I made the same post on another forum, and it evoked some interesting responses, so I've decided to try it here. This thread is about overlay flash ads, known as "shoshkeles".

They're more annoying than pop-ups, and they're even harder to get rid of -- they're overlaying Flash ads, but people call them shoshkeles just for fun. They often contain sound effects to accompany the animation, and they usually float around the screen, blocking the content of a webpage. Although there is usually a convenient "close" button to be found nearby, more and more shoshkeles ads are omitting the button altogether, forcing the user to watch the 5-10 second animation. Unlike pop-ups, there is no convenient way to block these ads besides disabling Flash altogether, which is undesirable in most cases. As more advertisers catch on to this growing trend, I'm afraid that they're going to start launching minute-long shoshkeles ad campaigns on web surfers, and with the growing use of pop-up stoppers, I do not find this hard to believe at all. What are your opinions?

Flash ads...

Should be banned! I feel that there is just far too much content-control and inconvenience for the user. This type of advertising far surpasses the acceptable limits of forced advertising! Even the full-page html ads witch give you a size 2 link to skip the ad and the font color almost matching the page (I actually found one that did...).

And back to content-control, with the ease of placing a few pictures and sound effects into a shoshkele the viewer can be almost forced to watch pornography with unacceptable sound. Who's to stop them?

Vote NO and shoshkeles!

Devin

I think I need to disagree. As in almost all cases it depends on how you use them.
I visited a site on which they were promoting a big event of their own and I thought it to be very need. But I have to say:

It was really small, you had the chance to get rid of it and the page it was on didn't contain any long text or information you might have been reading at that time.

But if not used as I just described I think you are right: They are really enoying!!

Although as a user any adverts are annoying, I feel that (as a webmaster) it is up to the user to put up with them. Unlike a popup advert, these 'inline adverts' can be got rid of simply by closing the browser (not like closing several windows like you would with a popup). The webmaster/advertiser isn't really hijacking your browser, they are simply using the space you have already asked their website to be shown in.

Most people seem to forget that (especially as more and more advert blockers are used) webmasters need to come up with even more intrusive advertising to get the user's attention and hence get advertising money. Something has to pay the server bills.

With these 'inline ads' they are much the same as adverts on TV. I've you're watching a TV show and there are adverts you either put up with them, turn off the TV or go to another channel. It's the same on the web. If you don't like the adverts, no-one is forcing you to look at that particular website. Just find another one!

I feel it is indicitive of the way the web is going. Within five years for every website full of useful and relevant content there will be 20 that do nothing but advertise websites selling websites that sell websites selling adverts on websites.

Some people will always call for the regulation of the web. Others (the majority) cite freedom of speech and freedom of expression as to why the web should be totally unregulated.

(Sorry but I am going to veer off track completely and get on my soap-box. You can delete or move this as you see fit but I have a bee in my bonnet!)

Does the right to free speech extend to the paedophiles who fill the net with kiddie porn? Please don't anyone dare say that I don't need to look at such content if I don't chose to. The 11 year old daughter of a good friend of mine gets at least 10 explicit emails a day pushing hard core porn sites. These are not just text links but very explicit photo ads that would even get me, a 37 year old, beer drinking, chain smoking, world-wise, ex rugby player blushing. My friend has to get up every morning and rush to the computer to clear all such filth from reaching his daughter. Don't suggest spam filters/blockers, he has tried them all. Spammers always find a way through. His programs might stop 50 but 10 always get through...10 too many.

Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not a prude. I am not some bible-bashing do-gooder out to rid the world of scarlet women and the sins of the flesh. Far from it. Sex and porn have as much right to be on the net as knitting patterns and cookie recipes. However, it needs to be ensured, as much as possible, that no minors are able to access such sites (no, I don't mean knitting or recipes...or do I?). Sending spam emails out to everyone possible advertising porn sites is not acceptable. Not to me and it shouldn't be acceptable to anyone. How do these people sleep at night? Don't any of them have kids themselves?

I have always been one of those who advocated that the freedom of the internet should be preserved. I am fast changing my mind. The 20 odd emails I get a day for vigara, ***** enlargement, hard-core-no-holds-barred-porn and replacement ink cartridges are just an annoyance to me but I am used to them, they don't affect me and I can simply delete them. My son is three and a half years old, too young to be troubled at the moment, but in two or three years time when he starts to really use the internet I most certainly do not want him coming into contact with this sort of thing.

Censorship? It's fast getting my vote. We can't trust people to censor themselves, the almighty dollar gets in the way of that ever time.

I have to agree with dismaldonkey! I find most of the internet advertising very intrusive. I think advertisers should be restricted to banner ads and similar methods, which are restricted to the page which you are viewing. When you are viewing a movie on TV you don´t get ad´s from another channel popping up on the screen which you have to switch off or watch. You don´t find the mailbox at home overflowing with 50 letters advertising Viagra or the likes, just because you gave your home adress to some company to deliver a piece of furniture a year ago!
The most irritating thing is that it is impossible to unsubscribe to these mail as there is no unsubscribe link or the link is broken. You fill your mail to unsubscribe and then recieve more mails the next day than ever before.
This is also a forum where most of the people have a pretty good knowledge of computers and the internet, just think of the people who don´t know what is happening in the backgroud and don´t know how to block these sort of things.
I think these people should be protected somehow and intrusive advertisers should be banned or recieve a fine(obviously evidence must be produced).
Unfortunately humans are human and therefore give in to temptation.
Anyway that was my 2 cents worth.

Personally I have no bad feelings for flash ads. Although they can be annoying (especially the interactive ones) but they are harmless. It ads a little more color to the site and helps the buisness its advertising. Sooner or later we will have to get used to this because almost every ad will be in flash.

Hi hvoice,

I am seriously considering disabling Flash altogether. I have never encountered a worthwhile Flash site, and the only other instances in which I have encountered flash are: games, intros, and ads. While games may be mildly rewarding, intros and ads are useless and often irksome.

I think it is well-known that pop-up ads on porn and warez websites are particularly intrusive. Now imagine if these advertisers got their hands on Flash! They might run ten-minute long Flash ads covering the whole screen, without a "close" button! I am not so bothered with the shoshkeles ads of today...they are small and harmless, and they generally offer a "close" button. That's because they are sponsored by reputable companies, who happen to be the only ones who can actually afford these things. As they become more affordable, don't expect them to be so harmless anymore.

Conker