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So, now we've started adding ads inbetween posts in a thread. I have my CS account, but generally leave the ads on, because the heading and sidebar ones don't actually inconvenience me any, and presumably bring a little extra to the site.
But these new ones are pretty distracting. Can we get an option to disable them for the CS accounts?
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Can we get an option to disable them for the CS accounts?
Seconded, please. I support the site, and I plan to continue doing so. I'd really like for that to include the option to turn off all ads, not just the ones that were in place when I paid for the account.
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The interstitial ads are double-plus more annoying than the sidebar and top bar ads. They totally futz with the flow of conversation. Not viewing them should absolutely be an option. I mean, I know I'm not a CS (someday!), but still...
.....the new ads are making it almost impossible for me to log in and do anything now. My Community Supporter account has the regular ads turned off, because they slow the site down for me otherwise, but these new ads aren't being turned off by that same switch. The new ads are freezing up my Internet Explorer most of the time that I try to log in or load a page after logging in.
Granted, my computer and OS are old, so my IE isn't up to date (can't update it any further with this OS), but this problem shouldn't exist. Especially when I've got ads turned off on my CS account. I can't even load my account page now without it freezing up, so I can't look for any new ad checkbox on the account pages to mark off.
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I love this site and all but seriously, those mid thread ads need to go. To me when ever I see an ad box that's as wide as the content area of a site which doesn't have a "content continued below" warning my mind interprets them as the ad existing at the bottom of the content flow. As a result, I found myself looking for the next page button or trying to navigate out of the the thread (especially when I was not log on at school today).
The ads on the content area's bottom, header, and sidebar are alright (though somewhat excessive since their number will only increase as time goes on), but please, before adding a new ad every 5 or 10 displayed posts, think of what it does to user experience of the average ENWorld user. Thanks.
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I know ads aren't popular, guys, but I don't really have a choice. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but nobody's buying anything - advertising, CS accounts, EN Publishing PDFs. The only thing I could think of was to increase the amount of Google ads, otherwise the site would have to go bye-bye.
I don't mind them as long as my CS options include turning them off. I actually leave the head banner ad on for similar reasons to hafrogman, and because the layout just looks a little weird without it.
Morrus I hope if the situation gets *really* dire you'll bring it to the community's attention before ENW is in danger of going *POP*?
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I know ads aren't popular, guys, but I don't really have a choice. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but nobody's buying anything - advertising, CS accounts, EN Publishing PDFs. The only thing I could think of was to increase the amount of Google ads, otherwise the site would have to go bye-bye.
Understood - but those who did buy something bought the option to turn off the ads. Only it seems now like we didn't . . . and the one's we can't turn off are in far more annoying (to me) places than the ones we did ever were!
Understood - but those who did buy something bought the option to turn off the ads. Only it seems now like we didn't . . . and the one's we can't turn off are in far more annoying (to me) places than the ones we did ever were!
I promise I'll fix that! Taking longer than I thought it would.
I know ads aren't popular, guys, but I don't really have a choice. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but nobody's buying anything - advertising, CS accounts, EN Publishing PDFs. The only thing I could think of was to increase the amount of Google ads, otherwise the site would have to go bye-bye.
Need donations?
Post a "goal" and a donation link.
Some of us are doing pretty okay, in even this economy.
Cheers, -- N
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Need donations?
Post a "goal" and a donation link.
Some of us are doing pretty okay, in even this economy.
Well, that's the problem. There isn't a goal; there's a need for regular reliable revenue. Donation drives are just a band-aid.
I've made an "appeal" which consists of pointing out EN World's various revenue streams in the hope that some folks see something they didn't realise was there.
Well, that's the problem. There isn't a goal; there's a need for regular reliable revenue. Donation drives are just a band-aid.
I've made an "appeal" which consists of pointing out EN World's various revenue streams in the hope that some folks see something they didn't realise was there.
This recession won't last forever. I'll bet it won't be too many more months until people start buying stuff again.
So: even if donations are a band-aid, the lack of revenue ought to "heal" at some point in the future.
Cheers, -- N
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Not to pry too much, but are most of the site expenses bandwidth related? If so, have you considered optimizing the site to reduce the bandwidth load or making minor changes to reduce the bandwidth usage? Minor changes can have a big impact on the actual bandwidth used by the site.
For example, a quick check on a couple pages shows that updating the HREFS and SRC attributes in the HTML to not include the full domain name of the site (href="/forum/archive/index.php/" instead of href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive/index.php/") could reduce page size between 5% and 10%. You could also make avatar images a "Community Supporter" thing, which would reduce the bandwidth utilization further (5KB or so for every avatar image not displayed). Even moving style information from being inline to being in a style class declaration can reduce the page size, especially on elements repeated on every page (I'm looking at you, mouseover/mouseout on the navigation bar images instead of using a CSS :hover)
To be honest, I haven't renewed my CS account because what you get doesn't seem like much for the cost, and while I had my CS account I didn't find a need to use any of the benefits. I have a hard time justifying spending as much on a CS account as it costs me for 6 full months of hosting on my own site. While the price per year is much better if you go for the three year anniversary deal, given the fund drives and recurring performance issues I don't have much faith in the site being here three years from now.
Not to pry too much, but are most of the site expenses bandwidth related? If so, have you considered optimizing the site to reduce the bandwidth load or making minor changes to reduce the bandwidth usage? Minor changes can have a big impact on the actual bandwidth used by the site.
It's not bandwidth; the server costs are the same every month. The problem is that things that used to pay for those costs now don't. EN World made $7.50 this month. Total.
Quote:
To be honest, I haven't renewed my CS account because what you get doesn't seem like much for the cost, and while I had my CS account I didn't find a need to use any of the benefits. I have a hard time justifying spending as much on a CS account as it costs me for 6 full months of hosting on my own site. While the price per year is much better if you go for the three year anniversary deal, given the fund drives and recurring performance issues I don't have much faith in the site being here three years from now.
It's been here 10 years; but your reasoning is a self-fulfillng prphecy. If folks don't spend money on that basis, it won't be here in 3 years.
I'd ask that you forget the benefits a CS account gives you, and think about the benefits EN World's existence gives you. Now, if you don't think EN World gives you $35 a year's benefit, I can't argue with that - only you know what is worth that to you. But IF EN World's existence provides you with $35 benefit a year (say, a cheap meal out once a year), I'd ask you to consider the account anyway.
Only you know what value you get out of the site; I can't tell you that. You simply need to make decisions on your own valuations. If it turns out that EN World isn't worth $35 a year to most people, then I guess market forces will have spoken and we'll quietly fade away. I still hold out hope that the site is worth that to people, though, because I believe there's far more available here than in any given $35 rulebook.
I know ads aren't popular, guys, but I don't really have a choice. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but nobody's buying anything - advertising, CS accounts, EN Publishing PDFs.
I blame Evony. I'm not saying it's their fault, just that I blame them.
I support the site, and I plan to continue doing so. I'd really like for that to include the option to turn off all ads, not just the ones that were in place when I paid for the account.
Apologies for the snarkiness. I was afraid from your other post the mid-thread ads were mandatory. Sorry about that!
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