Diabloii.net sucks ass

[DeeBye]

I headed over to Diabloii.net to browse some of the calculators and startegy guides, and this is the message I received:

Error: Popup Blocker Found

We have detected that you are using some sort of pop-up/pop-under Ad blocking software, please understand that we are able to run this site due to our sponsors (Ad’s) and if you choose to block them, we will be unable to display this site to you.

Please shut off your ad-blocking/Pop-Up Blocking software and click here to revisit our site!

Note: All pop-ups on this site are capped at 2 per day per IP.

I run Mozilla Firebird which by default blocks pop-ups, and I LIKE it that way. I guess I'll never visit that site again.

Now we know that they are just in it for the money.


-DeeBye

[Magicbag]

I'm in the same boat.. Oh well.
-MB

[WarBlade]

Hmm interesting. Anti-Ad page :lol:

Yeah, that's pretty lame considering how ridiculous it is to have such a large window popping up and how nobody is likely to respond to the ad anyway.

A few things (for the incredibly unlikely event that any d2.net admins actually read this post):

1.) I'm on dial up and aside from taking a dim view to those who try to make pages I'm actually trying to view load like a pig while 'added bonuses' are also presented, I also have ample time to click away the new windows waaaay before I get a chance to see what it holds.

2.) Internet Advertising Doesn't Work! Or more to the point, it barely works enough to moderate one's losses a little, unless carefully planned. :P Having established that the internet bubble has burst and making money off it is a pipe dream, why follow the road of so many other bad ideas? BTW, d2.net's market audience has the attention span of a flea and will have no interest in clicking the kind of banners that it supplies. :P

3.) I understand why sites need dollars to operate, because let's face it, Bandwidth Costs, but crummy off-topic advertising is the worst way to go. :blink: Maybe it's time to review the bandwidth loss and tackle it from that end? Let's see . . . fan art, mindless babble articles, mindless babble strategy guides (read: equipment shopping lists) . . . There's so much crap on that site it's "If it's D2, we'll post it!" - BIG mistake. Take www.theonering.net as a prime example of basically the same kind of site: Quick loading and ads that match the site content. They're onto it! B)

[DaveO]

From what I've read at D2.Net, it's part of their policy. Just like the remote linking to "competitor" sites. Many Web sites and Web pages have popups(especially hand-built sites), so I guess you'll never visit those. I tend to think pop-ups will become more common, so eventually you'll be forced off the Internet(unless you want to accept pop-ups as part of the price of a "free" Internet you mistakenly think you're entitled to).

[Quark]

Head Here

Add that to your UserContent.css (If you don't know how, this will show you).

A pop-up dectector in the banner can't load if the banner itself doesn't load ;)

[Magicbag]

Wonderful post Quark. Worked like a charm.
-MB

Edit: In an ironic twist when I actually viewed the site, the top banner ad showing was for AOL popup-blocker.

[Kartoffelsalat]

nobody is likely to respond to the ad anyway.

That's just not true. What about the masses of gullible people who actualy believe that clicking the ad will win them a million dollars, speed up their computer, whiten their teeth, or whatever else? They're the target audience, not people who actually think. So next time, before you mock the banner people, think of the morons.

P.S. Apologies to any morons I offended. :P

[DeeBye]

Thanks, Quark.

That worked great! Gotta love sticking it to annoying advertisers :)


-DeeBye

[Elric of Grans]

Hail DeeBye,

It's beside the point somewhat, as they shouldn't force this point, but you can set sites as being ones you allow pop-ups from. I use that on one website I visit, but that's because they were stupid and put the navigation on pop-up :\ You'll find it on the Advanced section of the Preferences.

[ChromaticOnion]

So next time, before you mock the banner people, think of the morons.

Read my sig.
That's why internet advertising can make money.
Appeal to the lowest common denominator baby! Yeah!

[WarBlade]

So next time, before you mock the banner people, think of the morons.

But I always mock other people. Facetious commentry is a genetic imperative handed down to me by my father and is particularly well suited to the art of mockery. ;)

[Archon_Wing]

Why is this news?

...
My mozilla blocks pop up ads and did not get blocked. Pop-up stopper with IE also did not get blocked.

Regardless, people like me, who choose to use a safer browser and do not want to be annoyed are not wanted there, thus I will not go there anymore.

No point whinning, just come here or use the Arreat Summit.

[Baal]

Hmm interesting. Anti-Ad page :lol:

When I try to get to that page it gives me this error....
FATAL ERROR - DIRECT LINKING IS PROHIBITED

I find this to be an extreme double standard, what is with the Unable to Direct Link to dii.net, yet they can Direct Link to other places. <_<

Laters,
Baal.

[Jugalator]

I find this to be an extreme double standard, what is with the Unable to Direct Link to dii.net, yet they can Direct Link to other places.&nbsp; <_<

It's probably due to the ad-blocking software and limited to the actual ad-blocking page. Perhaps you could otherwise somehow circumvent the blocker. It's actually *not* a double standard either, since diabloii.net usually *don't* allow direct links to other pages, and they're loved :rolleyes: for that. hehe

Pages such as this one should still work if you disable blocking:
http://diabloii.net/items/v110/

I don't really blame diabloii.net for this. Apparently, the few banner clicks and PayPal donators weren't enough. I have right now a hard time seeing another option than to use popups. :( They have all rights to block ad-blockers and everyone have all rights to not visit the site, so I can't see many reasons to argue about it.

[WarBlade]

I have right now a hard time seeing another option than to use popups.

1.) Take a look at bandwidth usage and start trimming any superfluous junk. Considering how much of D2.net qualifies as junk in the eyes of many, this should be fairly stright forward.

2.) When advertising, use ads that are relevant to the site content.

3.) Sponsorship rocks. D2.net is known to Blizzard as a strong and popular supporter of products that Blizzard make money from. Can you add 2 + 2?


. . . Not that hard to speculate on potential answers to the bandwidth-costs-money problem IMO and I'm sure there are more ideas than the three above.

[Jugalator]

1.) Take a look at bandwidth usage and start trimming any superfluous junk. Considering how much of D2.net qualifies as junk in the eyes of many, this should be fairly stright forward.

2.) When advertising, use ads that are relevant to the site content.

3.) Sponsorship rocks. D2.net is known to Blizzard as a strong and popular supporter of&nbsp; products that Blizzard make money from. Can you add 2 + 2?

1. But if it's superfluous, will that then cost bandwidth for them? If it's a very rarely visited page, it won't consume much bandwidth either. If it IS often visited though, it's not superfluous per definition.

2. The popups are at least localized -- I get swedish advertisements. :) Something I can't say about many advertising sites out there. A problem with what you say is that the sites that's related to Diablo II might be hack sites. There aren't many Diablo II sites out there that are out to make money, except for those. Phrozen Keep links to hack sites right now and if diabloii.net did the same, I'm sure that would raise far more complaints than they get from the use of popups. Is Lurker's Lounge or Amazon Basin prepared to pay diabloii.net if they put ads for them on their site? I think not. We're talking about a pretty small niche.

3. This is an interesting alternative, and something one who're annoyed about popups should perhaps ask the diabloii.net staff about.

Either way, if you try to block the popup on diabloii.net I think you shouldn't visit the site. I think a visitor has two options to stay from just becoming a stupid leech:

1. Visit the site with blocking disabled.
2. Don't visit the site.

If you wish them to find alternatives to popups, mail them. If they don't listen or don't like the suggestion, do one of this:

1. Visit the site with blocking disabled.
2. Don't visit the site.

Also, complaining about lack of security by allowing popups (that can be malicious) is something I think one should do in a mail to the staff. If they don't change their stance, I hope you'll do one of the options above and not show your lack of morale by inventing option #3:

3. Visit the site and somehow circumvent the blocking software.

[ChromaticOnion]

I use KillAd a free popup killing program it closes the windows as they open and dii.net lets me in!

[WarBlade]

1. But if it's superfluous, will that then cost bandwidth for them? If it's a very rarely visited page, it won't consume much bandwidth either. If it IS often visited though, it's not superfluous per definition.

"Superfluous" is in the eye of the beholder. Have you actually read many of the articles/'character guides' that appear there? :blink: When the bulk of it starts to look like B Grade shlock movies (and surprisingly has a captive audience) I begin to wonder why all the bother to have so much of it there in the first place.

Fan Art has gone overboard there too. A pencil, paper and scanner is all you need as long as the art is loosely themed D2 material. Some of it's quite good and probably deserves to be showcased somewhere. Some of it . . . well let's just say some people who are quite capable of sorting out their own little bit of webspace are taking full advantage of webspace provdided by D2.net, free of charge. <_<

2. The popups are at least localized -- I get swedish advertisements.

I get blank pages and a reflex action to the "x" in the corner. The little banner on the page itself has a kiwi link that intrigued me enough to find out that it led me to a spectacular "page cannot be displayed" message. Very impressive.

A problem with what you say is that the sites that's related to Diablo II might be hack sites. There aren't many Diablo II sites out there that are out to make money, except for those. Phrozen Keep links to hack sites right now and if diabloii.net did the same, I'm sure that would raise far more complaints than they get from the use of popups. Is Lurker's Lounge or Amazon Basin prepared to pay diabloii.net if they put ads for them on their site? I think not. We're talking about a pretty small niche.

Fan sites? What on earth made you think I was referring to fan/cheat sites??? :blink:

Erm . . . think Diablo themed items and other Blizzard products that are sold to paying customers. ;) Things that have dollar signs all over them.

[Jugalator]

"Superfluous" is in the eye of the beholder. Have you actually read many of the articles/'character guides' that appear there? :blink: When the bulk of it starts to look like B Grade shlock movies (and surprisingly has a captive audience) I begin to wonder why all the bother to have so much of it there in the first place.

I dunno either, but people other than you and me apparently find it useful. I can't begin speculating in how many. If there are many, the content should probably stay...?

I get blank pages and a reflex action to the "x" in the corner. The little banner on the page itself has a kiwi link that intrigued me enough to find out that it led me to a spectacular "page cannot be displayed" message. Very impressive.

Ok, doesn't happen to me. I dunno what problems you're having. Go complain about the ads not working for you. :D

Fan sites? What on earth made you think I was referring to fan/cheat sites??? :blink:

Because I only know one site having Diablo-related advertisments, and it's Phrozen Keep with their cheat ads. You were only speaking of Blizzard's stuff? Well, perhaps it could be possible, although I have no clue how willing Blizzard is. If they wanted to take advantage of their major fan sites' visitors, I'm surprised they haven't already given the offer to pay them for some banner.

[Ignatz]

<my best Bernie Mac voice>
Safari don't give a f-------ck.
</Bernie Mac voice>

:)