these moveable ads are really distracting

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Tried it with Internet Explorer:

Tools --> Manage Add-ons --> Shockwave Flash Object

(am at the public library, but it let me do it)

still moving adds, this one with the moving red hearts (at least less objectionable!)

maybe I need to close and re-open WrongPlanet?

There are two kinds of animated ad banners: flash and animated GIF.

Flash is the devil. A proprietary add-on over a supposedly open standard medium? That's a bad idea, ain't it? Every week it seems hackers find a new way of exploiting flash and spreading viruses. Disable it and keep it disabled unless you actually need the damn thing (youtube comes to mind). Besides Flash is often misused. Developing Web content in Flash requires zero technical skills so many artsy folks use Flash for EVERYTHING. Sooo annoying to have navigation (menus) designed entirely in Flash. Or an entire site sometimes! C'mon learn to use HTML 4 properly, or 5 I guess.

Animated GIFs can be stopped by turning off "play animations in web pages" in IE advanced options. Not sure where it is in other browsers. Or, simply press the "stop" button (red X) or hit ESC and the GIFs will stop.

Yes, Success!

I closed down all my InternetExplorer windows, re-opened one. went to google, yahoo, but 'Shockwave Flash' not listed as an Add-on to manage. Went to a news site where it was. Clicked it, then clicked 'disable' button.

Went to youtube.com, tried to play "Year of the Cat" Got message " . . need to upgrade Adobe Flash . . " A very good sign!

Then went to WrongPlanet, and no moving ads!

So, thank you very much !

I SO AGREE WITH THIS!! !! !! !! !! !!


It's awful! I had to stop reading and just leave because of that boy jumping up and down ad.

Come on now Wrong Planet - that is really awful!

It seems like they could just have normal ads that don't move. I agree, it's really distracting and upsetting.

I know what you mean, I want to shoot that kid jumping up and down in the left courner.

Really I find the FLip video add more annoying. The kid jumping up and down I can ignore.

I am very interested in the area of accessible design for disabilities, such as the Web Content Accessibility guidelines http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/ , which refer to cognitive issues. There are other guidelines relating to software and hardware design in other locations.

There are several different accessibility efforts, and all appear to refer only to cognition where it affects vision, in relation to memory / context, dyslexia and reading comprehension.

There is no reference to sensory overload, distraction, executive function or other cognitive impairments. These issues are very important to people with ASDs because so many activities (e.g. news, learning and social interaction) are more focused around technological interaction. I can make my computer act in ways that I find very comfortable, but it does not come out of the box that way, and takes effort.

I had complained in an earlier thread about the girls spitting pills and the boy jumping. I was told by very helpful members to use adblock---it works great.

Another thing I have done (without adblock) is to put pieces of paper on my computer monitor blocking off the view of the boy jumping. For the girl and the pills I scrolled the page down cutting her off.

But adblock really is the best alternative I have used. I didn't know about it until I complained on here a few days ago.

I still find it inconsiderate to have such distracting moving ads on our autism website---knowing how many of us do have sensory issues where this kind of thing is distracting. It's almost like an experiment or something to see how we react. But I realize the website has to pay its bills, and that ads pay bills. But still, nonmoving ads would work.

I am thankful for the adblock. And I am thankful for the WrongPlanet. At least now, I can enjoy the website without the annoying ads.

You can even watch most YouTube videos without having Flash at all:
http://www.sharewareplaza.com/free-vide ... 55205.html
Simply copy to clipboard the URL of the video you want to see, open the program, and in a few seconds it will be ready to download. Then play the file in any convenient player. If you can't play flv or mp4 files, there are some good convertors at Pazera's website, to get you to mpg, which WIndows Media Player ought to be able to play.

PS you will of course want to delete the files after viewing, otherwise you may be breaking the law. This program is only to help you to get to see YT clips if you don't (or daren't) have Flash. AFAIK downloading as such isn't illegal, since your browser usually downloads video clips anyway, even if you're only watching them - just that they rig it so the file is deleted automatically when you leave the page.
PPS get the program quick if you want it, because it might not be there much longer. The author has been hassled by the bean-counters already.
PPPS expect it to stop working one day. YT nobbled the previous 5 versions of this program within a few months of their release, and I doubt that version 6 has long to live. There will probably never be a version 7.

I know. I'm too old and impatient, and no longer passionate about technology, to mess around with such things. I just want to watch the video!

HTML5 supports native video streaming. Youtube has experimental support for HTML5. It is opt-in, and you'll need an HTML5 browser. Latest Firefox will do, Chome, and IE9. (IE8 is not an HTML5 browser.)

Go here and "sign up". That just sets a cookie which tells Youtube to deliver videos over HTML5 instead of Flash.

http://www.youtube.com/html5

Flash must die. As much contempt as I have for Apple, the one awesome thing they did was the decision not to support Flash. That will effectively kill Flash in a couple of years. Yay!

Nicely done, glider18. I think this counts as constructive criticism. Yes, we do like the site and do appreciate the work people have done building it up. At the same time, sure, we might have some suggestions from time to time on making it meet our needs even better.

Again, as a temporary measure

exit Wrongplanet, go to any other place that has Flash, maybe youtube.com

Tools > Manage Add-ons

and you'll get a whole list of "crap" (well, not crap, but it is overcomplicated stuff)

Adobe Systems Incorporated
Shockwave Flash Object

Adobe Systems, Incorporated
.
.
.

McAfee, Inc
.
.
.

Click the one you want. In this case, Shockwave Flash Object. You will then be given the choice to do it the other way. That is, if it's enabled, you will be given the choice to disable. Click that. Then click close for the Add-on box.

You can then come back to WrongPlanet.net. And I'm still signed it when I come back. And Voila!, no moving ads.

(If you're using a public computer, as a courtesy, try to remember to switch it back.)

the most annoying is the farmville rip off one
not only the animals move, they also emit sounds

I can't get it to show me the pill popping ad. It must know that I'm in the UK and there's no point.

First time I visited New York I was surprised to see HIV meds advertised on subway trains ('ask your doctor about...') with lots of pictures of healthy looking males doing sporty things. Think that sort of advertising is banned in the UK.

Count your blessings. Here about 2 commercials in EVERY COMMERCIAL BREAK on TV are for prescription medication. "Ask your doctor about blah-blah-blah."

They make me angry when I see them. They'd rather treat symptoms in perpetuity (and cause side-effects in the process) instead of encouraging people to make lifestyle changes and eliminate the root cause such as obesity or high blood sugar level.

But no, the message is: keep eating junk food and pop these pills here. Or go ahead and have all the unprotected sex you want: when you get herpes we'll just give you this other pill. Etc....

Despicable.