General thoughts on Internet adverts - block or not?

[pete]

But does it not take CPU power to block the ads?

 

Our limiting factor is the pipe, not cpu cycles.

 

Also, if bandwidth savings are your aim, serving up a lovely image in place of the advert kind of negates the argument.

 

You mean the single pixel gif that sits in ram on the proxy server? Lives on the hard disk of the proxy server and gets downloaded over the LAN? No, that doesn't take up any bandwidth.

[Guest TheLibrarian]

It's a shame that adverts and their providers have such a bad reputation.

 

One way I can think of that would get round the blocking would be to have EduGeek (and the like) serve the ads rather than the usual ad providers.

 

I really would like to see an EduGeek page or maybe e-mail (opt-in) with advert links that could then be used to help the revenue flow.

I could show my support that way - if of course the sites that were linked to weren't blocked - blast it, I've just shot down my own idea.

[Ric_]

You mean the single pixel gif that sits in ram on the proxy server? Lives on the hard disk of the proxy server and gets downloaded over the LAN? No, that doesn't take up any bandwidth.

 

I mean the nice fancy looking JPEG and accompanying dynamically generated web page that is served up from the upstream proxy farm every time a page is blocked (pulled over the same pipe that the ad would have been).

[pete]

I mean the nice fancy looking JPEG and accompanying dynamically generated web page that is served up from the upstream proxy farm every time a page is blocked (pulled over the same pipe that the ad would have been).

 

You're assuming we use an upstream proxy. We don't. It pulls the gif over our LAN. And it doesn't block the page, it merely whites out the ads.

Edited July 22, 2010 by pete

[Guest TheLibrarian]

We run our own proxy inhouse, independent of any upstream proxy. It pulls the gif over our LAN. And it doesn't block the page, it merely whites out the ads.

 

I would guess that you are in the minority then.

[truslack]

LGFL/CLEO have recently started blocking most ads, and even though I have edugeek in my list of sites for adblock to allow (it's pretty much the only one in that list) I get the sad face every time I load the forums

[Ric_]

LGFL/CLEO have recently started blocking most ads, and even though I have edugeek in my list of sites for adblock to allow (it's pretty much the only one in that list) I get the sad face every time I load the forums

 

Apparently, the reason for this is because 'pupils are distracted by advertising' and 'the LancsNGfL network is not there for third parties to make money'. The decision was made at 'high level' and will not be overturned. Notably, the advert category is one of the 'core categories' that you cannot unblock. There are also no plans to consistently block ads so it's hit and miss where they appear and where they don't.

[webman]

I don't mind non-intrusive adverts such as Google and in-line images. What I do find annoying are:

 

• Adverts presented on their own page before allowing you to view content (either timed or "click here to continue to...")
  
• Advert boxes which pop up (usually hiding content) shortly after page-load
  
• Flash-based adverts (Badly coded waste of resources), especially ones with sound; or ones that increase in size on mouse-over
  
• Un-skippable adverts (some can be 30 seconds long) at the start of web video content (e.g. ITV News)
  

 

I disagree with trackers and privacy-invading sources.

 

I don't actively block adverts; but I do use Flashblock.

[Ric_]

I think that the general consensus so far seems to be that (appropriate) adverts are not too much of a bad thing. Of course there are a few exceptions to this.

 

Gettnig back to the educational context... do you think that Internet adverts are a distraction for learners? Should we shield our users' eyes from the horror that is adverts?

 

Personally, I feel that we should be preparing learners for the 'real world' and they will come across adverts on the Internet so why should we block adverts in school. Surely it's better to let them make mistakes by clicking random adverts and then we can educate them on 'better' uses of the Internet?

[Guest TheLibrarian]

I don't mind non-intrusive adverts such as Google and in-line images. What I do find annoying are:

• Adverts presented on their own page before allowing you to view content (either timed or "click here to continue to...")
  
• Advert boxes which pop up (usually hiding content) shortly after page-load
  
• Flash-based adverts (Badly coded waste of resources), especially ones with sound; or ones that increase in size on mouse-over
  
• Un-skippable adverts (some can be 30 seconds long) at the start of web video content (e.g. ITV News)
  

1. Depends on how many I see, once per session / day fine by me.
   
2. See #1.
   
3. Agree wholeheartedly.
   
4. I'm not overly keen on them but I'll put up with them for the free content - it's not that much different to normal television. They can get bothersome when you are watching lots of small clips.
   

[Guest TheLibrarian]

I think that the general consensus so far seems to be that (appropriate) adverts are not too much of a bad thing. Of course there are a few exceptions to this.

 

Gettnig back to the educational context... do you think that Internet adverts are a distraction for learners? Should we shield our users' eyes from the horror that is adverts?

 

Personally, I feel that we should be preparing learners for the 'real world' and they will come across adverts on the Internet so why should we block adverts in school. Surely it's better to let them make mistakes by clicking random adverts and then we can educate them on 'better' uses of the Internet?

 

Students can ignore you when you are talking directly to them, waving to get their attention etc. An advert (that most of them have grown up with as Internet users) can't compete IMO.