Ad reporting functionality

[zeta0134]

I've been utilizing Nexus Mods for quite a while now, ad blocker in tow, and have always found the quality level to be pretty fantastic all around. I totally get where you're coming from on the ads, and you're in a bit of a tough spot as a good deal of the monetization options you have available would lean very heavily towards feeling like the "paid mods" fiasco that Valve got into recently.

 

Personally, since I don't intend to disable my ad blocker for security and privacy reasons, I've signed up to be a supporter, and I'll remember to toss a month of premium your way any time I fire up skyrim again.

 

As a possible suggestion for financing, here's just a totally random idea. Would something like a donation split incentive work? I don't know how robust your payment system is, but if you could allow mod authors to accept donations through it, and allow the user to split that donation to Nexus Mods for server upkeep (totally up to the user, with maybe like a default 5% as a suggestion) it could be something to consider. I have no idea how much money is flying around in the form of donations, but I feel like transparency about the server costs would help a bit with that.

 

Really though, the elephant in the room is on the ad networks themselves; we've created this awful internet culture of annoying popups and dancing bottles of [brand Name] cleaning product, and it's simply got to stop. Advertising *can* be great, but right now it's simply a mess, across the *whole* internet.

[zeta0134]

In response to post #35952445. #35957755 is also a reply to the same post.

DAOWAce wrote: I started using an adblocker (along with noscript) about 7 years ago after I was infected by a malicious ad on a site I trusted. It resulted in me getting an important account compromised, twice, which included a leak of all my real personal information (instead of just my online alias' information; a practice I started using due to site hacking becoming prevalent). I was forced to reinstall Windows and start a completely fresh browser install (instead of continue with my old history I keep as I'm an archivist).

I go out of my way to block ads, because I will never risk something like that happening ever again.

Since then, I've never been infected by anything; and I don't use an anti-virus.

That said, I'm a supporter of the site, so this is moot here, but I just wanted to speak out on why I personally use an adblocker, and will for the foreseeable future.

Bob100 wrote: not using an anti-virus is why u had to reinstall windows u never use a pc without a anti-virus

Oh please. I've seen loads of people come through my IT helpdesk with multiple antivirus programs installed and configured correctly, and they still clicked on the popup, called the 1-800 number, spoke to the nice man in India claiming to be from Microsoft, gave him their credit card info, let him log into their computer and encrypt all their files... etc etc. Antivirus can't protect the user from themselves.

If you're smart, you can avoid infection by applying good security practices. Antivirus is a tool, nothing more. It is a very useful tool, especially if you like to download new software regularly, but it is hardly foolproof. There's no substitute for your gray matter.

[youstolemyname]

Lately I've been getting ads which freeze my entire browser, while playing loud music. I'm not sure which ones they are, as I can't move the browser around to check each one or report them. I have to close the browser, reopen it to my previous tabs and close the offending one before the ad starts. This can be a pain as when I'm modding a game I usually have a bunch of tabs open at once, so sometimes figuring out which one is doing it can take a few tries. It's heartbreaking because I love the nexus, I think this is the best community on the internet. Definitely best community in gaming. thanks for reading, and thanks for making this site possible.

[Doge2323]

lol anyone not using adblock in 2016

[Ianana]

In response to post #35952445. #35957755, #35970875 are all replies on the same post.

DAOWAce wrote: I started using an adblocker (along with noscript) about 7 years ago after I was infected by a malicious ad on a site I trusted. It resulted in me getting an important account compromised, twice, which included a leak of all my real personal information (instead of just my online alias' information; a practice I started using due to site hacking becoming prevalent). I was forced to reinstall Windows and start a completely fresh browser install (instead of continue with my old history I keep as I'm an archivist).

I go out of my way to block ads, because I will never risk something like that happening ever again.

Since then, I've never been infected by anything; and I don't use an anti-virus.

That said, I'm a supporter of the site, so this is moot here, but I just wanted to speak out on why I personally use an adblocker, and will for the foreseeable future.

Bob100 wrote: not using an anti-virus is why u had to reinstall windows u never use a pc without a anti-virus

zeta0134 wrote: Oh please. I've seen loads of people come through my IT helpdesk with multiple antivirus programs installed and configured correctly, and they still clicked on the popup, called the 1-800 number, spoke to the nice man in India claiming to be from Microsoft, gave him their credit card info, let him log into their computer and encrypt all their files... etc etc. Antivirus can't protect the user from themselves.

If you're smart, you can avoid infection by applying good security practices. Antivirus is a tool, nothing more. It is a very useful tool, especially if you like to download new software regularly, but it is hardly foolproof. There's no substitute for your gray matter.

I too am in I.T. and have seen my staff do the same. We have been hit by Crypto locker (In several of it iterations) several times in the past year and I can tell you even current updated AV solutions have big trouble keeping up with it. But AV solutions are important and so are Malware solutions. Ads are a primary cause of some of the Crypto issues out there. Even from good normally safe sites. Just bad ads. Lots of users do not use AV solutions as DAOWace (he is well known on Widescreen forums and sites and I am sure he knows why he does not and I will not fault him for that at all as I have often wondered myself about the chicken and the egg) and have never been compromised as they know where they surf and are extremely careful. But most people are not that careful or they live with others that have no sense or are not savvy.

There have been of late some ads here that annoyed me playing loud bangs and then loud music or loud talking. If you have several Nexus pages open at once and the background page all of a sudden makes a loud bang, well I jumped in my chair. Robin, I understand the need to run ads. Income to support this site is necessary. I am guilty of using the Nexus for years and not having become a Premium member. But now just a small amount to be a Supporter for life...seems like a real deal. But I think becoming a Premium member is worth it to me since I use this site so much and have gotten much help from others here and well the wonderful mods. If those of us that can afford to become Premium members do that then that would really help with this. So I am going to do it because well it feels right to me.

Thanks.

[poogala]

A lot of the ads were freezing my browser as well (it didn't matter if I was using firefox or chrome). I usually had to restart after a minute or so, and sometimes nexus pages flat out refused to load. Luckily $2 is something I can easily afford (and something I wish more sites offered), so I recently just paid to turn the ads off and everything has worked fine since.

 

Edit: after looking at some of the other comments, I'd like to second the option to turn the ads back on as a way to further support the site. I'd happily do that if some of the malicious ads were rooted out.

Edited March 26, 2016 by poogala

[Aelian]

Hey there, Dark0ne :)

 

Just here to say that adblock plus, which is probably the most used adblocker out there, allows your site to get whitelisted if you agree on specific ad policies. Basically, if they are not a nuisance and the adblock user has decided to keep the whitelist on (which is the default option) your ads will display for them.

 

Check it out :)

 

That said, considering the supporter fee you offer... well, people, DO support :P

 

EDIT: also, forbes ads really ARE bad, and I just switched to another news site :P

Edited March 26, 2016 by Aelian

[bubinga64]

In response to post #35959950.

zetrax999 wrote: I don't think it's fair for people to use Adblock. If a site makes money from people viewing add but everyone blocks them, then how can the site afford to continue functioning?

I don't think it's fair to put malicious code in adds that target an unsuspecting users computer including install programs/applications without their knowledge if they don't know what's going on.

I have no problem with unobtrusive and non-malicious adds. I'm even all for targeted adds. Maybe that way I'll see one for something I actually care about.

Bottom line is, as a previous poster mentioned, the entire way ads are being handled and treated on the internet needs to be revamped. Maybe this is the first glimmer of that change to come. I can see this becoming a big deal in the future as the Internet will need to become either less add driven or produce better and targeted adds.

I'm sure Google sees the writing on the wall. Ads are their core business.

[HyperFusion]

In response to post #35959950. #36007310 is also a reply to the same post.

zetrax999 wrote: I don't think it's fair for people to use Adblock. If a site makes money from people viewing add but everyone blocks them, then how can the site afford to continue functioning?

bubinga64 wrote: I don't think it's fair to put malicious code in adds that target an unsuspecting users computer including install programs/applications without their knowledge if they don't know what's going on.

I have no problem with unobtrusive and non-malicious adds. I'm even all for targeted adds. Maybe that way I'll see one for something I actually care about.

Bottom line is, as a previous poster mentioned, the entire way ads are being handled and treated on the internet needs to be revamped. Maybe this is the first glimmer of that change to come. I can see this becoming a big deal in the future as the Internet will need to become either less add driven or produce better and targeted adds.

I'm sure Google sees the writing on the wall. Ads are their core business.

that is why I disable adblock on sites that I use and don't pay premium to, like this. Only exception is probably youtube. :D

[Indiwolf14]

I've tried whitelisting Nexusmods, but sometimes the ads slow down the site so much it's almost unusable and I have to turn adblock back on.

I don't think the ads themselves are malicious, I just think four video windows running at once on one page are too much for the old, worn out, laptop that I browse on. Having all unanimated ads would be a welcome change.