Hmm, I thought I was up to date with Adblock Plus since I haven't received a notice that there's an update I need to download. I'll ask my in-house geek squad (hubby) about this tonight, thanks. Fingers crossed that is the answer. I definitely want it gone. Shame, though, if that big gap pushes threads off page 1 sooner than they normally would. They fall to page 2 quickly enough.

On my iPad it's an ad for Urban Plumbing. At least we are all getting different ads!

I've got the HD ad in the same place, doesn't seem to matter what browser.

Those ads followed me to the Home Decorating page as well. They seem to be taking over. AHHHGGG!

I'm using Firefox with AdBlock Plus and just have a gap after the sixth thread. Ad-free is the way to be!

iPad here. Ad for ask an electrician online. Annoying.

I'm going to hang my dishtowel on the ad in the middle of the thread. Maybe if HD reads this: I'M NOW LESS INCLINED TO SHOP AT YOUR STORE.

So tired of being treated like a consumer. I hate that term.

I'm using Firefox with AdBlock Plus and just have a gap after the sixth thread. Ad-free is the way to be!

Thank you for posting that, anenemity. I just did the same (tools, addons, typed adblock in the search bar, and hit install beside the adblock 2.0.3). Took about 60 seconds and I'm now ad-free. Yay!

I have the same setup as Anemity (AdBlock Plus can also be used with Chrome, and you can get a similar version of Adblock for Safari at http://safariadblock.com/ ).

I see this, and was kinda wondering what the weird gap was:

six down, this is my ad in Ohio:

Ads by Google
Ask a Gardening Expert
A Gardener Will Answer You Now!
Questions Answered Every 9 Seconds.
Gardening.JustAnswer.com

I've just got a blank gap just as Circuspeanut posted. I have Firefox with Adblock Plus. I seem to remember a few months ago with some Adblock or Firefox update there was something about they were now going to allow some text ads unless you specifically opted out of them. I did so immediately.

Actually it was Gardenweb that drove me to switch to Firefox from IE around 6-7 years ago. GW had some horrible ads at that time that obscured most of the screen & made the site pretty much unusable. I've been a big fan of Firefox/adblock ever since.

Yep, this latest ad pushed me over the edge too. I just installed Ad Blocker.

I put up with (ignored) all the new advertising that's popped up over the last year but this was the last straw.

I am amazed you can block it!
The ad blocks usually effect separate, pop-up types.
something inline?
Cool.
I'm investigating your success, since I'm on Firefox!

There isn't even a place to complain. They just don't want to hear it.
How much $$ do they make on these God-awful ads, anyway?

Thank you, Circus! I didn't know there was a blocker for Safari. Ahh....

Besides the adblock for safari, which is IMHO not as good as it is for firefox, there's also glimmerblocker (also free) which installs in system prefs so you don't have to keep adding it back/fixing things in every time there's a safari update.

Here is a link that might be useful: glimmerblocker

Write to Tamara at GW--she's usually very receptive to and helpful with problems.

GW is also what prompted me to install Adblock Plus probably a year or two ago. I think it was an Oreo ad that turned the entire screen blue and made half the page unreadable and the other half unclickable. It was awful. It even blocks commercials when I'm watching a show on Hulu!

I was scrolling down and reading a thread and saw a big ad in the middle. Thought it was a strange anomaly...but apparently not. I hope it's not a new thing that's not going away. Before the ads were just on the side bar...that was annoying enough.........

LMAO !!! I did not even notice the ad in the middle of the thread list. Just scrolled right past it I guess. It wasn't a topic that interested me. Eight further down was this topic that I opened and read. When I hit my back button to the thread list page to look, sure enough, there it was ... Molly Maid ad for my local area. In a way this kinda worries me. I always thought I was pretty observant. Oops !

Strangely, this morning the ad is now gone (just weird blank space) with Firefox. Firefox did just install some updates when I logged on, so maybe that fixed it? Anyway, still have the ad on Safari - I do have adblock installed there, but it doesn't keep much away. Thanks writersblock for the info on glimmerblocker, I'll give it a try!

"I'm not sure if I can install any sort of ad blocker on an iPad.

No, not unless you jailbreak it."

Apple has already decided what is suitable for you to run on your computer.

>Apple has already decided what is suitable for you to run on your computer.

Well, luckily for you, there's always this alternative, brickeyee. Open is always better, no worries.

Thanks for the advice to install Ad Block (Mac/Safari). The residual small space where the ad once was doesn't bother me in the least. It's a very small price to pay considering the value of this board to us.

Ad Block for IPad is relatively new. 99cents. Just installed it and works great. Sad though...first time I've had to install blocking software for this device.

Maybe we should all boycott GW for 24 hours to let GW know we aren't happy!

It just looks like a new placement of ad space... It is always about 4 posts down, and always a different ad. It is also across forums, not just this one.

UGH - get the ads off!

I know you're out there listening - you swoop down and delete whole threads if a tiny spat breaks out - so listen to your customers now!

You may think they won't go elsewhere, but they WILL!

But if you listen to them, they'll be loyal forever. Your call, GW.

I, have a ad for hemorrhoid's. What does that have to do with kitchen's? Lol

I have an ad from Frontgate but whatever post I click on has a waring box saying Unresponsive Script. What can I do to get that to stop? Soooo annoying!

Actually, I'm getting the unresponsive script thing when I try to click on any thread. If I click cancel, it moves on to the message.

Another beta test on the consumer, vs. in lab.

how much $$ do they make for these stupid ads?

Love all the complaints and declarations of 'this is the last straw'.

I run an online community like this on another subject matter with about 70,000 people visiting monthly. I pay for hosting services, I spend countless hours configuring and installing software, dealing with server crashes, memory shortages, bandwith transfer limits etc.

I'd suggest you get off your high horses, realize this site costs quite a bit of money to operate and either go start your own site or quit complaining.

Competitors must be the ones buying these ads of the companies. They're really effective, too, because they sure discourage me from wanting to buy goods and services from those companies.

I get that stuff doesn't come for free, so advertising is the way the world goes round. I'm just surprised more strategy doesn't go into ad placement. Attractive, and on the side doesn't offend; in the middle of the text infuriates and leads to consumer backlash.

We have dogs that go berserk anytime an animal is used in a commercial. Ever since HD TV, (and refusing to add yet another device like TiVo to block ads), we spend more time now with the tv off. I'm shocked that advertisers don't get it that pops they are targeting with those dogs are actually turning them off. (other dog owners I know have this same experience.)

Just saying... It isn't the need for ads. It's the in your face approach that I think hurts people like tt above more than helps.

>Ad Block for IPad is relatively new.

Actually it's been around for a while, at least in internet time. Be aware that it's a separate web browser entirely, not an ad block for ipad safari. Read reviews. At a buck you can't go too far wrong, but unfortunately most people I know found it very unsatisfactory to use much, and not updated often enough to keep up. Glad to know it's working well for you--maybe there's a new version.

Thanks for the recommendations for AdBlock Plus. I installed it and now my DH thinks I'm a genius because I got rid of all the FB and ESPN ads. ;)

Toronto -
I have no problems with ads - just not in the middle of my threads!

Google and others are are giant information mining companies. Google used to offer free 411 service but discontinued it after they mined enough voices.

The ads are related to your age and previous searches - so be careful where you go surfing!

Toronto Tim - and you, sir, can get another job that isn't so taxing.

I'm not crying for GW - they're owned by iVillage which is owned by NBCUniversal - these days that means Comcast... unless they got left behind and are still with GE. Either way, they're not some struggling start up that needs every penny in ad money. As if!

And I'm sure they know if their customers are unhappy, they'll go elsewhere. Welcome to the world wide web! Whatever you like -and don't like - is just a click away. Smart folks know this. And heed it.

Toronto Tim, back in the old days, when the ads were banners and along the right margin, I considered them part of the cost of admission, and would try to look at some of them and click through in order to support GW. These are the old NBC days, I'm talking about, not the old Spike days when there was a real person at the helm. I did that for any website I patronized as a thank-you.

Unfortunately, the Powers That Be do not have either good sense or good taste in implementing ads. They have given us things like pop-up ads that float around the screen so you have to play target shot to close them, partially transparent ads that cover the whole screen, the nasty green underlines that turn reading messages into a nightmare of accidental click throughs on a touch device.

I learned about Ad-Block Plus on one of these threads many years ago. I installed it because GW had so compromised their user experience. It made the whole internet so much quieter! But it does mean that I had to give up supporting websites by looking at their ads. That's sad. In many ways, GW is making it harder for other, smaller sites to make a living.

Yes, I agree, plllog. I'm all for making a living (heck, I try to do that myself), but there are limits to what can be tolerated. I also held off for a long time on installing ad-blocking software, but so many of the large sites make it impossible to view them without it. It was the tire (remember that one--bump, bump, bump?) that sent me over the edge.

I'm sorry, but Toronto Tim's on target. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. iVillage, I can promise, has no interest in hosting this site for free. My guess is that none of the complainers here run or work for a company that lives and dies by online advertising, but ours does. Online ads, and now even more, social media have trounced traditional advertising media like print, radio and TV. So, get over it. Don't read the ad. Install an ad blocker. Leave the website. It's your prerogative. Or live with it and be glad you're not paying to participate on this forum.

@eugenie11--so you think what Toronto Tim does is so easy? Tell you what. Since you're so upset by these darn ads, and you've told us that you'll be leaving GW, why don't YOU set up a competing website. Let's see you set up the servers, build the site, monitor traffic, upgrading software, buying more disk storage, and answer disgruntled folks with no skin in the game when they complain because you went offline for ten minutes at three in the morning.

Oh yeah, and make sure that you pay for all the servers, software, internet bandwidth, etc out of your own pocket, because heaven forbid you run ads to support it!

Come back and announce your site on GW when you're up and I'll be sure to surf right on over. My new philosophy: "Whatever you like -and don't like - is just a click away. Smart folks know this. And heed it."

@ clinresga - GW runs plenty of ads down the side of the threads. I promise you they're not suffering from lack of ad dollars.

There's plenty of competition out there for people interested in home and kitchen design - I can name a dozen web sites and I don't run any of them - and none of them runs ads in the middle of their threads. All of them DO feature advertising and people who find those sites less intrusive will go there, me included.

Anyone who runs a business, particularly in these competitive times, knows that keeping your customers happy by delivering a better product is the only way to hold on to them. I didn't invent the rules, but the sites that thrive - Zappos, Amazon - all seem to know this. Their founders talk about their commitment to customer satisfaction at every opportunity, and smart companies copy their example for one reason - because it makes them successful.

Nobody said it was easy.

I know you're out there listening - you swoop down and delete whole threads if a tiny spat breaks out - so listen to your customers now!

A customer are you? What exactly are you buying from GardenWeb?

TorontoTim is right. All this bellyaching and the entitlement mentality is sickening to behold.

I have no problems with ads - just not in the middle of my threads!

Now they're YOUR threads?

The simple fact here is that as more people block ads the clickthrough ratio drops and this means that GardenWeb earns less money for ad placement. In order to address the revenue shortfall they have to find new ways of putting ads in front of people's eyeballs.

Here's an idea - for every bellyacher who feels entitled to enjoy this site for FREE without having to deal with advertising why don't you lead the way and send GardenWeb an unsolicited $20 per month as a gesture of appreciation for their keeping this site operational.

Clinresga, you have a weird idea about the purpose of advertising. Advertising is a way for providers of goods and services to inform the public about what they offer, thereby encouraging them to become customers. Some products (e.g. Spanx) require no advertising. For the rest, getting the word out to the people who are most likely to become customers is really important.

The best ads are appealing and interesting and have elements that draw attention to themselves, while providing information about what they're selling.

Poor ads are obtrusive rather than interesting, or leave the potential customer unaware of what was being offered.

The worst ads annoy the customer enough that while the message--what is being offered and/or by whom--may be clear, they so annoying that those who see them actively avoid doing business with the advertiser.

It is these worst ads that we complain about, and install ad-blockers to eliminate. They make the site unusable. For me, it was the full screen dancing baby. I don't even know what that was selling, but would certainly avoid it if I did.

It is ridiculous for the webmasters to design new advertising products that are so annoying that they drive away the very eyeballs that they're supposed to be selling.

NBC/iVillage/Gardenweb has known for many years that people are installing ad blockers to avoid seeing the annoying ads. They allow threads where we help each other to do so. They're not hurting from it. While it's true that we're not looking at their ads, it's also true that we probably don't pay attention to the regular ads anyway. They're probably using us as an experiment lab to see just how annoying their new advertising products are and testing how many complaints are generated.

One thing you've left out of your business side thoughts is that we are providing free content for NBC/iVillage/Gardenweb. Kitchens Forum, especially, is very highly ranked in the search engines nowadays, and GW in general is, as well. There are a LOT of lurkers and click throughs who are the real targets of the advertising.

Without the free content created by the members of the forums, there would be no eyeballs for the Powers That Be to sell.

It's just a shame for all of the smaller sites that are trying to stay afloat with a little third party advertising, that we can't see their ads once we've blocked the really egregious ones. Instead of complaining to us that blocking ads is bad for your business, you should be complaining to NBC/iVillage/Gardenweb, and the other big sites full of obtrusively annoying ads, that they are the ones who are hurting your ability to support your site through advertising. With Ad-Block, there isn't even a link to accidentally click on with which to pay you.

Gosh - I wasn't even paying attention when I wrote 'MY' threads... Sorry if it sounds so offensive (it sort of does...) But I do think people feel like their computer screen is their domain, so to speak, and they are careful about who intrudes... particularly advertisers.

I do agree with plllog. GW provides the site, we all use it - yes, for free - and GW's advertisers are willing to pay to reach us. If it wasn't an attractive trade-off for them, they wouldn't do it, I assure you. They want us, that's just the way it is. We are the consumer. If we weren't worth it, they would go elsewhere in a minute.

Everyone is trying to figure out how to monetize the web - I work in good old fashioned broadcasting, and believe me, it is the hottest topic of the decade.

knows that keeping your customers happy by delivering a better product is the only way to hold on to them. I

So let's see if I'm understanding your point of view. If Starbucks goes out of its way to provide bed space, sanitary facilities, showers, etc for all the homeless people who love to lay out their bed rolls in the aisles of the Starbucks store, then Starbucks is treating their "customers" well and this will lead to success. If those homeless people are not giving any money to Starbucks, how exactly are they customers?

Definitely Starbucks would do great things for its image if they helped the homeless! You should send them your idea!

But if you want to equate the users of GW with the homeless, well, I'm not sure that will work. We do provide something to GW that THEY get for free - our eyeballs. They are valuable. That's why companies knock themselves out to get them and keep them from straying to the competition.

Definitely Starbucks would do great things for its image if they helped the homeless! You should send them your idea!

But if you want to equate the users of GW with the homeless, well, I'm not sure that will work. We do provide something to GW that THEY get for free - our eyeballs. They are valuable. That's why companies knock themselves out to get them and keep them from straying to the competition.

And, as if by magic, the offending ad block is gone. :)

I was just about to post the same... The ads are gone...

And it wasn't magic, guys, it was all of you who made your feelings known. Props to GW for listening!

My guess is whatever they lose in advertising, they will gain many times over in loyalty and good word of mouth - and that, as the ad says, is priceless.

We can make a difference!