An update on Ad blockers

[JustineMumsnet]

We wanted to give you a heads up that we will shortly introduce additional software designed to prevent the use of ad blockers. So, if you're using an ad blocker, you'll shortly see a series of prompts asking you to disable it before continuing to browse the site.

We know this is going to cause some annoyance to those of you with ad blockers in place but we do have costs associated with running our platform and the way we meet those is via advertising revenue.

We try to keep the display ads to a minimum (particularly for logged in users) and turn down a lot of the more intrusive ad formats. Nonetheless we do understand that some people find ads really annoying. If you would prefer an ad-free experience, Mumsnet Premium is available as a subscription option for £2.99 a month or £29.99 per year.

The last thing we want is to cause loyal users financial distress, so if you have particular reasons why both seeing ads and paying for Premium is problematic for you, then please do get in touch with us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to look at what we can do to help.

@LeoLeo2

Please could you go to the Ad block app on your phone and ensure Mumsnet is listed as an exception? This was suggested upthread by a Mumsnetter. Let us know if you still have issues.

I gave it a go and disabled my ad blocker, wondering whether things might have improved. Is it really necessary to have an ad like this taking up the whole page on every single thread I go on?

I think it's laughable that Mumsnet are pushing on with this agenda despite the multitude of people expressing that they aren't against ads in general but they are against the kinds of ads that Mumsnet insist on thrusting upon us. Are Mumsnet actually going to change anything to make this a better experience for its users content makers. I suspect not. Proof, if it was needed, that they don't care about the user experience, it's about profit and advertiser satisfaction first.

Capitalism is on crack these days. Customers can't move for suppliers/companies/sites trying to profit even more from us. It's everywhere: TV subscriptions such as NowTV, Prime etc where you need to upgrade your subscription (aka pay more) if you want ad-free viewing. Tesco where you need to sign up to their card if you want to access lower prices. Even the likes of Facebook and Instagram are offering subscriptions to escape the adverts!

These companies make changes and expect customers to just acquiesce to the demands for poorer service at more cost. It might be an understandable result of COL if it wasn't for the fact that it's usually the companies that are swimming in millions of profits each year that have the cheek to wring us dry even more.

Mumsnet: how many advertisers will pay to advertise on your site once you chase away so many of your users/content-makers with your flashing, massive ads or persistent badgering to pay.

Mumsnet: how many advertisers will pay to advertise on your site once you chase away so many of your users/content-makers with your flashing, massive ads or persistent badgering to pay.

Depends on the overall net wealth of what remains, really.

As with anything they don’t care about the user of the site. I as usual, those with money will carry on the poor will suffer a worse experience in everything.

I suggest everyone keep looking at the very easy workarounds rather than making themselves poorer for the million pund companies run by millionaires.

Mumsnet: how many advertisers will pay to advertise on your site once you chase away so many of your users/content-makers with your flashing, massive ads or persistent badgering to pay.

If the ‘chased away’ users are the ones that were using adblockers then presumably MN have done the analysis to determine that this move is worth the risk vs having them visit the site but in the non ad-viewing numbers.

It would be interesting to know how many users use adblockers. I always use one, it's £15 a year well spent.

I don't use ad blockers but this is another thing in a long line of things that show us we don't matter. I have been on here very little over the last week, I have been on reddit instead. Likely to stop using mumsnet.

I don't know reddit, I do use a chat forum called Chaotic Musings, some good debates there.

Hahaha, I thought I'd peek in today and find an MN Editor is explaining all the financials and benefits of moving to Dubai in an mn advert.
Its so out of touch and ridiculously tactless to force people to switch their ad blockers off while being told how a wealthy mn editor has managed to make a luxury life for themselves.
https://www.mumsnet.com/articles/moving-to-dubai

God, how bad taste. Nothing whatsoever about any of the downsides of Dubai.

Does anyone here really need a penis extender ad flashing around the top of their screen?🙄

Where else can I keep my donuts ?

That's basically a page showing a SHOUTING ADVERT with a little bit of text.

Ghastly.

Never mind all the data the massive ads gobble up.

Well MN don't

Well my ad blocker is back on.
I have been here this afternoon and had a most severe aura. My bet is it was brought on by the flashing ads.

Yes they do.

I wonder how the case regarding Tanya O'Carroll (who has been successful in getting the Meta the owners of Facebook to agree not to target her with intrusive direct marketing) might impact on MN's decision to enforce ad blockers and users of the MN platform's right to object to intrusive adverts ...

• Ad Blockers and Direct Marketing:
• Ad blockers are tools that prevent the display of online advertisements, including targeted ads on social media platforms. By banning ad blockers, a platform is essentially limiting your ability to exercise your right to object to direct marketing, as you are no longer able to block the ads you don't want to see.

• Platforms' Justification:
• Platforms may argue that they need to display ads to maintain their business model, but this doesn't negate your right to object to direct marketing.

and regarding the "argument" that they have to make money from their platform, the recommendation is

• Alternative Measures:
• Instead of banning ad blockers, platforms could explore alternative revenue models that don't rely on intrusive advertising or respect user preferences.

its very easy to bypass the requirement 😐

you think they don't take our data? lol

Is it?
I have to have my ad blocker on because the flashing images were giving me auras.
I now have to continuously refresh, then click proceed, then click on where I want to be....continuously. Three or four clicks where there should be only one.

I mean , I still have ad blocker and just have used the site since the pop ups. It's sometimes a pain. Bit only comes up every so often anyway,and then it seems to stop.

It's a kid inconvenience,but I still have ad blocker 🤷‍♀️

It seems that whilst there is a request to take off ad blockers, the reality is they can't actually technically enforce it. And based on my research, they are treading a very dodgy compliance tightrope in stopping users from exercising their rights, so probably won't push it.

On the Laptop I get the message to disable every time I load a new page, on the tablet, I dont get flashing ads and it's a lot easier to use.

It has stopped me coming here less often, there are other forums that are a lot easier to use.