Potentially Disturbing New Ad Model for Android: Pop-Up Ads

[dgstorm]

A fellow writer over at PhanDroid recently discovered what we hope will not become a disturbing new trend in Android advertising. He downloaded an active wallpaper on the Market, called 3D Fireflies, made by developer The Go Wallpaper Dev Team. He made comment that although the wallpaper was well-done, the wrinkle for getting the wallpaper free was that it had "pop-up ads" just like what we annoyingly experience on our computers. He said that within an hour's time the ad popped up on his home screen, or whatever he was doing, at least twice.

He couldn't determine what company they teamed up with to use this advertising model, but he found that the "cost" for disabling the pop-ups was to purchase the app for $2 bucks. He made it clear that he has no problem with developers trying to make money on their apps, but we can all probably agree, that this is definitely not the best way, especially on the Android. You may be able to browse the web on an Android, but that doesn't mean it is just a web-browser. Can you imagine getting a pop-up ad slowing you down while trying to make an emergency call? Simply ridiculous. Let's cross our fingers that this doesn't become a trend. Sound off in the forums if any of you have also experienced this.

Source: PhanDroid

 

[jrizal]

Nothing is free in this world. Even Android. :L

 

[OffWorld]

We're obviously accustomed to the idea of ad-supported free apps, but this one sounds like it is far more obtrusive than just displaying an ad when you're viewing the app (i.e., on your home screen where the app is running as live wallpaper) in that it pops the ads up over the top of *other* apps. I'm sure the developers of those other apps, whether ad-supported or purchased and ad-free, wouldn't be very happy about someone else's ads popping up over the top of their app. There's probably one really good way to make sure this doesn't become a prevalent ad model - boycott apps that do this, and if you download and install an app that does this uninstall it and give negative feedback in the app store where you got it. If the advertising model proves unpopular enough that people don't use the apps then devs won't use that advertising model because selling ads to support their app is dependent on people using the app. Money talks, even for "free" apps!

 

[reservation]

Nothing is free in this world.

So true. And why should things be free? I recently found out about a great new way to implement advertising... It's ring back advertising. I can't remember which country it was but I think somewhere in asia and there you can get free calls if your willing to listen to ads as a ring back tone. And actually I think this is a great way of implementing ads. The thing I really really don't like is paying for stuff (whether it's an app or TV or whatever) and then being buried in a pile of ads. But hey, as long as the things are free... fine with me.

 

[MikeAnthony]

wow... never seen this before.... hope it dosnt start a nasty trend

 

[reservation]

So true. And why should things be free? I recently found out about a great new way to implement advertising... It's ring back advertising. I can't remember which country it was but I think somewhere in asia and there you can get free calls if your willing to listen to ads as a ring back tone. And actually I think this is a great way of implementing ads. The thing I really really don't like is paying for stuff (whether it's an app or TV or whatever) and then being buried in a pile of ads. But hey, as long as the things are free... fine with me.

So I suppose it wasn't asia but turkey... But I somehow only found an article on it from 2008, but I think
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[TD="width: 408"]http://www.ect-ringback.com/]this ringback stuff will play a role in the future. better than popups at least.
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