Changes to Advertising on the site

Deub · 21-05-2023 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624833#Comment_120624833

I follow a sub forum. It was created because there was a demand for it when Boards was popular. Now? 10 posts in the last 40 days in that forum.

Hopefully a competitor will come in and fill the gap Boards left.

Arghus · 21-05-2023 7:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624833#Comment_120624833

I agree with you. I'd also miss boards quite a bit and for all its faults over the last few years of changes it's still a good place to discuss things, but it's hard to escape the feeling of the site dwindling away in front of our eyes.

The imminent death of the place has been predicted for many years, but prior to the change of two years ago it still seemed pretty healthy and lively to me. Okay, not quite at the level of activity of previous times - but there was still plenty of people posting here. But even before this ads fiasco the picture hasn't been great. Threads with no new post for two or three days still being on the first page of AH for example. There's no new blood coming in and less and less from those that remain. It feels grim.

I know boards is a commercial entity and we're users of a free service, so what are the users "owed" as such - probably fck all to be brutally honest. But still it'd be nice to know what's the actual plan here.

Dav010 · 21-05-2023 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624895#Comment_120624895

I’ve noticed the same on forums I follow, a lot of the contributors that kept them going have little or no activity since the migration. The standard of modding has dropped off a cliff as well, a lot of the older mods seem to have gone, which is a pity. Overall the site is a shadow of what it was a decade ago, maybe TikTok has just shallowed up competition.

HBC08 · 21-05-2023 11:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619433#Comment_120619433

That sounds like Gangsta's Paradise but the point is well made.

Ghost Train · 22-05-2023 7:08am

On android, I do find the new ads block the link to see "all notifications" link a few seconds after the page loads.

When trying to type a comment, the ads scroll the page away from the comment box every 30 seconds when they reload. Really bad

And it's annoying not to see an ad description, a bit like clickbait, but turning the phone sideways, this does show up, although site not usable in landscape

the beer revolu · 22-05-2023 9:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120624174#Comment_120624174

By all means complain.

What I meant was, why just complain, when there's an easy fix?

Complain, point out the problem, then take a simple action that removes these problems.

JayRoc · 22-05-2023 9:39am

The sad thing is that this is the busiest thread on boards as far as I can see.

Deub · 22-05-2023 8:40pm

Happy to see that we’ve been heard and Boards agrees that browsing the site became a painful experience.

Nothing was changed and no communication.

Archeron · 22-05-2023 9:16pm

Spotted the little Google ads play icon on the giant ear ad, and clicked in the hope of starting to block ads. It took me to www.,, youronlinechoices.com. Deliberately not a link.

Checked the site on trustpilot and theyve only appeared there since march this year. Only two written reviews both of which are one star negative. Interesting comments in them. I do not recommend to visit their website.

Flaneur OBrien · 22-05-2023 11:03pm

Installed Brave. Will go back to chrome once these ads are sorted.

deezell · 23-05-2023 6:48am

I'm a regular contributor. Just trying to write this comment has me frustrated as the ads keep scrolling my window off screen. I have lost several detailed replies to technical threads as the constant tapping and scrolling often leads to a reload which deletes my entire reply. This is actually torture writing this.

corks finest · 23-05-2023 7:44am

100 pc correct,I do similar on 2 other forums

I'll leave board's reluctantly if these pervasive adds continue to pop up

I'd have no prob giving a monthly fee bob via Patreon

But this crap ATM will drive ppl away

deezell · 23-05-2023 8:22am

I've just opened the thread in my Samsung phones own browser. I have this linked for opening certain newspapers online as chrome can be a nightmare on them. So far so good, no ads or scrolling as I write this. I'll try leaving and returning to see if my reply is retained, as this has become a big issue lately, compositions vanish as you nip over to grab an image or research a fact, they used to cache in the window but now I have to constantly 'select all' and copy, as usually when I return the boards window reloads and loses my composition, its just happened there now as I popped back to chrome to screen grab an example below of replying frustration. I'm a club fingered typist, so excuse the slow pace.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C-MCf2HpwLB6NeLbiCGCj-P9MXD_OsZb/view?usp=drivesdk

odyssey06 · 23-05-2023 8:43am

You should be able to swipe \ scroll the ad up to see it, and swipe it down to dismiss it and it should stay dismissed.

Instead, the X is hard to click, and even if you X it, as noted when the screen redraws it is back interrupting drafting a post.

At the moment the ads are pointless, you just see the image with no idea what it is for. It serves no purpose other than to disrupt the user experience.

I'm sure I've clicked into the ads many times but before it loads I shut down it down.

Mister Gooey · 23-05-2023 9:03am

A full page of adverts. This is ridiculous. This is making Boards.ie almost unusable.

deezell · 23-05-2023 9:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630093#Comment_120630093

I tried to look ..... at your screenshot but ...... I couldn't tell which ...... was yours and which were popups ...... as I viewed it. ....... the dots represent the interruptions..... to my typing due to ads.....scrolling the window.

deezell · 23-05-2023 9:17am

That was easy. I set Samsung browser as the default for links, so when I click on a Gmail boards notification, it ignores Chrome. Here I am with no ads or shifting sands.

Riesen_Meal · 23-05-2023 9:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120629846#Comment_120629846

Just came here to ask what is going on with the site the past 2 days specifically and seems I'm not the only one

Chrome on android on pixel and the advert covers half of the screen, keeps opening up more adverts when I don't x out of it properly

I'm not very technical so not sure if that is the correct terminology but this is making the browsing experience very poor...

...Ghost... · 23-05-2023 10:26am

Seriously, this is just terrible. For months, every time I click to a new page, or refresh the page, I get the cookies message which is hard to decline because I don’t have needle fingers.

Now we are expected to deal with intrusive ads that cover half the page and won’t go away.

Boards is losing revenue because the site has gone to crap over the years. The 3 major reasons are:

Heavy handed, biased modding.
The switch over to the new platform and all the issues it still causes (search).
No interest from management or mods in improving the site experience.

This is the last message I will be submitting from my phone on boards. I have lost several composed replies in 2 days because of the stupid advertising method. I’ve been losing interest in the site anyway. Too much of the same crap from the same people. Too much restrictions in general. Boards is dying a slow death.

corks finest · 23-05-2023 10:32am

I've a pixel and exactly the same problem

corks finest · 23-05-2023 10:32am

Agreed

TheRona · 23-05-2023 12:44pm

Reminder for anyone who has missed it:

On Android, download Brave browser

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brave.browser

Log in to boards, then go to whatever page you want to launch to (favourites/bookmarks probably). Open menu at the bottom right and choose to add to home screen.

You'll get an icon that launches directly to ad-free boards on your home screen.

There's other things you can also do, such as activate dark mode.

Boards.ie: Mike · 23-05-2023 2:04pm

Hi all,

We are in talks with Snigel with regards to the ad package. It will be fixed asap. Again, I can understand everyone's frustration but please bear with us. We are working on this to make it a more user friendly experience for the mobile users that are being affected. If everybody jumps on the ad blocker bandwagon then it will be a sorry state for the future plans of Boards.ie. This is one of the key sources of revenue.

I've said previously that I will update here when I have updates to give. You are not being ignored. All of these posted are being read and noted to inform us on the thoughts and feelings of the community. So thank you for your contributions.

Mike.

Community Manger

mk7r · 23-05-2023 2:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631365#Comment_120631365

I think it might be time to close the doors tbh

deezell · 23-05-2023 2:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631365#Comment_120631365

Check my screen grab video of trying to compose a short paragraph about 11 posts ago, maybe then you'll get the frustration.

Boards.ie: Mike · 23-05-2023 2:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631425#Comment_120631425

As I said I have read all of the posts in this thread. I'm following this very closely.

TheRona · 23-05-2023 2:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631365#Comment_120631365

Sure, I always tell my boss I'll do something asap. He knows this means whenever I get around to it, I'll let him know. Probably in a week, but highly unlikely.

In all seriousness, the issue is something that undoubtedly can be fixed extremely quickly. People are only resorting to ad blockers because it's taking so long to rectify. Surely you can just roll back to before these crazy ads started getting displayed?

Flaneur OBrien · 23-05-2023 2:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631365#Comment_120631365

Honestly Mike, it's a terrible issue, but someone from the office should be here daily, if even just to just say, "we're working on it, thanks for your patience but at this time we don't have an update for you".

I moved over to Brave because of it, but will switch back to Chrome when it's resolved.

In the meantime, boards was most well known as a community, is there a thread open on how to keep the lights on, asking for ideas from the community?

Boards.ie: Mike · 23-05-2023 2:36pm

I can post here daily if that helps.

I'm not aware of a recent thread about that, please forgive my ignorance if it has passed me by. I didn't spot anything recently in feedback.

HBC08 · 23-05-2023 4:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631365#Comment_120631365

Again Mike thanks for at least an update but none of this is good enough,you know it,we know it and Snigel.....well I don't really know what their deal is but they're either very incompetent or taking boards.ie for a ride.

I downloaded an ad blocker shortly after the downgrade to Vanilla. First time I even looked into what an adblocker was.The site is unusable without it.

When you say the issues with Snigel will be fixed ASAP what does this mean? Did you not say something similar a week ago? What does one of your conversations with Snigel look like?

You tell them they've destroyed the site and they tell you they'll fix it and weeks go by?

I don't know you personally Mike but you are being sent out as a sacrificial lamb,it's pure cowardice and horrendous leadership/management from @odhrain.

Changes to Advertising on the site

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