Poll: Should the Escapist get rid of Meebo?

[Chamale]

The Escapist has recently started using the Meebo toolbar on this site. Some users have experienced problems with Meebo's Java functionality slowing their computers, and have also complained that Meebo plants cookies that look at a user's browsing data on the Escapist and other sites. According to one recent poll [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.290318-Poll-The-Meebo-Problem], roughly 75% of users have experienced problems with Meebo. This is clearly a major detriment against the site.

From my time at The Escapist, this is clearly a website that wants to improve itself based on community input. Do you think that The Escapist should eliminate Meebo from the site?

Keep in mind that realistically, The Escapist would choose some other means of generating revenue on the site. However, whatever option they choose would likely be less intrusive than Meebo.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

I haven't even had to deal with it (pub club) and I think it sounds terrible. The Escapist presents itself as an elite gaming magazine, and I think that it is, but when it's using intrusive advertisement like that that really brings down the quality of the site, and it feels like it could be damaging to its reputation. This is beyond something where you can just say "join pub club." I associate intrusive advertising like that with the more bottom of the barrel cynically commercialized type stuff. The Escapist is better than that, and it would be nice if they'd act like it.

 

[FalloutJack]

-Snippo!-

Welcome, brother! We've been expecting you!

But yes, I'm already going by the opinion of my poll that the ones having problems equate to the ones who don't want Meebo here. I realize that this will have the Escapist seek other methods and I DID see a admin post on another thread addressing this a little. The idea is that yeah...they're just looking for the right revenue. It's fine, but this wasn't it. That's how it is.

 

[Alucard788]

I've never had Chrome slow down for anything, and then all of a sudden, I can hear my computer fans revving up when I have 2 pages of the escapist up at the same time. Not to mention that sometimes it can't access a thread...or it seems to bug out and make chrome act very weird.

This is not good.

Come on Escapist crew...please find something better than this!

 

[NeutralDrow]

Um...I just hit the "hide" function on the toolbar, and haven't had to deal with it since.

 

[KefkaCultist]

Um...I just hit the "hide" function on the toolbar, and haven't had to deal with it since.

I have it hidden as well but it still loads you computer with cookies and does annoying things to videos and highlighted text :/

It is really annoying to me at least. I just hope the Escapist staff hears our cries of slight/agonizing annoyance and gets rid of the damn thing.

 

[FalloutJack]

-Snippo!-

Welcome, brother! We've been expecting you!

But yes, I'm already going by the opinion of my poll that the ones having problems equate to the ones who don't want Meebo here. I realize that this will have the Escapist seek other methods and I DID see a admin post on another thread addressing this a little. The idea is that yeah...they're just looking for the right revenue. It's fine, but this wasn't it. That's how it is.

You had a poll about this? Would you kindly link it for me/us? I forgot the name of it...

: )

Sometimes people need to speak up for what they don't like. When they do it in a reasonable way, the powers that be should take notice. I think perhaps this might be that type of time.

Don't quote me and say that 'every time' people should speak up for what they don't like. That would get ridiculous. I would have 100 threads about people wearing makeup, and that would just be annoying : P

I do feel strongly enough about this topic to lend a voice. A voice of a paying customer!!!!

The website shouldn't actively work against it's members, this sounds like they might be doing just that. 3rd party ads can be quite intrusive. Not all of them, but these ones sound like they are.

The OP already did.

 

[messy]

To be fair my computer has started making the "fans, zomg things are heating up noise" which only ever comes up when I'm playing games.

And this is the first time I've seen the Meebo toolbar, and if it is adding cookies that's a bit irritating considering we weren't told it would. And if we were, I missed the message, because I would've been against it. Come on Extra punctuation had a whole thing about privacy just recently.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Um...I just hit the "hide" function on the toolbar, and haven't had to deal with it since.

I have it hidden as well but it still loads you computer with cookies and does annoying things to videos and highlighted text :/

I kinda doubt I'm any worse off with more cookies, but I guess I can see why they'd annoy others.

...wait, what annoying things with videos and highlighted text?

 

[Ice Car]

DAMMIT, I thought the poll question read "Should the Escapist keep using Meebo", not "Should the Escapist stop using Meebo", so I voted No. I vote Yes.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Escapist will be doomed when it turns to pop-ups and pop-unders... Thought thats slightly off topic.

 

[Anarchemitis]

I have not used any of the services that are offered by meebo, nor do I have interest in joining apart from non-social media related things such as work or education, therefore I think the sites usage of it should be voluntary.

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I haven't had any direct problems with it yet, but my antivirus has been picking up the cookiees on a daily basis since the toolbar, so they have to be pretty bad considering that I can go on obviously malicious sites and my AntiVirus takes care of the problem beforce it even gets on the computer.

Course, I'm thinking that... And now that I started mentioning it I start having problems with this damn meebo system >.<

As I was saying, I'm thinking that it mostly is a pain for non-I.E. users cause my laptop is working fine.

Before someone quotes and lols about me using I.E., please realize that the reason I'm using it is because I plan to give this laptop to my mother when my M14x with an I7 processor comes in, and she specifically asked for me not to remove I.E.


Captcha: Law nictor

 

[KefkaCultist]

Um...I just hit the "hide" function on the toolbar, and haven't had to deal with it since.

I have it hidden as well but it still loads you computer with cookies and does annoying things to videos and highlighted text :/

I kinda doubt I'm any worse off with more cookies, but I guess I can see why they'd annoy others.

...wait, what annoying things with videos and highlighted text?

Well when I highlight some text, like say the text in your comment, I get a tab that pops up asking if I'd like to share what I've highlighted. It's not a huge annoyance in itself, but if I click on it I get a popup thing thats way more annoying

For the videos, when you put your cursor over the Escapist's videos you get an overlay shadow thing and a tab pop up asking to share it and clicking share comes up with the same pop up screen as the text's. This isn't just for Escapist's videos either. Any youtube video that someone embeds on here gets the share overlay as well and the share tab is right on top of the play button...

Also, I'm now realizing that I'm unable to maintain a highlight on what I've typed in this box so I'm unable to copy/paste. Holding down left click highlights, but it doesn't stay after releasing... I don't know if thats a Meebo fault or not, but I've just noticed it.

EDIT: Reloaded browser and still doing that last part so I'm thinking it's a Meebo effect.

EDIT2: looks like it's not doing the video one I mentioned for featured content right now because the site has reverted to the pop out player, so maybe this is a sign that Escapist is getting rid of Meebo? (one can hope)

 

[Ghengis John]

It's taking 10 minutes to load a thread. Yes. good idea.

 

[AlexiVolkov]

Meebo and the popup Gaikai gaming ads made me switch to FF... They killed my other browsers when trying to load pages here.

 

[ilspooner]

Hmm, I don't seem to have the slow loading problem, but the highlighting thing is annoying. I would like Meebo off the site.