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December 29, 2010

Google Tests Gmail Ads Below Messages

Google tests a new ad block below messages. It's not available to everyone, so Google probably tests its effectiveness.

Jordon, a Gmail user who spotted the new ad format, thinks it's "a bit more direct than other GMail ads", while Daniel Spiewak finds it annoying. It's certainly more noticeable than the ads from the right sidebar and you might accidentally click it when you try to reply to a message.



{ Thanks, Websonic, Jordon and Vasu. }

40 comments:

  1. NOT LIKE "ad block below messages"

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  2. The problem is its background color...
    I have this since more than a week too...

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  3. Very annoying....

    In response of that, I enabled "ad blocking" of all known Google's advertising sources....

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  4. so guys you don't want google to make money ? they are providing 7GB free storage. Or maybe you guys like the annoying the banner ads on yahoo mail ? just ignore the ad

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  5. Really, Too Annoying.
    I wish it's only an experimental feature that will not be able for all. If that so, GMail will come near to the unsuccessfulness, just like Ads in Yahoo! Mail.

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  6. I have these ads on one of my Google Apps for your domain.
    I don't care much about it... as "Anonymous" said... just ignore it :). People tend to do that easily nowadays with ads.

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  7. It was there for me two weeks ago. Now no ads are showing in gmail

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  8. Indeed, I don't like it either.

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  9. You should never use your mouse in Gmail. If you are, you're doing it wrong. Anyway, that solves the "accidental add click problem." Spend 15 minutes and get to know the keyboard shortcuts in Gmail. If you haven't already. They'll change your life.

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  10. @dep:

    "Keyboard shortcuts are used by less than two percent of our users. Then again, they're kind of nerdy. How do you explain to somebody that J goes down and K goes up?" (Todd Jackson, Gmail Product Manager)

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  11. That new ad block looks very visible, unlike the ads on the right side of messages, which kind of blend in to the message (that, or I just ignore them).

    Do not like.

    I think what's making those ads very noticeable is the background color.

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  12. Those type of ads are more interfering and intrusive than the side bar ads. Side ads are good because you can relate to the context of ads and the email.

    Mostly if they are below they will annoy users and in the long run (atleast I know that I will) block it out of my mind (that they even exist).

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  13. Here is a filter for AdBlock+: mail.google.com##div[class="nH MC"][style=""]

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  14. This is a terrible idea Google. Shape up. The initiated will use adblock to hide the ads and the uninitiated will see hotmail all over again.

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  15. Yeah I don't like it either. However it's still nowhere as obnoxious as Yahoo! or Hotmail. At the same time, don't act like you're entitled to anything as they provide lots of space and a great free service. Besides you can just ignore it.

    @ Hedaru
    Well, Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail are the most used emails in the worlds so I don't get what you mean unsuccessful.

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  16. And... adblocked !

    Thanks, anonymous...

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  17. DON'T LIKE IT !
    Bah !

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  18. just change the background color

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  19. Haha, I thought Google had removed ads in the right sidebar long ago, leaving only the web clip. Turns out is was part of my adblock subscription. Blocking these too.

    And no, I don't owe Google to look at their ads as payment for giving me storage. I think my personal data was enough to pay for it several times over. (So why do I use Gmail? Well, if my data gets collected anyway, I'd rather have some storage, as opposed to being screwed and getting nothing at all).

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  20. I think CTR should be 0.000000000000000001 ..

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  21. Bah it's not like you have a freakin flashing banner in the middle of your mail…
    Just adblock them if you feel they are intrusive, ignore them if you can, click on them if you find it useful.

    I dont see what there is to like or not like about this.It's there as payment for free use, free space, free everything on google. Yeah your personnal data should be payment enough, but as it is the only way google make a profit from your data is by linking relevenat ads to it.

    Just stop with the crying…

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  22. It's an ad. It's not the end of the world or a corruption of civilisation as we know it... it's an ad.

    It might make for some padding in an online blog, but is this really an issue, really?

    Just ignore it.

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  23. I prefer the sidebar ads. But I don't mind a text ad in exchange for email services, so long as it doesn't become a banner add or appear below my signature like hotmail does.

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  24. It is likely this add is only going to pad their pockets with more money. The real question here is whether Google mail will remain as a good email service. How can we be sure they won't be making other huge changes in the future? How attached are we to Google's services?

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  25. I am from Russia, but in Gmail I have English ads.)))
    Sorry for my very bad English!

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  26. Personally, I do not like ads anywhere. At all. Period.

    If the people that buy the "space" where ads are placed were paying for my internet, they could put ads anywhere they want.

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  27. Apparently I'm among the elite beta-testing group. Fortunately I've found a blocking code :)

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  28. I like it and I cant imagine why anybody would do ad blocking if they arent paying for using gmail. That is unethical.

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  29. Do not worry folks, you will like what they are adding to the side column instead of ads. That being said, they have to place the ads some where and this is as good a location as any. I do not find it distracting at all, but that may be do to the fact that I have been looking at it for 3 months now.

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  30. As long as the ads won't annoy me too much I won't block them. If Google insists on putting them everywhere, making my life a living hell trying to avoid clicking any of the ones I don't want (or making the page load so slow it's not worth loading anymore) I'll just adblock them.

    I leave it up to them. Either advertise in a way that won't spoil my online experience, or don't advertise at all.

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  31. please remove the ads. There is a limit on how many are acceptable on a page.

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  32. ADS on the side - sure. But not IN my gmail. And hey I pay for my google apps account!

    Strangely in my other free gmail there are no ads.

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  33. it seems that google removed ads at bottom (finally)

    Seen on an account that showed ads at bottom and now it doesn't anymore

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  34. My account started showing these ads below the messages recently. I use gmail because it permits focused reading and writing of messages. Ads on the side are fine and sometimes useful. If these new ads below the message continue, I will just return to a platform with fewer features/ads.

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  35. Here's a post I've made.
    Do you like your work-space to be taken over?
    Though we all love Google, don't we?

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  36. Just cancelled gmail, I was getting ads about sewers and waste water management so I am afraid google lost me there! Too depressing everytime I opened my mail there was an ad for sewer management!

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