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*Legend* · Feb 15, 2008, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsurara

Ads are not the issue. Splitting content with ads is. (ie. shoving ads between every 3 or 4 posts in a thread).

Gamefaqs absolutely does NOT.

Behold: GameFAQs - Adult Swim Comedy Message Board

They did once and EVERYONE and their MOTHER complained. It was an experiment that ended in flames 8 hours after it began.

No one begrudges a site for having advertisements. But having those advertisements appear in the middle of the site content (and a majority of them for sketchy bs no one wants to click or buy anyway as opposed to ads targetting this actual usergroup with something they may be vaguely interested in), is another.

Pop-ups, split threads, plants, false "articles", phishy links, adware: these are annoying forms of advertisements.

Banners are a reality of life when sites are sold to people who want to make money.

Anyone who thinks IGN, Gamefaqs, MiniTokyo, etc are "supporting their site" through ads is an idiot. Those ads generate REVENUE for the site owners. And generally speaking, the site owners get shit if they try to generate revenue in a way that's annoying to their users.

That... or people leave.

There's NOTHING on this site currently that people can't easily get elsewhere.

Maybe that's the ultimate difference.

There isn't anything that sets AO apart that would make me want to tolerate threads split with advertisements.

I think it's idiotic. But if you guys want to make the site obnoxious for everyone who isn't using firefox: hooray. Don't pretend you love the ads and aren't just turning them off with your adblocker.

If I didn't give a crap about this site I certainly wouldn't be complaining about something that apparently shouldn't even affect me. I'd go start a thread about how to turn the ads off as a mod and that would be the end of it. The point is: this bothers me, as a member. And when this happened on Gamefaqs, everyone got up and left. When advertisements doubled on rotten tomatoes, I got ticked and left (so did a lot of other people). I suppose at this point, after having spent years in fandoms and on boards: I don't appreciate the notion that we're supposed to give our time, effort and money to coorporations and private individuals to profit off of and then being told that that money "supports the site" or that the site somehow "needs the change". Rupert MURDOCH bought Rotten Tomatoes. He's a freaking billionaire! PLEASE don't lecture me about how he needs me to click his banners so that his children don't starve ~_~;

I understand the reality of the internet.

But you need to understand the reality of user-generated content.

When contributors are not appreciated, rewarded, exploited, or even punished (with fees, lack of access, limitations, intrusive/deceptive advertisement, etc): they leave.

And so does your content.

This isn't about ME. It's about EVERY image, review and snippet of information on this site which was donated by a member without any payment in return. THOSE are our donations to the site. To ask us to turn around and pay for it, THEN to make a move to try and annoy us into doing it (on the same day the payment was introduced): that's lame.
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ahhh, I usually agree with what you have to say, but you last two posts made me scratch my head a bit. The first thing I don't understand is what is the problem with owners trying to generate revenue from their site?? I don't think a candy store owner created a business just to see kids smile right? Besides it's really unfair to compare gamefaqs with this site considering their site is part of a big network which ensures financial backing. I am surprise that you said the owners of the site was willing to back down after a little bitch and whine. Just as people can flood to any other site at any time, there are many more who are willing to contribute without question.

Over my years surfing the net, I have came across way to many sites that had to go down because the owner can no longer support it. Nekio, this site, and many more. I really don't believe there is any sort of "morale" or "loyalty" in terms of the internet. It is a "What have you done for me lately" world. You can be the most member-friendly site in the world and if you don't update new stuff for people to leech in two days, they are gone.

And, it really shouldn't matter where the ad is right?? Correct me if I am wrong, but no advertiser would want their ads somewhere that can't be seen. That's why billboards are next to highways and not behind some mountain somewhere; that is the whole point of advertising in the first place. Taking gamefaqs for example, sure their ad is off to the side, but in terms of size it's definitely larger than the ads that were on here. On top of that the members are given a choice to simply link AO from their personal networking site something that can help this site and I'm sure you approve of. It shouldn't take members a lot of effort to do that. In a way this is should be a no-brainer for the members...

I guess for me it's about longevity. AO is one of the very few sites that I can leave for 6 months and be sure that when I go back I won't get a webhoster page telling me I can purchase animeonline.net for $9.99. Yeah it is corny, but that's how I feel. It is along the lines of what Chief was saying earlier. I am glad to be at this place to read and post, and at the same time the owner who provide the place should be allow at the very least to break even if not make a profit.

I'm just a little confused, considering that you are already contributing so much to this site that a little more of an ad would tick you off this much. In all honesty just adblock it if you don't like it or if you feel you have a justification for it. The important thing is not to overestimate the value of one's contribution. That statement of course was not directed at you Tsurara, but those who thinks their presence and posting is a form of valuable contribution and THAT is what ticks me off. I guess I'm one of those people who saw the other side of things, where the masses would urge this one disgruntled person to branch off to create his/her own site and when the owner asks for help all he/she gets is a tumble weed rolling by.

Definitely correct me if I'm wrong in any way.