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.

Mumsnet, I want to bring your attention the adverts jumping down the page too - with such precision timing that I click on the ad, instead of the "I'm on" or "active" tab that I was aiming for.

So far today I have clicked on a sony bravia 55" telly, and John Lewis, among others.

Is this a deliberate ploy?

IT IS STILL DOING IT!

The stupid shity MASSIVE advert blocks the top half of the page and I can't use the forum buttons

I do not have add block.

Why WHY WHY roll this out without testing usability????

Erm, "AaaaaaaarrghmyGMumsnet, did you really ask if it shrinks back after 5 seconds or so*?????

Does MN REALLY think 5 seconds is an appropriate amount of time for this thing to be up there hogging the space before shrinking back????

Hi all, thanks for the continued feedback. To clarify, the way the ad is meant to work is that it'll be 'held' on screen for 5 seconds after it loads, before scrolling off. You might see normal leaderboard ads which will be 728x90, or a billboard ad at 970x250.

The ads shouldn't cover the Active/TIO/TIW links if you are scrolled to the top of a page - certainly for no more than a split second while the resize adjusts.

U2hastheEdge - can you screenshot the 'bar' and post on here or ping a mail over to [email protected] please?

ShoesHaveSouls thanks for bringing this to our attention - does it 'jump' after its been on screen for five seconds? So failing to shrink back as it should?

SilverSpot thanks for posting, please can you screen shot the ad covering the forum buttons? Does it stay there?

AaaaaarghHQ no it's less than 5 seconds. The page loads, then after about a second (the exact time it takes me to, say, click on "I'm on") - it jumps down a bit, so I click on the ad instead. Or if I avoid this, as I'm learning to then it sort of shrinks back about 5 seconds later.

MNHQ - I've been checking it again, and I think it's caused by the white box saying "we need to keep the lights on" - the page waits while this box comes up - and then the whole ad jumps down, then shrinks back after about 5secs.

Oh, and we have excellent broadband coverage here - so I don't think it's a problem with it lagging at my end iyswim.

I know what this will be.

When you accidentally click on it it counts and MN can say ‘the users do click’ to the advertisers.

Tech needing screenshots is a bit of pretence of ‘oh sorry guys somethings going wrong’

I may or may not know someone very high up in an IT dept

Oh go on then, HQ. I'll click on a few and help you out As a Halloween Special

five seconds too long.

headache inducing, pissing annoying and spending much much less time on MN

This is happening all the time and it's driving me nuts. Most of my laptop screen is taken up with adverts.

I can't do a screen shot on my laptop as when I highlight the area it goes away.

It is the same as what everyone else has posted though. It lasts way too long and isn't making coming onto MN much fun.

So this is a long-term, deliberate policy that has been specifically instigated for ad revenue.

It sucks - big time. And I hate it. It is incredibly irritating. It might take me a while but methinks it's time to wean myself off MN.

CarolineMumsnet (MNHQ)
^Hi everyone. We are so sorry for all the frustration this is causing. Just wanted to hop on quick to let you know tech is, as we speak, working on a fix for the issues with the advertising bar. We'll keep you updated here.*

I don't believe MNHQ are working to stop these fucking irritating ads at the top of the screen at all. I think the income from the fucking irritating ads at the top of the screen are too profitable and they are working as intended.

Since MNHQ appear to be exercising their right to prioritise ad revenue above the irritation of users, I shall exercise my right to press the X in the top right hand corner and find a less irritating forum.

I wouldn't bother wasting your time posting screenshots, like MNHQ can't see with their own eyes what their own website looks like

I get the message for ad blockers.
I would happily pay a sub for ad free site but I won't remove the ad blocker.

Hi all,
Sorry some you are cross about the ads and that we had a bit of an implementation issue where they weren't functioning correctly and blocking some of the links - we have a few different outsourced ad providers showing multiple ads, so it's pretty difficult to be sure we've tested every last one on every last device prior to launch - but we probably should have given you some warning that it was coming and there was the possibility of teething troubles (my bad!)

The changes we've made are because our ads are display being penalised for their lack of view ability. Essentially advertisers are insisting that the ads stay on screen for at least 5 seconds even when you scroll. You'll notice that pretty much all ad funded sites now have these same ad formats - The Guardian, Telegraph, Daily Mirror - we're pretty late to the game to be honest.

The delay in ads loading is also a deliberate strategy to stop the ads slowing down the loading of the page. We made this change a few weeks ago and our page load speed has pretty much halved, which is considered very good for usability.

At the same time as introducing this new, more viewable format we've stopped taking what's known as "page takeovers" programmatically. They are the ones, as the name suggests, that wrap around the entire page - there's one on the Mirror homepage at the moment - in attempt to improve user experience.

In short, we're not try to increase revenues from display advertising - actually our strategy is diametrically opposite and they've been falling over the last few years as we are aiming to reduce our dependence on display ads over time. We'd rather make our revenue from something folks don't find annoying - e.g. insight, e-commerce, native content etc - but we can't just switch them off I'm afraid and the simple truth is that those who use ad blockers are free riding off those who don't - hence our whitelist message. I can appreciate, though, that the repetitive message might become a bit annoying so we'll look at limiting it's use.

We are also considering subscription/ upgrade options and working on some alternatives in this regard which might work better for some and we should be in a position to show you some of those this quarter.

Thanks for all the input.

It stays down for 16 seconds on mine.

Every.time.i.refresh.or.change page.

Once would be ok as you log on. Not every bloody page change.

Please please please can you stop the logo being shown at the top all the time when you scroll down?

I use MN at work on the sly and having the logo blasting out means I can't do this any more :(

And ad blocker isn't helping. I'm just having the screen taken up witha blank space with the daft 'keeping the lights on' message.

If the ads didn't slow the site so much them we wouldn't need the adblockers in the first place, there are other sites that have ads that don't do this.

It is the sheer waste of time waiting for all the crap to load that made me block them, so much clutter on the page that I can go and make a hot drink while I am waiting.

Surely they don't have to be so big, they are still going to be at the top of the page where you can't avoid them.

What will the advertisers do if people stop using the site?

@ToadTheVampireThreadKiller

If the ads didn't slow the site so much them we wouldn't need the adblockers in the first place, there are other sites that have ads that don't do this.

It is the sheer waste of time waiting for all the crap to load that made me block them, so much clutter on the page that I can go and make a hot drink while I am waiting.

Surely they don't have to be so big, they are still going to be at the top of the page where you can't avoid them.

What will the advertisers do if people stop using the site?

I don't think the ads do slow the site at all now we've implementing the dual loading - i.e. content loads first, followed by the ads (we've employed some third-party software to do this at an annual cost of 20k). The billboard format is large I agree and over time we'd like to lose it - but it's used widely, we're and by no means unusual. I think all non subscription newspaper sites have it more than MN for instance.

@heron98

Please please please can you stop the logo being shown at the top all the time when you scroll down?

I use MN at work on the sly and having the logo blasting out means I can't do this any more :(

Hmm - we hadn't thought of that one - will talk to Tech to see if there's any incognito solution...

@Laiste

It stays down for 16 seconds on mine.

Every.time.i.refresh.or.change page.

Once would be ok as you log on. Not every bloody page change.

Yes agreed - that's what we're implementing.

Thank you justine

For me, and many others i'm sure, MN is not just another web site. Please don't measure it by the low standards of lots of other sites x

I'm getting the lights on page for about 10 secs on each page, it's getting so annoying it's putting me off now