Pop ups are here!

[mattjcasey]

I've had a few popups from them... annoying...

[Morningstar]

But, in the case there is pop-ups(which I trust the site to not have), shouldn't we send an e-mail about that to TNT instead of complaining?

If you look at the second image I posted, you will see that under the pop up window, it says "Thanks for submitting. We'll look into it as soon as we can." I copied and pasted the pop up's url and submitted it to support immediately after it happened.

Well, I didn't see that part, but I didn't aim that post at you, but to the others complainers.

But yes, I find it a wonder why is neo so careless when adding certains ads.

Oh, I didn't mean for you to take that the wrong way, Blue Wolf. It would be easy to miss. I just wanted to let you know that I took care of it immediately. I always do--every glitch that I happen upon (and, ask anyone, I have happened upon quite a bit!). I swear, my username is probably on their "OMG, she is writing us again" list.

[smudgeoffudge]

I was just complaining about all the pop ups over at the computers thread part of this forum. I am getting pop ups that my blocker won't catch. LOTS of them. Mostly when I am on neopets and I am just about 100% sure they are coming from neopets. I have this one pop up that is like the monster that hercules kills. If you click on it to close it, it seems to spawn about eight more. I can not get rid of some of them, they don't seem to want to close. I have a hard time getting them off my screen. They seem to appear mostly when I am on neopets.

Last edited by smudgeoffudge on Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Morningstar]

I was just complaining about all the pop ups I was getting and I am just about 100% sure they are coming from neopets. I have this one pop up that is like the monster that hercules kills. If you click on it to close it, it seems to spawn about eight more. I can not get rid of some of them, they don't seem to want to close. I have a hard time getting them off my screen. They seem to appear mostly when I am on neopets.

Smudge, have you tried ctrl alt delete to get rid of them? Hit that and then go to applications and get rid of any nasty window you want by hitting "End Task." A little trick I learned from an IT master--that way you never "touch" the ad.

[smudgeoffudge]

I tried to do that and my computer seemed to freeze up. It said it was ending programs but it had to end about eight at a time so it was taking a long time to do it. I sware, I got this one from veges frounteer. Then I tried to close it off and then suddenly it spawned about eight more popups in it's retailation! It was like yea..try to get rid of me..take that..BAM..BAM..BAM...these things are FIGHTING BACK DARN IT!

[bgryph]

It's good that they're taking care of offensive and/or pop-up ads as they, er, pop up. But given the prominance of the site, you'd think they'd insist the advertisers be more careful in the first place.

I guess I don't know how the whole thing web advertising deal works. However, I have seen websites that get advertising only related to the site's topic, and I know at least one large vegetarian website manages to get only ads that aren't selling animal products. You'd think given how large a site Neopets is, that they could work a similar deal.

Needing the revenue I could understand, but needing the revenue from ads for scams, spyware, and "vote to see who gets pregnant first?" what the heck? Is there really no deal they can reach with an ad company so that they only get appropriate ads on their website? Given their size I find that unlikely -- much smaller sites seem to manage it. I'd think they'd get a better clickthrough rate with more targeted ads, and it might help them avoid a confrontation with parents and/or consumer groups, which I think is almost inevitable with the junk that's floating around there now.

[Cranberry]

This advertising is getting to be a bit much. I think we should do something about it. Petitions are no good; no one reads them (especially online ones where signatures can't be verified). We need to write letters.... to anyone who's done a recent article about Neopets, to parent and consumer groups, and to advertisers. We need to make sure some of US get quoted in articles about the site. We need to get the word out that these ads are destroying the "tone" of the site (I know I'm distracted by the "this page contains paid advertisements" notice alone), that the subject matter of the ads is inappropriate, and that we're unhappy with the direction the site is going.

[bgryph]

I was doing a little poking around, and it appears that there are very definately ad networks which allow one to pick and choose which of their advertisers advertise on your site -- preciesly so you can keep non-family-friendly ads off your family site, or (if you're being paid by the click-through rather than just to display the ad, which is not always the case) to choose ads targeted to your viewership. (Including some networks that Neopets uses, in fact.)

I just think it's too easy to give Neopets a pass: "Oh, it's not their fault, it's the ad company that puts the ads up there." Yes, but Neopets is the one who chose the companies it deals with and it looks like Neopets has input over the ads they choose to receive from those companies as well.

It's not a pop-up or two that slips through the cracks that I object to as much as the apparent low overall quality of the ads. I have ads blocked at home, but surely Neopets can do better than scams like "Click Here for a Free Ipod!" and the like. The ad campaigns would be less annoying if they picked better and/or more interesting ones, and ones more suitable for maintaining their desired family-friendly atmosphere.

[SierraRaven]

And, just to clarify something. Yes, the pop up was created by the banner ads--but I still don't see that as an excuse Neopets can use for this happening. Neopets is and always will be ultimately responsible for anything and everything on this website. They contracted to obtain the ads, they decided which company to use, and they (I assume) had legal beagles assist with the writing of the contract--so they are to blame if they aren't policing their ad company properly.

Here, here, Morningstar!! Very well-said! I was going to post something along the same lines, but you've taken the words right out of my mouth!

One thing that surprises me is that Stephanie Yost Cameron, TNT's attorney, seems to be a sharp cookie from everything I've read about her. I'm surprised she doesn't realize all the implications that improper advertising has in the long-run on a "children's" site.

[everconfused]

I was just complaining about all the pop ups over at the computers thread part of this forum. I am getting pop ups that my blocker won't catch. LOTS of them. Mostly when I am on neopets and I am just about 100% sure they are coming from neopets. I have this one pop up that is like the monster that hercules kills. If you click on it to close it, it seems to spawn about eight more. I can not get rid of some of them, they don't seem to want to close. I have a hard time getting them off my screen. They seem to appear mostly when I am on neopets.

smudge - I have not (thank goodness) gotten that ad, but you are NOT alone. I have seen a few short lived topics on the boards about a Monster ad. Short lived because any topic about the ads gets deleted - not locked - deleted.

Now, it appears given the number of different ads/sites/urls to block on the site that this may not be one ad network. I don't know, I don't know completely how these ad networks actually work. Like, if they pool their ads or something. But, why not use just one network, and one that's "kid/family friendly" and clean of garbage. One that doesn't send you to spam/scam sites? One that doesn't encourage kids to click to "win" a free iPod, VL bag, decide who's getting pregnant first, etc. and use tracking cookies, adware, malware, spyware and pop-ups.

I guess there's no way for them to have someone who's job it is to just sit and go through all the ads, but maybe there should be. Ultimately, it does come down to it being Neo (or any site's) responsibility as to what shows up on their site.

I still give Adam, et al. props and credit for trying their best to get rid of the bad stuff. But it shouldn't be there in the first place to have to get rid of!

considers writing to the author of the NWT article

[hiddenneggs]

Well, Morningstar & bgryph have said most of what I would have.

Thank you, borovan (if you drop by & see this), for your effort to get this latest inappropriate ad taken care of -- but please also, if you can, impress on those who decide which banners/companies to use that the decisions they have been making are damaging.

If Doug Dohring really is doing a deliberate pump&dump, of course, there's no reason to expect improvement. If that isn't the plan, then things need to change.

[Marinnai Kasaraki]

SheezyART was another site I once ventured to which had pop-ups created by the ad content on their site.

In the knowledge that this has been taken care of by Adam (a relief to be sure), I wish sites like SA would lend a tentative ear towards their current users and stop the rapid procession of pop-ups that end up locking up computers or, to the worst extremities, downloading spyware that installs viruses automatically with no way to stop it.

But back on topic, a big hand to Adam for proving our voices do not go unheard

[coming2atvnearu]

If Doug Dohring really is doing a deliberate pump&dump, of course, there's no reason to expect improvement. If that isn't the plan, then things need to change.

The above would be conventional knowledge and, for all reasonable purposes, the expected truth.

Retailers and promotional partners warn against dismissing Neopets as just another kid fad. Mr. Dohring has "been very conscientious about building long-term awareness," says Paula Damaso, an executive vice president at Too Inc.'s Limited Too, which sells Neopets merchandise.

This would be the article's take on the situation. For all of the experts talked to in the new article, I think its fairly obvious to the average user what's going on here.

[OmniIcyshelf]

I'd rather have him sell Neopets than kill it. After all, HE and the rest of his minions (XD) have already sold out.

[cpvr]

I'd rather have him sell Neopets than kill it. After all, HE and the rest of his minions (XD) have already sold out.

Exactly, I bet you didn't know that Disney owns neopets now? :p