Advertising OUT OF CONTROL!!!

[ExFlyBoy5]

First off, this isn't directed at the er.org site...it's a general complaint. I am noticing that ads are just getting down right obnoxious. It's gotten to the point that I really don't want to watch TV or listen to commercial radio. The latest Chevy Colorado commercial (What kind of guy drives a truck?) is just plain annoying if not down right offensive.

Anyway, when cruising around the internet, I use a few different add-ons to my browser to alleviate as much ad content as I can. They do a pretty good job...especially with the "news" sites (don't get me started on that tirade!) but the advertisers have caught on to that too. Just today, I was trying to see some video (that is linked through Facebook to a "news" site...not just a link to the raw video) and I got his message: (and no video)

Sorry, we're unable to load a message from our sponsors.

Advertisements help fund this *** original. If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it & reload the page so our producers can continue to make the best on-demand content.

If for some reason you believe you have received this message in error please email us at ***or Tweet us ***

Really? Has it come to this?!? Not only to mention that the video isn't AN ORGINAL at all...it's available ALL OVER the internet yet they are claiming it as their own. I am really getting so tired of the constant barrage of advertisements!!!

 

[Walt34]

Really? Has it come to this?!? I am really getting so tired of the constant barrage of advertisements!!!

I guess you haven't been to places where they put advertising over the urinals in the men's room yet. The grocery stores have them in the shopping carts. It is just background noise to me now.

Yeah, I rarely watch TV anymore and if a web page won't load with advertising blocked, well, there's billions of other sites out there.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I guess you haven't been to places where they put advertising over the urinals in the men's room yet. The grocery stores have them in the shopping carts. It is just background noise to me now.

Yeah, I rarely watch TV anymore and if a web page won't load with advertising blocked, well, there's billions of other sites out there.

No, I see them everywhere. I try to make it "background" noise as best as I can, but sometimes it's just THERE. I find it laughable that with the "reality shows" they go out of their way to cover up branding on items (particularly vehicles) *unless* they are sponsored (which is pretty darn obvious). Yes, because I WAS going to buy the Chevy pickup truck because Chip from Fixer' Upper' drives one. Oh wait, there is tape over the bowtie..I can't tell that it's a Chevy!

On a similar note, why does Apple get a pass on free advertising? I see Apple products EVERYWHERE on TV. The news, TV shows, etc., etc. Don't get me wrong, as an Apple investor, I LOVE the free advertising, but I don't get the logic of a "free pass" to Apple.

 

[target2019]

A week or so ago I became frustrated with flash updates and all that nonsense. Stand on my head, suck on a nickel, and click update. Yeah, right. I just said no at one point, and ya know what? Flash is off in my browser and I don't miss any of that. The funny part is that almost every site I go to wants to load flash, but needs my permission. I rarely give it now. It is almost 100% waste, in my opinion.

And how about spam email? LOL. This is not the internet that Al Gore invented. Or is it?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

A week or so ago I became frustrated with flash updates and all that nonsense. Stand on my head, suck on a nickel, and click update. Yeah, right. I just said no at one point, and ya know what? Flash is off in my browser and I don't miss any of that. The funny part is that almost every site I go to wants to load flash, but needs my permission. I rarely give it now. It is almost 100% waste, in my opinion.

And how about spam email? LOL. This is not the internet that Al Gore invented. Or is it?

Not only to mention that a lot of virus/Trojan horse type issues are delivered via Adobe products (or what look like them). I am pretty vigilant with my computer(s) but my Granddad's computer gets whacked with something every couple months with some pop-up or "update". I have just about figured out that I am going to act as the admin for computer and give him little control over what he *can* do with the computer.

 

[Texas Proud]

One of the things that I hate is when I am playing a game on my tablet....

Some have ads on the side or top of the screen... no big deal.... but some have them float... one will float up in the way of the game!!! There is another game that when I am finished it goes into a video commercial.... and it will not let me stop it... IT IS MY TABLET!!!

As far as TV, I record everything I watch... even 'live' events... I will start the recording and wait a certain amount of time before I start to watch... for a football game I can wait a full hour before starting and still watch the end of the game live.... if I want to skip between plays I can wait two hours...

 

[Andre1969]

For the most part I can tune out the ads as background noise. However, one thing I really hate is how repetitive it gets. For instance, about a month ago, I was checking out a used Pontiac Bonneville online that a local dealer had. Well, suddenly, I get ads popping up all over the place trying to pawn off a Bonneville on me. And in some cases it's a dealer hundreds or even thousands of miles away!

FWIW, the only ads I'm seeing on this page right now are for eBay (I went there earlier today) and Discover.

 

[W2R]

I don't get cable TV any more, and I feel so much better without all those ads (especially the drug ads! ewww).

Often I shut off the radio in the car, when the ads start to drive me cuckoo. At home, I only download ad-free podcasts and don't listen to radio otherwise.

I agree, ads are becoming overwhelming and toxic. I could go on but I can tell that I would be preaching to the choir.

One thing I love about playing my video games, is that there are no ads. However, I noticed when setting up my new console that I had to agree to get ads in order to turn on some functions. There aren't any yet.....

 

[bjorn2bwild]

If you want to look under the covers - clear the cookies, then surf to your favorite web site and check the new cookies loaded.
A few favorites - revenuemantra.com, eyeviewads.com, adnxs.com, outbrain.com, quantserve.com, scorecardresearch.com, adform.net, sitescout.com etc.....
with firefox you can navigate to each site, right click on the page - 'view page info' - permissions, then choose new defaults like -block images, cookies, location access etc....
BTW er.org loads 35+ on my computer.

 

[GrayHare]

Much of this ad frenzy arises from the masses expecting free stuff and forgetting TANSTAAFL.

 

[easysurfer]

I miss the good old days when a pop up blocker actually was effective

 

[yakers]

If you want to get away from advertising and commercialism you could go backpacking or on a retreat or if you want to have the experience with 60,000 people you could go to Burning Man, a commercial free zone. Maybe one of the (many) reasons I like it.

 

[jollystomper]

Much of this ad frenzy arises from the masses expecting free stuff and forgetting TANSTAAFL.

+1

If you are not paying for it, it means YOU are the product being sold via your information, or to advertisers, or both.

 

[Nemo2]

especially the drug ads! ewww

We don't watch television at home, period.......but we had one playing for a while on our last trip; a 'drug ad' came up...can't recall what the drug was (supposed to be) for, but it seemed that the most benign side effect one could hope for was death.

 

[mpeirce]

We never watch ads on TV at home. We TiVo everything. Even the local news at 6PM - we watch it at about 6:15 so we can skip the ads.

Last month were were traveling and watched a little TV. It was annoying not to be able to skips the ads. Actually, a couple of the ads were fairly entertaining, but even those get old very fast the fifth time you see them (we were watching the SNL retrospective, so many many ads repeated).

I won't use streaming sites (like Hulu or YouTube) that force ads either. Neither Netflix nor Amazon prime have ads during shows.

As to web sites, there are many web sites that I just won't go back to because they have too may ads. Luckily, there are plenty go web sites to choose from ;-)

 

[TimSF]

My pet peeve is airlines that force you to watch video ads from your seat on the seatback of the person in front. Talk about a captive audience.

 

[audreyh1]

My pet peeve is airlines that force you to watch video ads from your seat on the seatback of the person in front. Talk about a captive audience.

Honestly, I think "advertising" is so built into the US commercial mindset that any new device is instantly setup to allow advertising for the revenue stream.

The table gadget at the restaurants like Chilis (and now Applebee's apparently).

No, the US can't just have compact credit card pay terminals with small display to bring to a table in the US. It has to be terminals with larger screens fixed to each table that try to entice you to order more food or dessert, run adds while you are eating, try to encourage you to pay money to play video games, etc. I like being able to pay my bill without handing over my card to the waiter, but the annoyingly intrusive terminal makes it all a rather unpleasant experience!!!!

 

[Chuckanut]

I can deal with advertising when I am not paying for the service. Free OTA TV is an example. So, is my e-mail account which costs me nothing.

But, I hate it when I am paying for a good or service, and also get subjected to ads.
Even my gas station has ads on the payment screen while I pump my gas. Enough!

 

[H2ODude]

I think the only thing we watch live on TV is national news, loaded with the drug ads. All else gets DVR'd and speed through the ads. Love netflix for this reason.

Pretty good at tuning all the crap out. One thing that irks me it having to watch ads before movies in theatre. Trailers are ok, but the outright ads just drive me nuts. Truly a captive audience. Between that and the volume of the trailers, not much of a movie goer any more.

 

[Amethyst]

Perfervid real estate ads, filled with extravagant words and exclamation points, make me cringe. It's just a house, people. I want to know all about it, sure, but rest assured I will not be "utterly swept away," "dazzled," or need to take to my fainting couch after seeing it. The phrase "MUST SEE!!!" is the best way to keep me away.

Amethyst

 

[W2R]

Perfervid real estate ads, filled with extravagant words and exclamation points, make me cringe. It's just a house, people. I want to know all about it, sure, but rest assured I will not be "utterly swept away," "dazzled," or need to take to my fainting couch after seeing it. The phrase "MUST SEE!!!" is the best way to keep me away.

Amethyst

The real estate ads that annoy me are those that say, "Close to everything! Wonderful neighborhood." Why on earth do they think I am looking in that neighborhood to begin with? Now tell me something about the HOUSE, like whether it has a stand-alone shower, an inside laundry room, or an easy maintenance back yard. Even better, stop photographing the furniture and instead, include pictures of the shower, laundry room, back yard, and so on.

 

[athena53]

I've got a spamcatcher e-mail address that I use for nearly all commercial purposes (on-line ordering, LinkedIn, loyalty programs). That helps a lot. I'm careful about unchecking boxes that say "please send me deals and special offers" but once you order something from Crate & Barrel for a wedding present, donate $100 to a charity to support someone's run or bike ride, they bombard you forever.


I rarely watch video clips on news sites because I don't want to sit through the commercial (no, not even 10 seconds of the commercial) and I frequently quit after a few frames of "Ten Best..." "Ten Worst..." because I get sick of having to click on new pages and wait for new ads to load.


Most of my news is from BBC and tagesschau. de (German) -another one in French quit updating so I have to find a new one. Mercifully, no commercials.

 

[Walt34]

We are still getting advertising stuff for FIL. He's been dead for over a year.

 

[Tailgate]

How about buying a pricy Cabella's t-shirt or hat and you pay them so that you can wear and advertise their brand... that's real marketing

 

[ls99]

Seems advertising is very much in control.