Thank you for your feedback on ADDitudeMag.com. I'm sorry to hear that you're finding the site distracting and difficult to read. I understand that flashing ads can hinder a user's ability to concentrate on text. Unfortunately, it's the reality of web publishing today that we need the advertisements to make all of our content and community tools possible - without charging a user fee, there's just no way around ads. And, in today's market, most advertisers simply demand Flash creatives. The day of the static web ad is over, I'm afraid.

But I do have a solution for you: Simply click the "Print" icon at the top right of any article page. That will bring up a 'print preview' page where you can read the entire article without any ads. Also, slide show articles appear all on one page. This should solve most of your usability problems in the short-term - I hope it helps!

- Anni

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Possibly, it is not possible to make the advertisements ADHD/ADD friendly, but it is possible to make the content ADHD/ADD friendly.

The majority of ADDitudemag.com content is directed to those who are well on the way to dealing with their issues. For them, an article about 28 easy steps to ... whatever may be just fine. But what about all of those who are just beginning to understand their issues and need a life raft?

How about some articles about... ... the benefits of proper medication instead of self medicating? ... where can I receive inexpensive coaching?; there are many who cannot afford $150 an hour. ... where I can get one-on-one help to understand where to begin?

If ADDitudemag.com is here to help, the content needs to be upgraded. Making "bill payments on time" is the least of the problems many person face. Try an article about "not spending your last dime when you're about to lose your apartment due to back rent."

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You hit the nail right on the head, there! Having ADHD has caused me to feel like I'm always behind in life and everyday seems like a struggle to catch up with yesterday's, or last week's, or forever-ago's work. Granted, I feel that simply being on this site (or any site, for that matter) in search of ways to understand ourselves and cope with life is a HUGE step towards finding some kind of order in this chaotic DISorder that we all face. Everytime I log on to this site, I feel proud of myself for finally being proactive and taking the responsibility to take care of MYSELF. So although I am taking a step FORWARD towards a (hopefully!) better life, there is no denying reality: I'm still trying to CATCH UP! And wish as we may, our present problems (like rent, finances, that neglected school paper, etc.) will not simply disappear solely because we're trying to move FORWARD. I can't completely move FORWARD until I can solve what's BEHIND me. This board offers a lot of room for progress...what about a section for SEARCH AND RESCUE?!

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I would have to agree with YingYang.

The flash ads are very distracting and appear to slow the web site. There certainly is very little creativity in the listing of safety information - especially when it is displayed in two ads simultaneously.

While I appreciate the need for ad revenue, I am sure there are more creative solutions the current advertising model. For example, some ads provide the ability to stop the animation, others have animated ads limited to one per page, or have it only at the top. The use of cookies could also assist in limiting the repetition of ads on every page.

While I'm sure drug advertising generates much more revenue, there are other models such as GoogleAds which would could at least reduce the animated ads and can be very targeted toward the ADHD audience.

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I find this whole website EXTREMELY distracting ( i think that's the best way to describe it). There is definitely a lot of useful information here, I will agree. I can't really even identify the exact problem...I just know that I often avoid going on this site when I don't want to get distracted and spend too much time on the computer. It's almost like there are too many information hoops to jump thru to get to what I originally was looking for...and many distracting topics along the way. I don't have this problem so much on other sites...it is really something about the site... maybe you could not have links to other articles and topics on the same page? just a topical menu across the top or side like you already have, but there are too many paths, options, and clickable layers to wade through here...

Another possibility might be to have different sites for different populations of ADDer's tho that might be more complex...haven't really thought it through... Or maybe one page that is just a streamlined no frame topical index... I can think of other things but I am sure everyone can :-)

I definitely agree with YinYang about addressing more basic problems rather than assuming everyone here is middle-class with access to help. Sometimes the very fact of our ADD (as adults) makes it more difficult to access help or sort out our problems when we HAVE the resources to address them...however I find having ADD has been a factor in limiting my access to help as well as limiting my ability to access it.

Sometimes basic survival takes just about all the attention and energy I can muster, and that's during a good year :-)

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