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.

What shit thing to do.

Adverts
Premium
Ad blocker pop ups.

You make millions from people coming here and yet you're actively trying to put people off.
That's idiotic.

No users. No content. No one will want to advertise. It's not complicated.
Just because you got big, doesn't mean you won't fall.

The tech savvier people become, the more they'll realise that there is support networks all over the internet.

You need help with anything, go to Reddit, they have a sub for everything.

You have specific hobby, Google it, you'll find a forum.

Mumsnet is not as essential as they think they are.

I will probably just stop using the site . Last year there were some horrific ads with pictures of deformed babies and things that frankly I don’t want popping up unexpectedly hence the ad blocker . It’s a shame, I’ve been posting for a long time and enjoyed being here but I don’t think I want to pay for the privilege .

Yep. Autistic here and I can't use sites with loads of adverts, they just massively overwhelm me.

Maybe fix all the problems with the site first?

It is nice, however, that they can afford to pay Admiral a wedge of money but they can't afford night moderators to stop vile images etc.

But, we're all freeloaders don't forget.

I don’t have too many issues with ads but the kitchenaid one is intrusive. It creates a full square banner that covers text. You have to wait a few seconds and then it replaces it with one that covers the bottom quarter of the page.

Other than that, ads are a minor irritation and you’re a business, I get it. It’s nothing like as bad as newspaper sites that I give up on. So I’m ok with it.

Now that is something I think they need to cover.

I suppose that’s part of what they need the revenue for.

Yep. They won't address it though, they never do.

They're hardly broke @Motorroller

Your ads are intrusive, that’s why everyone has adblocker.

I won’t be deleting ad blocker.

Thing is, MNHQ, I have a solid record on paying for web services and similar where I find them valuable, am happy to do so, and wouldn't in principle object to paying for using Mumsnet. Except... You have a truly terrible record on data security and on IT more generally. It's important to me that my IRL identity is not linked to my posts, because though I have nothing to be ashamed of, that would have bad consequences. Right now the only reason I feel confident that you won't leak my IRL identity in such a way that it can be connected with what I post and make my life a misery is that you don't have my IRL identity. If I sign up for Mumsnet Premium, you will have... at least, I don't know a way to pay for it without giving you my IRL identity. So, not happening. Also, the site is utterly unusable with ads, and your "oh, send us screenshots" response when people complain about that got old many years ago. So here I am, using a workaround to be able to use the site without ads or Premium, prepared to find the next one when this one stops working, and feeling only very slightly guilty about it. Find a (token based? third party firewalled?) way to let users pay for Premium in a way which we can be confident does not give you our IRL identities, and I'm in.

I actually don't have one but I'm barely on here nowadays because the place has gone to fuck

Attempt no. 2 to post as your server went down 🙄

I will not disable adblock. Not going to happen.
I may have considered subscribing, but not while you allow constant attacks by political bots and trolls.
I have serious concerns about the sites security and GDPR settings.
We shall see how this plays out…

2023 - £2.3million profit.

They can afford to fix the site.
They can afford to pay Admiral for adblock detection.

I think that's kind of what I'm getting at with the other person's post. If someone truly depends on THIS site for whatever reason they'll surely put up with ads. To be honest I didn't even realise as blockers were a thing and haven't had an issue with ads 😂

True and valid point.

I don't mind general adverts that are not intrusive and just sit there patiently waiting for interested people to click on them to read more; however the adverts on MN are often like being at a rave lightshow.

What I will always refuse are ads that seek to track and target me across the web. I get that many businesses are funded by advertising - fine - but I will not roll over and allow somebody to do the online equivalent of going through my bins and intercepting my post like a creepy stalker.

I don't necessarily object on principle to paying for a quality site - although I do share the concerns that others have already raised about safety and security of our data, going on the poor track record of MN.

Could somebody please confirm that, if I do decide to subscribe to premium, this will mean not only that I will see no adverts but also that no third-party companies will be stealthily tracking my moves in the background (or be given such data by MN) so as to target me or sell my data elsewhere? Including under the ever-shady guise of 'legitimate interest'?

Isn't it ironic that the pop up asks me to disable my ad blocker / continue without disabling ...

When as a disabled person, I'll feel more disabled if i disable my adblocker because I'll be overwhelmed by adverts.

FOUND A (CLUNKY) WORKAROUND!

Follow the instructions to turn off the adblocker (click the little rectangle with two lines underneath on the LHS of the address bar, go to Website Settings, click Enable Ad Blocker box). Turn ad blocker off - then immediately back on again. Seems to work…..

I'm fine on my phone as I can do it one handed, but if I'm using my laptop then I need to use adblock as the ads interfere with the disability software I use.

I think I am done with this site. Adverts are one thing, but multiple video clip adverts in bright colours too much for my eyes when I want to have a relaxed browsing session.

As an aside, it's probably a wise move to exclude threads like this - where people address their concerns and raise questions as they decide how/whether they wish to continue using MN - from the 'disable your ad-blocker' pop-ups.

As well as those who decide to call it a day with MN, there will doubtless be those who are considering paying to subscribe. It seems a bit counterintuitive to drive away potential paying customers who will not/cannot countenance ads for whatever reason, whilst they are gathering info to make their informed choice.

Can anyone recommend an alternative site? I migrated here when tptb started mucking about with Digital Spy, removing the General Discussion page. I’m quite happy to migrate again to another forum if anyone knows any good ones.