slop101

I was just getting used to the ads between posts, and now we have ads inside posts? Why? It doesn't make the ad any more noticable - it just detracts from the post.

stingermck

Yeah I understand the need for ads, but inside the post? I don't know...just find it too distracting, with it flushing the text.

shizawn

Yeah, same here. Hopefully it's just a bug.

reverie

I was wondering this as well. At the risk of being told to go find another message board to post at, it seems to me the ads are just getting worse. On the other hand, maybe it's just a glitch or "test".

Groucho

It's worse than that, folks. They are investigating the use of software which actually inserts advertisements into the posts as text, posing as the writings of the actual user, and indecipherable to the outside user. I'm so outraged that I plan to cool my temper with a nice refreshing Coca-Cola.

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

I like it

GeoffK

This is a test on the advice of one of the large ad networks we work with. We'll see how it goes. The upside of course is less scroll to get to the 2nd post (as there isn't a big sponsor block between the two).

Josh H

Was about to post the same thing.

Annoying as hell IMO. If these and loud flash ads like the HD-DVD ones become the norm, I'm done with DVD Talk.

I hope they don't stick around as I love the site (as my 26,000+ posts attest) but these types of ads are just too much.

GeoffK

The HD-DVD flash ads are not the norm. They are the exception. We are always working to balance the needs of our members with the needs of our advertisers. It's a careful balancing act where no one is going to be happy 100% of the time, but we do our best.

The Cow

As long as the sponsor block between posts 1 and 2 is gone, I don't really care.

I'd still pay a membership fee to have an ad free forum experience, though

reverie

I guess the one upside, as was said, is the fact there's no big gap between posts 1 and 2 with it. I think it's just the fact that it's actually *in* a person's post that will annoy posters.

Josh H

Good to hear. These in post ads are much more tolerable than the loud as HD-DVD ads. But still annoying as hell.

But as always comes up in these discussion, if you'd get the premium site up and started making some subscription money you'd have to do less of this balancing act.

I'd personally pay up to $50 a year just to have the forums with no ads of anykind anywhere, even if that was the only bonus for subscribing.

Groucho

As would I. And I'd use my Discover card to pay for it, in order to maximize my Rewards!

Josh H

Exactly, and I imagine it will screw up "formatted" posts like the schedules and standings post in the daily MLB threads and so forth if it happens to pop up in one of those.

solipsta

It would be nice if there was something that seperated the actual post from the ad. The first time I saw it I thought that the person had posted it and I couldn't figure out how to relate it to what they were saying... Either do that or raise my IQ a bit...either would help.

Scott_Lecter

We're actually working on a way to insert the ads directly into the heads of our readers. We think it'll be evolutionary!

Kidding, of course, but IMHO the in-post ads don't bother me at all. Just my 2 cents...

stingermck

cant wait to see Speedys next ad thread, with these

Josh H

And it does mess them up.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=498401

Brent L

Meh, I hate these new ads as well. I hope that this doesn't lead to those horrible ads on other sites that automatically highlight and link various random words. I absolutely can't stand that trend at all.

Josh H

Don't have to wait.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=497162

It doesn't mess that up to bad, nothing like the MLB thread where the ad is over top of the text of the post. His text just gets scrunched up for the first part of the post.

GeoffK

The whole point of optimizing the ads we currently have is so we don't have to add more intrusive and patently awful ads. I HATE the double underline ads and floods of ads on a site.

But to give you guys some perspective, here's a popular forum that shows you just how much advertising COULD be on the forum:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1144445

So again, we're striking a balance.

auto

These are horrible...very intrusive. I'd much rather have them in between posts.

Baron Of Hell

I didn't mind the ads between post. The ads in the post throws off the flow of thread without bringing any more attention to the ad.

On a side note I can not stand forums that are to busy. To many ads and animated avatars and pictures in every post makes my head hurt.

Josh H

I'll also ad that my vote to those that prefer the in between posts ads. Those really didn't bother me much.

These are just horribly distracting as it makes it awkward to read the posts with the scrunched text, and it screws up the formatting of the MLB thread (add over top text) which is a thread I check daily.

Numanoid

Ditto.