DescentBB

Apparently PD is blocked off from access thanks to the chain spawning full screen ads. Hoping that whoever the admin is now takes a look over here and fixes the glitch.

What are you talking about? PD works fine for me.

K..looks like it got fixed.

I was getting the gamespy full screen ad, and when I clicked to continue to PD.com, I got another ad..and another ad..and another ad..they just wouldn't stop.

That problem seems to occur for a few hours every time GameSpy decides to throw in those hideous full-page ads.

Let me guess...the hellish "wrapper.####.com" ads, right? Those are *&$@@#$@! annoying.

They are getting worse. Last night I blew my top because of it and went on thier forums just to tell them to shove it and remove my account. Its not like I was using that old account very much anyway.

I also launched a rant on slashdot under "Why do you block banner ads" about it.

Man it would be so sweat if someone were to create a web page that deep linked to every PD resource, bypassing thier top page entirely, just to thoroughly cheeze off GameSpy.

I can't even find D3 on the Gamespy service. Is it still there? If so, why can't I find it?

Um... not sure the 'deep link' is possible, depending how GameSpy works. If the server decides when to throw you an ad, you're pretty much SOL.

hosts file. Google it.

Testiculese wrote:hosts file. Google it.

Thanks, I learned something today

I haven't had any problems at PD. I'm running Firefox with AdBlock and Flashblock, so I don't know if that's the difference. Perhaps just lucky timing?

Actually it is.

For instance here is the direct link to thier forum. It may not bypass thier banner adds but it sure as hell gets rid of the entry splash screen.

http://www.planetdescent.com/asp/forum_index.asp

And BTW thier entry splash screen is now there 100% of the time so I cant even look up the paths to importaint links like thier D3 files and missions section.

Ooooo. I just got past the entry splash screen once. That could be a mistake since this link

http://www.planetdescent.com/site/files/d3/

is thier files section, and since that one adds the navigation menu to the left, then I dont need to ever go to thier top page. The news items they post there are totally inane anyway.

Nosferatu wrote:Actually it is.

What's "it?" Lucky timing or my browser? I still don't get the ads.

Nosferatu wrote:They are getting worse. Last night I blew my top because of it and went on thier forums just to tell them to shove it and remove my account. Its not like I was using that old account very much anyway.

I also launched a rant on slashdot under "Why do you block banner ads" about it.

Man it would be so sweat if someone were to create a web page that deep linked to every PD resource, bypassing thier top page entirely, just to thoroughly cheeze off GameSpy.

Oh, so you were that ignoramus. Way to criticize us for something we have absolutely no control over. As I said in that thread, if you can't deal with it, don't visit. It's no loss for us. I see that full-page ad only about once in every ten times I visit, and I'm able to click through it without any problems. (I'm running Firefox 1.0.7.) From what I've heard, if AdBlock is configured properly, it can completely nix the splash screen; I already have it eliminating every single banner ad without any problems. A little intelligence goes a long way, as does a good browser. Those full page ads usually aren't anything more than a minor annoyance; it takes all of two seconds to click through them. There's absolutely no need to do any sort of direct-linking; hell, Checkor's already helping people enough by providing the DFiles server as an alternative to Gamespy for every file on the site.

P.S. Here's the thread in question, if anyone's interested.

Ya. OK so I bew my top after trying for 2 hours to get past the obnoxious splash screen.

When someone commented about why I was there in the first place, it got me to thinking that I never use their forums anyway. So dropping the account was not much more then a slight savings of PD harddrive space.

Now how is you coming in here ranting about me all that different then me ranting about PD over there?

DILLIGAFF about your opinion of me?

Oh for crying out loud.....

Get firefox and download adblock. Block the damn ads (ads.gamespy.com) and quit yer complaining. I've never seen a single full-page ad, and I never will.

I don't have a bad opinion of you; I just don't see why you not only felt the need to rant in our forums but also repeat yourself here. As a few other people have said, there are easy ways to work around the issue. I freely agree that Gamespy's advertising tactics are annoying; however, they provide completely free hosting for us, so it's kind of a give-and-take situation. I apologize if my posts came across as a personal attack; I just took issue with the attitude you were showing. All of the PD staff, Thunderbird and Inquisitor in particular, put a lot of effort into keeping the site going, and complaints about things that we can't do anything about don't really go over too well.

Thats OK.

You know I would not have originally said a word if the "Go to the web site" link on the GameSpy splash screen, ACTUALLY WORKED. I spent about 2 hours that night, in little chunks of 15 minutes clicking on that link, only to get surved up with another splash screen in my face.

I actually dont mind the ads eating up processor as much. I can always close the tab and everything is fine once again.

Up to this episode I didnt really mind net adds and havent blocked any of them.

If GameSpy could only get that one link to work right, and I mean without using cookies, then I wouldnt mind at all.

As a lowly user, my voice wouldnt mean squat to GameSpy, but your in a better position to at least voice your users concerns.

Nosferatu wrote:You know I would not have originally said a word if the "Go to the web site" link on the GameSpy splash screen, ACTUALLY WORKED. I spent about 2 hours that night, in little chunks of 15 minutes clicking on that link, only to get surved up with another splash screen in my face.

Quoted for truth. This was exactly what was driving me nuts. I didn't try as much as he did though..

You spent 2 hours trying to access PD? No website is worth wasting 2 hours simply trying to access it.

Well, maybe rathergood.com's Moon Song.