Escapist adverts

[Sevre]

Spoiler

More content means we need more revenue to pay our contributors and make the site a better place. Our only two sources of revenue are ads and merchandise, there is the subscription but I don't think that's a main source of income.

If you can stomach a few minor ads, we can keep the content high.

I feel you haven't really addressed the complaint here. I clearly stated that I have no issue with the adds themselves. Its the volume of said adds which is the trouble. Even if I turn the vid volume up to max, the ads are STILL louder than the video. This is just unnecessary, it doesn't advertise it just wakes up my house-mates and pisses me off.

CATACLYSM....DECEMBER 7...AHH


oh dear god the images are now burned into my retinas.

What's really weird for me is that EVERYONE is talking about how awful that advert is, but I've never seen it
I feel like I'm missing out.

OT: I agree.
That is all.

Worst one is video hosting sites and ads with sound...Seriously, who's GENIUS idea was that!

OH I'm sorry! I thought you meant volume as in magnitude. Yes I'm an idiot, but I'm tired, bear with me, I'll try and sort it out for you.

Np, we are only human

Ty for you time. I eagerly await a response.

*snippity snip*

UPDATE:

I just talked to Virgil and Spinwhiz about the situation.

To quote Virgil:

"I don't know who does it, but I know it's not us, and I have no way to change it"

The advert volumes are set by their makers/the advert system op (i.e. Google for Google ads). Those guys have no control over the volumes.

But anyway I'm going to try a few alternatives for you;

1) Get headphones, I use them myself.
2) Mute during the adverts.
3) I haven't come up with this one yet.

I'm sorry guys. ~Sev

You got an answer before I even responded. Nice

1) Ergh, I have headphones, and while this spares my house-mates, it still breaks my ears.
2) If adverts came up every time I suppose this would be ok, if highly annoying since I dont happen to have a mute key on my keyboard and the woffer in under the desk (yeah I know this is petty :/ )
3) Just ask em to turn em down? Its hardly unreasonable and not unprecedented. As I posted earlier in the UK the advertising watchdog who governs these things has limited the volume of ads on the TV (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7388473.stm). Idk if they will even deign to listen but there most be SOMETHING that can be done

In response to no.3, this comes directly from Virgil (The boss of the tech team):

They have no contact with who makes these ads, this is the "nightmare chain":

[21:10] <@Virgil> The ads on the site are, for the most part, out of our direct control and influence. All the systems that run them are owned by other people (because advertisers wouldn't trust the numbers if we ran them).
[21:14] <%NewClassic> Just an odd question, is there a chance you could work out with the ad software designer to automatically mute or remove sound-based ads on the video pages, but allow them elsewhere?
[21:15] <%Sevre90210> Erm, that would be more annoying Newk wouldn't it? Hearing about Slim Jims when you click on a quiz?
[21:15] <@Virgil> Virtually no chance. It's not one piece of software run by one company, it's multiple nested systems.
[21:15] <@Virgil> For example, Game company A hires comnay X to manage their campaign...
[21:16] <%NewClassic> Christ, that's a mess.
[21:16] <@Virgil> Company X hires Company Y to create those annoying expanding ads.
[21:17] <@Virgil> Company X then uses Ad Server O to run their campaign, which connectts into Company Y's own system that does the expanding one.
[21:17] <@Virgil> Then they use Major Ad Platfowm Q to manage all their campaigns and trackign, which they put the ads from Ad Server O into
[21:18] <@Virgil> We then get the tags from Q and put them into the ad server that we use, OAS. Which puts the ads onto our site.
[21:19] <%NewClassic> That's pretty unfortunate, given that there's little to be done about adjusting them for the content. Any chance your personal server here, OAS, could make a distinction, or is there no easy script for that?
[21:19] <@Virgil> So in order for that expanding ad to get to our site, for example, it goes through three or four different platforms. And we have no idea who actually created or runs any particular ad.
[21:20] <@Virgil> As far as our ad system knows, any ad could be anything. It's just a JavaScript tag.
[21:20] <@Virgil> Because that ad tag could serve any ad that's a part of the campaign, as long as it's the correct size.
[21:21] <@Virgil> The only ads we have direct control over are the popup window with the video player embedded in it, and the site skins. Almost everything else comes through that nightmare chain (not including ads for our own stuff).
[21:23] <%NewClassic> That sucks.

It's long, but a good read. Sorry again ~Sev

 

[Judgement101]

The only add I dislike is the WoW:Cat-a-clingon thing at the top of the screen because it is always the first one for me on the site, so I type in the url, then I go to click reviews and right when I'm about yo click the advert unfolds itself and leads me to the "Click Here To Buy World of Whoppers: Catland."

 

[Talshere]

snip

Wow thats just crazy : /

Ty for trying anyway I appreciate it.

 

[Wintermoot]

there are a few work-arounds that would get rid of the adds like removing your flash player (unless you are here to watch vids wich would also disable them) anything beyond that would get me suspended
PS I just checked it and the adds here arent THAT bad its not like youtube with those retarded pre-vid adds

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

The Tron 2 advert kills my poor ears. I'm fine with ads, but it's really, really loud.

 

[Talshere]

there are a few work-arounds that would get rid of the adds like removing your flash player (unless you are here to watch vids wich would also disable them) anything beyond that would get me suspended
PS I just checked it and the adds here arent THAT bad its not like youtube with those retarded pre-vid adds

Ill give you some are worse than others. The fable one I seem to remember was particularly bad.

 

[Dango]

For the most part, there's no problem. But they better take down that stupid Magic: The Gathering ad with all that fire and stuff, that slows my computer down a lot for some reason.

 

[lvl9000_woot]

Can't you guys just put a mute button for the ads? Seems simple enough.

 

[loc978]

Agreed. I don't mind ads, but having them play at a higher volume than the video they precede (much less a MUCH higher volume) is completely acceptable... not to mention unprofessional on the part of the advertiser.

 

[Souplex]

The ads are fine, especially now that they've stopped advertising cataclysm.
Although, every site should learn from Hulu's like/dislike ad button. It provides valuable market information, and allows ads to be catered more towards the user.

And sometimes it'll let you pick your add as well, I love that.

I mean sure, sometimes you're picking between boring ones (hmm, laundry detergent or allergy medication?) but still.

Man, you've been getting detergent? My attempts to tell car and phone companies I'm not interested makes them think they're just trying the wrong ads. It's like the time that creepy girl had a crush on me and kept trying different approaches all of which failed to deal with the fact that I wasn't interested because she was creepy.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

I just wish they'd alternate the ads a bit. I've heard lots of people complain about the sound, but I've never noticed a problem.

In regards to the oversaturation of ads. Too many of them eventually stops me from watching the videos because I want to get away from the ads, and also they actually put me off buying the product in question because I associate its name with frustration and annoyance before I've even found out what it is. Most recently this happened to Fable III. All I can think of when I see the game or hear it mentioned is 'oh, that really bloody annoying ad with the stupid cover of a T Rex song? No thanks.' They have actually lost a customer through their (the company's) ad spamming (I will also mention that I saw the ad repeated on several sites, which didn't help, it wasn't just the Escapist)

 

[Wolfenbarg]

That's just ads in general. The Escapist, and in fact no organization that hosts advertisements are allowed to tamper with an advertisement in any way as far as I know. That's why the levels on every ad, whether it's on television or on the internet are jacked so high. They design them to get your attention, even with the volume. Simplest solution would be to hit the little speaker button before an ad comes on, that's what I do.

 

[MEEBO17]

I'm OK with the ads. I usually go do something else thats productive while I wait.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

The ads are fine, especially now that they've stopped advertising cataclysm.
Although, every site should learn from Hulu's like/dislike ad button. It provides valuable market information, and allows ads to be catered more towards the user.

And sometimes it'll let you pick your add as well, I love that.

I mean sure, sometimes you're picking between boring ones (hmm, laundry detergent or allergy medication?) but still.

Man, you've been getting detergent? My attempts to tell car and phone companies I'm not interested makes them think they're just trying the wrong ads. It's like the time that creepy girl had a crush on me and kept trying different approaches all of which failed to deal with the fact that I wasn't interested because she was creepy.

Haven't really been on there lately, but all I got was medicine and cleaning products. After awhile I thought they were trying to tell me something...

 

[Talshere]

That's just ads in general. The Escapist, and in fact no organization that hosts advertisements are allowed to tamper with an advertisement in any way as far as I know. That's why the levels on every ad, whether it's on television or on the internet are jacked so high. They design them to get your attention, even with the volume. Simplest solution would be to hit the little speaker button before an ad comes on, that's what I do.

The status of the video volume, including mute, has no baring on the volume of the ad, at least for me. If it did the problem would be solved

 

[BenzSmoke]

I only have a problem when the ad slows down my computer.
Like that "baked or fried" one.

 

[Wolfenbarg]

That's just ads in general. The Escapist, and in fact no organization that hosts advertisements are allowed to tamper with an advertisement in any way as far as I know. That's why the levels on every ad, whether it's on television or on the internet are jacked so high. They design them to get your attention, even with the volume. Simplest solution would be to hit the little speaker button before an ad comes on, that's what I do.

The status of the video volume, including mute, has no baring on the volume of the ad, at least for me. If it did the problem would be solved

Really? That's very strange. I find that I can't control the volume of the ad, but clicking on the speaker button will mute it.

 

[Eumersian]

Adverts? I take it you're from the UK?

I usually watch them. Small price to pay for the content the site provides. Also, you can turn off the sound, or at least I have done so in the past.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I have yet to have an issue with ads on this site... Maybe Firefox is responsible?

I'm not dealing with anything like anyone here is complaining about...

[sub]I still want PubClub though.[/sub]