Changes to Advertising on the site

Dial Hard · 19-05-2023 8:06pm

It's not just the size and placement of the ads, it's the spammy, scammy content of them. Seriously, @Boards.ie: Mike, do you genuinely think this is good enough from Snigel? They're making you look like a bunch of half-baked fraudsters. And I don't want to hear about opting in to customisation again. Their product should be fit for purpose and it's clearly, *ridiculously* obviously not.

tom1ie · 19-05-2023 9:54pm

The mobile experience of boards is completely broke at this stage.

It’s extremely frustrating to use and seen as I don’t really use boards on a desktop I think my time remaining here is coming to an end.

Adds that take up more than half the screen and cover the text you are composing! Wtf!!

relax carry on · 19-05-2023 10:47pm

Fire whatever clown was in charge of the annoying pop up add taking up half the page that despite hitting the x, either opens the bloody add or only gets rid of half of it. The site is almost unusable now. Keep clicking on bloody adds!!! It's like clicking through never ending spam links on torrent sites back in the day.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 19-05-2023 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120607114#Comment_120607114

That was two days ago. You still haven't done **** about the ads. Site is a disaster. Do you ever think of the users?

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 19-05-2023 10:58pm

Screenshot_2023-05-19-22-57-09-03_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

My screen is 80% ads and you STILL haven't fixed the issue of ads reducing volume on speakers/headphones while listening to music in the background.

How did you get it so wrong?

Jeff2 · 19-05-2023 11:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120614981#Comment_120614981

As I'v posted yesterday. This Web browser with no adds.

Pelvis Parsley · 20-05-2023 12:29am

Odhran is a master of his brief.

StupidLikeAFox · 20-05-2023 12:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618826#Comment_120618826

Don't worry, this is "boards.ie 1.0" - cannot wait for version 2.0 (or even 1.1 maybe)

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 20-05-2023 1:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618851#Comment_120618851

I'd settle for old boards.

20-05-2023 1:18am

If you look at Snigel's case studies of other sites, the full screen ads are there too. It's just what they do.

Unearthly · 20-05-2023 6:37am

The big ads disappeared for me for a few days but now back with revenge taking over nearly half the screen

tom1ie · 20-05-2023 8:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617601#Comment_120617601

Is there an iOS option?

ted1 · 20-05-2023 8:17am

The new ads are ridiculous and make the site unusable. The page is 90% ads

if they don’t change , the place is going to be a ghost town

Flaneur OBrien · 20-05-2023 8:22am

I imagine this must be pretty stressful for the admin, but the lack of updates is very "un-boards" like.

Is there a community manager anymore?

Exclamation Marc · 20-05-2023 8:44am

Screenshot_2023-05-20-08-00-57-97_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg

I mean what use is the ad at the bottom when the formatting is that botched.

How is this still happening??

thesandeman · 20-05-2023 10:05am

Absolute joke.

We don't even know what's being advertised on most of the bottom ones.

Screenshot_2023-05-20-10-01-39-524_com.android.chrome.jpg

Stephen_Maturin · 20-05-2023 10:16am

These bloody bottom pop up ads, Jesus Christ lads what the hell are ye thinking??

Are ye actively trying to drive people away and make the site as unusable as possible? Been doing a fantastic job the last couple of years if so!

the beer revolu · 20-05-2023 10:56am

I just downloaded Brave.

Problem solved.

Now if they could sort out moderation, or else remove it.

JDxtra · 20-05-2023 11:02am

This is a bloody joke now at this stage. They are killing off the remaining traffic.

I am not downloading any other mobile browser to make the site usable. I would not do that for any web site - I'll simply use the site less or not use it at all.

Coming up to my 22 year anniversary of using the site. Will I make it to 23? Looking doubtful.

Esel · 20-05-2023 11:54am

If it wasn't so serious, it would be laughable.

Snigel is like a millstone around Boards's neck at this stage.

electricus · 20-05-2023 11:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619048#Comment_120619048

Adblock Plus works for me using Safari

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/adblock-plus-for-safari-abp/id1028871868

dulpit · 20-05-2023 11:56am

Currently the only way I can use boards on mobile is connected to my home network where I have pihole set up for ad blocking, or use wire guard to connect to that when out and about. Without those workarounds, not a chance I'll use the site.

I remember the days of boards leaning into their community and being very open with updates. What's going on now?

cletus · 20-05-2023 12:46pm

I suppose to add to the general consensus here, I have been a member of boards since 2004. I have never left negative feedback before. I had no complaints when 'new' boards.ie was launched.

However, the new advertising system whereby I can choose to have half my screen covered with an ad, or ⅓ of my screen covered with an ad, is fast becoming unworkable.

Far from creating new revenue streams for the site, this new system may be the reason I stop using it altogether.

John arse · 20-05-2023 1:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619559#Comment_120619559

YEAH,they should be making plans for snigel!🥴

Ragwort and Stones · 20-05-2023 1:57pm

Since yesterday these half phone screen ads, that cause the screen to jump, as you type are unbelievably annoying. I'm constantly closing them to quarter phone screen.

The site is going to lose a lot of posters. Last week it was the constant intrusion of a Ukrainian Unicef ad.

Packrat · 20-05-2023 4:48pm

I imagine they're scrambling to fix this but aren't having much luck with contacting anyone with decision making power in this Snigel crowd.

What a horrible place to be.

They need to do something quickly though, because traffic will drop below critical levels within days if this continues.

I've downloaded an adblocker suggested here and it's all fine for me now but that's a temporary fix as I'm sure there'll be unintended side effects of that which will make me later stop using it. Also I'm worried about device/banking security whilst using it.