Auto-Sound Ads, and Ads ''Before'' Ads: Ad Complaints in General

Lately I've been annoyed with the ad techniques utilized by a couple sites I frequent. I go to watch videos, but the vids get constantly interrupted by ads that turn on their sound automatically (auto-sound ads), and, unlike TV or Hulu, they do so without pausing the video.

So I'm right into the middle of the Most Dramatic Scene in the show, and all of a sudden a second soundtrack picks up: "DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MUCUS?" or what have you. So much for in the moment.

I've actually visited three sites so far just to complain about these types of ads. Lysol and Mucusin are the top offenders, but there's also a vacuum ad whose brand I didn't catch. I've put them on my "silent boycott" list, meaning I won't buy from them but I'm not really bothered enough to preach this message to others (much).

What I found out is that it's difficult to even fill out a complaint form and have it go through. I half suspect the websites are not actually designed to allow feedback.

I did manage to get feedback through to Jack-in-the-Box, to compliment them on their ads that didn't play sound until you clicked on them. Hooray for a pinch of common sense. Though their form did require me to say which restaurant I was supposedly shopping in before I could give a non-restaurant-related compliment.

Anyway, what brought me here was that I just saw an ad space play a "Your video will start in 8 seconds" ad... prior to playing another ad.

Have we gone off the deep end? Is this like espresso stands in front of coffee shops?

Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all.

Wow. That was rude. Thumped.

A guy called dvorak is tired. Tired of humanity not wanting to change to improve itself. Quite the sad tale.

Yeah it's so stupid. People go to Hulu to watch the Superbowl Ads, and it shows other ads before them!

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play

I have a general complaint about adverts on TV. There's far too bloody many of them! I don't know if the frequency of adverts on English TV has increased since my departure but comparatively speaking there are so many more on American Television; one before the opening credits, one after the opening credits, several breaks between the show, one before the final scene... It really spoils the mood of whatever I'm watching. It's also as though my TV is screaming the adverts at me, with the sudden increase in volume which accompanies them. On top of that they're never funny despite a failed attempt or they utilise shock tactics based on lies. I've since turned to the internet for my favourite shows, I wonder if others have....

However this:

makes me want to buy an Audi RS 4

"There's more evil in the charts then an Al-Qaida suggestion box" - Bill Bailey

Maybe the kind who recognises that web providers actually have to pay for their services, and ads are often the only or best way for them to do that? Like with here.

My name is Addy. Please call me that instead of my username.

: And? That is no excuse for running silly silly ads. If a site runs "good adds", then I can safely turn of my adblock. Most sites run really annoying flash banners, which BLINKS and changes color, and perhaps even make sounds.
Fuck the sites, because running such nonsense is nonsense.

A guy called dvorak is tired. Tired of humanity not wanting to change to improve itself. Quite the sad tale.

Most sites don't have any control over what ads get put on their site. They subscribe to a certain company (adaware, casale, google, etc.) and that company gives them a widget to put on their site.

The widget is what displays the ads, and the site owners don't have any control over which ads and what ads go on the widget.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

I just block flash ads because they slow shit down. Sound ads need to go die in a fire too.

If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan Chah

Hey, had anyone ever seen that flashing ad that says "Congradulations"? That one is annoying...and scary.

@King Friday

Most of the terrestrial channels have kept roughly the ads roughly at every 15-20 minutes like they've been doing for a while. Only when you get Sky or Virgin do you see the adverts gradually getting closer together around 10-15 minute mark.

By the powers invested in me by tabloid-reading imbeciles, I pronounce you guilty of paedophilia!

Some sites auto-play the stupid things. I was reading a story about the act against loud TV commercials being passed, and there was an auto-playing pre-roll ad right next to it. It led me to sarcastic thoughts; "well maybe Congress should ban those next".

@King Friday: Bet you miss the BBC, eh?

With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.

I really do!

"There's more evil in the charts then an Al-Qaida suggestion box" - Bill Bailey

Blip TV is bad, some videos actually get interrupted mid play by ads :(

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?

My big problem is the ads are almost never promoting anything I actually want.

The use of attention seeking techniques is pointless if the content is irrelevant to me.

I've bought something based on an online ad an exact total of once. There was a banner ad above Schlock Mercenary advertising "A female-fronted indie electronic rock band". For once in my life I went "Hey, that is something I am actually interested in, I'll click it".

It did absolutely nothing unusal. It wasn't animated. It didn't have eye catching artwork. It made no sound whatsoever. All it did was just describe, in those exact words, a thing that was relevant to my interests.

And it was pretty damn good, so I bought it. And now I'm plugging it here.

One of the great ironies is that I keep hearing about stuff I'm interested in primarily through word of mouth from my friends, while just about all the stuff I see in advertisements is crap I would never have bought anyway.

IT'S ABOUT THE CONTENT, STUPID!

edited 25th Mar '11 1:58:27 AM by TibetanFox

Now that I think about it, ads that play sound piss me off, but not nearly as much as ads with misspelled words. I suppose that's anal of me.

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful

Ahhh. The BBC. So wonderful. The only 'adverts' are the trails for other programs inbetween programs. No "this is sponsored by" crap (except maybe for huge events, like Sportsman of the year), no real product placement. A web player with no ads and free access to any programs after they've broadcast with no need for a TV license (for a limited time, but still), and live-streaming for people who do have a license.

I'd say it's worth the £140 a year.

edited 25th Mar '11 4:59:04 AM by EthZee

The "upcoming" stuff on the BBC is pretty awesome.

's how I found Sherlock.

Kongregate's been doing "Your video will start in 30 seconds" ads that lead into more ads as well. I fear a Turtles All the Way Down scenario.

I hope people start getting the message that more ad views doesn't really mean anything.

edited 25th Mar '11 9:03:13 PM by Pykrete

This is a bitching thread. We don't want bitching threads. Don't make threads just to bitch. Not in Yack Fest, not in OTC. Locking.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.