I keep seeing comments about the search for professionals section but I have not seen it yet.

It seems to show up hit or miss, which is another reason its confusing and distracting. If you look for it, it's absent. If you don't, it's there in the way, cluttering.

Now, I see it has popped up for me between the introductory post and the follow-up comments. It seems to move around, for variety, I guess. It's every bit as much annoying anywhere in the Forum thread. It should be before, after, left or right, but not in the thread itself.

There's a long thread about this over on the Name That Plant forum.

Gardenweb did this years ago. The only cure is to switch browsers to Firefox and use Adblock which is an add-on free on Firefox.

You can use multiple browsers, so use Firefox when you visit Houzz.

I do not get any adds or floating ads.

Jane

It's not ads or floating ads. It's a portal to a directory of professionals that have nothing to do with the forum.

My objective wasn't to find a workaround or a way to cope, but to generate a groundswell of complaint such that the perpetrators who originated the offending element would consider removing it and think twice before placing something like that again. If no one, or very few complain, then they have an easier time leaving it and adding something else annoying in the future.

Again, the email address is: gardenweb@houzz.com

All it takes is a 5-second note.

Thanks yard I too find them annoying.

jo

I do not see them.

jane

Looks Like this:

Not enough have complained. It's still here.

I don't think complaining is going to affect their decision...or might produce an even more obnoxious way to try to make $$ off a free to use site. I think they probably spend huge $$ on creating something that won't be affected by adblockers, but perhaps the adblockers will catch up and make it possible to block.

As annoying as it is if you have to LOOK at it, I find it completely easy to just scroll past. If it's in my view while reading something, I just enlarge the screen or scroll to a place so it isn't visible. I think some people who say they don't see it, might just have not noticed it, with all the visual clutter on Houzz sites.

If users don't click on the ads, they will be removed as not effective,
but the next "plot" for creating advertising $$ might be even more
obnoxious.