Thursday 10 April 2014

Adverts on blogs

Is it only me who has noticed more 'personalised' advertisements coming up on blogs we visit lately? This has bugged me for a few weeks now. I think, but am not sure, that Wordpress have taken the decision to add adverts to help to cover costs unless you (as the blog owner) opt out. That isn't quite so bad but it still makes me a bit cross about Wordpress practices.

BUT, a few Bloggers that I already follow have, apparently on the back of frequent hit rates, deliberately signed up to AdSense etc. and that I really DO object to. I don't want to see a repeat of what piece of plumbing equipment (no kidding) I might have looked at online suddenly pop up in my face at the end of a blogger post.

Product Details
I also don't feel comfortable with supposed 'craft bloggers', suddenly being drawn into totally unrelated 'product reviews' either.

If I find something worth sharing in the craft line then I'll happily tell you so (free and for nothing). I'd also be happy if folk are upfront and honest about any craft affiliations they might have - but I hope I never end up allowing general advertising on my little blog.

Rant over, I'll just vote with my feet! Sorry but that's how it is folks! Sigh, I think I need my bedtime painkillers :(

Di
x

26 comments:

  1. When I first saw the picture in my blog feed I thought you had a leak lol. I must be honest until you said I hadn't noticed but now I will be on the lookout, I did used to follow a blog (not craft) and as soon as she announced she was monetising it I stopped following, I felt like she wanted me to pay to read her words. I am like you I only rave about stuff I genuinely like and will also call out bad service if I experience it. Hugs, Amanda x

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  2. Amen to this subject matter! Ads are maddening and they're everywhere to consistently try to brain wash us into buying something. It feels like sheer harassment! The ad panel on my home email has gotten twice as wide as it was a week ago! Ugh!

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  3. I totally agree with you and rant away I say !! :-)
    I do hope your plumbing is safe and secure today :-D

    Hugz
    IKE xxxxxx

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  4. I quite agree with you too Di. One of the things that made me take a gap from blogging was the constant bombardment of buy this that and the other. It's bad enough with DT members pushing their company but when you start getting plumbing ads it beggers belief.
    Ann xxx

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  5. Me, too, Miss, I'm with you! I remember the first time I visited a blog and saw an ad for something that I knew was from a cookie of mine. Wait, I thought. WHAT?! At my age, it took me a couple of minutes to realize what was happening. I thought somehow there had been website comingling going on and I was being hacked!! I also agree that it's good for us to recommend (or not!) products at times, for free! Hugs, Darnell

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  6. Di, Yes please turn that tap off everyone, I am missing commenting on some gorgeous cards as when the adverts appear my browser closes down on my tablet. Well my browser has been down/up more often than ..... in the last week. Thank you for this post. xx Flora

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  7. And so says all of us. :-)
    Hugs,
    Annie x

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  8. I with you on this Di. Vote with your feet mate!

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  9. Haven't noticed this yet as I mostly use a blog reader, so miss all the adds unless I click to comment or check out more on the blog :)

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  10. Got to agree with you Di! It seems much too intrusive and unnecessary to see something pop up that I've just been viewing ... it smacks of pester power and I don't give in to that sort of pressure. However, figuring that many crafters might just be interested, I do list materials used in projects and that often includes the name of manufacturer ... and sometimes I wax lyrical about some new crafty acquisition because I just can't help myself ... but this is all completely unsolicited. I consider blogging all part of my crafting hobby and so see no need to get anything but pleasure from it :) Right, having got that off my chest I'm off to visit the snippet playground. Hugs, Elizabeth xx

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  11. Here, here!

    I do occasionally praise a papercraft item I have used, but no one is paying me or giving me free stuff...I am just praising it for free.

    I do not mind that sort of thing on a blog as generally that sort of person would also tell you if something was not great...thereby help us all avoid the same mistake.

    But adds for pay or free product are annoying.

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  12. Oh that isn't right l'm with you all the way Di x

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  13. I quite agree with your rant, Di, and feel exactly the same. I get bombarded, and it has just happened right this second, with rubbish phone calls and rainforests fo trees from people who "are not trying to sell something". A number of people has commented on my addiction to Clarity, but I only talk about them because I have used them and other stamps, and personally find them the best. I would never consider "advertising" for money. I also vote with my feet/finger when I come across blatant advertising from anyone online and will not approve any comment on my blog that does that. We suffer enough from Facebook doing that to us down the side bar. Having joined your rant, thank you for visiting my video trial today, and your very kind comment. I actually hate the sound of my own voice, so I will never be happy with that, but I will do more as this year goes on. xx Maggie

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  14. Wordpress does two things:

    1)Subscribe to ads to make money from them (I don't do this)
    2) They put ads on your site to cover their costs. If you want this removed the blog owner has to pay for a "no-ad" upgrade.

    My solution? Firefox and AdBlockPlus, I haven't seen an advert in years and I had NO IDEA that blogger shows adverts too! On the odd occasion that I've had to use some other browser or computer to access the net I'm astounded at the number of annoying ads on practically every site, even just checking the weather! I know you mentioned this to me the other week, do you see any ads on my blog? All I see when I check a post is a little box under the post that says readers may occasionally see an ad, but Firefox is taking care of blocking the ad for me!!

    Hugs
    Brenda

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  15. Agree with you completely - I hate ads. Can't these companies and some bloggers get it into their heads that their advertising just doesn't work. I'm with you and vote with my feet xx

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  16. I only follow one person on Wordpress and to be honest can't say that I have seen any adverts on hers or on any blogs.

    I say what I have used, just because it seems to be the norm and sometimes I could do without doing that but at the same time if I find that something is not what it says on the tin then I would say so, I am not affiliated to anyone, anything or any business.
    I would be very annoyed too if this was happening, there is so much invasion of Privacy these days. it really get to me.
    The thing that really, really annoys me is someone ringing regarding my computer and telling me it is running slow and I should let them connect to fix it, I said said once I don't have a computer and they told me not to lie and slammed the phone down on me, I really mad, because I should have slammed the phone down on them first.
    I hope I don't have any ad's on my posts.
    If you ever need help getting on your soap box, with your bad back an all, just let me know and I will give you a hand,

    Kath xx

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  17. This too is one issue that seriously ticks me off. I visit peeps blogs because I want to see what they have made and I am getting fed up with going to a site and finding a blooming pop up or cookie when I close that blog - grr!
    I have been pestered on more than one occasion to agree to advertisers on my blog and I am saying hell no!! It's nice to see that you and many others agree about this Karen x

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  18. Should have read everyone's comments before putting in my view! I think all of us recommend products and companies if we think the products are top quality and the service is excellent. I don't think it's wrong to let others know about poor quality and sales experience either - it is what friends do.
    If you ever get an ad pop up from visiting my blog please let me know and I will get rid of it xx

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  19. Totally agree with you on this Miss. I hope you're not seeing any ads on my site (one of the reasons I left a DT was that I was being asked to recommend items..I do this for fun, not to sell stuff). If anyone sees any ads on my blog, I would like to know! I will be honest about products I use that I find to be good value & think others would like. I make sure to say it's not a paid ad too. If I find something not to be to my liking, I try to discreetly convey that, w/out trashing a company. Also say if I think the problem was Operator error :-). The day this becomes a 'money' thing, I stop the blogging. I'm glad you wrote this post. It needed to be said, & you did it perfectly. I hope the pain meds alleviated the aggravation! Hugs & TFS

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  20. I'm with you on this one Di. Hopefully there are no adverts on my blog because I paid a small fee to stop them so please let me know if any crop up when you visit. Thanks.
    Pippa

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  21. Ha ha! I hate those annoying ads too.
    When my girls were younger and they popped in and 'borrowed' my laptop, they would see all sorts of things that I had been looking at, as presents for them!!! Infuriating!
    Caroline xxx

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  22. We all like to give credit where credit is due if we are happy with the craft stuff we are using, but not because someone is paying us to say so. I quite agree Di advert pop ups can drive you mad. x

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  23. OH MY GAWD! I MUST HAVE THAT! WHATEVER IT IS.... PIECE OF PLUMBING RIGHT NOW!!!

    I'm not a fan of the ads in blogs either. I especially don't like that I looked up a doctor I was referred to for headaches. He works out of a whole "behavioral and lifestyle" health office, which includes treatment for addiction. Now all the targeted ads are for rehab and addiction cures. *sigh*

    I'm not addicted. I can stop this stamping thing any time I want to. I just don't want to.

    So there!

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  24. I've wondered what was going on as I've seen some of this, too. Very irritating & I guess I'll be forced to stop following those blogs, too, unless it stops.

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