Ad blocker

[Nutball]

For the first time when using Google chrome on my desktop, the page changes to a new window asking me to turn the ad blocker off. I thought I could still see the usually add before the new window opens, but maybe I'm missing something.

Anyway, is this something new? Maybe it's just new that chrome decided to block ads. I'm using my phone now since it works still.

I couldn't find where to change ad blocker setting on chrome, so I'd like some guidance there.

[andyg]

We've been discussing this with Admin.

The reasons are simple. Running the site costs money and revenue from ads has been falling, even though membership has been steadily growing. Admin has self funded this site from its inception 15 years ago! So Admin decided to add an 'ad block blocker' that will remind people to whitelist Organ Forum in their browser. In Chrome, I just clicked on the Adblock logo at the top right of the screen and there was an option to allow ads to run on the site. If you use the same ad blocker as me, it's a hand in a red circle if the ad blocker is enabled. Once the ad blocker was disabled, it changed to a white 'thumbs up' in a green circle.

The ads are not intrusive, a banner ad at top and bottom and three ads in the side bar at the right (if you have that sidebar in view). No animations or distracting things.

I did find that I was getting a few non-ads, 'fake news' items, as Mr T might say. I queried this with Admin. The ads are provided by google, and are (supposedly) based on your own browsing. If you see an ad that you object to, there will be an arrow/cross at the top right and you can tell google that you don't want to see it again.

[Admin]

What Andy said. Thanks Andy!

[Nutball]

I found it, it's a grey "i" in a grey circle before the web address. I was looking over to the settings options at the top right.

EDIT: Is the ad blocker page an automatic thing that shows each time a new page is opened, or does it detect ads being blocked? Just curious. It still appears after I unblocked ads, and I haven't seen any google ads yet. The ads are still enabled even on new pages, but at least it does allow me access after clicking the "click here after you have enabled ads button". Strange that a google browser would have trouble viewing its own ads.

[Admin]

I found it, it's a grey "i" in a grey circle before the web address. I was looking over to the settings options at the top right.

EDIT: Is the ad blocker page an automatic thing that shows each time a new page is opened, or does it detect ads being blocked? Just curious. It still appears after I unblocked ads, and I haven't seen any google ads yet. The ads are still enabled even on new pages, but at least it does allow me access after clicking the "click here after you have enabled ads button". Strange that a google browser would have trouble viewing its own ads.

Actually, I don't think that's it. Chrome does have an ad-blocker that will block intrusive ads, but it is not blocking the Organ Forum by default because this site does not serve ads that Google considers intrusive. Are you sure that you haven't installed a third-party ad blocker extension?

In the Chrome menu, click More Tools/Extensions see if there's an ad blocker extension installed.

[Nutball]

I don't see an ad blocking extension there. I did find that the ad block setting was on in the other menu I found mentioned earlier, and that's what I turned off.

EDIT: IE shows no google ads either, but it never has the ad blocker page appear. I also don't see yet where to check its ad blocking settings.

[Admin]

Don't what to tell you. Chrome is not blocking ads on this site whether the native Chrome ad-blocker is being used or not. I've tried this on two different Windows 10 PC's. They're both running Chrome version 64.0.3282.186 (Official Build)(64-bit). Ads are not being blocked and the nag screen asking to disable ad-blocker does not appear.

When you click on the circle-i icon in the address bar, you are viewing the settings for that site. To disable Chrome's ad-blocking Internet wide, you need to turn it off in the main settings. In the Chrome menu select Settings. On the Settings page scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the word Advanced. Scroll down to Content settings and click the arrow on the right. Find Ads in the list and click the arrow on the right. On that page you'll see a switch. If the switch is thrown to the left, the text will read "Blocked on sites that tend to show intrusive ads (recommended)" meaning intrusive ads will be blocked by Chrome. If the switch is thrown to the right, the text reads "Allowed" which means that no ads will be blocked.

Below the switch are two lists labeled "Block" and "Allow" that contain the names of those sites that Chrome has blocked and those that you have explicitly allowed. You should not see the Organ Forum in either of those lists.

Right now, the Forum nag screen only appears on the initial entry to the Forum, so to see if the ad blocker is still in effect, you have to navigate away from the Forum and then navigate back to it, or close your browser and open it again.

To be clear, the ads served by Google are the banner ads at the top and bottom of every page.

IE does not have a native ad blocker. Why are you still using IE instead of Edge?

[Nutball]

Organ forum is on the allow list on chrome. I also have IE11. I often don't update the computer because too often a faulty update occurs where I have to live with a very annoying defect until they make an update to fix it. I almost always use Chrome now because I don't like the current version of IE which I used to prefer over Chrome. So, maybe I need to look into updating that.

I'm just letting you know if I don't see ads, others might not, and that might cost you money if that's how it works?

[Admin]

Organ forum is on the allow list on chrome. I also have IE11. I often don't update the computer because too often a faulty update occurs where I have to live with a very annoying defect until they make an update to fix it. I almost always use Chrome now because I don't like the current version of IE which I used to prefer over Chrome. So, maybe I need to look into updating that.

I'm just letting you know if I don't see ads, others might not, and that might cost you money if that's how it works?

Just so we're clear about all of this.

The ad-blocker native to the latest versions of Chrome blocks ads only on those sites serving intrusive ads. Intrusive ads are pop-ups, modals, flash animations, ads that play sound, etc. Google makes money through ads. They did not include this feature in Chrome to block their own ads, but rather to encourage users *not* to use ad blockers that block all ads thus depriving them of revenue. This site does not, and never will serve intrusive ads. As I said, Chrome is not blocking the ads on this site, and because it is not blocking ads on this site, you should not see the nag screen. If you do, something else is going on.

IE 11 does not have any native ad-blocker capabilities. If it is not displaying ads on this site, an ad-blocker extension has been installed, or something else is going on. You will see a nag screen on this site if an ad-blocker is detected. If a nag screen is not displayed, then ads are not being blocked. IE is a legacy browser that MS still supports on Windows prior to Windows 10. Edge is their current, and best, browser product, but is available only on Windows 10.

Whether one updates one's software or not is personal decision, but the excuses for not doing so that people offer never make sense to me, given the risks that are amplified by news headlines on a regular basis. See why your excuse doesn't make sense to me by googling Windows restore points.

I will state, though, that if you are using Windows XP you shouldn't be.

[SubBase]

Ironically, one of the ads running right now is for an ad-blocker; can't make this up.
Casey