Inappropriate and annoying adverts

[Stubby47]

Rmweb wont die because of a few ads. If they are needed, then they're needed. I can't see Andy or Warners risking RMweb for a quick buck.

 

Do like The Stationmaster says and ignore them.

 

Or at least stop moaning about them !

[paul-dereham]

Sorry Andy, I stand corrected. I'm not happy to see ads not related to model railways. Surely Warners have enough ad customer contacts from BRM magazine to fill this slot?

 

Pete, if you are using Firefox install the BlockSite add-on. Then block this site:

http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/

Result -- no more ads.

 

Martin.

 

I've installed this so hope it works. I don't mind a few ads but too much advertising and the site is history for me.

[Pete 75C]

I've installed this so hope it works. I don't mind a few ads but too much advertising and the site is history for me.

 

Being a Firefox user, I have too and it seems to work a treat. That said, I do seem to be able to mentally "tune out" adverts so that they don't bother me, except of course for the flashy bouncy ones which grate.

 

Edit: not that I've seen anything flashy or bouncy on RMWeb, mercifully.

[BoD]

I've just spent a few minutes (sad isn't it) finding out what sort of profile the ads people have given me.

 

Apparently I need an MA in finance and some railway sleepers.

Now I know where I've been going wrong all of these years.

[railroadbill]

Just installed Adblock and Blocksite on firefox and they work a treat. Thanks for heads up on those. Some other commercial websites I've just tried are now irrelevent advert free.  But if RMweb needs adverts to keep going (particularly model railway ones) then that's fine by me.

[Trainshed Terry]

What you need is a kid with LEGO - that'll put a stop to them

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNpWbXAGtEo

 

Dream works has a lot to answer for.

[Pete Harvey]

The add blocker does not work I suspect as the adds have been scripted into the forum pages so cannot be turned off without having the option to do so in the My Settings section.

 

As you have said bill if the adds were Modelrail Related as at the top of each page I would not have a problem but they are not they are just drivel.

 

I don't see what the problem is to ask for the choice to see them or not rather not having a choice at all.

 

Pete 

[colin penfold]

flashy bouncy ones

 

 

I get a lot of those, we must browse the same kind of sites

[Free At Last]

 

The add blocker does not work I suspect as the adds have been scripted into the forum pages so cannot be turned off without having the option to do so in the My Settings section.

Pete

 

I use adblock on I.E. and it must be working as I see none of these ads that have been mentioned.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

 

One of the annoyances with the big media ad-serving sites is that a page is configured not to 'work' (internal links etc) until the ads have been served. For some sites, none of the content is served until the ads are in place and running their tracking scripts.

 

I have given up on any number of sites over the years afflicted with this complete misunderstanding of how advertising is supposed to work. When was 'allow us to totally waste your time in order to persuade you to buy XYZ' accepted as a way to entice custom? Surely there must be some site hosting software setting that can go to 'push on regardless' of ad state, if these have not completed loading within a millisecond? That's actually a positive benefit to the advertiser: I cannot be the only person resolute in not buying any product associated with delaying me about my lawful occasions.

[Andy Y]

 

I don't see what the problem is to ask for the choice to see them or not rather not having a choice at all.

 

 

Quite simply there'd be a lot of additional scripting work to do so and bluntly why should 'we' have to if it's part of providing free access to the site in the future?

 

You'd probably be surprised how many other sites you visit use exactly the same mechanisms or much more.; yup, just checked and you are on Facebook.

[Ian Smeeton]

I only noticed the ads a thread or two ago, and am slightly puzzled why there isn't one at the foot of the page on this one.

 

Is this Mr Yorks influence, or am I just lucky?

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Andy Y]

However, no offence Andy, but if RMweb is becoming more of a Warners revenue stream then a modellers sanctuary, I'm off. If a subscription will kill the ads then fine, but not under the Warners umbrella. Perhaps mistakenly, but I had the impression that Warners would fit the bill of the site as it was then and appointed yourself to make sure it stayed that way. Apparently they misjudged the costs and are now trying to make RMweb pay it's way instead of treating it as a free resource for all modellers as you had initially started it If Warners retain their stance on Google ads, RMweb will die and someone else will start a new incarnation of Warners web forum, just like you did all those years ago

 

RMweb is an important 'brand' within the group's portfolio; they've maintained free access, facilities and events and will continue to do so. Traffic has more than doubled in the two years since the change and members have been able to enjoy increased reliability and faster speeds; because of the volume of content and levels of traffic it has a substantial server cost and a share of my costs and other administration within the business. Costs are met through advertising and sponsorship and they have a reasonable right to deliver a profit for the business through balancing that.

[Andy Y]

I only noticed the ads a thread or two ago, and am slightly puzzled why there isn't one at the foot of the page on this one.

 

Is this Mr Yorks influence, or am I just lucky?

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

We're currently testing where best to place such ads and the current placement in Layout and Hornby topics is to provide a measure on traffic/income but I can reasonably see it may be better to place them within certain areas of the site (such as Prototype discussions) which may not be of significant interest to modelling suppliers as an advertising spot (think where you may see a Scalescenes ad for example - within the card modelling section). We're trying to be sensible about it and look at the best balance and knee-jerk flouncing doesn't help when you're looking at reasonable solutions.

[The Stationmaster]

farcebook must be getting good the ######'s have just emailed me to see if I want to chat to an old friend, he's been dead for 2 years 8loody clever ain't they.

Don't worry - they offered last month to 'connect' me with a chap I knew, he died more than 8 years ago!  Linked-In is almost as bad as they keep asking me if 'know' a couple of folk who are dead?

 

RMweb is an important 'brand' within the group's portfolio; they've maintained free access, facilities and events and will continue to do so. Traffic has more than doubled in the two years since the change and members have been able to enjoy increased reliability and faster speeds; because of the volume of content and levels of traffic it has a substantial server cost and a share of my costs and other administration within the business. Costs are met through advertising and sponsorship and they have a reasonable right to deliver a profit for the business through balancing that.

You people just don't understand do you - it's on the internet so it must be free and obviously it only costs a few pence a week to run it so there's no need for all this nasty commercial stuff.  

(Tongue duly removed from cheek )

[martin_wynne]

Costs are met through advertising and sponsorship and they have a reasonable right to deliver a profit for the business through balancing that.

 

It's a fine balancing act though. If Warners expect to make a profit from visitors to RMweb should they be paying the contributors who post the content to make the site worth visiting? Many members put in a lot of effort in creating and freely posting content. I imagine most of them do it to help fellow modellers, rather than to make profit for Warners. Covering costs is one thing, but to use RMweb as an income stream will surely make many contributors think again?

 

Martin.

[railroadbill]

Been looking at a motor caravan forum (another interest!) which has a column of commercial ads down one side of the frame marked "our business friends" who presumably pay so contributing to the running of the site. Think that's fine because they all relate to the site's subject matter and could be useful..

However after installing adblock and blocksite the other type of  "supposedly tailored to me by tracking what I've looked at on the web"  spam  ads have now disappeared. So instead of just ignoring them, they are not now  displayed at all. Result.

[woodenhead]

I am.

 

Interestingly as I've not given Facebook much info in terms of a profile on their pages they serve me ads typical for males and it's mostly 'mature' ladies.

I get the 'mature ladies' adds on my work PC, I tend to listen to a lot of 80s music when I work via YouTube and visit IT coding sites, I've obviously been profiled as a middle aged geek in need of a lady.

 

Compared to some sites, the adds on this site are fairly inconspicuous and don't detract from the enjoyment of a free forum.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Hmmm, I was seeing an X until I went into Google's Ads settings from it and removed some of the categories etc. Google thinks I'm over 65 based on the websites I use.

No, they just saw your avatar.

[Dagworth]

The ads will depend on your browsing history and relevance to site content.

 

Google have just changed their terms of use to make it clear that if you use GMail they also scan ALL your email for terms to serve you adverts. Google are turning very much against their previous 'Don't Be Evil' stance.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/google-updates-terms-service-officially-allow-it-scan-your-emails-1444914

 

A hypothetical question; would you be prepared to pay not to see it?

I have AdBlockPlus installed on this machine, I don't see ads anywhere except on RMweb where I have deliberately turned off the ad blocking as the ads have (until now) always been relatively relevant and I don't mind them covering the cost of the site. Those ads also of course help some of our smaller suppliers to stay in business. If things are now moving over to google served ads then please yes, let's have a paid opt-out option, I was never averse to chucking cash towards the running costs before BRM took over.

 

Andi

[Izzy]

As a relative newcomer to RMweb I accept that running costs these days have to be covered by some form of advertising if they aren't subsidised by subscription or another method of funding, and I generally have no issue with them, finding no problem with mentally blocking them from view when browsing pages.

What does ire me however is the 'in your face' animated ones, and I won't remain on a page with these, whatever the content. Those specifically tailored to my suposed tastes I also find bordering on the offensive since they begin to invade ones privacy.

However, in practical terms, those I feel really sorry for in the general context are those users with slow broadband speeds/connections, where the loading of pages can consume a lot of time. With a fast and data unlimited service it isn't an issue for me and might be why adverts aren't a particular problem in that they don't slow down page reading. I can remember in the distant past on a slow connection finding it very frustrating waiting for adverts to load that were of no interest whatsoever, especially when remote servers are involved.

Finding a suitable balance between what is needed to cover costs in the easiest manner possible, whilst not dissuading visitors, is never an easy path since you can never keep everybody happy all of the time.

Izzy

[cromptonnut]

However, in practical terms, those I feel really sorry for in the general context are those users with slow broadband speeds/connections, where the loading of pages can consume a lot of time. With a fast and data unlimited service it isn't an issue for me and might be why adverts aren't a particular problem in that they don't slow down page reading. I can remember in the distant past on a slow connection finding it very frustrating waiting for adverts to load that were of no interest whatsoever, especially when remote servers are involved.

 

... or those using a smartphone who, almost invariably, have limited bandwidth packages which you pay through the nose for. 

[BoD]

... or those using a smartphone who, almost invariably, have limited bandwidth packages which you pay through the nose for.

 

My phone automatically downloads a mobile version of RMweb with all the graphics and images stripped out. It uses very little of my download allocation.

[bodmin16]

Unfortunately the internet is becoming like commercial tv which in itself is becoming more American whereby it is all adverts, not only do we have ad breaks but the actual programme is sponsored resulting in another advert, then more adverts either side of the credits etc. net result for me is recording programmes on tele and east forwarding adverts and if it advertising gets too much on the internet then I just switch off. I find that my visits to the internet including the RMweb are becoming less frequent and shorter in length with time. I fail to see the relevance of adverts offering me Russian brides, aids, loan companies, accident and PPI claim companies etc.

Alan

[cromptonnut]

My phone automatically downloads a mobile version of RMweb with all the graphics and images stripped out. It uses very little of my download allocation.

My phone obviously isn't as smart as yours.

 

Although it appears to be the "mobile version" on my phone I still get advertisments.  Inappropriate?  Perhaps not, although most do not suit my particular modelling interests (as is the case for many of us, I expect) however annoying?  There's a certain amount of truth in the statement that any advertising is annoying.