E-X-P-A-N-D-I-N-G Advertisements
Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:32 pm
Over the last week I have noticed many ads which are allowed to kind of expand beyond their bounderies, conveniently covering the area in which I was about to click. The bottom ad does this, especially when I go to chat. It rises up and covers the chat box I was about to type in, effectively forcing me to click that ad if I click in the space to type a message. I have learned just to refresh to make the offending ad go back in its own place. But sometimes it does not go back down, and I have to refresh again. If this continues, it may be nearly impossible to chat without clicking an ad from time to time. Which may be the point.
Other ads like the top bar expand downwards or have things that pop out and cover the middle of the screen.
Now neopets says the don't have pop ups. I guess they think they isn't a pop up, since it really isn't popping..it is expanding.
Now I know that neopets needs their ads to run, or do they?
Anyway, I am very annoyed with how tricky the ads are strarting to get by positioning themselves exactly in the area I was about to use. They expanded over my chat box, they expanded over my scratch card, and then they expand over the middle of the screen on the explore pages and shops. Whoever is making the ads must be a little familiar with the site and they know how to position their ads to make them do this.
They are tricking people or basically forcing a click.
I don't think it is fair, do you?
Does this happen to you?
I have gotten very good at trying to avoid clicking anything, but these ads are getting more and more persistant.
I wish everyone would just learn I am not clicking an ad, no matter how big it is, no matter where it is positioned, no matter how "pretty" it is, or if it flashes or sings me a little song or has a cartoon charactor doing a dance. Just leave me alone. I never met an ad I liked!
Other ads like the top bar expand downwards or have things that pop out and cover the middle of the screen.
Now neopets says the don't have pop ups. I guess they think they isn't a pop up, since it really isn't popping..it is expanding.
Now I know that neopets needs their ads to run, or do they?
Anyway, I am very annoyed with how tricky the ads are strarting to get by positioning themselves exactly in the area I was about to use. They expanded over my chat box, they expanded over my scratch card, and then they expand over the middle of the screen on the explore pages and shops. Whoever is making the ads must be a little familiar with the site and they know how to position their ads to make them do this.
They are tricking people or basically forcing a click.
I don't think it is fair, do you?
Does this happen to you?
I have gotten very good at trying to avoid clicking anything, but these ads are getting more and more persistant.
I wish everyone would just learn I am not clicking an ad, no matter how big it is, no matter where it is positioned, no matter how "pretty" it is, or if it flashes or sings me a little song or has a cartoon charactor doing a dance. Just leave me alone. I never met an ad I liked!
Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:43 pm
I almost always click on the circuit city one. And the one with the game consoles, though I think thats the first I just mentioned.
Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:01 pm
I have ads blocked on my usual browser, but at times, the little trademark blurb at the bottom of the page moves up and the text covers parts of the page it shouldnt. I really dont know how coding and blocking things actually works, but I'd imagine that if an ad werent blocked, it would move up and cover that part of the page too.
The ads that expand and do the wrong things are horrible. I dont have stuff blocked when I use AOL, (I rarely use it) and Ive had to report so many wayward ads that would expand, give me page errors, and completely redirect me to a new site in order to complete a survey relating to some stupid Neo-ad. I report them constantly, but even months later, the annoying one that gives me page errors still shows up. I gave screenshots, URLs, the error message itself, and an attempted source code, and still they did nothing.
Maybe they honestly dont mean to be so disruptive, but I only wished I worked for Neopets and had the knowledge to seriously take care of that stuff.
The ads that expand and do the wrong things are horrible. I dont have stuff blocked when I use AOL, (I rarely use it) and Ive had to report so many wayward ads that would expand, give me page errors, and completely redirect me to a new site in order to complete a survey relating to some stupid Neo-ad. I report them constantly, but even months later, the annoying one that gives me page errors still shows up. I gave screenshots, URLs, the error message itself, and an attempted source code, and still they did nothing.
Maybe they honestly dont mean to be so disruptive, but I only wished I worked for Neopets and had the knowledge to seriously take care of that stuff.
Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:56 pm
Cerise wrote:The ads that expand and do the wrong things are horrible. I dont have stuff blocked when I use AOL, (I rarely use it) and Ive had to report so many wayward ads that would expand, give me page errors, and completely redirect me to a new site in order to complete a survey relating to some stupid Neo-ad. I report them constantly, but even months later, the annoying one that gives me page errors still shows up. I gave screenshots, URLs, the error message itself, and an attempted source code, and still they did nothing.
And FTR, the place to fruitlessly report messed-up ads is http://www.neopets.com/s/index.phtml?cat_id=28
Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:35 pm
We call those things which fill the screen from top to bottom (over the content of the website) skyscrapers.
I hate them. Any website using such crappy advertisement is alienating their customers/viewers. You don't want to irritate those people so they leave your website. It is one very valid reason to block ads, IMO. Install an ad blocker and begone with them is my advice. Unless you like such crappy advertisements, of course.
It appears they're usually made in Flash, btw.
I hate them. Any website using such crappy advertisement is alienating their customers/viewers. You don't want to irritate those people so they leave your website. It is one very valid reason to block ads, IMO. Install an ad blocker and begone with them is my advice. Unless you like such crappy advertisements, of course.
It appears they're usually made in Flash, btw.
Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:06 am
I am afraid to use adblocker these days, I don't want to get frozen for it. I think it is frowned on at least. I think they mostly care if you use it to block images in the shops, but I really don't want to take chances with it. Staff might be freeze happy some days, and I just don't want to stick out.
Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:23 am
I've found that the banners that extend down from the top disable my user lookup, np and pet links. Annoying! 
Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:30 am
They said it was 100% ok to block ads.smudgeoffudge wrote:I am afraid to use adblocker these days, I don't want to get frozen for it. I think it is frowned on at least. I think they mostly care if you use it to block images in the shops, but I really don't want to take chances with it. Staff might be freeze happy some days, and I just don't want to stick out.
Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:58 am
I have premium, but on my side accounts its so annoying. Now I only get on my sides to put the pets in the neolodge and even dealing with the ads for that short amount of time is annoying. I can't imagine what I'd do if I had to deal with them all the time. 
Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:10 am
I have seen this rendered on the Gecko engine (Firefox, Orca). I use Avant/IE (Trident) with a fairly large (but very good) HOSTS file (with a very simple CSS to remove the top banner) and have not had a problem.
You can right-click on the Properties of the ad and find out where it is served. I am fairly sure this is something TNT would be aware of right away and be working on fixing (they are usually at least very good at making sure their ads FIT the places they are meant to be on the site; a skyscraper ad in that area is wrong). It probably requires the cooperation of the company that hosts the ads. Be patient. It is still the weekend NST.
In the meantime, search PPT for "recent" threads about HOSTS and the viruses in one ad server (that may be gone now or not; I have heard no response, but have also taken the precautions to protect myself anyway).
One odd ad I have noticed recurrently is some Attack of the Slorgs ad, that apparently isn't Flash and so therefore I don't know why it is not blocked when I have Flash disabled. (I don't think it's an ani-gif either, that is why this game ad in particular is so mysterious to me as it is not hosted ON neopets, and if I block the adserver, it still appears).
Anyway, good luck ridding yourself of the ad. Seems ironic lately Firefox users are more prone to the quirks of Neopets.com recent revamps. Remember Neopets was coded in and for IE. Sorry, but we have the market share, despite all the "problems" some people have using it.
EDIT: Actually the Slorg ad has been gone now for a while. Eventually my software "learned" it, just to clear that up, no issues otherwise now.
You can right-click on the Properties of the ad and find out where it is served. I am fairly sure this is something TNT would be aware of right away and be working on fixing (they are usually at least very good at making sure their ads FIT the places they are meant to be on the site; a skyscraper ad in that area is wrong). It probably requires the cooperation of the company that hosts the ads. Be patient. It is still the weekend NST.
In the meantime, search PPT for "recent" threads about HOSTS and the viruses in one ad server (that may be gone now or not; I have heard no response, but have also taken the precautions to protect myself anyway).
One odd ad I have noticed recurrently is some Attack of the Slorgs ad, that apparently isn't Flash and so therefore I don't know why it is not blocked when I have Flash disabled. (I don't think it's an ani-gif either, that is why this game ad in particular is so mysterious to me as it is not hosted ON neopets, and if I block the adserver, it still appears).
Anyway, good luck ridding yourself of the ad. Seems ironic lately Firefox users are more prone to the quirks of Neopets.com recent revamps. Remember Neopets was coded in and for IE. Sorry, but we have the market share, despite all the "problems" some people have using it.
EDIT: Actually the Slorg ad has been gone now for a while. Eventually my software "learned" it, just to clear that up, no issues otherwise now.
Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:37 am
beanmommy wrote:
And FTR, the place to fruitlessly report messed-up ads is http://www.neopets.com/s/index.phtml?cat_id=28
Not really. They do remove offensive and dangerous ads, just not the extreme annoying ones.