Click Bait

Nitefly · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:22

Is it me or has there been an absurd proliferation in click bait over the past year or so? If you google for news on anything remotely popular typically the most common hits are for articles that give virtually no content and are then followed by a series of ridiculous adverts disguised as news articles such as:

"An easy trick to earn more money from home"
"Woman shares PPI claim knowledge that could save you thousands"
"What you don't know about the iPhone"
"Wow you won't believe the response to this"
"Controversial subject X destroyed in 2 mins"

This is even on popular news websites. Have my devices been purposely bugged by the advert people? Or do you feel my pain?

shifty_uk · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:47

Definitely not just you, i've noticed it myself. I'm finding even more mainstream and serious news/information sites are littered with them.

Kenai · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:48

South Park highlighted this in the previous series, it's not just you but it's been increasingly prolific for several years now.

FloppyPoppy · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:51

Click bait is everywhere because it's a unfortunately effective method of driving traffic to your site.

The things I hate the most are "look at this EPIC response to xxxx"

Takes you to a site where an article is spread over 7 pages with a sentence on each along side 10mins of adverts.

It's horrific.

Sankari · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:52

Steeps · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:52

This topic is boring. It should have been called "Apple are selling thousands of iPhone 8's for under $59, this British mom earning €2317 a week while looking after her kids can show you how."

ajf · 24 Sep 2016 at 11:59

Yes, more and more to be honest.
I have to say I am guilty of occassionally clicking on one just to see what the article really is!
The odd ones are interesting and I have found some good articles via some of the links, usually the ones like 10 pictures you didn't know existed etc.
Think one were some of those early colour photos that circulate.

something daft already!! · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:09

I just ignore them. Once bitten and all that. I won't give them my internet traffic. Facebook adverts that circumvent Adblock are starting to annoy me now.

Feronix · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:14

You'll never believe what happens next in this thread. Find out the shocking...

Housey · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:18

It boils my ****

esoteric · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:18

I don't see these clickbait ads on my PC anymore after switching from AdBlock to uBlock Origin.

On my phone though I see them all the time and as harry5522 stated the articles are vapid and spread over multiple pages, and since it's on a phone where Ad blockers don't work it can take 15 minutes to see the "5 Child Stars You Won't Believe Look Like Now!" because the pages are 95% ads and 5% what you clicked for so the page load time is stupid.

Kenai · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:20

I think a lot of it must be in response to the increasing use of ad blockers. If everyone is blocking adverts that are relatively unobtrusive on normal articles, the obvious step to bypass them is to turn the articles themselves into pseudo adverts and target platforms where adblocking is harder - mobile phone users. This content is aimed squarely at the 'sat on the bus, may as well click on this because what else is there to do' type user.

peterwalkley · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:27

Agree its a pain. I generally only use the BBC for news as its ad-free. For other sites I'm using ad-block and also my own hosts file downloaded from http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm.

Destination · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:28

YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT 'PERSON FROM BEFORE' LOOKS LIKE NOW!

YOU'LL BE AMAZED THE DAILY MAIL CAUSES CANCER!

We need to find the centres that route this trash and test missiles against them.

Nitefly · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:30

I thought I already made a comment about adblockers but I clearly deleted from my OP duh

Yes, new age click bait is a response to blockers no doubt... Interested to see what this uBlock origin is like ^^^

peterwalkley · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:32

Hikari Kisugi said:
We need to find the centres that route this trash and test missiles against them.

These guys are one of the biggies ....

Sankari · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:37

uBlock Origin solves everything.

Mart2912 · 24 Sep 2016 at 12:41

"FIND OUT HOW THIS MUM OF 3 EARNS $4678 A WEEK WORKING FROM HOME!" :confused:

Even people creating YouTube videos are at it. "10 Things that will..." "7 Things you wish..." "5 Ways you can..." etc.

esoteric said:
I don't see these clickbait ads on my PC anymore after switching from AdBlock to uBlock Origin.

Evangelion said:
uBlock Origin solves everything.

Never heard of uBlock Origin, shall take a look, cheers!

Sankari · 24 Sep 2016 at 13:07

Mart2912 said:
Never heard of uBlock Origin, shall take a look, cheers!

Best adblocker for Chrome.

Rroff · 24 Sep 2016 at 13:09

Mart2912 said:
Even people creating YouTube videos are at it. "10 Things that will..." "7 Things you wish..." "5 Ways you can..." etc.

More and more videos on youtube are ruined by all the annotations crammed in pointing you to other videos, ads, etc. covering anything interesting as well not to mention most seem to be cramming in 3-4 ads now instead of 1-2 - I guess youtube isn't paying out as much as before or something.