Pop-up when viewing Railforums UK

[LexyBoy]

I've got this half a dozen times in the last week or two. Either the "win an iPad" or "you've been selected as a user from Hertfordshire" - didn't make a note of the URLs. Surprised it's taking Google so long to sort it out as a company who sells themselves on succeeding with less-intrusive, targeted ads. Using IE9 (company policy as other browsers "would put the company at risk", cue bitter laughter).

BTW I would happily contribute hard cash towards forum upkeep in return for guilt-free adblocking

 

[table38]

*AD REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS REMOVED, PLEASE SEE POST BY Mike395 BELOW*

Which is nice because I'm farly sure another random advert was causing IE8 to hang completely.

 

[Geezertronic]

*AD REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS REMOVED, PLEASE SEE POST BY Mike395 BELOW*

Which is nice because I'm farly sure another random advert was causing IE8 to hang completely.

Maybe Mike can answer this, but does that solution affect the genuine adverts that we see and presumably the money the forum gets as a result?

 

[Mike395]

Maybe Mike can answer this, but does that solution affect the genuine adverts that we see and presumably the money the forum gets as a result?

Yes, it does indeed block all ads, so we would actively discourage this, as revenue from these ads keeps the forum running.

Having discussed the issue with the forum team, we are not in a realistic position to remove the ads for IE users - I have also been assured, indirectly, that Google are onto this problem so it should be fixed soon. I would suggest IE users, in the meantime, consider changing their browser if the popup adverts are an issue - we have confirmed that the issue only affects Internet Explorer. There are several alternatives available, and I would personally recommend Firefox or Google Chrome.

With regards to the suggestion of users directly contributing in return for a lack of adverts - I don't think we would consider this at the moment, as we do not really want a 'two-tier' forum membership system.

Many thanks,

Mike

 

[wintonian]

With regards to the suggestion of users directly contributing in return for a lack of adverts - I don't think we would consider this at the moment, as we do not really want a 'two-tier' forum membership system.

Many thanks,

Mike

Indeed, when this came up last year and few of us also offered monitory compensation for associated costs. The answer then was that the ads are enough to cover the costs at the moment.

If the avenue of donations or whatever was ever looked at then IMO it would raise a number of difficult complexities (such as the one you raise) that would need dealing with.

 

[Lrd]

I see ad's as a continuous revenue stream, as long as you get people looking at the site, you get money. Not everyone will be happy to pay but those who are don't guarantee enough income for down the line...

 

[Ivo]

With regards to the suggestion of users directly contributing in return for a lack of adverts - I don't think we would consider this at the moment, as we do not really want a 'two-tier' forum membership system.

The serious problem with this approach would be if any such member should step out of line. They would have effectively paid for the right to have a semi-privileged position on the forum (in practice meaning no advantage at all), only to then have their membership pulled for potentially minor issues. What happens then? Does the "offending" member get their money back? Do the forum have to create a compensation policy? Does said member alternatively get unreasonable preference and just told - possibly repeatedly, which would be worse - to stop and no more?

Et cetera...

 

[yorksrob]

Surprised it's taking Google so long to sort it out as a company who sells themselves on succeeding with less-intrusive, targeted ads.

Too busy counting their pennies having stolen them from the pockets of the hard working British taxpayer through a sustained campaign of evasion

 

[wintonian]

The serious problem with this approach would be if any such member should step out of line. They would have effectively paid for the right to have a semi-privileged position on the forum (in practice meaning no advantage at all), only to then have their membership pulled for potentially minor issues. What happens then? Does the "offending" member get their money back? Do the forum have to create a compensation policy? Does said member alternatively get unreasonable preference and just told - possibly repeatedly, which would be worse - to stop and no more?

Et cetera...

Personally I don't see that as an issue - or at least not one that will arise in such a way as to cause one. The main issue I think, would be about financial contributors and non-financial contributors and the segregation or prevention of any segregation (read; actual, implied or perceived status and or associated treatment) as the issue.

If that's clear?

 

[yorkie]

Ivo - Some sites do accept donations (to give one example you may be familiar with, wnxx), it's an accepted practice and policies could be written to clarify such matters. However I can assure you we have no intention of implementing that. There are no plans, and as far as I can envisage unlikely to ever be plans, to ever ask for donations.

 

[wintonian]

The serious problem with this approach would be if any such member should step out of line. They would have effectively paid for the right to have a semi-privileged position on the forum (in practice meaning no advantage at all), only to then have their membership pulled for potentially minor issues. What happens then? Does the "offending" member get their money back? Do the forum have to create a compensation policy? Does said member alternatively get unreasonable preference and just told - possibly repeatedly, which would be worse - to stop and no more?

Et cetera...

Ivo - Some sites do accept donations (to give one example you may be familiar with, wnxx), it's an accepted practice and policies could be written to clarify such matters. However I can assure you we have no intention of implementing that. There are no plans, and as far as I can envisage unlikely to ever be plans, to ever ask for donations.

Mind you I'm sure that paying a larger share of any forum meals or events attended would be appreciated.

 

[Ivo]

I've said before, I will be happy to give you £20 when I see you next

 

[wintonian]

I've said before, I will be happy to give you £20 when I see you next

This is going off topic but for the public record I wasn't implying anything, merely jesting with the common "I'll buy you a pint instead "approach.

 

[fgwrich]

I've got this half a dozen times in the last week or two. Either the "win an iPad" or "you've been selected as a user from Hertfordshire" - didn't make a note of the URLs. Surprised it's taking Google so long to sort it out as a company who sells themselves on succeeding with less-intrusive, targeted ads. Using IE9 (company policy as other browsers "would put the company at risk", cue bitter laughter).

BTW I would happily contribute hard cash towards forum upkeep in return for guilt-free adblocking

This is the latest one just flashing up for me - every time today.

(Probably not worth clicking on said link - it's just the url which may be of use to anyone with good blocking skills!)

http://prize.internethomerewards.co...296&x1=da5e0c262e7e0af04e87061e00f4828a&se=20

 

[wintonian]

This is the latest one just flashing up for me - every time today.

(Probably not worth clicking on said link - it's just the url which may be of use to anyone with good blocking skills!)

http://prize.internethomerewards.co...296&x1=da5e0c262e7e0af04e87061e00f4828a&se=20

God that synthesized voice is annoying.

 

[O L Leigh]

The only pop-up I get is McAfee telling me that some content has been blocked, normally ads.

What has been a bit more alarming is that from time to time my computer seems to want to skip from the page I've selected to a page on the domain favozek.info which McAfee again blocks. I certainly haven't clicked anything to prompt this and my computer is clean. Thoughts...?

O L Leigh

 

[bolli]

The only pop-up I get is McAfee telling me that some content has been blocked, normally ads.

What has been a bit more alarming is that from time to time my computer seems to want to skip from the page I've selected to a page on the domain favozek.info which McAfee again blocks. I certainly haven't clicked anything to prompt this and my computer is clean. Thoughts...?

O L Leigh

Depends on the format of the ads, but it isn't hard to redirect to another site from them.

The best solution would be to use noscript as previously posted by Yorkie

 

[Crossover]

Still proving problematic - just had it yet again

 

[yorksrob]

Bought a new lap-top a month ago and had the pop-up a few times. Fortunately haven't had it for a week or two (touch wood).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I am currently banned from using my wife's new Toshiba laptop that I bought for her birthday, as a spare back-up, in case I did not want to use my HP Pavilion "supercomputer" tower system...until this problem has been resolved.

She too is back on IE9, after having problems with Google Chrome on another unrelated mater. Can't really say I blame her for taking this position.

 

[tony_mac]

It may be worth opting-out of advertising cookies
http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
You will still get adverts, but they are more generic ones, so may be less likely to cause a problem. (I haven't had any)

 

[wintonian]

It may be worth opting-out of advertising cookies
http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
You will still get adverts, but they are more generic ones, so may be less likely to cause a problem. (I haven't had any)

I would just point out that tool itself uses 'cookies', so if like me you clear them out regularly you would need to keep going back and having them replace their 'cookie'.

 

[O L Leigh]

Depends on the format of the ads, but it isn't hard to redirect to another site from them.

The best solution would be to use noscript as previously posted by Yorkie

I'm not clicking on them to redirect.

Things are normally fine. Pop-up blocker means I never see pop-ups and McAfee occasionally takes exception to the banner ads at the top or bottom of the screen which just means I see an information message from McAfee (this is not unique to this website). What alarms me is this attempt to redirect my browser to a suspicious site without my permission, which McAfee thankfully intercepts and prevents.

O L Leigh

 

[185]

Affecting other Vforums / Jelsoft websites.

SSC and DS forums also affected.

 

[Ivo]

I don't know what you guys (and/or Google :?) have done, but suddenly everything seems fine at my end!

 

[martinsh]

Had it when first trying to log on to this forum just now, so obviously not completely solved yet

 

[yorkie]

I don't know what you guys (and/or Google :?) have done, but suddenly everything seems fine at my end!

Nothing we have done, as above it's out of our hands, it's down to Google as it is they who run Adsense.

I am guessing most people who use IE do so due to having no choice, e.g. if you're at work/school/college/uni, but then your organisation's web filtering should be blocking the dodgy sites.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Incidentally, from what I read earlier in the thread, is it the case that those using IE8 are not as prone to this matter as those on the the more updated IE9 ?

 

[Johnuk123]

I use IE9 along with Maxthon on 3 different computers, 2 Win 8 the other 1 Win 7 and I have never ever seen any popups on this forum.

 

[matt]

I have been using IE8 on my company laptop and have had no issues so far.