Started yesterday on my end and IMO...it sucks! I have enough eyesight problems without this. And they've apparently found a way around Ad Block. It may please their techies but it's my ticket to leave town.

Yeah, I don't like it. It makes it hard to find the comment box, and when I hit 'end' to get to the bottom of the page, I now have to scroll up past the new ads/pics.

I noticed that starting yesterday also. Very distracting indeed. Think I'll have to find another similar board without all the ads. Too bad they've found a way around AdBlock.

It doesn't seem any different to me today than before, but maybe because I get single-focused on a topic at hand that I simply don't see that stuff, and I don't scroll down beyond the comments, either. I already know I am going to ignore (HOUZZ, are you LISTENING) 99.9% of adverts tossed my way.

I had not even noticed they were there till you brought my attention to it. I guess they don't bother me a bit. I don't read them.

Sue

Maybe it's the browser you're using and/or the setting you have the screen shot set to because I'm not experiencing any changes. I use Chrome, no ad blockers and the line option for my scrolling. You can adjust the view you want using the option in the upper right hand side of the screen.

Keeping an eye on this thread for a while before I leave.

I don't know what you see Karen...but the large boxed "Browse Photos" box with rotating photos in the right margin...measuring 3.5" x 5.5"... is extremely invasive and distracting. Especially to one who has sight difficulties. I don't mind the bottom. Nor do I deny their need for promotion but the in-your-face-stuff is over the tolerable limit IMO. "Free" doesn't mean you have the right to be visually abusive of those that you begged to join your board when you were new to this venue. Long, long ago I paid to be a member of the Table. I'd do it again if it would guarantee the removal of the ads and other invasive "stuff". But...by all means...you stay put and criticize to your heart's content. After all....you're free to do so.

Using Firefox browser with zoom set to 120% pushes the ads on the right out of view. As for the photo selections at the bottom of the page, I've enjoyed browsing through them if I happen to page down that far.

I, too, noticed them a couple of days ago. They are just what they are on my MAC book....at the bottom of the page. Not distracting...unless I care to look. Granted, I do not have a large monitor as I have had...maybe it makes a difference. BTW, I, too, have vision problems with only one eye seeing properly....

Most browsers you can blow out the margins and make the reading area bigger, which will cause the side stuff to be pushed out of the viewing area. The one that bothers me is the one top right that is active video, it also slows the page load. My vision is really bad, I set my viewing area and font large, the movement of the ad does mess with my vision. GW had started putting the stuff on the right side before the change over, they were to other GW forums, I don't mind that as much. Try doing some browser adjustments. Also you might be able to get ad block plus to block some things, run your cursor around the ad looking for a little tab to pop up that says block click on the tab to add it to the blocked list.

Try adding this add on to your browser, it's available for Firefox, chrome, safari. I am using it for my Firefox on my tablet and I see none of these ads. Be sure to download the proper one for the browser you are using. Click download then click on the one that applies to you.

Ublock origin

Here's a link to the Firefox add on page for it

For Firefox

Thank you, Raven. I've had some luck with AdBlock. I simply cannot get rid of the 3.5" x 5.5" photo box but, at least, I managed to eliminate the rotating photos. That's a big help. I downloaded Ublock but am not sure how to run it. I'll diddle around with it later when I have more time. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your efforts.

As for using the zoom feature...it's too annoying to keep changing the zoom setting from website to website. If it would just affect this site it would be an OK solution but it interferes with other sites that I need to visit far more often than I need to be here. But...thanks for the contribution, TulsaRose. It's always nice to have positive feedback

I access the internet with my phone. None of it shows up for me.

I agree that those Houzz story pictures and links are very annoying. I do not like them at all. I have loved Gardenweb for years, but now am thinking about the possibility of another site. The problem is, I don't know how to look for another site. Perhaps Houzz will listen to our discontent and remove those blasted things.

I'm using Firefox in Windows XP--I don't know if this works for anything else. If I make the window just the width of the discussion the rotating pictures go away. It's slow enough that it doesn't bother my eyes, so I put up with it, but I have great sympathy for those whom it bothers. They're so cluttered up with text, however, I can't imagine why anyone would look at them. This new kind of graphic design, which is supposedly optimized for phones, is being done without a lot of good theory. It always feels very claustrophobic to me, and I avoid it as much as possible, even on my phone.

I disagree with the free site proposition: WE give THEM content. For free. Words, pictures, advice, stories. We don't owe them for hosting. OTOH, I don't mind that Houzz wants to show us their wares, but I never see or click on ads no matter where they are on my screen. Same with magazine ads. In general, I perceive a heck of a lot of detail. There's way too much clutter in advertising, so I've developed a strong filter to block it out. The only one I perceive when I see it is that circular yellow planter that looks like a 1970's designer telephone.

The really really really annoying thing for me is that at the same time they made the threads open in the middle and bounce to the middle after posting. That's AWFUL!!!!

Sombreuil, are you the same person who used to post, (maybe still does) on the kitchens forum? If so, I loved your kitchen!

I didn't do anything to the ublock I just run it as it came. It contains all the good block lists including easylist. It doesn't block every thing but does a good job. You can run it with adblock plus. I could put up with the still ones but man that moving stuff is really bothersome and slows page loads so much. I have a new octocore tablet that's blazing fast but it goes to heck when sites cram so much slow loading stuff on their pages that slow things down so much. With out a doubt this site, all of houzz, is the slowest loading I visit on a daily basis.

I have dial up and usually have problems with different things loading at a decent rate, but I do not notice it here, I wonder why. I use Firefox. I do not have eye problems though.

Sue

I use Firefox and Adblock Plus. I see the Houzz photos at the bottom of the page, but nothing flashing or animated.

Houzz needs to offer commercial/ad-free services for a fee, just like Hulu does. What are you willing to pay for an ad free site? $7.99/$9.99/$11.99 per month? That's what it's coming to. Nothing can be FREE for long. Houzz has overhead and payroll. I'm sure all of us want Houzz employees to earn a living wage. Right?

As of today, the page layout has returned to its previous style, with the featured articles at the side with only small thumbnails and no auto-run slideshows.

Right now I don't have the changing moving one at the top right side so hopefully they listened and realized it was bothersome. This is better. Loads faster better.

You have the featured articles on the side now? Hmm, I wonder why mine are still at the bottom? It's a little irritating because I often scroll to the bottom to see new posts and now have to slightly scroll up again. Not a big deal in the grand scheme, but I wish they were on the side.

Thank you...to whomever was kind enough to remove the 3.5" x 5.5" rotating/flashing photo box in the right hand margin on this reply page. I'm most grateful. And for all those who suggested that my problem might have been due to the browser that I use...I have always used the most current version of Firefox on my Win 7.1 desktop [PC] system....with AdBlock Plus and now the addition of Ublock so kindly given here by Raven. It was not my system as some offered. Nor my eyesight.

Thanks Houzz for listening and paying attention to the comments. Yippee!

I agree about the inconvenience of the bottom of the page clutter, but I don't mind Houzz showing off their stuff. It doesn't seem to slow down the page loads. And the merchandise ads to the side are fine for similar reasons.

Is it just luck, or did this fix also fix the jumping pages and randomly doubled or missing posts?

Whatever it is, it's much much better. Thank-you, Houzz!

Well....it was nice while it briefly lasted. Sigh. The box is back! And...I won't be.

Houzzzzzzzzz.......take the advertising crap of the forum pages. All the pictures do is slow down the loading. I, for one, will never, never even contemplate purchasing goods from a site that bombards the pages with their wares. Thanks, but no thanks. And here I thought that you peeps were listening to your members.

Sigh.

At least the jumping seems to still be gone...

Oh crud guess they didn't listen after all.

This Adblock Plus (or uBlock Origin) filter hides the Javascript slideshow on the right...

gardenweb.com##.internalInspirationAd

Or if you'd rather remove everything on the right...

gardenweb.com##.adSideBar

This one hides the stuff toward the bottom...

gardenweb.com##.related-product-categories

------------------

I assume those filters would also work with Adblock or uBlock?

Thank you, Richard! I'm still using filters you supplied in 2013. :-) You do good work...for which I am extremely grateful!

2013? I can't even remember long ago. :)

Yeah, a filter that works today, may not work tomorrow.

For creating new filters, uBlock Origin has an eyedropper tool built into it.

Adblock Plus has the Element Hiding Helper you can add to it. https://adblockplus.org/elemhidehelper

Did the blasted thing just get bigger?

Thanks, Richard. I may use one of those soon....