Ad Blocking software

[Horton]

I made some changes to the web site the other day and it looks like more than 1/2 if the visitors to the site use some sort of AdBlocker. I am wondering if my data is correct.

[igkya]

I wonder what happened to the ads. I disabled the Ad blocker for this site, but am still not seeing the ads.

[Kelvin]

I use it, but I still get all the ads on this site.

[BraceMaker]

@Kelvin banners or ads...

[Horton]

@Kelvin you get some of the banners....

[igkya]

@Horton, Ads seem to be back now, thx.

[dhofert]

I do use Adblocker but I have disabled it for this site. The ads are non intrusive and I actually click on some of them. As long as they stay relevant I have no problem with the way they are displayed.

 

[oldjeep]

Sort of. I don't actually use an adblocker but google syndication and doubleclick I have blocked at the firewall. I don't have any issues with ads per se, but I do have an issue with then being used to track me through sites. It does appear that you must have shut off the doubleclick stuff that was added a week or so ago because I am seeing the ads now,

[Horton]

@oldjeep I am still using double-click some but most of the banners are back to the previous system.

[Kelvin]

@Horton, I'm using the Adblock plugin for Chrome. I never really noticed any difference in the number of ads on BallofSpray with our without the plugin. I did get your message about turning it off and now I disabled it on BOS.

 

[Horton]

Thanks @Kelvin

[Roger]

I am using ad blocker in Chrome (using IE for this session). When I access your site, I get a message that this has been detected and asked to turn it off. I use it to avoid pop-up ads and scrolling (moving) banner ads. I have no issue with the ads you have down the left or across the top, however I do not intend to disable it for anyone, even you. I have designed and deployed numerous web sites during my career and part of that process was polling users on what annoys them. The most common answer is anything that moves or pops up interrupting the reading of content. If I can't access this site via Chrome with my ad blocker, then I will not be accessing this site...

[oldjeep]

Took a look at the source for the page, and the google blocking also blocks that ad blocker detection js that is being linked in from a Google owned site.

 

 

[Horton]

@Roger & @oldjeep

 

I hear your distaste for what I am doing and do not want to discourage any long time Ballers. The rub is that if I only some of the banners display for some of the readers then I am not performing for my advertisers. I do not think this site would survive with a pay wall so I need to the banners to be seen.

[Roger]

Do what you have to, I'm out.

[dchristman]

I hate to say it, but I'm right with you @roger ... I'm out of here. My disdain for ad networks trumps my addiction to this site.

 

I've been perfectly content for the last 5 years viewing the very relevant, sometimes entertaining, and rarely objectionable first party ads here. All during this time, I've been running ad blockers and script blockers. I felt pretty good about my obsession, believing this is how it ought to be - a website that entertains and educates me about the sport I love while supporting the businesses so closely related to it.

 

I've bought plenty of stuff I wouldn't have because of the synergy of the first party advertising and the thoughtful conversation about the products of the forum. During slow times with no new forum content to keep me occupied, I'd click through the ads and the list of advertisers. I can't imagine any more effective advertising.

 

Now I'm made to feel like I'm stealing something because I use an ad blocker. What I do with other sites that detect ad blockers is I don't use them, and I've gotten along fine without them. You need to do whatever is right for your business and I'm probably wrong, but for some reason the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face" comes to mind.

 

I hope to see all of you at a lake somewhere, sometime, in real life!

[Rednucleus]

I'm new here, no clue what my home & work computer do for ad blocking, bu I will say I am VERY happy visiting this forum daily. Ads are not disruptive, they relate to our sport. I don't see what all the drama is about so maybe I'm just fortunate to be tech stupid.

Keep up the great work Mr. Horton & Happy New Year!

[Horton]

I am super sorry to see anyone tap out but if I can not deliver for my advertisers then there is no BallOfSpray.

 

On the other hand I do not love Google either. The only ads that are served by Google are the banners that run inside the forum for the 3 biggest sponsors of the site. In the next few weeks I will look again to see if I find another way to serve those banners. Even if I do find a way to serve those ads without Google I will still ask site visitors to disable ad blocking or white list this site.

[dbutcher]

Ad blockers seem to me like a fact of life that advertisers have to accept. Advertisers will lose exposure if people quit this site too.

[Horton]

@dbutcher

http://media.tumblr.com/fe497dd337d9af8479bb6398b9565d16/tumblr_inline_mg6n5ltl6X1rxe4lt.gif

 

This site mostly circumvents the negative repercussions of ad blockers but it is a nightmare for any advertising supported web site. Water Ski Mag did not go away because of lack of readers - it went away because of lack of ad revenue. BallOfSpray is currently a healthy business but without banners running it would simply go away. I am taking a stand because I want my advertisers to get value today and for years to come.

 

[ALPJr]

Banners don't bother me. In fact the first thing I did with a new WSM was flip through page by page to look at photos/ads. @Horton to me you have some room to grow in the ad dept.

[S1Pitts]

@Horton I am using Chrome and have disabled (or at least think I have in chrome - no plug in or 3rd party software being used ) the blocker for this site yet I have only 1/2 the screen viewable because your statement on the use of ad blockers is impairing my already small net book screen?

In my part of the world our internet is getting slower and slower due to the increasing traffic and ever shrinking bandwidth available. If these adds are going to slow down the already slow loading of BOS pages then that is yet another issue

[Horton]

@S1Pitts

The message should not eat up more than 1/8th of your screen and if you successfully disable your adblocker the message should not load at all. In other words - if you see the message then you have a blocker running.

 

I am working on making the message smaller than it currently is.

[oldjeep]

Or it could be that the script is incorrectly identifying an ad blocker because he is running on a limited functionality device or has limited js support. Trust me when i say that your ad blocker detection script isn't telling you definitively if people are blockin ads. Fwiw, the default ms edge setting that blocks certain types of bad ad serving techniques seems to hide the perfski banner image on my phone. Link is there.

[Horton]

If anyone cares - there is no longer any Google Double Click or AdSense code running on the site. It it is going to cost me an additional $50 a month but I think it is the right direction.

[jhughes]

Lots of ways to monetize a site (and really, a community) like this aside from banners, for sure.

[Horton]

@jhughes not really

[Rpc29]

I disabled my ad blocker for BOS and honestly couldn’t tell a difference. Most of the banners were already coming through even with it on.

[Horton]

@Rpc29 thank you

[Rednucleus]

LOL these darn ads - entered the SIA contest I saw on BOS and my wife's EMail won some free stuff!

[FatPierre]

I don't use Ad Blocker. I use Ghostery (mostly to stop tracking) but I have whitelisted ballsofspray yet I still see the "You are using an ad blocker?!?!?!" warning despite seeing all the ads.

[oldjeep]

That message will show up for a variety of reasons. If you have your browser security set to a reasonable level then the off site included js script that does the detection will not be allowed to run and result in the message being shown.

[owolff]

@horton what prompted this? Is BOS losing $ because of decreased ad revenue?

[Horton]

@owolff

No business impact but I am aware of trends in the web advertising universe and changes in the BallOfSpray reader behaviors. A smart business person tries to stay ahead of the curve.

 

[jsc0324]

I told my Firefox to unblock for John

[S1Pitts]

Ok I have 5 internet capable devices in my house. 4/5 display the site without the view blocking banner however the 10 inch notebook I prefer for daily use has the banner.

Of the 3 windows based devices the notebook is the only one running windows 10. All 3 run Kaspersky Internet Security and Chrome browser.

I have tried everything I can including getting our IT tech at work to look at it and we have been unable to get the banner to clear even with Kaspersky disabled so we believe it is a windows 10 issue. Funny thing is I see the ads just fine!!!! Just cant get rid of the banner.

If anyone has any suggestions I would be grateful.

[Zman]

Deleted.