Ask Greg - Please no more ads with sound

ironkurtin

Veteran

Every time I go to a new topic the Milky Way ad starts up again. I wouldn't care except it has sound. UGH!

Thanks for listening to me complain.

12 years ago

Off Topic

29 replies

Latest reply was from Gaylene

Greg

Administrator

Thanks for letting us know. I'll look into it.

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Another vote for nixing those ads, especially since the audio starts if my cursor happens to pass over any part of the ad, which seems to happen quite regularly if I'm going to the off topic or login area of the page. And the only way I can shut the ad off is to exit my browser. To add insult to injury, for some reason, I'm getting all the Kotex ads--which, at 60+, is even more annoying!!

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

Hopefully those ads aren't appearing anymore. About 40 minutes ago the ad network told me they had stopped the campaign, but it takes a little while for changes like that to propagate through the system.

Please let me know here if you see this ad (a Milky Way ad WITH SOUND) after 10am Pacific time (1pm Eastern, and I think 6pm GMT).

BTW, in this case the person at the ad network loading the campaign forgot to use the setting that asks for our approval. So I appreciate IK pointing it out. From my perspective it isn't a complaint at all. More like another level of quality control, which is awesome.

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

Aha! As I posted this I saw another Milky Way ad (no sound though). This time it was sent by Google. I'm off to stop that campaign too.

12 years ago

biscuitsmom

Veteran

*thanks*

12 years ago

Echo

Veteran

Thanks. There is a makeup ad that starts up with sound everytime my cursor accidentally goes over it, too. But since I am normally on a home computer, I can usually keep the sound off.

12 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

For me, it's usually some kind of Antacid ad that has sound

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

Feel free to send me a message any time you see an ad that is objectionable (I often regard sound on mouse over as objectionable, for example). I need specifics about the ad, like what the brand or retailer is and what it is selling.

I will then check whether I can suppress that campaign.

12 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

The Honda Civic ad is a sound one as well - but I think it's okay because I have to hover for a few seconds before it turns on

12 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Greg, there's an Oil of Olay ad cheeping at me right this second because I moused over it.

12 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

haha, now you all have me scrolling and mousing madly all over to see if I get any sounds. . . and so far none.

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Hmm, my friendly Kotex ad is back, but now gives me a 2 second delay audio before it starts. As long as I am fast, at least the $*#@ thing doesn't take over my screen and start trying to "inform" me.

12 years ago

Jules

Veteran

I seem to accidentally click on the Brilliantearth.com ad often, that must be me scrolling too crazily or something. But what bugs me specifically about clicking thru to this site is that I can't use the back button to get back to ylf - they have that setting that sticks you in their website and you can't get back out of it. I know there are browser workarounds for that (aside from me just not going there in the first place!) but maybe it's also a "quality control" issue, since it leads people off ylf and they can't get back easily.

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Greg, reviving this thread to say that the last couple of days I've been getting the Olay ad with sound that starts to play if I accidentally mouse over it.

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

Jules, I tracked down the brilliantearth ad and what I see happening is that it opens in a new window or tab. So YLF is still there, but in a different tab (or window).

Diana, I can't find an Olay ad at any of our networks, but I'll keep an eye out for it.

12 years ago

Anonymous

It's Wednesday, 2/27/13, 7 p.m. CST, and I just had an Olay audio ad on the main forum page.

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

Thanks Anne. A question for you, and for others who may be watching for ads with sound: does the ad produce sound without any provocation?

That's the behavior we look for. We do allow ads that give you the option of playing the sound. This could be via a click, or by hovering for some length of time over the ad. One of our networks has a nice behavior where after hovering you get an audible cue and you see a countdown before the audio starts.

12 years ago

Anonymous

I checked and it plays sound if my cursor hovers for too long on the ad, which I must have done without meaning to before. Thanks for pointing that out!

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Greg, the Olay ad plays sound if the cursor is on it for a couple of seconds at most... I guess I'd like a longer delay so I don't accidentally mouse over it.

12 years ago

Raisin

Veteran

Greg, there's an Almay ad and a Mercedes ad that play sound as soon as my mouse crosses them. And if the mouse lingers on the Mercedes ad, I get a pop up too.

12 years ago

marianna

Veteran

I have seen two ads recently where you have to hover over the ad to get sound, and then a huge window pops up. I seem to accidentally hover over these and it's a bit annoying. The music starts instantly when you hover.

Last night it was for Nicki Minaj fragrance.
Currently I see one for L'Oreal haircare. (Saturday 3/9, 8:00 AM central time).

Thanks, Greg!

12 years ago

ramya

Veteran

2 second delay here for an Acer ad

12 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

freecreditscore.com is playing every 5 seconds, and there is no way to pause it or turn off the sound unless I mute on my keyboard.

12 years ago

Greg

Administrator

IK, the next time you see that one, please check whether it has a little orange block with a white plus sign on one of the corners. I think I know which network this is coming from but I want to confirm before I contact them.

Thanks,
Greg

12 years ago

kellygirl

Veteran

The Banana Republic ad has sound when you mouse over it--it has an orange tab with a plus sign in the upper right hand corner. It doesn't bother me--I'm just careful to stay away from ads.

12 years ago

MNsara

Veteran

Banana Republic for me too. With instantaneous mouse-over sound. And their countdown is for the pop-up

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

Super annoying sound ad from Shaw (white plus sign on a yellow background) that starts playing if the mouse cursor accidentally passes over even a small corner of the ad. The only way to stop it is to exit the browser. Since the ad is just below the off topic button, it is really easy to hit a corner.

Do these advertisers really think that annoying people is the way to get sales?

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Gaylene, can you confirm that there is no "countdown" on that Shaw ad?

Everyone else, thanks for the reports. If we don't respond, it doesn't mean we haven't seen it.

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

As soon as the mouse hits even a tiny corner of the ad (now for SpeedStick deodorant), the sound starts playing for 5-10 seconds. Since the location is right below the Off Topic and Style Exchange buttons, it's easy to accidentally mouse-over a bit of the ad when scrolling up from bottom of the thread. The upper right corner of these ads has a yellowish orange tab with a white cross.

Maybe it's a sign that I ought to be working instead of popping into the YLF website?

12 years ago

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