Annoying, distracting new Advertising!

[LindaTX]

I am having problems with the new video ads, GE and Ambien are two, that just appear on my profile page.  They are loud and distracting and interfere with my shortcuts drop-down, so now it is hard to use.  Are a lot of other people having this problem?  I've complained to Medhelp several times but get no reply.I would really appreciate some help with this issue.  

[MH Community Mgr]

Hi,

Thank you for your feedback. We've passed your comments back to the advertisers but it looks as if a lot more advertisers are using  these types of ad formats.

As some of you had mentioned, the reason that we have ads on ours site is to keep MedHelp a free and effective health resource for the millions of people that use MedHelp on a monthly basis. To show those advertisements we work with partners and do not have total control over the format of those advertisements and that is why we are not able to act immediately to handle your concerns.

One option to help address this is to build a system whereby users can pay a few dollars a month ($4-6) and we would not show them any ads when they are logged into their account.  If this is something of interest please let us know so we can get a feeling for how many people are interested in this option.

What do you all think?


Thanks!

Cheryl
MH Community Mgr

[Jade59]

Hi Emily, that's what I thought, it takes time.  I would love to copy the url for you, but I no longer see it so I hope someone else will do it :)

Love it here at MedHelp and I have tons of patience :)...now that I don't see the ads that is, lol...

[Emily_MHManager]

We are dealing with it, and it can take time.  For those seeing the Vyvanse ad, can you right click on it and go to Properties and then copy the url?  If you can't, and you feel comfortable clicking on it, can you give us the link of the page it takes you to?

Thanks for your patience!

Emily

[Jade59]

Yep, that ADHD ad is the worst.  I still have my flash player off so I see completely different ads and NO movement.  I really want my flash player back so I was checking in on this thread to see if any new news had developed.  Guess not :(   It may take a while for MedHelp to deal with this if in fact, they are.  We can all only hope...

[margypops]

Mines still at it, as soon as I go to my profile, music blares out at me and I have to hit close.has yours cleared up now ?

[LindaTX]

Vyvanse'  ad is very distracting.  I was just reading a journal entry about a recently deceased parent and that rolling ad was very distracting, and seemed so out of place, so  trivial, especially while I was reading such sad news.

[FurballsMom]

All I know is that the moving ads are the worst ones.  I understand they need the ads in order to make this site available to use for free, but the moving and distracting ads need to move to the background.  All that stuff does is literally make me sick.

[LindaTX]

Hi Emily, I willl try to send you the links but first I wanted to let you know I thought for a few days the GE ads had stopped.  When I got on my computer this afternoon a new GE ad appeared, dropping down and covering half my screen, "What you see in HD, we see in MRI."   Then, on my profile page, upper right is a new Chevy Malibu video ad showing a stupid car driving in circles around a tree.  OK, then the Voice 5 ad pops out right in the middle of my screen, "Tell Us What You Think Survey"  That's all within about a 15 min. period. My pop-up blocker in on but I'm not protected from the MH pop-ups. The ads, I know, are designed to grab our attention, but on these types of forums, the ones okaying these ads need to be a little more considerate and empathetic towards the members of Medhelp and realize what we are all here for.....each other.

[Jade59]

Hi Emily, thanks for being so kind and trying to help! :)  

I can't give you any links because once I unistalled my Flash Player, I don't see all those moving ads anymore.  I only see Google ads that are just text...nothing moves.  My problem with that though is one needs a flash player to listen/see Youtube or listen to a music site which I can no longer do.  Makes me feel resentful towards MedHelp that I have to make this choice.  I don't want to feel this way towards what is really an awesome site withOUT these crazy moving ads.  

The best I can do is tell you it's the GE ad, the ADHD ad with the picture that moves, then text starts scrolling and the other one usually shows up top with skiing and snow falling...something like that.  Hopefully someone else can right click and give you the links, but really, I can see that if you have a flash player then ALL ads come to life and are completely different than if you don't have the player.  

Also, it would be nice not to see ads AT ALL when your writing in your own journal.  It's completely distracting and I don't think it even used to be that way.

Thanks so much for all your help, Emily! :)

[Emily_MHManager]

Is it all the GE ads?  Is it others?  We need to know specifically.

Thanks!!

Emily

[PrettyKitty1]

It's good that the engineers are working to resolve this issue.

My two cents: Those ads are extremely annoying and cause nothing but frustration. Linda and Jade are abolutely right!

But, I trust the mods and everyone else in charge will do something about it. After all, we all want Med Help to continue to be THE BEST medical site!

PK

[Emily_MHManager]

Which ads are you talking about, specifically?  A lot of our ads are targeted for regions, so I may not be seeing the ads you see.

If you could let us know what the ads are - right click on them and then go to properties and get the link, or if that doesn't work, at least let us know what company it is, etc.

While I check this out, maybe you could turn your sound off?  I know that doesn't work if you like to listen to music or whatever while you are on MH.  :(

I'm sorry you all are so frustrated.

Emily

[Jade59]

I second everything LindaTX just said.  You would think that MedHelp being a Medical Site would understand that most people here either have anxiety or anxiety from their medical issue.  MedHelp used to be a lovely, safe, non-distracting place to come, but not anymore.  These last two days that GE ad seems to be the least of it.

I am really Really disappointed!  I've been here going on three years and it's now causing more anxiety to be here than not.

[LindaTX]

Ok,  Voice 5 ad pops up in the middle of my screen way too often, and these side scrolling ads are distracting as well, especially the one for ADHD.  I guess it doesn't matter in this case, but I do have my pop-up blocker engaged.  Until a month or two ago I never had any problems with any of the ads but this is ridiculous!  You did stop the blaring, intrusive GE ads but there are more and more new ones... it seems there is going to be a never-ending issue with advertising on Medhelp. Thanks for doing whatever you can, Cheryl, to bring back the serene, non-distracting atmosphere in which we are able to concentrate on what we're here for (sharing ideas, learning from others, and offering help and support to others).  We all need to be able to F.O.C.U.S.  lol  :)

[Vance2335]

Thanks Cheryl for working on this. It does get annoying seeing these ads that have from time to time caused problems getting to the drop down box like others have reported.

I know every website needs these ads but they should not interfer with the use of the website.

Thanks

[MH Community Mgr]

Hello,

Our Engineers are working on restoring our Shortcuts so they work with that particular ad.  We hope to have resolution soon, and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Best,

Cheryl
MH Community Mgr

[margypops]

yep I am getting them today its very difficult it just come blairing out ..any one know when they will stop ...

[Jade59]

Thank you, Emily, thank you!  That GE ad is just the worst!  If you can make it go away, we'll be your best friends, hahaha...

[Emily_MHManager]

Thanks for letting us know.  I'll report the GE one, but haven 't seen the Ambien one.  If you could either click on the ad, and then send me the link, or right click on it, go to properties and then copy the address.  You can either PM the link or post it here.

Thanks!!

Emily

[FurballsMom]

I agree.  The ads I find to be the most annoying are the fast moving types of ads, including those ones that insist on having fast moving text.  All that does is hurt my eyes and give me a headache and distract me.  It does nothing to make me want to look at the advertisements.  And, such ads actually make me feel less inclined to check out the company making such an advertisement and makes me want to avoid that company all together.

[turkee23]

they are sooo annoying!!!!

[Jade59]

Hi MedHelp,  

I'm also having a problem with these ads.  I completely understand the ads allow us to be here for free and I appreciate that, but this GE ad is very bothersome and like LindaTX said, it interferes with the drop down box for shortcuts.  I don't know about anyone else, but it opens if my cursor gets anywhere Near it.  I'm hoping this ad is just temporary for the Olympics?