:sigh:

The ads are becoming more and more obtrusive. It's too bad this is the only way to bring in the $$$. Are we still even discussing paid memberships?

I'd argue that text ads are actually LESS intrusive than the DHTML takeovers which used to be more prevelant than they are. Also we've REJECTED many campaigns which required interstitals (A FULL page AD that interrupts you as you go from page to page). So honestly I understand the sensativity to advertising, but you guys have to know that we're always working on a fair balance between the right amount of advertising for the financial needs of the sight and the right amount of advertising for a good member experience.

Also... YES paid memberships are in the works. We haven't rushed this because making money from paid memberships is less important that putting together a good membership program that's WORTH paying for!

I agree, and I appreciate that. Out of curiosity, about what percentage of revenue is generated from referral links versus banner ads? Is it a significant discrepancy (like 1 to 3)?

I would think that Google ads are pretty expensive, but it's pay-per-click, which can bring in good revenues. I think I still prefer the old version a while back, like when we had four dvd covers at the top instead of only two. Those are the ones I usually click, but I guess those don't really count as ads.

Yep, I'm getting at least two sets of ads per page (once X number of posts have been made).

In fact, I'm seeing a "Sponsored Links" banner between gkleinman and automator's posts just 3-4 posts up.

Also, the second, lower "Sponsored Links" banners I'm seeing now are often blank.

I'm seeing the same thing. In this thread the first one has links, the second one has nothing.

I see the mid-thread ads are now double the size. How long before they take up an entire screen? I'm betting 18 months.

This is a bit annoying when you're viewing the threads at 40 posts per page. There's an ad before AND after the 26th post on a page. Now with the new sized ads, that post is in some sort of a limbo area all alone. Is it at least possible to have only one ad appear at that point in the thread if you're viewing 40 posts per page?

I run Firefox as well and 4 times already my computer crashed after I attempted to close one of those I-POD pop-ups. Granted I block most every pop-up from the site these keep coming through. Now, I see all these new ads and I have to echo what has been said already: I DO NOT like them at all!!!

I certainly hope there is a better way to generate revenue!

Pro-B

There shouldn't be pop-ups. If you get one, right click and copy the url and paste it here. I'll sleuth them out.

agreed the super size ads are annoying...on the other hand I enjoy the site and want you to make truckloads of cash...

The ads certainly are taking up more room, so I will sugges that you use the simple image ads more often rather than the google and other flash ads that keep the page still if you move the mouse pointer over them. Another advantage is that these simple image ads will load if javascript is disabled.

Here's one example of what I'm talking about.



to the ad site: http://www.shatnerdvdclub.com/html/

So a pop up with this link:

http://ads.kleinman.com/cgi-bin/adcy...?gid=86&id=648

..isn't supposed to exist? With that url, it seems like it is.

(It cycles through Squid & the Whale, Corpse Bride, My Neighbor Totoro, and ??).

Wow, these huge ads are terrible I hope the subscription service comes soon.

That's a POP UNDER.

Difference without a distinction.

Not really. A pop-up is both disruptive and iterruptive. A pop-under is a MUCH more polite form of advertising.

I appreciate the site and I don't feel the need to complain about the ads- I don't find them overly intrusive. But... come on. Pop-ups may be marginally more disruptive than pop-unders, but they're both annoying.

As a consumer, there's literally no difference. That sounds like a term coined by someone in advertising to sell to websites by getting around the actual definition of a pop up. If anything, it requires more work to close it if it's not on top to hit the "X".

I rarely have my pop up blocker off anyway. When I do, that thing slaps me in the face, though.

Meh. Banner ads, pop-ups, pop-unders... no problems there. As long as this site doesn't have those obnoxious roll-over Flash ads or those interstitals (hate those), I'm okay.

I don't get people complaining about advertising. This is a great site, and the content is 100% free, so who cares if there is (relatively) unobtrustive advertising?

Yeah, I can deal with pop ups and pop unders. Especially since most of them get blocked by most any browser you use today. I'm suprised advertisers still want to use them since even people that no nothing about computers are blocking them without knowing it these days.

Like NCMojo says, it's a great site and it's free so I don't see why people bitch so much.

Though I do wish Geoff would get the ad free premium forums off the ground, so people bitching about ads could put their money where there mouth is.

I'm not bitching, but I'm not a fan of the larger mid-thread ads.

But this one did make me laugh...

Beyonce????

It's called the Feedback forum for a reason.

I don't think I even noticed how big the ads were until reading this thread. Just doesn't bother me on a free site.