There are banner Ad on eq2player that could jeopardize acounts!

**Ogrebear**

As i mentioned in my blog there are now Banner ad at the bottom of the eq2player web site (not the forums).

Since the banner ad are hosted by a third party there is a chance that a virus or a keylogger might make it in to the banner ad.
This has happened before to Allakhazam before, it has happened to guild portal. It now can happen to eq2players.

What make this worse is if an effected ad with a keylogger is able to get in to your system. The first thing most of us do is click the Sign in button. SO they first thing the keylog will be able to report back is your eq2 username and password.

This means hundreds, maybe even thousands of Accounts could be in jeopardy, if an ad is made for the specific purpose of stealing username and passwords!

How can SoE prevent a ad with a Keylogger when the ads are hosted by a third party?
Can you guarantee the safety of our accounts? If not, will your remove the ads?

**Gnobrin**

Sorry for the worry, Ogrebear. The web team reviews the advertisements that you see on the station pages in question (it's all of them across SOE, not just EQIIPlayers) to ensure there's no foul-play. The adverts aren't netted in, they're permitted to be shown. Your account information is perfectly fine. Remember too, if you ever have any questions, you can simply ask the admins about it and we'll be happy to help. There's no need for the "oh noes!!" post.

~Gnobrin!

**Inzilbeth**

I PAY for that service. MAKE IT STOP. It's inconcievable that SOE would put ads on this service?

WTF were you thinking? If your gonna put ads on it, make it free. When you PAY for a service you EXPECT it to be Ad-free.

Thank you for the ninja change not announced anywhere. BOO ON YOU SOE!

**Grimwell**

Dude, you so totally didn't call 'ninja' on that did you?

**Hellswrath**

Grimwell wrote:

Dude, you so totally didn't call 'ninja' on that did you?

lol, he did. But he isn't really wrong, either (albeit a tad dramatic SMILEY

). It wasn't announced, and it is expected that a paid service is advertisement free (at least once you log in).

That being said, I'd even be ok with this if it meant we can start getting a webteam that only has to work on this site instead of balancing 3 sites. This site still has a long list of broken features, features that have been "Coming Soon" for quite some time, and even functionality that has been lost for nearly a year now. We haven't even had a real update in about 4 and a half months.

Having the first real change in the site since then be putting ads on the site is bound to upset people who have been waiting for positive progress.

Personally, I think that if we see an update that is a complete fix before the release of RoK and we aren't trying to deal with broken features over a year after the revamp, that people will just be happy to have everything working and all functionality restored.

**Magnamundian** · 10/15/2007 02:28:26

These Ad's make me laugh

Saw an Ad for the Sun newspaper on the main Everquest 2 page the other week... like any reader of the Sun knows what an MMO is! Unless we're adding topless ladies and celebrity gossip to norrath.

**Inzilbeth**

Two things, One, Grimm, I'm a girl. So yeah I'm probably a little dramatic. And two, I hate ads with a passion. For all the reasons the original poster points out. And yes, I do consider this a ninja change. I considerany change that is bound to upset a large portion of the user base a ninja change.

To the poster above me (the one talking about broken features) Yes, it would be fantabulous if the dratted thing were fixed. However, I don't expect it to be and I really don't expect the dratted ads to go away. I might be content if they went away when I log in (considering I pay for the service on two of my accounts). I don't like ads. I think they are tacky, ugly and break the cohesion of a page. I think they are a piss poor way of bringing in new customers. I'd also like to point out that I attended the marketing panel and no where was ads mentioned during fanfair.

Grimm, can YOU tell us that the ads will go away when we log in or will you and your reps continue to laugh this off? Because honestly, that isn't the right tack to handling a problem that annoys your customers.

Just my two cents, because I really really really hate ads and I use this site a lot. (2-4 times a day)
.

**EomerFarstar**

Why do SoE need banner ads anywahy ? It makes EQ2 look cheap and tacky like Runescape lol.

Did they really lose so many subs from SWG that banners are needed to make up costs ?

**Leatherneck**

Magnamundian wrote:

Unless we're adding topless ladies and celebrity gossip to norrath.

Could we perhaps get both at the same time?

**Ogrebear**

Well i don't mind ads (at long as there not that annoys "You won a free ipod nano .. you all heard it) or the one that covers the page). Which these are not.

And since SOE is at least checking them there is some safety in place so i am fine with the ad. I was worried that SoE had just signed up with a 3rd party and didn't really check the ad, but as said above they do. So i am not worried any more.

**Grimwell**

I most certainly can't say that the ads are going to go away for anyone, paid subscriber or not. I can (and will) share your thoughts with the team who handles these pages, and make sure that they know your sentiments, but I can't promise anything in terms of a change.

And, to be honest, you aren't being laughed off. Yes, I did giggle when 'ninja' was invoked over a web page. I don't often think of them in terms of nerfing, but I do understand the analogy you are trying to make there. Web advertisements are definitely an item where some people are going to hate them. I sure won't deny that, and don't want you to think I don't take your feedback to the web team because I was thrown off by ninja.

I do, and will continue to do so. SMILEY

**Hisenflaye**

I can only assume then, as I'm paying an extra $2.99 a month for eq2players.com add ons that now since these ads are there, i will no longer have to pay the $2.99 for the features? If I'm going to be forced to see ads I don't want and/or need, that you obviously don't need my revenue ... or conversely, I'm paying an extra $2.99 a month for a service and I do not want to see these ads. Either point of view works.

So if the ads continue, then I see no need to continue paying the $2.99 since I'll get ads either way. It's a shame that $2.99 isn't a lot of money to SOE, or I'd actually have some bargaining room

**Stinky123**

I know I am not "angry" about these adds, I do however think that it is extremely unprofessional to have ads on a site that people actually pay for. I also think that in the long run it will hurt subscriptions, I know I would not think of "paying" for a game that has advertisements on its main page. I understand that it is a form of revenue for SOE and is pretty easy to implement, however, if you are going to keep with the advertisements, I know I will cancel my subscription to eq2players as that is the only reason I go to any soe webpage other then to change my password. If however, you insist on keeping the banner since you obviously need the money, then I suggest the web team hunker down and make the banner actually blend into the webpage better. Simply pasting a rectangular default add into the html is pretty horrid, it may not look perfect but mainly a little less nasty. Currently the main page looks like something my 12 year old threw together in computer class (I am not putting anyones skill down here, but I do think alot more time needs to be spent implementing the adds if they are going to stay).

**Rench**

Whats next? Pop-ups on station sites? heheh had to say it.

They don't bother me to much really. Just looks bad/cheap. And to have them on subscribed accounts is just another

Kind of unsettling to see tho. Are they really hurting for $$ this bad?

**Magnamundian** · 10/15/2007 02:30:55

Rench wrote:

Whats next? Pop-ups on station sites? heheh had to say it.
They don't bother me to much really. Just looks bad/cheap. And to have them on subscribed accounts is just another
Kind of unsettling to see tho. Are they really hurting for $$ this bad?

Seen Smiley Central on EQ2Players, can't wait for when people are complaining about slow systems due to this adware [I cannot control my vocabulary].

Bad enough that my lady relatives keep wanting to download 'bonzai buddy' cos it 'cute and free'. Fed up of getting skeptical looks every time I try and explain that they are free because they gather background information and send it on to an ad companies servers.

If your supposedly filtering the adverts, can you filter off these performance destroying electronic 'cute' viruses and stick with proper ad's. I'd much rather see what the latest washing machine is going for at Comet than see this sort of crud.

/recommend Spybot - Search & Destroy