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Re-introduction of Banner Ads

Dav · 2012-09-19 16:23:23

Hello all, As of tomorrow (20/09), we're going to be enabling 2 more ad slots on our thread view page for logged in members. This is how the page currently works for logged out members with ad slots after posts number 1 and 9 on a thread (and is similar to how touch.boards.ie works). This is, unfortunately, one of those…

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#92 21-09-2012 11:00pm
LoLth

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Des wrote: »

lockdown = locked the fúck down

how do you suggest I get FFP onto the laptop? USB? locked down. download it? site locked out. email it to myself? no attachments allowed.

NetSec, if the staff are miserable then they're doing something right

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#93 21-09-2012 11:08pm
El Weirdo

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Des wrote: »

lockdown = locked the fúck down

how do you suggest I get FFP onto the laptop? USB? locked down. download it? site locked out. email it to myself? no attachments allowed.

Put it on a USB stick on another computer. Then place the stick and the work laptop into a basin of water and let osmosis do its work.

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#94 22-09-2012 1:03am
Orion

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Des wrote: »

Orion wrote: »

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable

lockdown = locked the fúck down

how do you suggest I get FFP onto the laptop? USB? locked down. download it? site locked out. email it to myself? no attachments allowed.

Sideload it to your own domain if you have one and pull it from there. Where there's a restriction there's a workaround

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#95 22-09-2012 6:28am
_blank_

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Nope, it's alright, I want to keep my job, thanks anyway.

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#96 22-09-2012 3:53pm
Gary ITR

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Des wrote: »

Nope, it's alright, I want to keep my job, thanks anyway.

I couldn't care less about the goings on with ads etc, most of my browsing is done on mobile now, I just wanted to say that never has an avatar been more apt ya grumpy git Des :D

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#97 23-09-2012 12:29am
Orion

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Regarding the touch site recently on my android phone it's been an irritation that when going to a thread from a notification email it loads the page, then stops for about 30 seconds or more - I can browse maybe the first 5 posts on a thread for those 30 seconds. Eventually it loads the rest and I can read the rest of the thread. After reading this thread I realised that it was probably about the same time that the massive ad started at the bottom of the page. To test this theory I installed adfree android - now the page loads instantly - no waiting for components to load. Can this be looked into? I have a Galaxy S running a Gingerbread custom rom and I've tested this on Dolphin, Opera and the stock browser. I do most of my boardieing on the laptop or work pc with no adblocking software installed and it's fine - this is purely on the touch site.

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#98 23-09-2012 1:21am
Tombi!

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Orion, could it be the video?
I noticed a few times that the bottom add (by the quick reply box) was a video a few times so I had to use adblock again to stop it.

A video would probably take a while to load on a mobile, no?

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#99 23-09-2012 11:12am
Orion

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Over 3g yes but over wifi it shouldn't matter.

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#100 24-09-2012 11:38pm
norrie rugger

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The ads are causing Chrome, for Android, to hang when loading the page. I am using desktop view and pages now only load as far as the first ad and take a few refreshes to get the full page.
Only happening on boards and only since ad introduction

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#101 26-09-2012 12:38am
Cookie_Monster

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just use the old skin, no ads in threads there

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#102 26-09-2012 12:39am
Boards.ie: Danny

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Cookie_Monster wrote: »

just use the old skin, no ads in threads there

You don't honestly think that'll last, do you?

We'll get to it, and if there's a significant rise in old skin users it'll be sooner rather than later

Danny

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#103 26-09-2012 12:44am
Cookie_Monster

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Boards.ie: Danny wrote: »

You don't honestly think that'll last, do you?

We'll get to it, and if there's a significant rise in old skin users it'll be sooner rather than later

Danny

no but for now it's still better

Edit: some programme or other on my PC in work appears to block them all anyway, nice....

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#104 26-09-2012 11:49am
Rev Hellfire

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Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Edit: some programme or other on my PC in work appears to block them all anyway, nice....

I'm curious would it be possible to detect such programs and say prevent people from posting when using them ?

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#105 26-09-2012 11:51am
efb

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why do people get arsey about ads- but I'm on boards where people expect so much for free!!!

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#106 26-09-2012 11:56am
Boards.ie: Danny

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Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I'm curious would it be possible to detect such programs and say prevent people from posting when using them ?

It is possible all right; Feature degradation is a nice idea.

Danny

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#107 26-09-2012 11:57am
28064212

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Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I'm curious would it be possible to detect such programs and say prevent people from posting when using them ?

Technically possible, but I very much doubt it would ever be implemented

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Chrome/Edge/Opera: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/boardsie-enhancement-suit/bbgnmnfagihoohjkofdnofcfmkpdmmce

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#108 26-09-2012 12:49pm
norrie rugger

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Rev Hellfire wrote: »

I'm curious would it be possible to detect such programs and say prevent people from posting when using them ?

That's a great idea. Prevent people having access at work and expect them to log in, at home then?

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#109 26-09-2012 1:08pm
seamus

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Actually there is a method of "punishment" which I think I've mentioned before.

You create an horrific-looking image (tartan electric pink or something) with the text, "This space would look better if you didn't block our ads" in it, that's exactly the same size as the ads themselves.

You embed it in the page for all users and have the ads overlaid on these images. So if you leave the ad alone, you're fine, if you block the ad, the horrible image appears.

The image lives in http://b-static.net/vbulletin/images so that it's impossible to use a wildcard to block it, and you script it so that the name of the image is randomised every 30 minutes or so, making it very frustrating for anyone who tries to just block the image.

You could randomise the name of the image every time the page loads, but that would probably be quite a performance hit.

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#110 26-09-2012 1:12pm
GLaDOS

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Cookie_Monster wrote: »

just use the old skin, no ads in threads there

You had to say it to them didn't you

Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test

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#111 26-09-2012 1:42pm
Boards.ie: Danny

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ScienceNerd wrote: »

You had to say it to them didn't you

It was already noted and on the cards.

Danny

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#112 26-09-2012 2:02pm
Where To

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seamus wrote: »

Actually there is a method of "punishment" which I think I've mentioned before.

You create an horrific-looking image (tartan electric pink or something) with the text, "This space would look better if you didn't block our ads" in it, that's exactly the same size as the ads themselves.

You embed it in the page for all users and have the ads overlaid on these images. So if you leave the ad alone, you're fine, if you block the ad, the horrible image appears.

The image lives in http://b-static.net/vbulletin/images so that it's impossible to use a wildcard to block it, and you script it so that the name of the image is randomised every 30 minutes or so, making it very frustrating for anyone who tries to just block the image.

You could randomise the name of the image every time the page loads, but that would probably be quite a performance hit.

I used to like you

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#113 26-09-2012 2:06pm
Boards.ie: Danny

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Where To wrote: »

I used to like you

You subscribe, you've nothing to worry about

Danny

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#114 26-09-2012 2:13pm
Rev Hellfire

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seamus wrote: »

Actually there is a method of "punishment" which I think I've mentioned before.

You create an horrific-looking image (tartan electric pink or something) with the text, "This space would look better if you didn't block our ads" in it, that's exactly the same size as the ads themselves.

You embed it in the page for all users and have the ads overlaid on these images. So if you leave the ad alone, you're fine, if you block the ad, the horrible image appears.

The image lives in http://b-static.net/vbulletin/images so that it's impossible to use a wildcard to block it, and you script it so that the name of the image is randomised every 30 minutes or so, making it very frustrating for anyone who tries to just block the image.

You could randomise the name of the image every time the page loads, but that would probably be quite a performance hit.

Nice idea, but the use of white-lists would put paid to that.

Much better to detect and remove content/privileges. Ad-blockers are great at removing content, not so good at adding it.

I guess removing posting rights, images, videos and access to all non-public forums would allow ppl to use the site but provide an incentive to display the adverts/subscribe.

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#115 26-09-2012 2:17pm
4zn76tysfajdxp

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Adblock is one thing but will anyone lose their jobs if I install block? Its overuse is getting on my tits a bit.

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#116 26-09-2012 2:19pm
seamus

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Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Nice idea, but the use of white-lists would put paid to that.

There's not really any foolproof method, but how many people really use detailed white lists?

How many people would go to the trouble of adding every individual image on boards.ie to their whitelist?

I imagine the vast majority of people using adblockers are using blacklists because they're so much easier to manage.

Really my point is that any anti-ad-blocking strategy should be reasonably appropriate (I'm not sure if crippling the site for adblockers is an appropriate response, a bit overkill) and also cost-effective - no point in spending a lot of developer time and/or bandwidth just to try and eek a little more ad revenue out.

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#117 26-09-2012 2:21pm
Boards.ie: Danny

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Elliana Cool Ladder wrote: »

Adblock is one thing but will anyone lose their jobs if I install block? Its overuse is getting on my tits a bit.

No.

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#118 26-09-2012 2:23pm
Ken.

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What needs to be done is Danny saves up for a week or 2(he is on €100,000+ a week like a prem footballer afterall) and buy adblocker. Then he can make it so it doesn't work with boards.

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#119 26-09-2012 2:26pm
Boards.ie: Danny

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ken wrote: »

What needs to be done is Danny saves up for a week or 2(he is on €100,000+ a week like a prem footballer afterall) and buy adblocker. Then he can make it so it doesn't work with boards.

Pfft, with all these new ads it's easily more :pac:

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#120 26-09-2012 2:32pm
Where To

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Boards.ie: Danny wrote: »

Where To wrote: »

I used to like you

You subscribe, you've nothing to worry about

Danny

Yeah but just thinking of the implications of being sitebanned. Nothing like being prepared.

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#121 26-09-2012 2:33pm
Rev Hellfire

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seamus wrote: »

There's not really any foolproof method, but how many people really use detailed white lists?

My second idea was to hire hitmen using all the additional revenue

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