Seeing reports from some of you via the comments or email that you’re having issues with the Ads that are appearing on this site.
First, let me remind you that we have ZERO control over the ads that are on this site. We just tell WordPress it’s ok to have ads here (since that’s how we make the money to run this site), and they put the ads on our site. So everything you see…whether a video or not…that has that ADVERTISEMENT in gray written over it is from WordPress’ ad partners. Not us.
Note: I know some of you will use Ad Blockers. But just remember, as annoying as the ads are they help this site function. Without the ad dollars, this site wouldn’t exist. We don’t ask readers for donations & i’ve spent enough out of pocket dollars over the last few years that I’m done pulling my own money to keep things running. So without Ad revenue, we’d have to shut the site down.
There are a few types of ads we’re seeing reported:
Offensive Ads…content of the ad offends you or is inappropriate for this type of site.
Video Ads….these are ads that popup and run the video and basically take over the site. They hijack your scroll so you can’t move around the page or read comments. (not just auto-play videos, these are ones that actually prevent you from scrolling)
Site Redirects…this is something that happens. A popup appears and redirects you to another site or the app store.
So here’s the info on each, and what to do if you see them…
Offensive Ads….take a screenshot, right click and copy the URL associated with the Ad. Then report it to WordPress here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/about-these-ads/
Video Ads…. I have reported these to WordPress. Here’s the most recent update I received:
Our ads team has reported the issue to the advertiser and they were working on fixing it.
If the user does notice it, please encourage them to let us know via the link I sent you earlier. That way they can narrow it down to the particular advertiser.
So, if you’re still having problems with these ads follow the steps listed in Offensive Ads and report to WordPress here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/about-these-ads/
And finally…
Site Redirects…these are not caused by WordPress or this site. These are caused by Adware/Malware on your device. (yes even iOS devices are subject to this as well) My best advice here is to Google how to remove AdWare/Malware from your particular device and follow those instructions. I had the same issue in the past, and once I did the clean up it stopped.
Hope this helps create less frustration for some of you when visiting this site! And please remember to report the Ads directly to WordPress here: https://en.support.wordpress.com/about-these-ads/ and not to us. We have no control over them and sometimes it’s better if WordPress sees the report direct from the user impacted than from us.
Thanks!
-Alissa
It’s not WordPress. It’s the AdSense account settings.The autoplay videos are just brutal.
Except, we don’t use Ad Sense, our ads are done through WordPress. Which is why we say to contact WordPress.
“Site Redirects…these are not caused by WordPress or this site. These are caused by Adware/Malware on your device.”
I’m not sure this is entirely true.
There are third-party ad networks that manage to run code in their ads that do malicious actions (like redirects). Those ads are usually pulled pretty quickly.
Also, while it may not affect this site, people have had malicious code injected into their wordpress themes. And then the readers are affected (via redirects etc) even though the reader has no malware on their device.
The two problem I have with ads are slowing the browsing and playing sound when we don’t want them.
I often open many tabs and when sounds begin playing in those tabs I have to search through them to find which one of the problem. Sometimes I will listen to low volume audio so I raised the volume to be played an ad at full power over it that make me want to throw my headset. The sites should really ban audio ads that autoplay.
The slow down of the page is also annoying some pages left open will continue to grab memory in the background and suddenly you browser is taking hundreds of MB of memory with two pages open. The browser do not have a function”I can read the page stop making crazy thing in the background” that slow down scrolling down the page . The home page of the site had already done 500 request after being open a minute.
Some of the request are not done perfect like this tracker
https://r-login.wordpress.com/remote-login.php?action=js&host=tstoaddicts.com&id=56477843&t=1511043213&back=https://tstoaddicts.com/
returned zero lenght page with a 200 ok code instead of 204
https://www.facebook.com/xti.php
had a cross-origin framing
Some have src attibute that are empty
All those programming mistake make the browser slower because they are done for nothing, spawn esception code and the more component they load the more mistake are done.
They are forgetting that the thought of the costumer: “bad ad, bad product!”so putting the cart before the horse.
I am having the issue with the video ads hijacking the page and making it unscrollable and unreadable. I submitted a complaint and a screenshot and they told me that I need to use another browser or another network. Apparently they think it is a reasonable solution for me to physically go somewhere else when I want to read one website. . .
You must love those people from the HELPdesk, reading from their scripts telling you what to do 😁
My sarcastic response to them seems to have escalated it to someone taking it more seriously. *fingers crossed
Phoned my internet provider’s HELLdesk some day after losing my connection: “Please sir, (they are polite, aren’t they?) Look at the helppages on our site for advise how to correct that.”
My jaw dropped cartoon like: “Hello! My connection is broken. Please fix the connection on your side! “ (DUUUUHHH!j
For problem 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
The ads aren’t in my face on my browsers. I use iOS and Windows depending on the device. As long as Alissa doesn’t quit the site to go sell facial cream then I can handle the ads.
I find the ads link to my search history. I looked up pizza the top ad is for Toppers Pizza. If you are getting offensive ads perhaps you should clear you search history and any cookies.
I used to work in broadcasting, made me appreciate all the annoying commercials on tv and radio a little more. My main issue that’s been happening actually only happens when I go to the site via desktop computer and the video ad comes on. It won’t mute – even when I click the mute – and it stays “stuck” on the screen. Meaning, no matter where I try to scroll the page goes right back to the video. Like it’s forcing me to pay attention to the video. Usually, if I just click on the comments link I can read that particular post (Where the video ad is) without issues… or I just refresh the page and a different non-video ad comes up instead.
Thanks for the info.
What about if I wanted to make a donation to your site? Would be my way of saying thanks.
Honestly I started reading this post and was like what ads? Then realized the ad on the top of the page and video ad at the bottom of the post… goes to show much I’ve noticed them… but do feel bad for those who r stuck with the video ads that take up the entire page…
Can we still complain to you about the run-down posts that are brought to us by a letter? 😉 I have no complaints thus far but just in case aforementioned alliterations arouse acrimony all-together. Just making sure I can still vent if you use one of the three letters I find objectionable. Keep up the great work, kids. Cheers!
-TBC
Can we sponsor a letter via cash donations for a future Super Safi post? 😁
People get offended by any and everything these days. If you’re offended, no one cares! Not a single person. So stop bugging ppl with your cry baby attitudes and no handle the problem like an adult.
^ Is what you should have wrote right??
Previously, when the ads became an issue, I put my device (iPad) in airplane mode (no access to internet), did a hard close and re-open (to clean the cache while offline), then removed all but one browser. Reloaded the other browsers (online ). Back to airline mode, removed main browser, than reloaded it also (online). Back to airline mode, one last hard close and re-open. Never had any more problems…the programs and caches had all been “sanitized”, so no more mal-ware highjacks.
Also, an afterthought question… I assume that at the very least you get revenue from total ad impressions — that is, the number of times an add is passively viewed by your users on the site — but do you also get anything from click-throughs on the ads?
We don’t get a breakdown. Our monthly listing just goes off impressions
I get some freezing of my screen when ads are loading but I can put up with that, I get a lot more from this site, information for the game, friends who share the game, interactions in game play and a feeling of a bigger community all over the world, wonderful Simpsons community 😁😀😝😉😎
P.s do what you do to make this site as cracking as it 😉😉😉
I have no issues with you funding the site through ads — but just as a side-note: some work places block selected ad providers at the firewall, (mine does) probably because some ad providers have themselves been indicted as the sources of malware, at different times. So while I do have an ad-blocker installed on my preferred browser and your site is white-listed within that browser, I still don’t see ads on your site in that browser — or in any of the other three browsers on my work computer.
I only point this out as a word to the wise: Be wary when your ad provider tries to convince you that your end-users and their devices are somehow to blame for any one of these issues. At best, they may themselves be well-intentioned but under-informed on the scope of the overall issue; at worst, they might be actively trying to hide their own op-sec failures.
No problems for me. If you want free you still have to pay for it somehow. Hijacking your experience sucks, but it’s a smaller price then a subscription. Thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedication.
I always have two of the same ads at the bottom of the page. I don’t really mind that, because ir generates income for your page.
Thanks Alissa!
With regards to the ad revenue, I just whitelisted the site because you’re right, without the ads the site’s gone. However, have you all thought about a Patreon subscription program or something like that? I don’t know if it’s possible to provide an “ad free experience” for Patreon subscribers without doubling your workload, and that’s crazy, but to be honest I’d prefer to use the ad blocker and pay a small monthly Patreon subscription fee.
Just a thought 🙂
It would add more unfortunately, but also I just don’t think the subscription revenue would generate what the standard ad revenue does. In other words, I don’t think enough people would pay to justify the added workload.
So far, my only issue has been ‘jumping’
Often, as I start to read, I get ‘jumped’ to a different area within the page. Not to an advertisement, just further along on the page.
Meh
My condolences to those whose issues are truly negative.
Happy Friday all. Ten minutes and I’ll obtain the last prize, leaving only the final ‘animation’ to be earned.
I haven’t had any issues, but all the same, thanks for caring about those who have had problems, Alissa!