Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

venturebeat.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 97 posts

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#31

Post by drzaiusapelord »

tdkl wrote: post #21
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>They consume extra battery; I find it fascinating that Google is always hurting their own mobile experience. Between all the issues android has with wake locks and memory leaks and the massive infrastructure of location and 'lifestyle' tracking for ad delivery, its a miracle Android devices get any battery life at all. Even without this html5 conversion, Android battery life often pales compared to iOS or Windows Ph…

That's probably why they're in size of a small tablet now.

Seems like this is the easiest way to fix battery issues. Google is in an ugly place not only with its relationship with advertisers but with its own OEMs, who modify Android with usually battery-killing results.

All that extra surface area means lots more battery. Its a classic 'throw hardware at the problem' approach and, unfortunately, that just seems where Android is going. As Lollipop has showed, Volta and ART are not battery savers. If anything, people are reporting worse battery life than under KitKat.

I'm not going to go as far as saying Android is bloaty and out of control; I just don't think you can have the level of QA and control you need for an ultra-efficient mobile OS when you're dependent on so many other chefs to deliver your product and monetization for you (OEM hardware and software, ad monetization, user tracking to better ad delivery, etc).

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#32

Post by bshimmin »

itsjareds wrote: post #17
vitno wrote: post #3

why swiffy? Why not use Shumway? Is this just a case of "Not invented here" syndrome?

On a related note: can someone explain the advantages of Swiffy over Shumway? Upon first glance, it looks like Shumway has the ability to translate Actionscript to Javascript and the Flash visual elements to HTML5 elements. Whereas with Swiffy, the SWF is just converted to what's basically an animated SVG. What would make Swiffy more attractive for Google to use over Shumway if Shumway seems to be a more complete sol…

Most Flash ads don't really have a great deal of ActionScript in them beyond the odd call to stop and play in the timeline.

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#33

Post by misterbwong »

bane wrote: post #23

Almost 1500 days ago I made this prediction https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2300123 "(I can't wait for my quad core computer to grind to a halt with dozens of unblockable canvas advertisements wallpapering every website I go to from now on...sigh, the end is near" The death of Flash doesn't necessarily mean a better world.

Here. Have a cookie...?

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#34

Post by rm999 »

s_q_b wrote: post #24
akersten wrote: post #4

Shame that I automatically convert all ads to nonexistance. It's too little, too late for rich media/content-heavy ads. Especially in the mobile sector: * Ads are a performance burden on low-power devices * They consume extra battery; power is wasted on superfluous cruft * Bandwidth wasted; especially a concern given draconian data caps * Tracking and privacy concerns Not to mention the fact that ads are a primary at…

Like you, I don't mind ads per se. I even feel badly blocking them, knowing that I'm depriving a content creator of revenue. But the issues you point out are the very reason I can't have them in my browser. I used a computer without AdBlock the other day, and it was like stepping back into 1999 with every page saturated with the 21st century equivalent of animated GIFs and auto-play MIDIs. An alternative ad network i…

I used to work in the ad industry and deeply analyzed this stuff. There's a lot of unspoken secrets in the industry:

1. The majority of clicks go to flashy, annoying ads. 2. People who click on these ads rarely convert, i.e. sign up for a newsletter or purchase a product. These are probably accidental clicks. 3. The ROI on advertising is often negative. 4. No one cares about any of this because click through rates are still the gold standard. Advertisers aren't savvy enough to know better, and ad agencies don't get paid either way.

It's a terribly inefficient industry, made worse by the fact that attribution is very difficult ("did this costumer buy this product because of an ad?"). This all has led to a fall in ad rates, which is just leading to more annoying ads. It's a vicious cycle that makes clean, honest text ads even less likely.

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#35

Post by mjuoop »

akersten wrote: post #4

Shame that I automatically convert all ads to nonexistance. It's too little, too late for rich media/content-heavy ads. Especially in the mobile sector: * Ads are a performance burden on low-power devices * They consume extra battery; power is wasted on superfluous cruft * Bandwidth wasted; especially a concern given draconian data caps * Tracking and privacy concerns Not to mention the fact that ads are a primary at…

Could you share how specifically and on what levels are your blocking adds?

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#36

Post by hahainternet »

engendered wrote: post #22
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>They consume extra battery; I find it fascinating that Google is always hurting their own mobile experience. Between all the issues android has with wake locks and memory leaks and the massive infrastructure of location and 'lifestyle' tracking for ad delivery, its a miracle Android devices get any battery life at all. Even without this html5 conversion, Android battery life often pales compared to iOS or Windows Ph…

Android battery life often pales compared to iOS or Windows Phone. Chuckle. And this hilarious astroturfing gets a pass here.

created: 1452 days ago karma: 5273

He's probably not astroturfing, but that doesn't change the fact he's pulling 'facts' out of his arse.

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#37

Post by Moru »

s_q_b wrote: post #24
akersten wrote: post #4

Shame that I automatically convert all ads to nonexistance. It's too little, too late for rich media/content-heavy ads. Especially in the mobile sector: * Ads are a performance burden on low-power devices * They consume extra battery; power is wasted on superfluous cruft * Bandwidth wasted; especially a concern given draconian data caps * Tracking and privacy concerns Not to mention the fact that ads are a primary at…

Like you, I don't mind ads per se. I even feel badly blocking them, knowing that I'm depriving a content creator of revenue. But the issues you point out are the very reason I can't have them in my browser. I used a computer without AdBlock the other day, and it was like stepping back into 1999 with every page saturated with the 21st century equivalent of animated GIFs and auto-play MIDIs. An alternative ad network i…

Don't feel bad about it. All the small advertisers are glad that you don't view their ads because they know you won't buy from them anyway and would be throwing out money without getting anything for it. Expecting your visitors to look at ads that you get paid for is just another type of fraud by the content-generator against the advertiser. :-)

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#38

Post by vitd »

s_q_b wrote: post #24
akersten wrote: post #4

Shame that I automatically convert all ads to nonexistance. It's too little, too late for rich media/content-heavy ads. Especially in the mobile sector: * Ads are a performance burden on low-power devices * They consume extra battery; power is wasted on superfluous cruft * Bandwidth wasted; especially a concern given draconian data caps * Tracking and privacy concerns Not to mention the fact that ads are a primary at…

Like you, I don't mind ads per se. I even feel badly blocking them, knowing that I'm depriving a content creator of revenue. But the issues you point out are the very reason I can't have them in my browser. I used a computer without AdBlock the other day, and it was like stepping back into 1999 with every page saturated with the 21st century equivalent of animated GIFs and auto-play MIDIs. An alternative ad network i…

I think that eventually what's happening with TV and radio will happen with other types of media. I almost never watch TV ads anymore. I get more and more content through iTunes, Netflix, HBO, etc. where there are no ads. I TiVo anything I want to watch from the networks (even live events) and skip the ads. For radio, I use Podcasts, iTunes Radio and Pandora, and I pay to not have ads. I use AdBlock on the web, but mostly use sites that either don't have ads, or I pay to get rid of them when I'm able.

I'm sure free content with ads will exist forever, but I suspect people will find more and more paid options and start using them as ads get more and more intrusive.

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#39

Post by eludwig »

bane wrote: post #23

Almost 1500 days ago I made this prediction https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2300123 "(I can't wait for my quad core computer to grind to a halt with dozens of unblockable canvas advertisements wallpapering every website I go to from now on...sigh, the end is near" The death of Flash doesn't necessarily mean a better world.

Question: not knowing anything about browser plugins, will it be possible to build a "Click to Canvas" plugin, similar to the Click to Flash plugins avialable? It seems like anything that can access the DOM can insert stuff into (override) or outright block elements, right?

Re: Google now automatically converts Flash ads to HTML5

#40

Post by engendered »

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #31
tdkl wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's probably why they're in size of a small tablet now.

Seems like this is the easiest way to fix battery issues. Google is in an ugly place not only with its relationship with advertisers but with its own OEMs, who modify Android with usually battery-killing results. All that extra surface area means lots more battery. Its a classic 'throw hardware at the problem' approach and, unfortunately, that just seems where Android is going. As Lollipop has showed, Volta and ART a…

As Lollipop has showed, Volta and ART are not battery savers. If anything, people are reporting worse battery life than under KitKat.

Yet the GS5 shows dramatically better results. A number of handsets show dramatically better results. That you read someone's anecdote about their Nexus 5 is irrelevant.

Sorry, but I find your posts hilarious, and again I have to say that they're astroturfing. "I'm not going to go as far" -- sure.

Seriously, are people not aware that HN has been targeted?

Post reply on HN