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VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

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Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#291

Post by ams6110 »

grb423 wrote: post #262
spiderfarmer wrote: post #133

What I would like in a new kind of Ad network: - all ads are responsive HTML5 ads - all resources are loaded over HTTPS - ads are based on your content, not on a profile of the user - ads can be requested server side by sending the URL where the ad will be displayed through an API. The response contains the ad code, as well as the expiration date - if you want, you can even download a package with all resources so ad…

> ads are based on your content, not on a profile of the user Have we given up on relevance? I was always hopeful that one day in the future the sites I love could be supported by showing _only_ ads that interested their users. With our post-modern privacy fetish, though, I guess I'm becoming resigned to hygiene ads just so long as they're served over HTTPS.

I dispute that serving ads relevant to the content of the site is "giving up on relevance." If anything it's far more likely to be relevant. And it doesn't require tracking the user.

If I'm reading a site about auto maintenance, for example, what's more relevant? Ads for auto parts suppliers, or ads for cookware because that's what I last bought on Amazon?

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#292

Post by agarden »

peeky wrote: post #279
cantlin wrote: post #184

At the Guardian we needed our own video player, because we couldn't rely on a third party platform not to take down something that we published. Editorial independence was important. We implemented our player on top of video.js, and most of the developers who were there at the time still have nightmares about it. We finally got the thing working, looking good, embeddable, reasonably cross-browser. We shipped it. A fe…

I've actually emailed the Guardian before to say I would gladly pay at least whatever they earn from my ad impressions to have an ad-free site. They just pointed me to the mobile apps where this is already an option. I wish more sites offered an alternative to the dilemma of UX-breaking ads vs ad blocker guilt.

You can pay them $49/year. If that doesn't remove the ads, then install an ad blocker that you turn on for just their site.

https://membership.theguardian.com/us/supporter?INTCMP=ADBLO...

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#293

Post by manigandham »

Pxtl wrote: post #197
spiderfarmer wrote: post #133

What I would like in a new kind of Ad network: - all ads are responsive HTML5 ads - all resources are loaded over HTTPS - ads are based on your content, not on a profile of the user - ads can be requested server side by sending the URL where the ad will be displayed through an API. The response contains the ad code, as well as the expiration date - if you want, you can even download a package with all resources so ad…

As a user, this is what I want: The ad network provides the javascript, not the advertisers. No ad-hoc javascript provided by each advertiser. They deal with a standard API where they provide the content using pre-configured blocks of code. Like "we provide this standard tracking tool, this standard slideshow/animation system, etc".

It's not really the advertisers providing the JS, it's that there are tons of adtech platforms and everyone just mixes and matches.

This is why you have 1 tag that loads dozens more because each agency is using a different system to serve an image or track an impression. There are some standards around formats but the actual tech delivery is terrible and this industry (for all the great tech that is actually built) just seems to have major problems at making things that work well. Probably because the consumer has never really been the major focus.

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#294

Post by Pxtl »

manigandham wrote: post #293
Pxtl wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a user, this is what I want: The ad network provides the javascript, not the advertisers. No ad-hoc javascript provided by each advertiser. They deal with a standard API where they provide the content using pre-configured blocks of code. Like "we provide this standard tracking tool, this standard slideshow/animation system, etc".

It's not really the advertisers providing the JS, it's that there are tons of adtech platforms and everyone just mixes and matches. This is why you have 1 tag that loads dozens more because each agency is using a different system to serve an image or track an impression. There are some standards around formats but the actual tech delivery is terrible and this industry (for all the great tech that is actually built) j…

Either way, the amount of malicious code served by even the most respectable ad networks is ludicrous and unacceptable.

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#295

Post by bowersbros »

spiderfarmer wrote: post #272
WiseWeasel wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For Google Fonts, it's best practice to leave out the protocol and link to '//fonts.googleapis.com/...'. It's unhelpful that their link generator still suggests ' http://fonts...' .

Or just download them and serve them from your own domain. If you enable HTTP/2 there is little to no advantage of using a third party for hosting fonts.

Wont they be cached from other peoples websites saving the download?

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#296

Post by brohee »

natch wrote: post #229

OK, so this guy is complaining about a cancer inflicted on us by advertisers like Google, while posting on a site that (speaking of cancers nobody is talking about) requires a Google login to view. I agree with his point, but the obliviousness to the problem caused by his choice of blogging platform is a bit rich.

Doesn't require a Google login for me...

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#297

Post by roymurdock »

manigandham wrote: post #286
cantlin wrote: post #184

At the Guardian we needed our own video player, because we couldn't rely on a third party platform not to take down something that we published. Editorial independence was important. We implemented our player on top of video.js, and most of the developers who were there at the time still have nightmares about it. We finally got the thing working, looking good, embeddable, reasonably cross-browser. We shipped it. A fe…

As someone who's been in the adtech business for years, I admire the Guardian for being one of the better engineered sites out there when it comes to ads. At least you guys have fast loading content and try to optimize the experience as much as you can. We built a brand new modern ad network[1] and it's amazing how few advertisers and publishers care or even understand how important a good user experience is. 1. http…

Seems like the ad market is bifurcating: "native content" for those with ad blockers, and ridiculous garbage-ads for those who either (1) don't have the tech literacy to install and run an adblocker, or (2) are whitelisting out of empathy for content creators.

Increasingly I believe we'll see the former.

Does "native content" (paid-for pieces disguised as objective information) require "sophisticated" ad network tech?

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#298

Post by 1123581321 »

spiderfarmer wrote: post #259
LeifCarrotson wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are all great ideas for a user-friendly ad network. I think that you could add "so the user makes fewer network requests and loads the page faster" as a reason for the option to download a resource pack. But the key requirement for an ad network is that it makes money. I am optimistic that your system would produce user-friendly sites that would, given good content, eventually develop a positive reputation, ear…

I don't know how lucrative and / or effective it is, but a lot of high quality websites united in using The DECK, an ad network without a lot of bells and whistles. Since it's been around for quite some time, I guess they're doing well. The ad network I'm proposing will never be as large as Google is right now. If it's a small network that only connects entrepeneurs with solid long-term visions, I am fine with that.…

The Deck's revenue is about 1.5 million annually. They publish their advertisers list and rates. However, it might be less if they make deals.

My intuition is that The Deck is in slow decline due to fewer advertisers and declining interest in its member sites (Metafilter, Instapaper, a lot of web 2.0 design resources.) I still think it is an excellent example to follow, though.

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#299

Post by Shinchy »

cantlin wrote: post #184

At the Guardian we needed our own video player, because we couldn't rely on a third party platform not to take down something that we published. Editorial independence was important. We implemented our player on top of video.js, and most of the developers who were there at the time still have nightmares about it. We finally got the thing working, looking good, embeddable, reasonably cross-browser. We shipped it. A fe…

You worked on the newer Video Player for the Guardian? Coincidently I created the really old one built in Flash, never had too many bugs though since most of the work was already done with the Flash framework. Just visual stuff going all over the place.

Re: VPAID ads destroy performance and are still served by major ad networks

#300

Post by blahi »

kbart wrote: post #112
blahi wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a valid argument only for people who disable javascript wholesale. The lion's share of malware distribution is done by hacked sites where the attacker configured to deliver a payload only in 5-10% of pageviews in order to delay detection.

This is a valid argument only for people who disable javascript wholesale" Not only. My older relatives happily click on "Congratulations, you won a million!!!" ads and end up with yet another browser bar or worse. No JavaScript required.

Parent talks about distribution of malware...
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