers: Don't mention the ads

[martin_wynne]

14 hours ago, Dungrange said:

The general membership page - https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/membership does mention RMWeb Gold membership as one of the elements of the package that you are subscribed to.

 

Thanks. I have now clicked the link and got this:

 

 

Note that it doesn't say anything about not seeing advertising, even though that is the main reason most folks would want the Gold option. Also it's not clear what the difference is between RMweb Gold and RMweb Plus. I assume I have both. On one line it refers to my World of Railways Plus membership and on another line my my World of Railways membership (not Plus), so I don't know what difference the Plus makes to anything or to the features mentioned.

 

I have never used any of the features mentioned, but I will now go and see what's going on in the Gold Private Forum. Although typically being Warners they don't actually provide a link for it, so I shall need to hunt around to find it.

 

edit: It is actually called RMweb Gold Lounge and can be found at:

 

 https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/forum/341-rmweb-gold-lounge/

 

There appear to have been only a handful of posts in recent months, mostly related to difficulties with the subscription. One says "I do wish BRM or Warners could have sent out some kind of paper record to explain what I had bought and who I was dealing with and how to get in touch" so it's obviously not just me.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

Edited February 5, 2022 by martin_wynne
link added

[Jonboy]

If you click the RMWeb logo top right it takes you to the top of the forum(teaching you to suck eggs ), the Gold private forum is the second sub-forum if you are a member.

[Wheatley]

18 hours ago, Dungrange said:

Not sure why your adverts are in Russian - mine are in English. 

This appeared just now on the way to "Model Rail Scotland 2022":

I don't think I'm a Russian spy and I haven't been searching for Russian mail order brides. I have been googling Zvezda and Moelcollect kits on this phone though. 

[Dava]

Returning to RmWeb, my iPad mini screen is about 30% filled with banner ads & video loop again. Ad blocker doesn’t work.

any news on the vfm ad-free subscription? It’s been several months now and I’ve  no interest in a Warners mag subscription deal. 
 

Dava

[Andy Kirkham]

On 05/02/2022 at 15:47, Wheatley said:

This appeared just now on the way to "Model Rail Scotland 2022":

I don't think I'm a Russian spy and I haven't been searching for Russian mail order brides. I have been googling Zvezda and Moelcollect kits on this phone though. 

I get Russian adverts too

[rab]

12 hours ago, Dava said:

Returning to RmWeb, my iPad mini screen is about 30% filled with banner ads & video loop again. Ad blocker doesn’t work.

any news on the vfm ad-free subscription? It’s been several months now and I’ve  no interest in a Warners mag subscription deal. 
 

Dava

Agreed, an update would be appreciated,

even if it's 'discussions are ongoing'.

[Not Jeremy]

Discussions are ongoing