Getting very difficult to use this place!

[timhoward]

My observations:
The "Home" link says recent threads but doesn't seem to be recent threads.
On a phone this used to be an easy way to get back to the list of forums, now it involves two taps to menu, and Electrical Forums and a tap to close an add.

It's also sadly the worst it's ever been for ads - it's nearly impossible to find the forum for the ads now!
The first 5 screen as you scroll down are ads. Please see below.
Is there not a danger that this becomes an unattractive environment for forum sponsors as the chances of noticing their material in the sea of ads is tiny?
Is it worth the perpetual fight to have adds in the forum list / thread list - can they not just be consigned to the side panels?


First Screen:

SECOND SCREEN

THIRD SCREEN

FOURTH SCREEN

 

[timhoward]

Haven't changed anything back mate it’s because you've got the subscribed tag. Well worth getting for anybody who browses the place daily.

Strange. I used to have to scroll past endless overseas forums. Did that change or am I going mad….??

 

[Dan]

Strange. I used to have to scroll past endless overseas forums. Did that change or am I going mad….??

They're now under "by country" forum as sub-forums. But the main old electrical forum is now uk electrical forum. Will take a while for us to be fully accepted in Google eyes as global like.

If you're on forum homepage, checkout the menu. Under navigation are most forums, but then there's a pros only menu that has your forums you'll use in them.

 

[Dan]

 

[nicebutdim]

From my perspective nothing has changed and I still don't use the forum on any mobile device for reasons previously explained. Ads have never been a problem for me, but I did re-subscribe on the basis of efforts made by Dan & Lou to improve the site. Overall it's probably a win/win situation - I have access to the forum, but also no incentive to use my mobile unnecessarily

 

[Dan]

From my perspective nothing has changed and I still don't use the forum on any mobile device for reasons previously explained. Ads have never been a problem for me, but I did re-subscribe on the basis of efforts made by Dan & Lou to improve the site. Overall it's probably a win/win situation - I have access to the forum, but also no incentive to use my mobile unnecessarily

Clear browser cache (temp files) on your mobile mate. It won't have ads once you've logged back in. If at all you want to of course lol

 

[Mikegh]

I was blocked but now I'm back

 

[nicebutdim]

Clear browser cache (temp files) on your mobile mate. It won't have ads once you've logged back in. If at all you want to of course lol

Like I've stated, ads have never been an issue - it's the complex set up of default tracking permissions. My laptop browser settings mean I never have to consider these, but I find browsing the internet more difficult on a mobile and choose not to engage with sites that use such complex systems.

It's an issue which will ultimately be settled in courts, although hopefully not with consequences for owners of individual websites. Collection and storage of such data is subject to some very robust legislation and systems which rely on (what they consider to be) 'fair usage' policies appear to fly in the face of clearly stated requirements for 'active consent of users'. Fair usage clauses do exist within this legislation, but the increasingly widespread, and very broad, use of such policies will result in further legislation and I don't think it's going to favour those wishing to collect information. This is one of few areas where I found myself broadly agreeing with the intoduction of EU legislation.

Edit: The offer of no advertising for subscribing members, beyond that from forum sponsors, seems quite a reasonable exchange. In essence subscribing members are helping meet the running costs of the forum, which otherwise need to be serviced by advertising revenue. I generally don't mind viewing adverts, but on every occasion I choose not to consent to (what I consider to be) unnecessary tracking. My lapsed subscription had been due to the level of tracking which takes place on this site and I've been forthright on the subject. If an subscription offer existed to pay more money in exchange for not being subjected to tracking by advertisers, I would have considered availing of it long ago, but unfortunately I know from prior experience that subscribers are still subject to (what in my opinion is) excessive tracking by advertisers and on that basis I chose for some time to not make financial contributions. My subscription was renewed on the basis of recent efforts on your part, but my obection to tracking by advertisers still stands and will likely be a deciding factor on whether or not to allow annual renewal of that subscription.

Sorry if this sounds as though I've climbed on my high horse as that most certainly isn't the case. What I am doing is making clear my objections to certain aspects of forum advertising which are slightly different to those expressed by most in dedicated threads such as this. How the site is run is none of my business, but how I interact with it is very much so.

 

[nicebutdim]

I was blocked but now I'm back

The forum required me to log in a few days back, but it proved almost impossible to do so. The page was constantly taken over by a banner asking me to disable adblocker in order to use the site, but it's not possible to disable something which isn't enabled. I haven't used adblocker on this forum for a long time as other measures were adequately dealing with the issue of intrusive advertising.

 

[Dan]

That's useful feedback mate, I'd rather see that than bs.

The tracking is Google Adsense, it's changed due to laws being strict in most countries now, and them having so many URLs they basically track. User information is so short lived these days.

I really wouldn't worry about passing on info to the tech companies. They already have it after all. On all your devices.

The companies being shown have mostly been manually approved by me personally, or will be checked next login. And are mostly legit.

I'd worry more about Amazons tracking, Alexa etc.

Websites are oldschool. Nobody can get shown in Google search results AND be a dodgy website. You'd be de-ranked in a minute.

 

[nicebutdim]

That's useful feedback mate, I'd rather see that than bs.

The tracking is Google Adsense, it's changed due to laws being strict in most countries now, and them having so many URLs they basically track. User information is so short lived these days.

I really wouldn't worry about passing on info to the tech companies. They already have it after all. On all your devices.

The companies being shown have mostly been manually approved by me personally, or will be checked next login. And are mostly legit.

I'd worry more about Amazons tracking, Alexa etc.

Websites are oldschool. Nobody can get shown in Google search results AND be a dodgy website. You'd be de-ranked in a minute.

I don't worry too much about either

 

[littlespark]

I kinda miss the intrusive, repetitive ads that spring up between messages on threads….. the wholly inappropriate images that appear as a pop up from a certain Chinese online shopping site and adverts advertising electricians in my area when I myself am an electrician already in my area!


Can you tell it’s a Sunday and I’m in a silly mood

 

[7029 dave]

I kinda miss the intrusive, repetitive ads that spring up between messages on threads….. the wholly inappropriate images that appear as a pop up from a certain Chinese online shopping site and adverts advertising electricians in my area when I myself am an electrician already in my area!


Can you tell it’s a Sunday and I’m in a silly mood

Dont worry Im getting you share of ads, (unsubscribed) people have to pay me for my expertise which aint very much lol.