Maybe I just never noticed them before or my browser configuration changed, but starting yesterday I started seeing pop up ads hovering over the actual content at the bottom of the screen and in the bottom right. I can "X" them out (which is fine, I don't begrudge ENWorld needing to serve ads) but every time I click on a new thread or click over to a new page in a thread they return.
Are they supposed to work that way?
I think that the issue is that EnWorld is finding out that there is an inherent problem with monetization through ads that many places have gone through.
On the one hand, they provide an amazing and valuable service for free! The vast majority of us use EnWorld at no cost to ourselves (other than our time, and occasionally our sanity), while it does cost them money to run. They are certainly more than entitled to monetize this free service through advertisements.
On the other hand, monetization through advertisements causes problems of its own, as many others have noticed. Intrusive ads (such as video pop-ups) are really annoying, but tend to provide more money. The bottom-ads (which some people refer to when they are either ads or persistent elements as d***bars) also provide revenue, but are terrible for users since they obscure text and impact the user experience.
The primary issue is that many people associate these elements with websites that are not trustworthy or worth engaging in. Over-reliance on these specific types of elements for some websites has caused two separate issues- long-time users will eventually start to block the ads, and new people are less likely to want to engage with the website.
There isn't a single good solution. It's not easy to run a successful independent website like this one that caters to a more niche audience. I know that other places (with
much lower overhead costs, assumedly) have a "single sponsor" each week, or have a group of people pay for support (and a few extra benefits) to avoid this, but we should always remember that they are trying their best.
