Re: Microsoft Dynamics advert
That's better than nothing, but it's not good enough.
Auto-starting videos with sound is simply unacceptable.
Take this situation, I'm browsing at work, phone rings as I'm moving mouse around page, I pick up phone, a few seconds later in comes the music. Over my nice speakers, and into my nice phone. Not so great for the professional image we're trying to project is it? As well as being bloody annoying!
Your site is aimed at people browsing at work. I would strongly suspect that the majority of your comments are posted in working hours. Some people have their speakers turned on, on the work PC. The problem isn't noise in the office, the problem is that happening when I'm dealing with a customer. For other people, it's both.
If an advert wants to run audio, then it must only launch after a button has been pressed to start it. And accept the fact that almost no-one will click on it. If they don't like that, then tough shit. The alternative is Adblock. There are no other options.
Also, there needs to be a 'stop' button as well, which apparently there isn't. Which is pure stupidity, to add to the arrogance and obnoxiousness of using auto-play.
This is a site with a techy (and often grumpy) userbase. Who are easily capable of blocking adversts. I would be utterly amazed if you can find any of them who are willing to put up with autoplay sound. Not on videos related to the articles, and definitely not on adverts. Just because the mouse has hovered over an advert, that does not mean that this advert is receiveing active attention. Which means they shouldn't expand and zoom all over the screen, just because your mouse clipped the corner on the way past. And they definitely, should not play audio!
Make ads this obnoxious, and everyone will opt out of ads, which is now very easy.
Don't do this. It's unpleasant and annoying. But it's also stupid for a company reliant on advertising income, which has a user base who can block all adverts with 2 or 3 button clicks.