# Audio in banner ads



## moxcamel (Feb 2, 2011)

I just clicked on a forum link only to have "YOU'VE WON!" blasted through my speakers by an epileptic-fit-inducing 60Khz flashing banner ad at the top.

Please tell me this is an anomaly.  I don't mind ad-supported, and in fact I click on the occasional ad just to make sure the fine folks here at ENWorld see a few quid for their efforts.  I don't want to have to install ad-blockers, but audio ads are a deal-breaker for me.


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## darjr (Feb 2, 2011)

[MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION], I've seen these too.


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## Morrus (Feb 2, 2011)

You're a community supporter - you don't need ad blockers.  Just turn them off in your settings.

If you can let me know which ad it is, I can let Ed Healy know about it.  It's not one I've seen.


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## moxcamel (Feb 2, 2011)

Morrus said:


> You're a community supporter - you don't need ad blockers.  Just turn them off in your settings.
> 
> If you can let me know which ad it is, I can let Ed Healy know about it.  It's not one I've seen.




Well as I mentioned, I like to support the site with click-throughs.  I don't know what the ad was, it was one of those "ZOMG YOU WIN!" ads that flashes.  If I run across it again I'll point it out.


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## Morrus (Feb 2, 2011)

We'll need to know what URL it links to so Ed can block it (it'll be one if an infinite number of possible Google ads, so describing it won't help, unfortunately).


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## moxcamel (Feb 2, 2011)

If it happens again I'll grab the URL.  As it was, I closed the tab as quickly as I could because I was at work, where everyone learned that I was a "winner."


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## UnknownAtThisTime (Feb 2, 2011)

moxcamel said:


> If it happens again I'll grab the URL. As it was, I closed the tab as quickly as I could because I was at work, where everyone learned that I was a "winner."




I dunno, I could use the positive affirmation now and again. I may just go grab the .wav for it and make it my email notification chime. *"You're a winner!!!" *

Why yes, yes I am!

I should edit to add:  In the last week or so (around the time of the 'malware incident'), the ads have definitely changed.  They used to be "gamer specific", now I see all kinds of random stuff.  (I know you don't have control over this [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] , and there are likely several parts to the algorythm for the ads, but something definitely changed and it is something you might want to know.)


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## Merkuri (Feb 3, 2011)

moxcamel said:


> As it was, I closed the tab as quickly as I could because I was at work, where everyone learned that I was a "winner."




This is why I always keep my work PC muted unless I have headphones on.


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## darjr (Feb 3, 2011)

Got it again.
Went to: 
	
	



```
http://localpromotions.info/content/multipromo/index_v5.php?cid=XAJAN2011&audio
```

And not only does it do that 'Congratulations' very loudly it flashes at a very annoyingly high rate.

See the attachment for what it looks like.


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## Morrus (Feb 3, 2011)

I've asked Ed Healy to block the domain.


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 3, 2011)

Thank you. That was giving some very serious headaches to me. Even while under the medicine!


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## GandalfMithrandir (Feb 3, 2011)

I have an adblocker chrome attachment and at school I always keep the volume muted for occasions such as these


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## moxcamel (Feb 4, 2011)

darjr said:


> Got it again.
> Went to:
> 
> 
> ...




Yep that looks like the one!  [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION], thanks for having it blocked.

(and unfortunately for me, blocking sound isn't an option as I need it for my job. :\)


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## Merkuri (Feb 5, 2011)

moxcamel said:


> (and unfortunately for me, blocking sound isn't an option as I need it for my job.




What OS do you have?  If the sound you need is not coming from your browser and you have Windows 7 you can mute only the browser and leave your other applications with sound.


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## moxcamel (Feb 7, 2011)

Merkuri said:


> What OS do you have?  If the sound you need is not coming from your browser and you have Windows 7 you can mute only the browser and leave your other applications with sound.



Innaresting, I wasn't aware you could mute the browser only in Win 7.  I'm actually using Win7, but unfortunately the app I need sound for (system monitoring) is browser-based.  Now if I could enable/disable sound on a per-tab basis, that would be pretty cool.


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## Merkuri (Feb 7, 2011)

moxcamel said:


> Now if I could enable/disable sound on a per-tab basis, that would be pretty cool.




I've tried that with Chrome, and it doesn't work well.  It may show up twice in the volume control, but muting one doesn't necessarily mute just that one tab.

However, you could use two browsers (like IE and Chrome, or Firefox and Opera), one for work stuff and one for non-work stuff and mute the non-work-stuff browser.


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 9, 2011)

looks like there is another one: Adobe - Flash Player


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## moxcamel (Feb 10, 2011)

Here's another one I just got a few minutes ago.  The audio is "Congratulations, you won!"

http:// localpromotions.info/content/multipromo/index_v5.php?cid=XAJAN2011&audio=off

Ironically, the page it takes you to has the "audio=off" tag.  (I put a space after the http:// so it's not clickable.)  Also, because the actual ad was Flash, I couldn't tell where it was going to take me unless I actually clicked on it.  If anyone knows how to find out what the destination is without clicking on a Flash ad, please share. 

And here's what it looked like on EnWorld (the one on the left):





ETA: And holy F***, I got this ad again after posting, including the "Congratulations, you won!" audio.


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## Merkuri (Feb 10, 2011)

Wow, I have ads disabled, and I think I still got this (or one similar).  I heard the "Congratulations, you won!" audio, and I had no other windows open that normally come with ads.

Edit: It just happened again, and EN World was the only browser tab I had open.  I cannot tell where the ad is coming from because I can't see it.


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 10, 2011)

On CM I do not get these ads.


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## Morrus (Feb 10, 2011)

I've asked Ed to block it.


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## moxcamel (Feb 13, 2011)

And again...

http:// localpromotions.info/content/multipromo/index_v5.php?cid=XAJAN2011&audio=off


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## Lanefan (Feb 15, 2011)

Audio in ads seems to be the new craze - it's cropping up more and more on other sites I visit as well - very annoying when one has the internet radio playing while you surf, as I often do...

Lanefan


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## Dice4Hire (Feb 15, 2011)

Merkuri said:


> Wow, I have ads disabled, and I think I still got this (or one similar).  I heard the "Congratulations, you won!" audio, and I had no other windows open that normally come with ads.
> 
> Edit: It just happened again, and EN World was the only browser tab I had open.  I cannot tell where the ad is coming from because I can't see it.




I am a CS with ads turned off, and on some pages, I still get a couple ads way down at the bottom of the page.

For example this very page.


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## Dragonwriter (Feb 19, 2011)

I've seen/heard a few of these... Quite annoying. One is the miserable Flash pink one upthread, but another I just recently encountered is full video and audio.  It even starts the commercials with another commercial!

Right-clicking the player and hitting Settings gives me something about "how much information can cdn (dot) onescreen (dot) net store on your computer?" I'm assuming this .net thing is the source of this disruptive advertisement.

So far, these audio ads aren't really common, but they are getting there. I hope you can get something done with this little bit of info, as I don't really know how to find the source site for these particular ads...


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## Scott DeWar (Feb 24, 2011)

I have not seen any of those ads in a while now!


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## drothgery (Mar 5, 2011)

Scott DeWar said:


> I have not seen any of those ads in a while now!




Well, I never 'see' them... they're only appearing for me (sometimes, but as recently as yesterday) in the bottom spot, which is the only one that community supporters can't turn off (and far enough below any useful content that I can't think anyone is ever clicking on those ads).


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## Dragonwriter (Jun 20, 2011)

Dredging this thread up because I've got another source for audio ads... This particular one also doesn't have a Mute or Pause feature. The source info given when I right-click and go into Settings is "wac.1e41.edgecastcdn.net"

And as drothgery pointed out, they only seem to appear in the bottom ad bar.


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