Native ads on Mumsnet Talk topics

[JustineMumsnet]

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.

This is such a bad idea - the ads are really intrusive and inappropriate.

Given that half of MN has become bloody annoying to use / is falling apart a bit why did you think it was a good time to roll out such annoying adverts? It seems like you're really trying to pee off users rather than just fix the issues which are outstanding and broken

Really annoying and intrusive.

They are intrusive and annoying.

I am accessing the MN desktop site via an iPad mini and the ads are blocking threads so I can't click on them, please see screenshots. The first one shows the list of threads before the ad pops up and the second shows a thread missing and the intrusive ad.

I also wanted to say how inappropriate they can seem. I was on FWR earlier reading about women not reporting rape and then am faced with an ad for horror.

They're annoying.
And they seem to keep following me around.
It's bad enough having that Fairy baby which I keep accidentally clicking on from my phone.

So annoying

The ads also seem to be covering up real threads - as the ads load in, a genuine thread is there for a few seconds before disappearing and being replaced by the ad.

Sorry, just realised that this has already been said.

Really annoying adverts

I can see me getting really pissed off with them and having to come off mumsnet

Which will be a shame but i should probably have a break

I think its the picture i find distracting

Horrible and they squish the whole page over cutting off the right side.

Honestlt, Justine, there is so much wrong with the functionality of the site atbthe moment that it is becoming unusable.

And i agree with nautical and borka

And can you just get rid of it on some tooics at least

The damn thing is now popping up OVER the thread I'm trying to read so that I can't click on the thread. 😡😡😡

Really annoying. Intrustive. Please can we have darker colours for op and our own posts it's awful

Justine, whilst I understand the need for ads placing them over existing threads which may or may not have had replies isn't fair on that user and interrupts the flow of conversation.

I understand why you need ads, but you run the risk of losing users with this. Do you really need to be advertising children's Halloween costumes in the sex topic? Or in bereavement? No it's totally inappropriate.

I too have outstanding issues which haven't been fixed - one I've not even had a reply to which can prevent me from posting altogether and my 'threads I'm on' is still a total mess.

In the past I have recommended that people use the topics.

I don't think I'll be doing that again with these abominations in them.

Unpleasantly intrusive.

And it is a great shame you have chosen to prioritise this over fixing things like TIO

Why I dislike them more than other types of less intrusive adds is because they are deliberately placed so that they get 'accidentally' clicked and clicking get revenue..... Plus clicks are used as 'proof' that users don't mind the ads because 'look at how many people are clicking on them'.

The fact most clicks will be unintentional will be ignored,

I 100% understand the need for ads but these are awful and sneaky.

Having been a member for many, many moons (and plus some), I rarely add criticism on mumsnet, even if constructive, but on this occasion feel a strong need to do so. The three main issues for me being, as others have also said, the advert covering an active thread, the positioning making it likely to 'accidently click' the advert (more of an issue on smaller devices perhaps), and that some adverts seem highly inappropriate to the thread they are appearing on (I don't really like to be met by 'horror' on the happy, season of goodwill Christmas board).

Sorry, Justine, but as they currently stand, they're awful.

If you get clicks on them, I suspect it will be out of curiosity - followed very closely by irritation. Clicking will not equal revenue I think.

They're also detracting from some pretty personal posts and the ads' subject matter looks to be almost trivialising their content.

Could you ask your Sales and Marketing team to rethink their approach a bit?

And now on this thread I've had porn popping up

What the actual fuck MN.

Well I've not got porn. Yet!

It may come, I guess.

By the way, is this meant to be a way round 'ad-blocking' ? I'm just interested.