What's with the auto-plyaing video ads on the screen?

[disneysteve]

I've started getting ads on the DISboards that automatically play a video. It's really annoying to suddenly have someone start talking. It took me a minute to search the page and realize where it was even coming from. I'm guessing my ad blocker at home blocks those but on my work computer, they play. Guess I have to install an ad blocker here, too.

 

[OKW Lover]

Report the annoying ads to admin@wdwinfo.com

 

[FlightlessDuck]

For that matter, are the ads now showing in the middle of threads (which used to only happen when not logged in) a new thing and not a bug? Because there's been on response on the tech support board.

 

[rteetz]

For that matter, are the ads now showing in the middle of threads (which used to only happen when not logged in) a new thing and not a bug? Because there's been on response on the tech support board.

Yes that is a new thing that is now being done.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Yes that is a new thing that is now being done.

Then I guess nobody is paying attention to the Tech Support board, because somebody asked about this a week and a half ago.

 

[rteetz]

Then I guess nobody is paying attention to the Tech Support board, because somebody asked about this a week and a half ago.

That's some for the webmasters not moderators.

 

[chartle]

I've started getting ads on the DISboards that automatically play a video. It's really annoying to suddenly have someone start talking. It took me a minute to search the page and realize where it was even coming from. I'm guessing my ad blocker at home blocks those but on my work computer, they play. Guess I have to install an ad blocker here, too.

Yes this has been randomly happening to me also. Sometimes I don't even see any running video, just sound. I just close Chrome since I'm not sure what page or tab its coming from.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

Okay I went to reply last night and the page froze up because of the video ads. I finally had to kill the browser and come back later so yeah...

Is there a poll? I vote no.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

Okay I have to rant too...the ads in the middle are annoying! When you are scrolling on your phone with your thumb you are brushing up...it hits the ad unintentionally as the page is coming up and then takes you off somewhere.. you have to come back, reload the page and then try to find your place where you were reading.

 

[disneysteve]

Okay I went to reply last night and the page froze up because of the video ads. I finally had to kill the browser and come back later so yeah...

Ah-ha! I have been noticing a big problem lately with the boards running outrageously slowly, sometimes to the point of being unusable. But it only happens at work. Perhaps the reason is that the ads are sucking up processing power/bandwidth and that's what's slowing it down. At home, I have an ad-blocker and the boards run just fine.

 

[Tiggerette]

I'd like to echo the ads that spontaneously begin playing cause me to close the browser. If I go to CNN, their reports also automatically start playing, but at least I can pause it without being instantly directed to another website. Today as I was listening to the DIS daily fix, I was "serenaded" by an advert for a TV program. I could not pause it or stop the ad (which was interrupting the DIS content) without clicking on it. My browser immediately opened that site, which I didn't want. Now, based on this experience, I know that if I get an ad that has video/sound, I have to either click on it or close the DIS forum page.

My response when these sound/video adverts play are to close the tab with the DISforum. Sometimes I come back, sometimes I take care of other matters. My hope in sharing is that admin realize that this type of ad is causing folks to leave the site, who will miss other non-video adverts altogether as well as DIS forum content. This seems contrary to the enticement that ads and content are meant to supply to the forum participant.

I ask that admin reconsider allowing ads on the forum that will spontaneously play sound/video. If the ads are managed by a third party, I encourage a conversation about how their management is turning off forum participants and in a way losing revenue due to these types of ads. Thanks for reading this feedback; it's offered respectfully and in recognition that adverts may be necessary to keep the forums running well.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ah-ha! I have been noticing a big problem lately with the boards running outrageously slowly, sometimes to the point of being unusable. But it only happens at work. Perhaps the reason is that the ads are sucking up processing power/bandwidth and that's what's slowing it down. At home, I have an ad-blocker and the boards run just fine.

I have the same thing at times - and it is bc/ no ad blocker at work but have one at home

I've found if I go to task manager and close the java runtime it helps, but only a temporary solution

 

[Ladyfish77]

I'll also point out that if you are reading it on your phone and not on wifi those autorunning videos are data hogs. I won't look at sites that do that when I'm on my phone.

 

[GreatLakes]

If you use Firefox go to about:config (carefully), search for media.autoplay.enabled and change the value to false. You will also want to change Flash to "ask to activate" in the plugin manager. I also recommend installing the uBlock Origin and Disconnet plugin.

 

[disneysteve]

If you use Firefox go to about:config

I do use Firefox. How exactly do I go to about:config? Forgive my lack of programming knowledge.

 

[seelyt2]

Me too - my computer at work freezes up and I have to shut it down and clear my history. Pretty sure it's the ads since I don't have issues on other sites. Such a pain. No issues at home, though, but my wifi there is horrendous to begin with.

 

[Allison]

That's some for the webmasters not moderators.

Do you happen to know if they read that board or if the moderator of that board passes on information like this posted there?

 

[GreatLakes]

I do use Firefox. How exactly do I go to about:config? Forgive my lack of programming knowledge.

Up in the address bar where you would normally type a URL just type about:config and acknowledge the warning. Up in the search box enter media.autoplay.enabled and it should remove all of the other options. Double clicking it will change the value from true to false.

It won't stop everything but will stop a large number of not only ads but the auto-play video on sites like CNN and ESPN.

 

[McCoy]

Ah-ha! I have been noticing a big problem lately with the boards running outrageously slowly, sometimes to the point of being unusable. But it only happens at work. Perhaps the reason is that the ads are sucking up processing power/bandwidth and that's what's slowing it down. At home, I have an ad-blocker and the boards run just fine.

This had been my problem too, even before the recent middle of the page ads started appearing. I was finding the forums pretty much unusable, so had to install an ad blocker just to be able to use the site reasonably. Even with the ad blocker I feel the site has been very slow and 'laggy'; I have to wait sometimes up to 10-15 seconds for pages to fully load before I can actually start to scroll through the posts, and that is with excellent internet speed and computer. It's too bad, as I have always been anti-ad blockers since the ads support sites I like to visit, but I pretty much have to use one on this site.

 

[rteetz]

Do you happen to know if they read that board or if the moderator of that board passes on information like this posted there?

Some webmaster do read that board. I believe @WebmasterDoc and @WebmasterAlex can answer more of those questions.