That worked, actually, until TODAY, 9.16.2009
Today I logged on, and the Mall Cop ad is front-and-center, occupying a large space heretofore only used for Gaia promotions (like the GGR ad that was there for the past few weeks). Oh and there's a little cartoon Blart running around the top. These things are TROUBLING given the above, but TOLERABLE.
The full-motion, live-sound embedded trailer is NOT TOLERABLE. Nor do I find it acceptable. In fact, I PROTEST. To Wit:
I have no problem with being able to click to watch a trailer from a sponsor; that's nothing new, and it is even welcome.
I have no problem with off-site advertising forcing its' way onto the screen, even after I pay for the site. Well, a maybe a little problem, but I can deal with that if I must.
HOWEVER, I DO have a problem with off-site video advertising playing AUTOMATICALLY.
* it is intrusive. Way more than silent banner ads, or even silent motion movies
* it is LOUD. If I'm in a library or other place where this is inappropriate, I have to respond to turn it off AFTER the damage (disruption) has already happened. This violates a long on-line tradition shared by legitimate on-line advertisers industrywide, not just on Gaia; it has long been the case that only SLEAZY ads play audio without PERMISSION.
* It is REPETITIVE. Go ahead, Gaia, review your logs and see how often I hit the Gaia home page each week. I may (or may not) want to watch any given movie trailer, but I do NOT want to watch it 30 TIMES A WEEK.
I will use Gaia less as long as this practice is in place. I will encourage others to speak up about it. I will speak loudly and often about it as long as I am on the site.
This development is NOT OKAY with me, FWIW. You've gone too far. Seriously, with this development Gaia's site advertising crosses the line into the sleazy, inappropriate, and debilitating. If this is the new norm, I'll phase out of Gaia; I'm NOT taking it.
David F., aka "Gander4u" mad
Community Member
I'm glad they went away. I'm told that Lanzer himself was unhappy this was happening, but they had to tapdance for the client or some such. I'm told that, in the last 10 minutes, they finally figured out how to make it mute until the user presses a "play sound" button -- that would have made me happy enough to not protest right there.
We live and we learn. I'm glad that we apparently won't have to tolerate a constant barrage of advert noise on Gaia.
It reminds me of 2006 or so, when they started installing "scented" advertising in select bus stops in downtown San Francisco. Cookies baking was one of them, I forget what the others were. Turned out some people were actually allergic, and many others irritated -- enough to raise a huge ruckus and the stinking ads were removed after less than 4 days in circulation, never to be heard... erm, smelled... again.
http://www.examiner.com/a-439574~Cookie_scented_bus_stop_ads_crumble.html biggrin