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matc

Original Poster:

4,737 posts

236 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
I now seem to have a section at the bottom of the foum full of Ads by Google. Just wanted to check it isn't my browser messing about and it's just you guys trying to fund your extravagant lifestyles? wink

Stuart

11,639 posts

280 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Yep, we were running low on the '95 Krug, and so I instructed the boys to turn the money making machine up a notch we thought that some contextual ads against relevant content in sub forums (such as photography and computer games) would allow us to monetise the forums without interfering too much with your user experience. As ever, no obligation to click...


S. Gonzales Esq.

2,559 posts

241 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Contextual? I was amused to see three ads for Clarks Shoes on the Ken Clarke thread in News, Politics and Economics.

PH lurker

1,301 posts

186 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
I don't mind these at all, I prefer these to some of the others. smile

Henry Hawthorne

6,539 posts

245 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
They look st and are taking up a third of the page.

HoHoHo

15,398 posts

279 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Henry Hawthorne said:
They look st and are taking up a third of the page.
Agreed yes

andy-xr

13,204 posts

233 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Option to switch off please, before I try to switch them off locally? smile

Stuart

11,639 posts

280 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
andy-xr said:
Option to switch off please, before I try to switch them off locally? smile
There is no option to switch them off. They won't always be served (they weren't on this page for example). As ever, we'd prefer it if you didn't switch them off. The forum is and will always remain free, but you must respect our right to generate ad revenue as an alternative business model. Contextually relevant (which they will be for the most part) ads are hopefully not too offensive to the majority.

anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
I'm not normally one to bh about ads on here but I don't like them at all

The context sensitivity is dubious at best and they ruin the clean lines

Before it was easy, on a long thread and want to read the last reply, scroll all the way to the bottom and read it, hit my stuff, job done, except now these are at the bottom, so I have to find my stuff a 1/3 of the way up and click

I've never installed ad blocker before but this may be the final insult I'm afraid chaps, just a shame I can't do it on my phone

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Just noticed these too. They are low profile compared to some, but I am irked that they've automatically white-listed themsleves in Adblocker and there doesn't seem to be a way to disable them. That should be my choice, not PHs, and the few of us who are sufficliently interested to want rid of them are hardly going to dent the income stream.

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Stuart said:
They won't always be served (they weren't on this page for example).
They are now...


ETA: Oh no they've gone again.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 18th May 18:14

Shaw Tarse

31,888 posts

232 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Stuart said:
There is no option to switch them off. They won't always be served (they weren't on this page for example). As ever, we'd prefer it if you didn't switch them off. The forum is and will always remain free, but you must respect our right to generate ad revenue as an alternative business model. Contextually relevant (which they will be for the most part) ads are hopefully not too offensive to the majority.
There are ads now, I accept, PH have to raise revenue, but I'm not keen, sorry Stuart.

Accelebrate

5,676 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
HoHoHo said:
Henry Hawthorne said:
They look st and are taking up a third of the page.
Agreed yes
I've hidden them locally, too big for me I'm afraid. I'm all for supporting the site but they're too intrusive if you scroll to the bottom of a thread to read the latest post or reply. Can I leave them hidden and promise to buy some more merchandise? smile

Stu R

21,638 posts

244 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Shaw Tarse said:
Stuart said:
There is no option to switch them off. They won't always be served (they weren't on this page for example). As ever, we'd prefer it if you didn't switch them off. The forum is and will always remain free, but you must respect our right to generate ad revenue as an alternative business model. Contextually relevant (which they will be for the most part) ads are hopefully not too offensive to the majority.
There are ads now, I accept, PH have to raise revenue, but I'm not keen, sorry Stuart.

Plus one.

As has been suggested for years now, put a paid ad-free alternative up or even a voluntary method for those of us who block the ads and you'd happily get a few quid out of me. It's the only way you will, frankly. It's a model which works exceedingly well on a number of other forums, better conversion of guests to members, more revenue, people who don't want to see ads are happy, people who don't care about the ads are happy...

Stuart

11,639 posts

280 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
OK, we'll have a look at tweaking the formatting to see if they can be made a little smaller, point taken. The contextualisation won't work as well in forums such as this where there's not much relevant text to deliver ads against, and usually if it can't get a good enough match it'll serve nothing, which is why sometimes this thread won't show anything. Looking elsewhere though, it seems to be working pretty well in delivering contextually relevant ads.

Everything can be tweaked, as ever.

Terminator X

20,570 posts

233 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
2 at the bottom of the page for me ... just ignore em?! Surely no hardship on a free site that is as excellent as this one biggrin

TX.

Rouleur

7,416 posts

218 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
Terminator X said:
2 at the bottom of the page for me ... just ignore em?! Surely no hardship on a free site that is as excellent as this one biggrin

TX.
Yep. PH is bloody wonderful and I'm happy to have to put up with a few ads at the bottom of the page in exchange for its remaining as good as it's always been in my time here.

mkopc

1,998 posts

231 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
I appreciate every business has to make money but these ads seem a step too far. I have never clicked an ad that is used in this way and I am unlikely to in the future.

Genuinely, and I mean this, I would rather pay a subscription for PH that have the ads at the bottom of pages

skeggysteve

5,724 posts

246 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
I've just noticed them and have to say I don't mind them.
Not intrusive and at the bottom of the page they are in a way hidden.

One question Stuart - if we click on them enough do we get a kick back? wink

Stuart

11,639 posts

280 months

Wednesday 18th May 2011
quotequote all
skeggysteve said:
One question Stuart - if we click on them enough do we get a kick back? wink
That will be reflected in your usual forum post remuneration, Steve.