Am I going mad, or are there audio ads on the Straight Dope messageboards?
Often if I’ve had the internet open for a while, I will hear an ad for some video, and it’s usually for a British product. I can’t see anything on any of my open pages, inc. the Straight Dope, but closing the SDMB stops it. This doesn’t happen when I reopen the SDMB, only after it’s been open for a couple of hours.
I have all the usual adblockers installed.
There have been complaints in the past about audio ads … iirc they have been for British products and British users are targeted.
We have requested no audio ads but they do sometimes creep in. Can you tell us what the ad is about – or get a screen shot? That might help us identify it to the ad guys who can possibly take it up with the brokers.
After post 401 in this thread the video suddenly changes to an audio ad, but not immediately. Which is odd in itself.
These have started up again in the last couple of months.
I’m so sorry.
Please give us as much information as you can – including WHO the product is for and how the ad runs – does it start playing when you mouse over it, or when you touch it, or simply when the page renders?
With more information we can try to get it stopped, but we need your help here.
Clicking on the IMHO front page also now gives me an audio ad for Vanish Oxy whites or Scholl hard skin removal.
Okay. Now, how are these ads triggered?
Do they start playing only when you mouse over the ad? Or do you have to click on it? Or does the ad start playing automatically the moment the page is rendered?
If it’s an ad that has to be touched or clicked for the sound to start, that’s permissible; it requires action from the user – even if it’s only a tiny bit of user interaction like mousing over it.
If it’s an ad that automatically starts playing and the user has zero control over it, that’s another animal altogether.
Please help us figure this out.