What's up with those ads?

Roland Warmenhoven · Jan 14, 2012

Please, PLEASE tell me you guys are kidding??

ADS randomly placed between threads and at the bottom of every 1st, 2nd and 3rd post of EVERY THREAD?

Is that really the way you want to go with RaceDepartment?
Beacause it is most definitely not what I would like to see... plus it really takes the point out of having people donating doesn't it?

Ivo Simons · Jan 14, 2012

Jeez relax.
You can say it also in a more normal way. We are not on the Call Of Duty forum.

Roland Warmenhoven · Jan 14, 2012

OK, you have a point; maybe I went a little over the top with the question marks indeed..
It's just that I was rather (still am a little) shocked when I first saw this..

Guess there's no way to tone down my thread title now anyways, right?

Stuart Thomson · Jan 14, 2012

Sorted

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 14, 2012

Its just a test Roland, relax man. We have always remained free from ads from the first day we started this community and I have really hoped to stay that way until forever.

Unfortunately I made myself a promise two years ago to never put in anymore private funds into the website apart from an occasional donation to the site. The first two years I have privately funded 90% of this communities costs and in december xose and me again had to open the wallet big time to pay for the ridiculous costs we have made during the migration period.

The simracing community isn't known for their extreme generosity and the larger we grow the harder it is cover the costs of this website. A phenomena I have never understood but finally accepted.

Our donators of the last years have been AWESOME lets get that straight. A small group of people have kept this place alive. But the point I cannot accept is that it are always the same people having to pay for other peoples pleasure. If you look at this thread only you see that our staff, that already spends tons of hours a day on the joy of others, is actively donating which is totally ridiculous.

A donation system is extremely unfair and that has to change. We are really trying to find ways to give our donators more benefits on the forum. I am thinking of allowing small signatures, user titles, unlimited download possibilities, etc (please post ideas if you have them)

However your point about having to donate and in the same time watching ads is absolutely valid. Those who have an active donation running should NEVER have to watch any google ads.

Let us first see if this actually works and ill do my best to find a way to hide them completely for active donators and staff. Or maybe we will just dump the whole idea, for now its just a test to measure some results.

David Carter · Jan 14, 2012

If the ads help keep this website going then I fully support the decision, If we all click on the ads then we are giving something back to RD and that is something I am prepared to do.

David Jundt · Jan 14, 2012

I am not against it. But can they be at the top or at the bottom? It's quite strange between posts and topic titles

Dewald Nel · Jan 14, 2012

Just put the ads on the side, where there's nothing.

Because, whilst I agree that it's necessary, the current implementation is utterly annoying.

Chris Butcher · Jan 14, 2012

Dewald Nel said: ↑

Just put the ads on the side, where there's nothing.

Because, whilst I agree that it's necessary, the current implementation is utterly annoying.

I think you have to remember that this is a new concept for these guys, so its still a WIP, bear in mind Bram has said at the moment it's just a test, so they have to learn how to implement it too. Give the guys some time

Roland Warmenhoven · Jan 14, 2012

Thank you Bram, for taking the time for a comprehensive reply, and for sharing those insights.
As mentioned above, I admit to overreacting at first; Obviously something like the introduction of ads would not be a careless decision.

From just browsing the forums I couldn't help noticing that indeed the ratio between total members and number of donating members seems somewhat odd, but I could not imagine it being that disproportional that actually admins and staff members need to pay up to keep this community afloat.. :eek:
That indeed is crazy, I do not understand how most people can implicitly assume that everything on the internet should be free..

So with this knowledge, on second thought I can fully understand, and I think support, the decision to explore this possibility. If that's one of the things that will prevent this community from downfall it'll be a no-brainer.
However, if somewhere in the future this forum software could be enhanced to exempt active donators from ads, that'll be yet another reason for me to keep donating.

So forgive me for talking before thinking..:oops:

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 14, 2012

if somewhere in the future this forum software could be enhanced to exempt active donators from ads

WHich will happen again when the RDLMS can be taken down in a minute

Jan Larsen · Jan 14, 2012

Agree, donaters should be free from adds. I dont really mind not having extra features to play with, but the adds really gets to me.

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 14, 2012

Let me hear it when you see one Jan, should be disabled for you and other donators

Eric Estes · Jan 14, 2012

*poof* - gone for me. Thanks for doing that.

Jan Larsen · Jan 15, 2012

Yep, looks they're gone. Thanks

Minor thing, but above the post reply box at the bottom of each page theres this line of adds, can they be removed aswell or are they forum specific?:

"
Ads by Google
Post Free ADS
Forums
Island Def Jam
B2B ADS Forum

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 15, 2012

can't assign those to a usergroup yet, working on that

Jan Larsen · Jan 15, 2012

Cheers, no biggie though if they refuse to be removed.

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 15, 2012

It seems to be a limitation in the forum software. With vbulletin we had the option to add adblocks with special usergroup permissions but as xenforo is still early in its development the devs havent yet emphasized on such features i think.

Anyways, will do my best to solve it

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 15, 2012

@Jan, can you confirm they are gone now? If so, bless the lord: i can finally code

Bram Hengeveld · Jan 15, 2012

mmm, might be an issue due to double usergroups.

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Chris Butcher Red Bull Gridsters 2012 Champion