Windows Central Ads: Do you block 'em or leave 'em?

[Prometheus2021]

Out of curiosity do you guys block or leave the Ads when you visit the Windows Central page?

I've been going back and forth. Leaving them for a good while, but when they get annoying I block them. I know this is one of the ways the site generates revenue, but I find it super annoying. What do you guys do? Chime in!

 

[Josiah23]

I keep it off.

Whenever I keep ad block on, I have a few issues with the forums such as me not being able to login and actually view the forum section of the site.

I also don't mind the ads too much since I only use the web version to view my profile.

 

[libra89]

Ad block is on for me. The site is just too slow for me without AdBlock.

 

[meattray]

I generally go in through one of the apps but if I am using the web version I've generally left them on.

 

[dgr_874]

I use AddBlock too. The website is way to slow without it.

I have offered to pay for some sort of subscription for a year to support this site without so many adds and there is still nothing to throw my money at.

 

[Josiah23]

I meant "I keep it off" instead of "I keep it on" from my previous post, lol. My fault.

(I already edited and corrected the previous post)

 

[MeAjur]

I just started here, but I block ads. Oh, I'm sure they're nice, pretty ads and probably pretty safe, too. I'm not taking the chance.

Six years ago I was hit by ransomware. Took a factory reset to get it off. Thought I'd wait for the weekend before taking the time to throw my programs back on. And a good thing because if I hadn't waited, I'd have wasted my time. Just two days later I was looking at pictures of carved leather on DeviantArt. The banner ads rotated every few minutes, but eventually I noticed that one ad was taking it's sweet ol' time downloading (which was unusual since all the other ads had loaded in seconds). It took so long to download that I actually started getting suspicious. And after quite a while of effort, the banner seemingly gave up and decided a broken image icon would be a better substiYOU HAVE XX INFECTED FILES! PAY US TO GET RID OF THEM!

Yeah... I'm sorry WC won't be getting revenue off of me, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Player Piano]

I always use adblock plus. However, I would be more than happy to pay for a premium subscription if they offered one making the website ad free.

 

[Drael646464]

While the functionality breaks when you block ads, the site is unuseable with the ads on. Not only is it slow loading, but incredibly it taxes the CPU and slows whole system performance. Really not good.

I'd leave them running if they weren't stupid.

 

[Axeelant]

They're too annoying and they make these pretty tidy forums visually look bad and ugly...

So adblocker is ON for me 24/7.

 

[Timbre70]

Use the app on w10m

 

[derrieger]

Out of curiosity do you guys block or leave the Ads when you visit the Windows Central page?

Well, I do both since my mobile Edge doesn't have an ad-blocker while the desktop browser does have one.

 

[Indistinguishable]

While the functionality breaks when you block ads, the site is unuseable with the ads on. Not only is it slow loading, but incredibly it taxes the CPU and slows whole system performance. Really not good.

I'd leave them running if they weren't stupid.

This is my issue as well.

So I use an adblocker. But I also try to purchase things through the Windows Central store to support the website. I'm grateful for this website and community.

 

[Drael646464]

I just built a new computer with just 4gb of ram (More in the mail).

With 4gb of ram, and 4 gb of swap file, my machine ran out of memory with three tabs of windows central and a disk copy utility.

Before this I've seen a few windows place the cpu under 100% load on my old machine..

And that's all the ads....

I mean WTF. Why would ads on windows central chew up massive amounts of LOCAL resources? That's weird and suspicious. Its very very not right.

I don't think ever seen a site act so weirdly.

No way in high hell I am running those things. I'd have no issue at all if they were just the little ads they appear on the surface to be.

 

[JohnnyRedLight]

I actually never run ad block. If the implementation is unobrusive and doesnt severely impact the performance of any website, I dont mind. They need to make money too. If it is a poor implementation, I simply stop visiting whatever site.

 

[Prometheus2021]

That would be a very interesting thing. I would too pay for the site not to have any ads, but I think it'll be a small number of us who would.

 

[Prometheus2021]

I just started here, but I block ads. Oh, I'm sure they're nice, pretty ads and probably pretty safe, too. I'm not taking the chance.

Six years ago I was hit by ransomware. Took a factory reset to get it off. Thought I'd wait for the weekend before taking the time to throw my programs back on. And a good thing because if I hadn't waited, I'd have wasted my time. Just two days later I was looking at pictures of carved leather on DeviantArt. The banner ads rotated every few minutes, but eventually I noticed that one ad was taking it's sweet ol' time downloading (which was unusual since all the other ads had loaded in seconds). It took so long to download that I actually started getting suspicious. And after quite a while of effort, the banner seemingly gave up and decided a broken image icon would be a better substiYOU HAVE XX INFECTED FILES! PAY US TO GET RID OF THEM!

Yeah... I'm sorry WC won't be getting revenue off of me, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

This has been one of my fears, and minor reasons for having an adblocker on almost everything. This site is one of the very few exceptions.

 

[Prometheus2021]

While the functionality breaks when you block ads, the site is unuseable with the ads on. Not only is it slow loading, but incredibly it taxes the CPU and slows whole system performance. Really not good.

I'd leave them running if they weren't stupid.

Yeah same here, when they are blocked the page runs smoother, and I have no problem doing things on WC, but once I put them back on the site slows down, and every now and then the page will just take me to another page as if I had clicked on an ad. It really bugs the crap outta me.

 

[Prometheus2021]

Use the app on w10m??????

I would normally use it too, but since my last update the app has been broken for me. Granted I am running an insider build, fast ring, so some things are bound to break or stop working, but usually the WC app has been one of the most reliable apps to not go on the fritz, so I'm back to using the site

 

[Prometheus2021]

I'm down with the idea of a paid subscription for the site to be ad free. Lets be real they need to make money, and that's why they resort to ads, but damn if those ads aren't so annoying and taxing to the system and site. That's why people sometimes stop visiting sites all together, cuz of the annoying ads. I am all for a paid subscription. In the long run it'll be beneficial for both the WC site, it's employees, and the community e.i. better content (not that it isn't) more prizes or contests, over all it will be an improvement.