Outside ads on Neopets

[everconfused]

I don't know if this is already done (I doubt it), but it might be a good idea to only display these eBay and political ads to users over 13.. I'd say over 18, but that distinction isn't made on Neopets... Anyhow, I really think I wouldn't have anything to complain about if I knew that 10 year old kids weren't being offered a job in the Navy, or an account on eBay.

Edit: Speaking of adware.. is anyone else blocking (or finding) tracking cookies from a company called "Avenue A" on Neopets? I've been getting alot of them...

Hmm, I'm not getting Avenue A, but that's on my spybot list, so it may be being automatically blocked, same with tribalfusion - though that one does slow down or lock up my internet and I have to reboot. Weird, especially since the only ad that I'm getting a tribalfusion privacy report is a blank ad? The one that's bothering me is the servedby.advertising.com. That one keeps coming up - I have it in my security restricted and my privacy blocked cookies and it still keeps somehow getting through. I keep a shortcut to my Cookies folder on my desktop so I can check things if I even think there's anything going on.

Basically, all of these are ad tracking cookies. They, from my limited understanding of this stuff, work the way a click through banner doesn't ... with, for example, google banner a person has to click the banner for the site to get the hits and get paid. With what appears to be the type of network Neo's using, it's just a matter of seeing the ad - the cookie tracks us, but it also tracks page views and that is how the site's paid. That it looks to be a network would also explain some of the ads we're seeing. I don't know just how much say any site has over the ad content - except to say, maybe, nothing adult rated? I don't know, I'm just guessing.

The site does need to make money to pay their staff, pay for the servers, etc. I'm sure it costs alot to keep Neopets up and running. And I know they've had sponsors for a long time (Disney, McDonald's) and I'm super fine with that - along with the merchandise (I have enough of it to know - it's all taken over my apartment!). The Premium service, if it was separated down so you could choose to pay for 1 thing or choose a customized package would be nice, and it really should be somewhere on the site so more people are aware of it and maybe even try it out. That I think? could help. I would be willing to pay for the Portal to help support the site. But that's all I'd want - no toolbar, no email, no ISP.

The banner ads I have to say really do bother me - for more than one reason. The inside ads? Well, we're already there! The outside ads? I don't know, some of them almost "cheapen" such a great place. I also agree that there shouldn't be political, armed forces or auction site ads since we are not to discuss such things (mostly for good reason - though I still don't know why we can't type the word ebay).

I got to a page with an outside ad - refreshed the page, got another, refreshed, yet another...this happened 5 times in a row. So it may be 3% of the ads, but where and when they crop up is anyone's guess. You can go for pages at a time without any, then 3 or 4 pages in a row get an ad.

I still don't know if any of the banner ads actually are clickable or would take you anywhere - I haven't tried, just don't want to.

[Johnnydontgo]

Well, that's what I meant, actually. I'm using Spybot, and it's giving me messages that it's "blocked download of file from avenue a".. same with the advertising.com one.. spybot's blocking it. I've heard alot of people talking about tribalfusion, but I haven't seen that one yet.

[plushie]

Well, that's what I meant, actually. I'm using Spybot, and it's giving me messages that it's "blocked download of file from avenue a".. same with the advertising.com one.. spybot's blocking it. I've heard alot of people talking about tribalfusion, but I haven't seen that one yet.

Avenue A?

eheh.. I think that's what caused somewhat a virus on my computer, last summer i always got the "Blocked Download from Avenue A" thing and I scanned and we had a virus o.0

I dunno if avenue a was the cause, im just saying be careful

Tribal Fusion? Never heard of it!

[Runevalkyrie]

Well, that's what I meant, actually. I'm using Spybot, and it's giving me messages that it's "blocked download of file from avenue a".. same with the advertising.com one.. spybot's blocking it. I've heard alot of people talking about tribalfusion, but I haven't seen that one yet.

Well Tribalfusion is the banner cycling company that Neo has decided to use... although I haven't noticed any cookies from them coming from Neo.

[YesItIsh]

Eek. An iPod ad. One of THOSE. And AT&T ad? I don't like those ads...it seems more like 5%...

[stampsyne]

I got one for the University of Pheonix ... online!

[Morningstar]

Well, that's what I meant, actually. I'm using Spybot, and it's giving me messages that it's "blocked download of file from avenue a".. same with the advertising.com one.. spybot's blocking it. I've heard alot of people talking about tribalfusion, but I haven't seen that one yet.

Well Tribalfusion is the banner cycling company that Neo has decided to use... although I haven't noticed any cookies from them coming from Neo.

If you are able to download Pest Patrol and keep a window of that open while playing Neo, you will eventually see it appear. I have my internet set so that I hear a "bloop" sound anytime a cookie attaches. Once I hear the bloop, I go to Pest Patrol and check the cookie log. You would be amazed at all of the cookies I find while visiting Neo--and only Neo.

Because Pest Patrol allows me to get rid of any or all cookies, I get rid of all cookies obtained while on other sites before I go to Neo. So, these are cookies gotten for Neopets and only Neopets--not anywhere else.

[SierraRaven]

Well Tribalfusion is the banner cycling company that Neo has decided to use... although I haven't noticed any cookies from them coming from Neo.

I use Netscape, and I have my cookie options set to "Enable cookies for the originating website", and also "Alert me before storing a cookie". Several times a day, I'm asked if I want Tribalfusion.com to set a cookie. I've also gotten them from atdmt.com and advertising.com. I finally instructed Netscape to never accept cookies from those sites.

[Alex]

Well, that's what I meant, actually. I'm using Spybot, and it's giving me messages that it's "blocked download of file from avenue a".. same with the advertising.com one.. spybot's blocking it. I've heard alot of people talking about tribalfusion, but I haven't seen that one yet.

Well Tribalfusion is the banner cycling company that Neo has decided to use... although I haven't noticed any cookies from them coming from Neo.

If you are able to download Pest Patrol and keep a window of that open while playing Neo, you will eventually see it appear. I have my internet set so that I hear a "bloop" sound anytime a cookie attaches. Once I hear the bloop, I go to Pest Patrol and check the cookie log. You would be amazed at all of the cookies I find while visiting Neo--and only Neo.

Because Pest Patrol allows me to get rid of any or all cookies, I get rid of all cookies obtained while on other sites before I go to Neo. So, these are cookies gotten for Neopets and only Neopets--not anywhere else.

I might try that out - I've been getting a bunch of cookies from Neo when I do a spyware scan. I used to scan every week or two, now I'm scanning every couple of days, and I'm getting the same amount.

[br00ster]

I'm from the younger crowd and non of the bikini pin up or navy ads are bothering me. Why should they? I know we have a war going on. It happens. I know about pinups. Heck, I know the HISTORY of pin ups. Doesn't bother me.

Yeah, but that's not the point. Number one, I've seen you post everywhere, and I don't know exactly how old you are, but you're obviously a rather mature and intelligent preteen. Not all kids your age are. Secondly, it's more about what over-protective parents are going to say, and not the response of the children themselves. I have a two year old, and when she's 10, I'm hoping I will have taught her well enough to know that advertisements shouldn't be the basis of what she wears, thinks, feels, etc. But some parents assume it's the media's job to teach their children that, and therein lies the problem.

True...-gets snotty about her mature-ness-

[plushie]

I'm from the younger crowd and non of the bikini pin up or navy ads are bothering me. Why should they? I know we have a war going on. It happens. I know about pinups. Heck, I know the HISTORY of pin ups. Doesn't bother me.

Yeah, but that's not the point. Number one, I've seen you post everywhere, and I don't know exactly how old you are, but you're obviously a rather mature and intelligent preteen. Not all kids your age are. Secondly, it's more about what over-protective parents are going to say, and not the response of the children themselves. I have a two year old, and when she's 10, I'm hoping I will have taught her well enough to know that advertisements shouldn't be the basis of what she wears, thinks, feels, etc. But some parents assume it's the media's job to teach their children that, and therein lies the problem.

True...-gets snotty about her mature-ness-

lol- non of the ads bother me either, i just ignore them. the off-site adverts aren't all that flashy o_0

how old are you anyway br00ster? im 12