Top bar advertising

[TalkinBoutWhat]

MN, PLEASE fix this advertising bar at the top of the computer screen.

It is so large, that I can't actually click on any of the MN links that are at the top of the page. (eg, active, I'm on, etc).

Right now, on Site Stuff, I can't even click 'Site Stuff' to get other threads in this section. It's hidden by the ad, which is NOT scrolling up and away the way I've seen others do. It's just sitting there. The ONLY threads I can get onto are the active ones on the right hand side of the screen, and only the ones lower down the list as the top ones are hidden by the Ad. (Experian and Marks and Spencers, are the two so far....)

You did this before, we all complained, you apologised and said it shouldn't have been loaded on as you were testing something new. I really hope this was a mistake, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to navigate the site.

I've had enough. MN also said that the massive side bar adverts had gone. Wrong!
Logging off

I realise Mumsnet isn't up there with Arcadia, JCB, Boots and the rest, but they're hardly a site built by some kid in a back bedroom either ... so surely they must have proper IT personnel on board?

It needs a better mind than mine to even begin to know what's needed, but shouldn't this have been repairable before now, with the proper help?

Puzzled, they always refer to 'the tech'. I.e. one!

Are there any drawbacks to adblockers?

way to go mumsnet, you've done such great work in promoting adblockers :o

mapie

Sometimes when i google an item and then try and 'buy' it it will block the website

But if i go on the website i can buy it, if that makes sense

Thats the only problem i can see

I used to have one before and itv player or Channel 4 or BBC (can't remember which channel) will give you a message to turn it off or you can't view programmes on iplayer, but that's the only problem I've encountered with having it.

I have adblocker on one browser and then use a different one if I want to watch channel 4

That's a handy work-around reflex.

It's almost worse today because it although it is slightly smaller it does not go away. I can see about two thirds of the screen all the time. The top third is white. It is like looking through a letterbox.

they always refer to 'the tech'. I.e. one!

Oh dear If this is true - and considering their entire platform is online - I'd have expected more

Mine now says 'advertisement', and seems to be loading something but stops. The dropped down bit occupies about one fifth to one quarter of the top of my screen for several seconds after that however. YY to 'like looking through a letterbox'.

This happens every time I go to a new page and after posting. When I post this, I will see it again.

And adverts that float or like the banner advert above take up too much of the site, are more likely to be clicked on by accident. Companies detect bounce rates i.e. users that click a link and straight away close the link that has opened up. If bounce rates are unacceptably high, that affects what companies will pay for adverts.
[Brasty]

It all adds up to a lot of annoyance on my part and presumably annoyance on the part of advertisers too.

Now going to hit 'post' and watch it all unfold again.

Those of you still having annoyances with ad blockers, it might be worth trying a different one (easy if you're viewing through firefox fr'ex). They don't all behave exactly the same - I recently switched from AdBlockPlus to ublock because the former was letting through an annoying flashing ad. It's probably a good idea only to have one turned on at a time though!

brasty, I dont think of all these comments I'm being the rude one.

This problem has resulted in me using MN a lot less in the last few days. With every page I click there comes a little drop-down advert, blank, which buffers for a few seconds and then as soon as I want to click on something it explodes into a massive Lullabella/John Lewis/other stupid advert that takes up about a quarter of the page! Annoying is an understatement. Said advert also results in the page jumping around so that my finger/mouse clicks on the advert, rather than the Active/TIO button.

Listen to the MNetters, MNHQ!

For those using Firefox, the first step is to go into the settings and check 'block popups'. You might find that does enough for you. But you can still use an add blocker as well to improve things further.

relax i've got uBlock, Adblock, Disconect, NoScript and Yahoo Hide Ad Panel. The only problem i get sometimes is watching the 'on air' videos on the QVC website. (no massive loss) Everything else works fine.

This addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ is a link to the firefox smorgasbord of ad ons.

If you're new to ad ons don't be afraid. Google the one's for your platform and just download them. You can just turn them off again with a click.

I'm on a chromebook and the ads are covering 3/4 or my screen and appear every time I go to new pages. Tis driving me crazy.

Toothfairy - download the AdBlock extension for Chrome. I use a Chromebook as well and MN was completely unusable for me until I installed AdBlock.

Maybe we should ask Mumsnet headquarters for an adblocker board on here
we could discuss which are the best ones to use etc?

I would be happy to whitelist MN if they could get appropriate and controlled adverts. Sidebar - fine. Top bar - ideally not to big (the massive lump that is currently at the top is ridiculous). And I don't want page-takeovers or auto-play/animations - if I want to see something then I'll click on it.

As for popping up in the middle of threads - no. It's horrendously intrusive and you cannot effectively control where they appear. Do MN's advertisers really think it's appropriate product placement to have their wares slap bang in the middle of a thread about DV?

If they truly rely on advertising to "keep the lights on" then they need to get better at it.

I understand the underlying threat of only being able to keep MN free to use if MNHQ can run adverts. But as others have said, they rely on users to do quite a lot already - we do a lot of the moderating work for them (by thread/post reporting). We generate content which MNHQ use on Twitter and FB to promote the site. The content is also invariably lifted by media outlets and whilst MNHQ claim that they don't like this, it generates further FREE publicity and clicks for MN so I can't help but wonder if this explains the rather lack-lustre approach to the Daily Mail, the Wright Stuff, HuffPost etc., all lifting threads and content from here.

So I presume the threat of making the site subscription only, is largely an empty one, because MNHQ know that if they did then users would expect all of this to be sorted out for them. And that's before you take into account the number of people who would desert the site because they don't want to pay. Or people like me who think it would be a cold day in hell before I gave MN my bank details after all of the security issues they've had...

I like MN. It's funny, engaging, helpful and a great resource. If you need a way to monetise your offering - which is fine because at the end of the day we all have bills to pay - then why not ask posters to give input? Run polls? Ask for suggestions? Engage with the people who use the site?

reflexfaith - Maybe we should ask Mumsnet headquarters for an adblocker board on here we could discuss which are the best ones to use etc?

The irony if that becoming a thing as a result of trying to force too many ads down our throat the current situation is beautiful :)

Okay, so it was Monday afternoon when MNHQ said "The tech team have found the issue with the large ad covering the links" and that they were "working on a fix right now"

Given that this was four days ago, it makes you wonder why users are still finding the site eaten by ads. It almost seems that MN don't actually wish to moderate the ad content at all ...

Yes, funny that...

Still hacked off. I suspect it will be a case of just waiting until we get used to the change.