Reluctant to use new "Managed Ads" feature

Inflexible way of doing things

[jaynl]

Today, in the Report Overview I see a message promoting the use of Managed Ads:

*NEW* New Manage Ads feature! Easily update
your ad units from inside your account.

To be honest, I don't think it is easier than what I was used to. Since the introduction of the Managed Ads feature, I have not created any new ads, simply because I think this new way of ads management is inflexible compared to the earlier method. Especially with automatically created code with lots of variable targeting and tracking channels.

Google says it's still possible to use the old method, however this is very cumbersome. From the FAQ: "Going forward, when you generate code for a new ad unit, you'll be required to name it just in case you ever wish to update it in the future. If you'd prefer not to make updates to your ad units from within your account, that's fine. You can create a new ad unit every time you want to make changes to your ads."

I was wondering if there are more people having this reluctance with the new method and like to share.

[greatstart]

I won't use the new managed ads feature unless I absolutely have to.

I have saved all of my old ad codes into a text file, so I can use it the way it was set originally for future updates.

I would hate to make a change right now, and find out that the earnings have dropped and blame it on the new code.

So the motto of the story is, don't fix it if it ain't broken!

[Lame_Wolf]

Same here.
I *hate* using it and remain with the old code. Another gripe I have with it, is the 10 minute wait [if lucky] for any adverts appear.

It wouldn't be so bad if the blank white space it produces could be altered to be the same as your background. It makes sites look so unprofessional if you have any ugly white gaps scattered around.

I think they ought to have an option to choose "classic mode" when creating code for the adverts.

[europeforvisitors]

On a theoretical level, I like the new code because it's short and sweet, and because it minimizes the need for re-pasting code if I want to make changes or if Google has to make changes.

On a more practical level, both the new and old code work fine, so I don't have strong feelings either way.

[purplecape]

I don't see anything wrong with the new approach. I've used it in a few areas where I've wanted to try out different things--it is much easier to tweak than the old code, since you can tweak it from the AdSense site.

Other parts of my site still have the old code.

[jetteroheller]

The new code is shorter, so the page should load a little bit faster.

[incrediBILL]

I'm still using the old code and *HATE* and I mean *HATE* the managed ads crap.

[europeforvisitors]

The good news is that it doesn't matter, because you can use old or new (or old and new).

And yes, I know....change is hard. My dog had a terrible time the other morning when her favorite toy was leaking its stuffing and she had to settle for a new one until the old one was fixed. :-)

[Atomic]

I haven't had any problems with the new code. It was simple enough to replace the old code and since doing so it's business as usual.

[potentialgeek]

You can't automate Search and Replace on a 1,000-page website when many of the pages have their own color codes.

It's a good idea, but it's LATE. Why didn't Google come out with this in 2004?

It's fine for new sites, though.

p/g

[WiseWebDude]

I have saved all of my old ad codes into a text file, so I can use it the way it was set originally for future updates.

I have done the same thing...I HATE that new crap. I tried it once in a spot and was glad I had the other code pasted into a text file, phew. It just flat sucks. Plus, any webmaster who has ANY experience knows how to change the color code in the ad if that is all they want to do...it's so simple. The other manage ads feature is kind of confusing and is a step backwards, IMHO.

[MikeNoLastName]

I hate the new code, and haven't made any new ones since they started it, because as a manual coder on the rest of the page text, it makes it impossible for me to see (or quickly change) what all the ad options are for each ad on the page, especially if say you have 3 ads which are the same except for instance 1 color. Also any "beta" or premium user options must still be added in manually anyway, so what's the use?

[ddogg]

I have to dynamically set the channels and colors at runtime so I would never want to use the new method personally.