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Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics

136 replies

JustineMumsnet · 17/10/2016 11:14

Hi all,
I wanted to give you a heads up about some Native Ads we're introducing on Talk (images attached). They will appear on Talk topic home pages and will only appear once per page. We have tested them on users - we tested them in threads and on Talk topics and the feedback was that users weren't so keen on seeing them within a thread but didn't mind them on the topic pages, so that's where we're putting them. Hopefully you won't find them intrusive and they may even be interesting/useful sometimes. Obviously we already have a similar type of thing with our in-house inline ads on Talk theads, so hopefully it won't be too much of a shock/ imposition. Please do let us know your thoughts and as ever, if there are any advertisers/ partners you'd actively like us to seek out then please do let us know.

Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics
Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics
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FrancisCrawford · 28/10/2016 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 28/10/2016 16:43

@noblegiraffe

I just thought a thread had been deleted from a topic because it was no longer appearing on the discussion list.

It hadn't been deleted, its place on the list was just being taken by an ad instead - you could see it being replaced as the page, then the ad loaded. It's not like the picture above where the ad text interferes with the thread title, the thread was just gone. Once someone posted on it, it reappeared back at the top of the topic list, and presumably some other thread disappeared with the ad taking its place.

This is certainly not intentional - ads are meant to slot in not replace. We will check that out, thanks.

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MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 28/10/2016 16:41

@BeyondReasonablyDoubts

Can I also take this opportunity to whinge about the adverts at the top that widen once the page has 99% loaded. So you click a link at the top just as the ad widens and you end up getting dragged off to some random other site (today it's nationwide)

hi - i think this is about speed of connection - ads taking a while to download - we tend to load the content first then the ads so users don't have to wait, but I'll definitely look into it to see if there's anything to be done. thanks for raising.

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MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 28/10/2016 16:40

@CarrotVan

Having installed Ad Block Plus I'm horrified at the amount of ads it's blocking - 13 on this page!

There's no way we have 13 ads on a page - 2 (or three if you include this format) is standard - so it must be identifying other scripts as ads... thanks for the heads up, will talk to Tech team about that.

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MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 28/10/2016 16:38

Hi all,
Thanks so much for the feedback - we're going to take this format down for now and talk to the providers about solutions to some of the issues raised. I tend to agree that being taken to an external site isn't ideal (and actually not what happens in FB model - which I know isn't the be all and end all but they have managed to find an format that doesn't seem to annoy users so much, so that's why we were using them as a template). We also agree that on mobile, they are too large so we possibly need to lose the picture. And we need to make it clearer where the the ad starts and finishes to avoid erroneous clicking. So we'll withdraw them while we work on all those issues. Sorry for any headaches - please consider unblocking your adblockers!

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Becca19962014 · 27/10/2016 15:45

Yes it was taking over two threads. The point I was making was to show it covering the second. You can't actually take a screen shot of it covering one thread as the ad appears so fast over it.

noblegiraffe · 27/10/2016 11:37

I just thought a thread had been deleted from a topic because it was no longer appearing on the discussion list.

It hadn't been deleted, its place on the list was just being taken by an ad instead - you could see it being replaced as the page, then the ad loaded. It's not like the picture above where the ad text interferes with the thread title, the thread was just gone. Once someone posted on it, it reappeared back at the top of the topic list, and presumably some other thread disappeared with the ad taking its place.

CarrotVan · 27/10/2016 09:59

Having installed Ad Block Plus I'm horrified at the amount of ads it's blocking - 13 on this page!

BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 24/10/2016 12:14

Can I also take this opportunity to whinge about the adverts at the top that widen once the page has 99% loaded. So you click a link at the top just as the ad widens and you end up getting dragged off to some random other site (today it's nationwide)

musicposy · 24/10/2016 11:04

I hate them. Right in the middle of the bloody thread. They are constantly covering a thread I want to see. I'll see something like "AIBU that my..." then it reloads and there's an advert there instead.
Ironically, I had to reload the site stuff page three times to get this thread to show up, and twice I ended up on the British Gas website by mistake. It makes me much less likely to buy from that company and twice yesterday I came off of mumsnet in my frustration and did something more productive!

Really intrusive and really annoying.

Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics
FrancisCrawford · 24/10/2016 08:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Notverylucky · 23/10/2016 23:19

I've clicked on them accidentally when I'm trying to access a thread. I'm on a mobile phone so my screen isn't massive and the adverts are taking up a lot of the room.

Really annoying, intrusive and puts me off of using MN.

Hillfarmer · 23/10/2016 22:56

Foxyspook I'm getting this as well on my Mac and only with Mumsnet. I get the endless spinning rainbow bagel. Very annoying... is it coz of all the ads?

Becca19962014 · 23/10/2016 22:47

I sometimes still get them as well. It doesn't remove all of them, I think that's delibrate to stop people blocking ads altogether, that's probably why MNHQ have done this embedding of ads.

If I see one I just restart safari and it's gone.

BadEngleesh · 23/10/2016 22:33

I'm still getting the ad even though I downloaded Adblock 😟😡😢

FrancisCrawford · 23/10/2016 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GuttedDotCom · 23/10/2016 20:15

Incredibly intrusive. This site is becoming more and more difficult to use.

BadEngleesh · 23/10/2016 19:02

I've just downloaded Adblock plus... it's all looking good so far.

I'd be happy to pay a premium for an ad free site too.

BoreOfWhabylon · 23/10/2016 18:46

Thanks BIWI, have just installed adblock plus on my ipad. Loading seems to have speeded up without the massive banner ads at the top

Sorry Justine, but MN wsa becoming unusable for me although, like BIWI, I would have been prepared to pay a premium for an ad-free Mumsnet.

BIWI · 23/10/2016 09:02

Install ad blocker. It's free. And none of these ads will appear on your threads. (Or at least I haven't yet come across one).

I'm sorry if this deprives MN of income - I do understand, and quite appreciate, that you need to take advertising to generate revenue, and thus pay for us all to use the site without having to pay. But the point was reached a while ago for me where the advertising was significantly detracting from my user experience.

Personally, I'd rather pay a subscription for an ad-free site, but that's not really an idea that's ever going to fly.

SnaggleBeast · 23/10/2016 08:59

There's a fucking brilliant one for anxiety war sufferers at the moment. How nuclear power developer after WW2. And there is no way to get around it. Shoved right in your face.

cozietoesie · 21/10/2016 10:32

They're frequently trivialising the topic, in my view, merlot.

I have no idea who is choosing these ads - or laying down the ground rules for their selection - but I doubt they should be paid at the end of the month. I guess we shall have no choice but to accept these things but in my view, they are not - as 'native ads' are supposed to do - 'enhancing the user experience' but are actually damaging it.

I suspect my own time on MN will be curtailed from now on.

BeyondReasonablyDoubts · 21/10/2016 08:09

I get the rererereloading on my iPad, but not my iphone (both using safari)

OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/10/2016 07:50

I've pointed out the reloading, often with a 'there was an error on this page' mn have said they can't replicate it.

merlottime · 21/10/2016 06:49

These are awful and will put me off using MN. Very disappointed. The ads bear no relevance to the talk topic they are in.