TheRailwire

Admin => Administrative => Topic started by: tehachapifan on May 21, 2023, 01:20:55 AM

Title: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: tehachapifan on May 21, 2023, 01:20:55 AM
For the past couple days, I've been getting full page ads when I click on various TRW forums. They take up almost the entire screen and the TRW page blurs into the background. These ads will be from all kinds of places, but MB Klein seems to be one of the most common. A lot of the time, there's no "X" to click to close the ad. Anyone else getting these?
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Jbub on May 21, 2023, 01:40:49 AM
I've been getting them as well. I understand that the ads produce revenue to operate the website, but wow, have they become increasingly obtrusive with top banner, bottom banner, low drop down, and sidebar ads present at all times and now the full screen ads popping up every 10 clicks or so. Maybe Tom should really introduce a Plaid membership to get rid of the ads.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Chris333 on May 21, 2023, 06:11:04 AM
For me they are pop up ads in a separate smaller window with the Railwire blurred in the background. There is an X to click, but also a slider that counts down 30 seconds. But after the 30 seconds the ads is still there. So far 2 Lowes ads and one other I don't remember.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: bbussey on May 21, 2023, 08:56:58 AM
Yup. Super annoying.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: signalmaintainer on May 21, 2023, 10:04:38 AM
That's why I use Duck Duck Go when I come here. I'm willing to pay to help Railwire keep operating, but I am tired of intrusive ads.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: C855B on May 21, 2023, 10:22:51 AM
Undoubtedly something new that Google Ads has stuffed down everybody's throats without notice. Tom will have to do whatever magic is required in the control panel to cut this crap off at the knees.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: amato1969 on May 21, 2023, 10:36:34 AM
AdBlock Plus browser extension takes care of them...
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: ednadolski on May 21, 2023, 10:41:57 AM
I thought it was an NHL TV broadcast, since I could not see any players or puck... just the ads.

Ed
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: TrainCat2 on May 21, 2023, 11:01:08 AM
I clicked on the link to this topic in recent posts and got a full page eBay ad. Talk about insult to injury.

Well, I pay $20/yr to be able to post and enjoy RCScaleBuilder without any ads. If you don’t want to post, it’s free to join. To login and use the amenities, you have to be a paying member. I bit the bullet and bought the lifetime membership and for Scale RC, best money I ever spent. Tom, sign me up if you go the $$ route.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: nickelplate759 on May 21, 2023, 03:09:22 PM
Started for me mid-last week, on Android w/Chrome.  So far it hasn't shown up on Windows w/Chrome.  Super annoying.  If it weren't TRW I'd have just quit the site.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: CBQ Fan on May 21, 2023, 04:29:11 PM
 Have seen them also, not a fan.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: thomasjmdavis on May 21, 2023, 05:09:40 PM
Started for me mid-last week, on Android w/Chrome.  So far it hasn't shown up on Windows w/Chrome.  Super annoying.  If it weren't TRW I'd have just quit the site.
Is this showing up on PCs, or just phones?

I am not seeing it on my PC, but do have the security filters turned up pretty high on firefox, run Linux, and wipe all the cookies every time I shut down the browser.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Jbub on May 21, 2023, 06:15:44 PM
It's on pc and mobile. I've had it happen on firefox and chrome and I do not use any ad blockers for TRW so revenue can be generated for maintenance.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: mu26aeh on May 21, 2023, 07:45:43 PM
Was only seeing it on mobile, but now popping up on the desktop today.  rrpicturearchives has had them like this for a while, so new to here but I'm used to them
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Chris333 on May 21, 2023, 08:00:59 PM
I'm used to them

 :|

I used the computer at work the other day and kept yelling "how do people even use the internet this way".
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: nickelplate759 on May 21, 2023, 08:41:12 PM
Just now started happening on PC (Windows/Chrome) too.  Unacceptably intrusive.
It seems to be a popup, so perhaps a popup blocker will stop it.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: MK on May 22, 2023, 07:46:21 AM
Just encountered my first on.  PIA!
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: peteski on May 22, 2023, 09:24:05 AM
As I mentioned few months ago in https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55591.0 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55591.0) , similar problem exists in another forum and their admins are waging constant battles with Google (the ad provider).  Not sure why this happens. Alienating your possible clientele is not a good way to try to sell products or services.  It might be some sort of technical issue with the computer code (which is also getting more and more complex, which means more and more prone to be buggy and misbehaving).  Not just HTML anymore.  :|
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: TrainCat2 on May 22, 2023, 12:47:15 PM
Maybe this might help TRW

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials)
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: nickelplate759 on May 22, 2023, 02:55:41 PM
Maybe this might help TRW

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/avoid-intrusive-interstitials)

It just says that this kind of behavior is bad and you shouldn't do it
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: eja on May 22, 2023, 03:03:52 PM
Firefox and their many ad blocking extensions.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: basementcalling on May 22, 2023, 03:49:24 PM
Got one clicking to reply to this thread. Noticed them about two weeks ago.

NBD here. I click close and move on. Nowhere near as annoying as ads in games on my phone.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: learmoia on May 22, 2023, 11:06:58 PM
How anyone can look at the internet without an ad/popup-blocker is beyond me..

Currently running uBlock Origin on Firefox, it blocks almost all ads, and disables most adblock stoppers.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: EJN on May 22, 2023, 11:56:16 PM
AdBlock Plus browser extension takes care of them...

This. I don't see any ads.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Chris333 on May 23, 2023, 10:03:51 PM
Notice how the URL changes

(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/34/109-230523220255.jpeg)
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Ed Kapuscinski on May 24, 2023, 10:23:29 AM
Yeah, I saw this happening on my phone.

Either Tom took some funding from a VC that suddenly wants to see some return, or something quietly changed about the ad platform.

Because I'm guessing he runs with his shields up, he might not see them. @tom mann , heads up!
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: tom mann on May 24, 2023, 10:32:59 AM
Yes, Google is increasingly getting more invasive, mainly due to Apple’s newer security features. I will see if I can adjust settings so that nobody has to deal with that.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: tom mann on May 24, 2023, 10:42:07 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I turned this off and made sure I opted out of everything like this in the future.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: nickelplate759 on May 24, 2023, 11:03:47 AM
Thanks for the feedback. I turned this off and made sure I opted out of everything like this in the future.
Huzzah!
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: C855B on May 24, 2023, 01:38:05 PM
You're a good man, Mr. Mann.   :D
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: eric220 on May 25, 2023, 06:11:44 AM
I've been holding out on getting ad blockers, as much as anything because my employer occasionally pops up and I love the idea of them sending RailWire money.  Unfortunately the combination of those intrusive full screen ads and the incessant Temu ads were the last straws.

I'll once again move for a true RailWire Plaid.  I want to financially support the site, but those ads have become too much.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Dwight in Toronto on May 31, 2023, 09:08:41 PM
Hmmmm - not to jinx myself or anything, but I have to say that I have never, not once, experienced anything like you fellas have been describing.  I’ve been active on TRW on a daily basis throughout this entire timeframe, and nada (luckily).  Maybe we Canadians are immune or exempt!
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: MK on May 31, 2023, 11:17:11 PM
The full page ads have seemed to stop after Tom made his tweak.
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: JoeD on June 05, 2023, 06:41:25 PM
these banner ads are getting out of hand.   inappropriate as well.  no amount of clicking to push back seems to work.

Joe
Title: Re: Super Aggressive Full Screen Ads Now?
Post by: Point353 on June 05, 2023, 09:46:21 PM
these banner ads are getting out of hand.   inappropriate as well. 
Especially the ad for a $680 LEGO model of the Titanic.

(https://s0.2mdn.net/simgad/5621896917959218909)