[dougster]

> {quote:title=
}{quote}
*The intro ad doesn't always come up - just sometimes.

[/quote]
Exactly...and like you mentioned, its 'skippable'. UNlike most of the sports videos that force ya to view car commercials and NO way to fastforward like using your DVD on TV... :D

[imalex]

barskey said:

I don't think the alternate is to have a subscription site. Like most online publications, there are already several (more actually) inline ads on the home page, as well as in the articles themselves. Now there is an additional ad before you are taken to the site. Sure it is skippable now, but it won't always be. Once they realize they can generate more ad revenue by making them unable to be bypassed, or by making them appear every time, they will. Next may be longer intro-ads, or more than one. And then who is to say what is next?

.....

I agree with you that a 5-second intro ad is better than a non-skippable alternative. But let them stop now before they lose my patronage, please.

[/soapbox]

You are right that it's good to speak up so the Macworld editors and publisher can have an idea on how their readership feels about the publication. That's what this section is for and it's great that they have it.

So when I find the annoyance level outweighs the satisfaction (with
the site) level, I'll complain. For now, my satisfaction far outweighs
any annoyance, and I understand the necessity for whatever "annoyances"
do exist.

I will also say, however, that at least the ads are relevant to the content, unlike some publications that sell adspace to just about anyone who'll buy it, regardless of relevance. I've actually clicked on a couple of ads here because they were for items I was researching - a case of ads actually being helpful. :)

Alex