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I HATE those kinds of things too. I don't like anything that starts automatically.

I have not experienced the advert you refer to, but I am sure it would be something that would STOP me from shopping at Wal*Mart. But not without telling Wally*Whorled the reason why!

I have found one way to kill some animations which also disturb me. In the "Internet Options" (Under "Tools" or via Control Panel) there is a checkbox on the "Advanced" tab that will disable SOME animations. Under the "Multimedia" section is a checkbox labeled, "Play animations in webpages"; UNcheck that box to not allow some animations to occur. Unfortunately, it does not kill ALL animations and such, but on another forum a user has a particularly annoying animation that takes half a page and this stops it cold! I think it stops animated GIF's.

I wonder if the next entry in that list ("Play sounds in webpages") will stop the playing of sounds like what you experrienced. I just UNchecked that box too.

 

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I have refreshed the page and opened MANY pages this evening on MLS and I have only seen ads in the upper right corner (sharing the line that has the banner for MLS with the Shay and trees) for Cedarleaf decals, and Aluminum track and RCS.

If I hover the mouse arrow over the advert and look at the status bar at the bottom of the browser window (IE-8) I see that ads are from:

http : // ads . modelrailroadsonline . com / www / delivery / .... and a bunch of ID values and other items that probably specify the advert itself so that if I click on the advert the browser uses that as the link to open and the site named "modelrailroadsonline" then knows where to redirect my browser to see more info about the advertised information. This data is then used to indicate (and credit) which web site generated the query about the advertisment.

I wonder what value shows when you get the audible advertisement??? Anybody know?

 

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Maybe the problem here could have been handled a bit differently, such as a simple, single, note to Shad, complaining about the adverts. But there is the fear that a single voice will not be heard (no reflection on Shad or this site is intended, it is just a common fear) so the complaint was voiced publicly. It was heavily reinforced by others (myself included).

Some folk need to realize that this is "my" computer, just like it is "my" home here. (Substitute yourself for the use of the word "MY" in this.) If someone were to come to "my" house, even if they were invited to do so, but came in and began to do things that I dislike, such as being excessively noisy, I would probably ask (demand) the person to leave and they would not be invited back.

We all here need to understand that what we post here is at the invitation of Shad and as such we must conform to his rules of engagement. Advertisers, in return, must realize that they are in "MY" computer at my invitation and must therefore conform to MY rules of engagement. Being obnoxious is one of the things that are against the rules, in both Shad's "house" and "MINE"! These adverts were quite OBNOXIOUS!

Unfortunately, unlike if I were to invite you to my house wherein I would probably do so only AFTER I have some idea of what kind of person you are and how you might act and that I would be comfortable with how you would understand and conform to my rules, the advertiser comes in along with my invitation to Shad to let "you" in via your postings. When said advertiser comes in along side of "you" and breaks "my" rules of engagement, I am justified in forceably evicting them and then barring the door.

Advertisers just do not seem to understand that. It appears to me, given the state of television advertising for cars, that whoever is in charge of automotive advertising on TV believe that the louder and rowdier the advertisement for cars the more apt I am to want to purchase their product. But, I find it an insult and I do not purchase new cars and deliberately avoid brands of (used) cars wherein the advertising for that brand was particularly offensive to me. Same holds true for many other products. I refuse to eat at a Hardee's fast food joint because of their offensive, to me, advertising. And there are many other retail and brands that get a similar treatment. But I also let the advertiser (retail merchant or brand producer) know that I am refusing their product offerings based on their advertising. I claim to have had some success in getting advertising to change! (I have also had many failures in my attempts, including letters stating that they don't need my business and see nothing wrong with their advertising!)

In this case, maybe (and I emphasize the Maybe) the "Squeaky wheel gets the grease" has occurred. The problem has been taken care of (THANK YOU, Shad.).

But I also think that a word to the advertiser, both from us that expressed displeasure with the advert and Shad (as the one who caught the brunt of the complaints), is in order. Contact the advertiser, the one footing the bill for it, and tell them in kind but not uncertain words how you feel about it.

One more thing... besides the unexpected and totally unwanted audio, just how many people can be the 1,000,000 visitor? That is DECEPTIVE advertising! Did anybody REALLY "win" a $1,000 dollar Wal*Mart "Gift Card"? That is also DECEPTIVE advertising!

I will also be voicing a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission about such deceptive advertising.

 

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Posted By blueregal on 09 Dec 2010 09:45 AM
Ok boyz, the problem is reportedly fixed, so lets all take a deep breath, calm down, and go back to business as usual!! I agree with one of the comments that the thread should be stopped, locked, or whatever, as nothing positive is happening now, and the insults whether or not are justified do not promote trains and what this site is about,several people also told you what to do and you would never see ads again!, so like my mother used to say loudly "STOP IT" go to your rooms!!! When you can behave properly you can come out! Hah LOL Regal

OH! Gee wizz, I'll never get to come out of my room!

 

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I dissagree. Let people speak (er, I mean, type).

 

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Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 09 Dec 2010 12:38 PM
Posted By Semper Vaporo on 09 Dec 2010 12:26 PM
I dissagree. Let people speak (er, I mean, type).

OMG We agreed twice in one thread,

The world as we know it is going to come to a end.




"Agreed", hmmm... not necessarily.

'World... come to a end'... Yes, yes it is.



I don't begrudge an advertiser getting the word out about their product or service... how else would I learn of it to have my life improved by it? But, I object to nuisance and obnoxious disturbance of my life.

It is said that "only half of all advertising works, but there is no way to know which half."

Getting people's attention is only part the battle... the major part is to not alienate them in the process.

Shouting may get my attention, but continuing to shout after you have my attention is an insult.

Putting information in front of my face is one thing, but obscuring my view is unacceptable (Kalmbach's "floating ads" on the Trains website are a prime example!)

I think it is a delicate ballance and I wish "Madison Ave." would find that ballance, sooner rather than later. Note that the government is getting more and more involved in it: in re: recent rulings about TV advertisment sound volumes needing to be closer to the volume of the television show it is sponsoring, and recent requests for internet advertising to be more honest and for browsers to have more ability to limit the intrusions that they presently do. Maybe that will scare the advertisers into more self policing? (HA! Sometimes I live in a fantasy world!)