# Auto-playing video **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 18, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558 "2012-06-18T19:55:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/1 "2012-06-18T19:55:51Z")
Just had a Bing Ad start autoplaying video with sound on the IMHO main page. Please, please make it so these types of ads don’t start automatically. It’s my absolute #1 pet peeve of internet advertising. If music or video with sound starts playing without my consent, I go batty. If it happens on a site enough, I stop visiting that site. I know losing one poster wouldn’t cause the Reader too much grief, but I can’t think I’m the only one here who hates them that much. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/2 "2012-06-18T21:23:36Z")
Yeah, I’ve had a few of those auto-play ads occur on the SDMB over the last couple of days. Very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/3 "2012-06-18T21:41:58Z")
I have reported this to Ed. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/4 "2012-06-19T03:10:12Z")
Not quite the same thing, but I’m getting it now on the regular Straight Dope page. First time I’ve seen that. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/5 "2012-06-19T23:55:24Z")
Another request to please get rid of these. I hate hate hate them. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/6 "2012-06-20T00:05:43Z")
What seems to be happening is that there are videos that starting making noise as soon as the cursor touches them. You don’t have to click on them, just touch them. So as you’re scrolling down on the page with your mouse wheel, the cursor brushes up against them and they start to squawk. That’s bad enough, but what is really despicable is that these ads don’t seem to have a mute or stop button. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/7 "2012-06-20T00:12:48Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > What seems to be happening is that there are videos that starting making noise as soon as the cursor touches them. You don’t have to click on them, just touch them. So as you’re scrolling down on the page with your mouse wheel, the cursor brushes up against them and they start to squawk. This has been discussed before, and I believe the conclusion was that rolling your mouse over ads is considered sufficiently “interactive” as to be acceptable: > [@Question about the ads](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-ads/620451/8): > > Nowhere it is written that all ads will be silent. > > Complaint has been made if the ad plays automatically without being touched. But ads that sound off when triggered or moused over, that’s apparently acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/8 "2012-06-20T18:46:17Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > What seems to be happening is that there are videos that starting making noise as soon as the cursor touches them. You don’t have to click on them, just touch them. So as you’re scrolling down on the page with your mouse wheel, the cursor brushes up against them and they start to squawk. > > That’s bad enough, but what is really despicable is that these ads don’t seem to have a mute or stop button. No, the cursor couldn’t possibly have touched them. The ads are clear at the bottom of the forum index and start playing before I’ve even started to scroll down. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/9 "2012-06-20T19:55:02Z")
It is helpful to identify the ad, the page on which the ad was encountered (forum or homepage, etc), and your geographic location. It is extra helpful to get a screenshot. The board is not supposed to have autoplaying ads. Any ads that self play should be reported so that Ed can get them reported to the adservers. But there seems to be a premise from the adservers that ads that launch when you “interact” are okay. Having your cursor pass over them is interpreted as “interacting”. ☹ I know the SD staff would prefer otherwise as well. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/10 "2012-06-21T02:20:16Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > It is helpful to identify the ad, the page on which the ad was encountered (forum or homepage, etc), and your geographic location. It is extra helpful to get a screenshot. > > The board is not supposed to have autoplaying ads. Any ads that self play should be reported so that Ed can get them reported to the adservers. But there seems to be a premise from the adservers that ads that launch when you “interact” are okay. Having your cursor pass over them is interpreted as “interacting”. ☹ > > I know the SD staff would prefer otherwise as well. From the OP: Bing, IMHO main page. From the OPs public profile: Columbus,OH ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/11 "2012-06-21T07:28:35Z")
This has happened to me twice in the past 24 hours, both times in IMHO. I was scrolling, but nowhere near an ad. I’m using Mozilla Firefox and am in the Memphis area. If it happens again, I’ll make a note of the ad. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/12 "2012-06-21T14:28:23Z")
Happened to me a few times yesterday, but I didn’t note specifics. They were playing before I even went to the offending tab. Kinda makes it difficult to pretend that I’m working. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/13 "2012-06-22T13:25:38Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > This has been discussed before, and I believe the conclusion was that rolling your mouse over ads is considered sufficiently “interactive” as to be acceptable: Yeah not even close to the ad. Started playing as soon as I went on the page. It just happened to me on GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/14 "2012-06-22T16:11:01Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Yeah not even close to the ad. Started playing as soon as I went on the page. It just happened to me on GQ. Were you looking at your monitor when the page loaded? Were your hands near your keyboard or mouse? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/15 "2012-06-22T16:14:27Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Were you looking at your monitor when the page loaded? Were your hands near your keyboard or mouse? 😃 Nicely played. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/16 "2012-06-22T16:17:18Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Were you looking at your monitor when the page loaded? Were your hands near your keyboard or mouse? In my case I opened a number of threads into new tabs and sound started before I viewed the page. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/17 "2012-06-22T16:22:30Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > This has happened to me twice in the past 24 hours, both times in IMHO. I was scrolling, but nowhere near an ad. I’m using Mozilla Firefox and am in the Memphis area. If it happens again, I’ll make a note of the ad. No Adblock? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/18 "2012-06-22T16:49:36Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Were you looking at your monitor when the page loaded? Were your hands near your keyboard or mouse? I usually type on the keyboard with my nose and move the mouse with my penis. I hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/19 "2012-06-23T00:16:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I usually type on the keyboard with my nose and move the mouse with my penis. I hope that helps. And here I thought I was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558/20 "2012-06-23T02:21:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I usually type on the keyboard with my nose and move the mouse with my penis. I hope that helps. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And here I thought I was the only one. You guys are really strange. I do it the other way 'round. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-playing-video/625558.md?page=2)