Jimquisition: The Adblock Episode
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
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I mostly got Adblock for auto playing ads on videos you can't skip, especially for blip. I watch a lot of videos on blip, in marathons even. I like to listen to them in the background while I do other things. But there are often 3-4 ads per video you can't skip at all. One in the beginning, two through the middle, and one at the end, and its often the same ad over and over. I got a disneyworld ad back during halloween every video. I just couldn't stand it. I don't like having it on, but if it's for old videos I keep it on, new videos that just came out, I'll turn it off. Simple as that. Thing is I don't really understand how the payment system works for ads. If there was any detailed explanation on this provided I'd know when to turn adblock off or not, so content creators get what they deserve.
I've got Escapist on the white-list, but damn it can be a pain sometimes. Autoplaying ads that only stop when you click directly on them and open a new tab? Really? And I even had to refresh the page because only the ad was playing and not the episode. But I don't only use the website for videos, so I tolerate it because I also use the forums.
While I do have adblock installed I immediately whitelist sites like The Escapist and other sites I trust.
And still I don't get much ads at times.
For example on this site, video ads never play and I feel guilty every time I watch a video.
Luckily I've had some of the non video ads from time to time. Look I'm not trying to suck up here, it's just how I see things.
If all it takes for me to enjoy this mountain of content from all over the internet is to be slightly inconvenienced by ads I'll gladly do it.
And yet they don't play a lot of the time and it's really frustrating because I can't afford to directly pay all the content creators I enjoy.
And still I don't get much ads at times.
For example on this site, video ads never play and I feel guilty every time I watch a video.
Luckily I've had some of the non video ads from time to time. Look I'm not trying to suck up here, it's just how I see things.
If all it takes for me to enjoy this mountain of content from all over the internet is to be slightly inconvenienced by ads I'll gladly do it.
And yet they don't play a lot of the time and it's really frustrating because I can't afford to directly pay all the content creators I enjoy.
It's easy to blame the end user for this kind of thing but perhaps it is better to blame the model as a whole.
TV and Radio advertising, the advertiser pays the company a chunk of money and for that money they reach an agreement on how much, how often and when their adverts are shown. Now I can't block these ads as easily as I could online but nothing is stopping me from turning to a different channel, or radio station or DVRing the TV and fast forwarding through the adverts. End of the day the folk airing the ad still get paid and the annoying adverts don't bug me.
The issue with sites being paid per advert request from the advertisers server or by the number of times an ad is clicked on is the issue. Do the TV and Radio station get extra cash every time I watch and advert or if I decide to visit my local McDonalds because I saw their advert, no of course they don't.
When you then combine the payment model in line with the ever increasing number of ads and the ever increasing level of intrusion is it any wonder people decide to use something to get rid of them? Yeah it isn't right but the payment model for internet advertising in many ways dictates that adverts be in your face most of the time.
End of the day if a site wants to us advertising then it is up to the site to ensure that the advertising is there in such a way that it does become intrusive, it's up to the site to veto what links it allows to be added to it's content (and yes I've seen the people who have had issues with viruses etc being loaded in via embedded adverts on otherwise legit sites.) If people are choosing to ad block your site then their is a reason so it really is a poor show for sites with poor adverts to then beg cap in hand for people to stop using ad blocking software.
PS I am not commenting specifically on Jim's video asking to stop using ad blocks here or how good or bad The Escapists ads are I am stating that many site admins and mods complain about folk using ad block while having some truly awful, intrusive adverts embedded on their sites.
TV and Radio advertising, the advertiser pays the company a chunk of money and for that money they reach an agreement on how much, how often and when their adverts are shown. Now I can't block these ads as easily as I could online but nothing is stopping me from turning to a different channel, or radio station or DVRing the TV and fast forwarding through the adverts. End of the day the folk airing the ad still get paid and the annoying adverts don't bug me.
The issue with sites being paid per advert request from the advertisers server or by the number of times an ad is clicked on is the issue. Do the TV and Radio station get extra cash every time I watch and advert or if I decide to visit my local McDonalds because I saw their advert, no of course they don't.
When you then combine the payment model in line with the ever increasing number of ads and the ever increasing level of intrusion is it any wonder people decide to use something to get rid of them? Yeah it isn't right but the payment model for internet advertising in many ways dictates that adverts be in your face most of the time.
End of the day if a site wants to us advertising then it is up to the site to ensure that the advertising is there in such a way that it does become intrusive, it's up to the site to veto what links it allows to be added to it's content (and yes I've seen the people who have had issues with viruses etc being loaded in via embedded adverts on otherwise legit sites.) If people are choosing to ad block your site then their is a reason so it really is a poor show for sites with poor adverts to then beg cap in hand for people to stop using ad blocking software.
PS I am not commenting specifically on Jim's video asking to stop using ad blocks here or how good or bad The Escapists ads are I am stating that many site admins and mods complain about folk using ad block while having some truly awful, intrusive adverts embedded on their sites.
I have a case by case basis where ad block is concerned. I watch each show, and then, based on whether feel like that particular video has a message I want to support, or not, I let refresh the page with ad block turned off, or I don't. I cannot, however, know if a a particular show (not just yours, all the content creators for all the different websites. I can't make the decision to turn ad block off until I know, for a fact, that I want to support the content of a particular video. I do this here. I do this on youtube. I do this everyone. I keep ad block on. I watch. Then, if I want to support a particular video, I turn ad block off and let it run again with the ads. I go get a glass of water, or what have you, so I don't have to watch them, but I do it.
That's the best I can do. I wouldn't feel right supporting a message unless I knew what the message was first.
With that in mind . . . I certainly support your right to speak your mind on this issue. Keep up the good work Jim.
That's the best I can do. I wouldn't feel right supporting a message unless I knew what the message was first.
With that in mind . . . I certainly support your right to speak your mind on this issue. Keep up the good work Jim.
That analogy doesn't really hold up for me. Most directors direct movies because they love the craft of making movies, not because they want to be rich. By putting it this way, you're essentially saying that The Escapist is in it just for the advertising dollars, not for the content.NewClassic said:
By making it a verboten topic, you're only drawing more attention to it. It's quite Orwellian, especially given the other rather provocative topics that get brought up here regularly, such as gender, sexuality, politics and business practices.
In fact, a significant part of The Escapist's content involves criticising the way game publishers make their money, often in very blunt terms. It seems rather hypocritical for The Escapist to turn around and essentially say "Oh, we can criticise other companies' business models all we like, but don't you dare even mention ours."
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So, why doesn't the Escapist have this freedom? Nobody put a gun to the company's head and forced them to sign up with a particular ad network. It's not like The Escapist is a tiny, unknown site with no options (although it isn't a huge player, either). But it's a big enough site that it should have the ability to curate advertising.NewClassic said:
Many sites both smaller and larger than The Escapist have chosen to not blindly accept advertising - so what's the reason you can't?
Edited to add:
I see that people are still getting warnings simply for admitting to using Ad blockers, in this thread? I mean, really. That just shows you aren't really interested in honest discussion. You think by now that people are suddenly going to start using an ad blocker because someone on this thread admits it?
This just seems really paranoid, and chilling to proper discussion. Can you tell us how far up The Escapist's management chain this authorisation of warning for people simply admitting to using ad blockers in this thread went? Who was it that approved the terms of this supposed "armistice"?
he he he If those pictures are representative of the porn you watch we have similair tastes Jim. :3 (muscle girls and twinks, that is xD)
I'll turn Adblock off, but if I have to scroll to the bottom of the page and search for a tiny window where ads or news with sound are being shown I swear to god I'll... dunno, watch more porn maybe
One of the most annoying types of advertisement. Sometimes you don't know from which website the sound's coming from and you desperately search through the dozens(if you're like me) of open tabs to find it.
Edit: Yes, I know admitting to using adblock is against the rules but seriously if you don't want to stifle the discussion here on this topic about adblock, brought up by one of your content creators, then I suggest you make an exception.
I'll turn Adblock off, but if I have to scroll to the bottom of the page and search for a tiny window where ads or news with sound are being shown I swear to god I'll... dunno, watch more porn maybe
One of the most annoying types of advertisement. Sometimes you don't know from which website the sound's coming from and you desperately search through the dozens(if you're like me) of open tabs to find it.
Edit: Yes, I know admitting to using adblock is against the rules but seriously if you don't want to stifle the discussion here on this topic about adblock, brought up by one of your content creators, then I suggest you make an exception.
I don't use adblock, mostly because I need something to get pissed at and blow off steam, and insufferable ads made by hacks and lazy, incompetant interns are among the best of sources for this itch of mine.
There is where "empathy" would come into play. Or at least should. I can very easily think of a situation where I'm monetizing my potential videos to get food or rent money AND I wouldn't like to be losing money to, what is essentially, a little pirating program.
I don't use adblock. I wouldn't want it used against me... so I have absolutely no cause to use it, myself. It's that simple.
The worst I've done is, if the doubling up of certain ads that have multi-layered processes... which causes flash to crash every time, I grab the embedded video code and just watch it in an empty html page. But I still watch the commercials on the video itself.
Edit: But here's something... I thought subscribers got very little to no advertisements. Is that not the case? If you're paying money to support the content and yet are being double-dipped by ads... well... that's as shifty as the practice of having game stores in games you pay a monthly subscription to keep playing.
I don't use adblock. I wouldn't want it used against me... so I have absolutely no cause to use it, myself. It's that simple.
The worst I've done is, if the doubling up of certain ads that have multi-layered processes... which causes flash to crash every time, I grab the embedded video code and just watch it in an empty html page. But I still watch the commercials on the video itself.
Edit: But here's something... I thought subscribers got very little to no advertisements. Is that not the case? If you're paying money to support the content and yet are being double-dipped by ads... well... that's as shifty as the practice of having game stores in games you pay a monthly subscription to keep playing.
I like how everyone admitting to use add block on the escapist gets a warning despite being rather polite and reasonable about it.
Nice way to moderate a topic started by a content creator. Well played Jim? well played.
As for the topic. I think it?s a lost battle that has to be fought regardless.
Nice way to moderate a topic started by a content creator. Well played Jim? well played.
As for the topic. I think it?s a lost battle that has to be fought regardless.
I've seen "User received a warning for this post" enough times in this thread to make me nervous, so I won't say anything about my own dealings with advertisements. I will, however, say this- advertisements, or more accurately the "Wild West" atmosphere around them, are their own greatest problem. Advertisements can overload Internet connections, crash browsers, even install viruses on your computer, and many of the companies who serve these ads (as opposed to those whose sites display them) don't care in the least. The old adage "don't visit suspicious sites" doesn't even help, either, since this has happened to sites as "trustworthy" as Yahoo and The New York Times.
So there are reasons for blocking advertisements other than "I just don't wanna see ads".
So there are reasons for blocking advertisements other than "I just don't wanna see ads".
I usually don't mind ads, but ones which typically involve you do tend to annoy me.
I went through phases of Adblock being on and off (right now it's off, so), I don't really like the thought of depriving the content creator of compensation (even if they're getting most of it from various other sources of equal value to me).
I went through phases of Adblock being on and off (right now it's off, so), I don't really like the thought of depriving the content creator of compensation (even if they're getting most of it from various other sources of equal value to me).
I'm pretty sure the fact that I don't have ad blocker, I have flash completely disabled, I never have see ads on the escapist, but Jim will be paid some trivial fraction by me proves Jim is partially wrong.
I do find Jim to be crude and offensive, and he could tone the language down since this site if frequented by minors who's parents should have the entire site outright blocked, but know know how to do that. Same goes for Yatzee. Nanny bot software should defiantly have escapistmagazine.com blocked.
That being said, I hope the escapist and Jim enjoy the Money I pay them to make the site ad and flash free.
I do find Jim to be crude and offensive, and he could tone the language down since this site if frequented by minors who's parents should have the entire site outright blocked, but know know how to do that. Same goes for Yatzee. Nanny bot software should defiantly have escapistmagazine.com blocked.
That being said, I hope the escapist and Jim enjoy the Money I pay them to make the site ad and flash free.
This is going to be difficult to discuss without incurring mod wrath.
I'd love to support the Escapist and it's content creators, but the ads are so obnoxious and annoying. I'm not out to screw anyone over other than the advertisers.
I'd love to support the Escapist and it's content creators, but the ads are so obnoxious and annoying. I'm not out to screw anyone over other than the advertisers.
I find it funny that these people seem to be getting dinged for the part of the rules which forbids admitting the use of adblockers, but there have been many who admit to using them but claim to whitelist this site who skate on through without a warning. Warning in this thread is bad enough if Jim actually wanted a productive discussion on this, but doing so while failing to warn those who also violate the rule yet happen to fall on the other side of the argument is just shit.Ishigami said:
I don't get why more sites don't use sponsorship like Rev3 do. There's no way to block and ad that's part of the video and you can skip past it if you already have netflix.
Or if your going to have ads, at least put some effort into making them more watch/listenable like Bombcast and Comedy Button do.
Or if your going to have ads, at least put some effort into making them more watch/listenable like Bombcast and Comedy Button do.
Brava, Jim,for adding a reasonable voice to the discussion. All too often content creators spew hate at those who use an ad blocker. If you can afford it, the escapist publishers club is an easy fix to this moral dilemma. $20 a year is affordable to me and The Escapist is my favourite site so I subscribed.
I'd like to see a way for site users across the Internet to indicate those types of ads that might interest them. You would see far fewer ads that would bore or annoy you and you would be giving the site you're on information about the sorts of interests its users have.
I'd like to see a way for site users across the Internet to indicate those types of ads that might interest them. You would see far fewer ads that would bore or annoy you and you would be giving the site you're on information about the sorts of interests its users have.