It only expands once every session, and you don't see it again till you close your browser. There is also a close button at the bottom to close the window.

I'm sorry if you feel you can't bear with it. Advertisers are no longer interested in static normal ads anymore. Without advertising revenue, we're going to have to just shutdown the site.

We're trying very very hard to keep this site as a free site. Having to wait 5 seconds isn't that big a deal.

There is a close button, just that its overlapping with the text. It will be made more visible tomorrow.

Well, i did accept your feedback as a constructive one.

We are actually extremely strict with the ads we accept. You can ask around most of the advertising agencies around Malaysia and they'll tell you why they think ten times before proposing their clients to advertise on Lowyat.NET.

Do people complain about ads on other large sites, yes, but none allow these comments to be published. We do. That alone should be enough to show that we value the opinion of the members and don't blindly accept ads no matter how much money is on the table.

I'm stuck with the same scenario in my day job, so i can tell you that advertisers are no longer satisfied with standard box-constrained ads. They have been exposed and been tempted with excessively fancy bouncing and jumping flash ads, and they believe that these ads are much much more appealing compared to normal ads. I don't think so, maybe you don't think so too, but its just extremely hard to convince them that the average web user just can't stand these fancy intrusive ads. The fad might pass, it might be replaced by something better, or worse, but while the transition takes place, we've got to adopt and try to accommodate some of these requests. Otherwise, the only way to keep the site afloat would be to charge the members - an alternative i do not wish to contemplate.

no, that would not be necessary.

only click if you want to find out more about the products/services advertised.

iZuDeeN, your tone is uncalled for and you unless you have consent, do not speak on behalf of the "members".

As to your comment, there is actually a close button on the ad itself, just that it has been badly implemented. We can only set the guidelines, and if the ad agency doesn't comply, we have no choice as we have to accept the campaign before the creative is even designed. Its next to impossible for the creatives to be designed before the campaign has been accepted, and its also not credible for us to block a campaign once the creative is done.

We have to the best of our part informed the agency of the "flaws" in the ad, and they have not corrected it. We cannot cancel the campaign, and either way, the duration is only for a week ending today.

We can only learn and improve on future campaigns by the agency. We can't alienate clients just because their ads are a little obtrusive or because we have picky members who can't spare 10 seconds of their time to use a site for free.

Finally, please remember that this is a free to use community site, and nobody is forcing you to be here. If you can't spare a bit of inconvenience to help keep the site free for the entire community, or spare a bit of your time to look up some free to use ad blocking solutions, then maybe like you said you should be the first to lead the mass-exodus of members to "other sites".