Hmm so the ads are at the first and last post of a page too?

If I had to pick between in-post ads and between posts, it's not even close that I prefer the ad between the posts. To me, the ads between the post aren't intrusive because they're not interrupting the flow of the text.

That other site looks like hell, I appreciate the idea that this feedback thread exists and it seems to me like Geoff usually does take the input of the members into the decision as much as he can.

I can't see how ads like this are even considered. I am sure the costs of running the site are more than I can grasp but for ages now we've had members willing to pay for an ad free version of the forum and instead we get this mess. I doubt the HowardForums were that way at first....I'm sure they had to start somewhere.

I'll add my vote for ads between posts vs. inside the post.

I must say that i'm not really liking these ads inside posts.

I'd rather they be between posts.

Ok, I hate them even more. I didn't notice that the ads were in the first and last post until now, and I also just noticed that it's not just text ads. Even horrible colored and animated ads show up in the posts.

Come on now, surely there's a way to keep things running smoothly here without having to resort to such eyesores.

Another vote for the in-post ads sucking ass. Between posts is much better.

For the record. DVD Talk runs on 5 servers and consumes monster bandwidth, the cost to just keep it up and running is pretty jaw dropping.

also for the MLB posts and other formatted posts, they can be 'fixed' with at the top of the post.

Oh my. Totally not a fan.

As long as these are in place, I'll refrain from starting new threads.

that's ridiculous....not only are you cluttering things even worse, but you are de facto turning all of us into shills for products when an ad is inserted in our own post! Terrible Terrible Awful idea.

Again, Geoff, we all want you to make money... lots and lots of money... but, dear God, there's got to be a better way. These inline ads make my brain hurt.

If we do the "BR clear=all" at the top of every one of our posts... would you consider that a violation of TOS? Because if not, if that's what it takes, that's what I'll do.

On the other hand, it will be funny to see HD-DVD ads in the Blu-ray supporters' posts, and vice-versa.

First Virginia Tech and now this shit. Couldn't you have waited a week at least?

I think it wouldn't be so bad if the ads ran in a sidebar outside the user post box like AVSForum has:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=44

This would even allow for several ads to be stacked vertically down the length of the page (increasing site income), as opposed to the just 2 ads in the first and last post respectively as we seen now.

But to put the ads actually inside the text box looks intrusive, and will be even worse once advertisers figure out how to design their ads so that it looks like the forum member wrote it as part of the post intentionally (which will happen eventually).

Err... is this a threat or a promise?

So is having a subscription ad free site (that runs on one or two of the servers) not an option? I know you've said you wanted to wait until you had premium content worth paying, but if there are enough members willing to pay just for an ad free forum experience isn't that worth implementing in the meantime? Of course you'd have to poll and see how many would be interested to see if it was feasible first.


Thanks for that tip, I'll post it over in that thread so it can be fixed (assuming you haven't already. Nevermind, El Scorcho already took care of linking it in that thread.

Promise, but the flash ads aren't the norm, so I guess you're stuck with me for now.

I think I prefer the ad on the right of the 1st post to the ad between the 1st and 2nd posts.

How many times am I going to read the first post of a thread I'm participating in anyway? I don't like the gap between posts very much.

I fixed the MLB thread. I'd say only use that break tag for big tables or huge posts that get messed up with the new ad format.

Again guys THIS IS A TEST. <b>So give it some time</b> and we'll see how it all shakes out.

I can remember a very very similar thread when we first added the ads after the first post. Also remeber we haven't ADDED any ads here, just changed where they appear.

Funny, AVS was the example of a site that I was going to use for one cluttered with distracting ads.

It would be less annoying if it was only in the first post. But it seems to usually be in the first and last, and I've seen a few in the middle of pages too.

Yup. The one where CinemaNut is telling everyone to go fuck themselves has them all over the place.

Well, I am pro ads, just for the record. I wish you had more of them and used things like flash and java.

Thanks!

Looking through some threads just now, it looks like Geoff may have tweaked it to only be in the first post recently.

If so that is an improvement that I could live with. But still prefer the between posts ads as before.

Edit I guess not as this post got hit with an ad as soon as I submitted it.

Clearly it doesn't take into account the posts per page settings of individual users? I had 3 in the 1st page of this thread.

No Geoff its not good.