Lets talk about the ads on DU for a minute shall we?

[Bennyboy]

Okay, I love DU but the site is really starting to piss me off. The constant barrage of advertising. Especially the ones that start automatically, come on loud as hell, and disrupt everything.

With all the new ads, does this mean we will no longer have pledge drives?

For me it is one or the other and DU has always accepted (mild forms of) advertising, I felt my money should be pledged elsewhere.

For me it is kind of like a top forty radio station asking for pledges on top of the ad revenue they recieve.

But really the one ad that is a video that starts automatically....That is so annoying, especially when I am listening to music....

[SidDithers]

1. Ads? What ads?...nt

Sid

[Uzybone]

2. Its part of life

DU doesn't run on all the hot air we post. It takes moolah.

[havocmom]

3. With a very small donation, you can make them disappear from your monitor.

The site doesn't get to pick the ads. You can choose to make them gone from your screen.

[Bennyboy]

9. Why did I not know this? Did I miss the memo?

Wow, an exciting new concept, blackmail by advertising. Maybe we could have a tiered system, where the really really annoying ads will disappear for say 20 bucks, the annoying ads for 10 bucks, and the mildly irritating ads are five bucks.....(Just kidding, sort of)....

[havocmom]

10. You can call it blackmail if you choose. Most call it supporting our community here

And a fiver is enough so quitursniveling.

OR get Firefox browser, put on add blocker extension and click each add to make it go away, it's free.

OR do you just want a reason to grumble this morning? There's a button for that too, it makes grumblers disappear from MY monitor. :evilgrin:

[MineralMan]

13. My, my...you seem unhappy here.

That said, you might reconsider your participation if you cannot donate to the site and dislike the other method of paying for its costs.

Just sayin...

[Lex]

14. You get what you pay for.

Simple really.

[Liberal In Texas]

18. Use No Script if you're too cheap to donate.

Using Firefox as a browser (and why wouldn't you?) this add-on blocks ads unless you want to watch them.

http://noscript.net/



Oh, and it's free. But they take donations if you like their product and want to see it succeed. Kind of like DU.

[Garbo 2004]

19. Or simply use a free web filter that blocks ads. Various methods/proggies have been around for years

that do that for free. Can't imagine surfing the web without a web filter for blocking egregious ads and also security reasons.

Since advertising doesn't cover the costs of sites such as this that I frequently use, I also donate to support the site.

It's within your power to avoid adverts. If you choose not to, then that's your choice.

[anigbrowl]

20. Because DU's admins are not that good at drawing attention to it

A little header like 'ads served by google / DU donors don't have to look at ads!' might do the trick.

[CJCRANE]

4. Donors don't see the ads nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Donors have the option to turn off the ads

If a person is not a donor and using the bandwidth/servers it's the small price they pay for admission. That way it all evens out in the end. :shrug:

[Journeyman]

6. Donate $5 to DU and you can turn off most of the ads. . .

[The_Commonist]

7. For ten dollars...

...you won't see another ad for a year.
A good investment, if you ask me!

[billyoc]

8. No.

[FSogol]

11. If only Skinner could power the site on "poutrage."

:cry:

PS. You can block ads and auto-play video by using a better web browser. Check out Firefox.

[blogslut]

12. You get what you pay for

Websites cost money.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Let's talk about donating for a minute.

[Skinner]

16. We are not supposed to be showing any auto-start ads.

And we are by supposed to be showing any ads with sound. Not sure how one slipped through. I have not seen any.

Let me know the URL of the ad, and the page where you saw it. I can block any ad.

I apologize for blackmailing you.

[MineralMan]

17. It's nothing like blackmail...

It costs money to host a website. That money has to come from somewhere. Ads are one source. Donations are another. But the site must earn its keep.

Those who object to the idea are perfectly free to start up their own website, whereupon they will learn the realities of running a site. Complaining about ads or donations is silly. How do people who complain think the site exists?

It's pure ignorance of how things work.