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[sevenlayermuddle]

I've recently noticed, some met office web pages are absolutely littered with advertising.

Doesn't seem quite right to me, being a .gov.uk domain?

[BritBrat]

I don't see much here:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

[sevenlayermuddle]

It's most ridiculous on my actual local forecast / past 24 hrs page, which is bookmarked n all my devices.   But since posting, I found this...

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/advertise

 

I wonder where it will lead.  Will live House of Commons broadcasts, such as PM question time, be accompanied by scrolling banners around the benches, as in sporting events?

[renluop]

Back in 1996 Met Office was permitted (told) to have a trading fund. Annexe A of Framework document may interest you. I think advertising selling and acceptance would fall under that power.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Back in 1996 Met Office was permitted (told) to have a trading fund. Annexe A of Framework document may interest you. I think advertising selling and acceptance would fall under that power.

I don't have a major gripe in principle against Met Office advertising. They are, after all, just a commercial organisation that is run for profit.   I have long since ceased to respect them as a scientific authority on anything at all, so tacky advertising is no surprise.

My gripe is that they be allowed to promote their advertising under the shield of respectability that is afforded by a .gov.uk domain name.   

[AArdvark]

Back in 1996 Met Office was permitted (told) to have a trading fund. Annexe A of Framework document may interest you. I think advertising selling and acceptance would fall under that power.

... I have long since ceased to respect them as a scientific authority on anything at all, so tacky advertising is no surprise.

Love to know the back story on your comment. 

[BritBrat]

If it's misuse of the .gov domain could they be reported to Nominet or who ever controls that domain name registration.

After all we keep getting told to make sure you use the .gov site so you know it is the official site and not some scamming site, I must admit seeing adds would make me think it's not a legit site.

[sevenlayermuddle]

I must admit seeing adds would make me think it's not a legit site.

You've hit it on the head there, that was my first thought!

Or had my device been compromised?  Once the initial panic subdued though it turned out to be just ads, probably from Google as it was throwing up things that would have been triggered by recent searches.

I doubt if they are doing anything illegal, they'll have thought it all through.   Time was, and not that long ago, I'd have composed a formal complaint and seen it through to whoever is in charge.   But these days I try to be more relaxed, and just having a mumble and a grumble on an Internet forum is so much less stressful.

Off-topic since it's not gov.uk, but another thing that's been ruined by ads recently is National Rail's smartphone App.   Used to be one of my favourite Apps, but in the past few weeks it's gained prolific ads, pretty much ruined it.