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I want to try an experiment on the site for March 2012
tranglos:
Yeah... I go for the whole philosophy that egalitarian is the equivalent of putting your head in the sand. Especially when some contribute and others don't.
-wraith808 (February 17, 2012, 02:02 PM)
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SpoilerYeah, and some are productive members of the society, while others are not... I've seen it before. Where it leads is no good. Best let's not go there, I can retract the adjective if it helps :-)
Stoic Joker:
In the interest of simplicity, why not just bracket the ads with a line of text (top and bottom) that says:
xMonth Ad Experiment ends in xx Days.
...Then link the text to this thread.
tranglos:
How about a small refinement: when someone registers (and you must register to post), they initially don't see ads - maybe for a month. A trial period, as it were. After a month (or whatever length of time), they start seeing ads unless they have donated. That way everyone can experience the ad-less site and make their choice.
-tranglos (February 17, 2012, 01:19 PM)
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Hmm, you pose a very intriguing point which poses some very deep thoughts.
This would, however, require mouser, to implement the experiment for much more than a month.
-Stephen66515 (February 17, 2012, 01:36 PM)
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Yeah, I was thinking long-term there. For the experiment, it has to be ads all the way, I guess :)
Interesting idea there in your linked post! The Great Ad Experiment probably does fit the bill.
Ath:
Hm, just for the experience, I'd be interested how it works out, so I'm saying yes to an experiment with ads.
Some personal experience with ads:
I've been the admin of a free forum for 3 years now. The only reason it can be free is because of the google-ads that occur on all pages that are shown. It's the consequence of using that free forum service.
I have no control over the content, frequency, size, placement etc. of those ads at all, also the consequence of choosing that free forum-hoster. If I'd want control over ads, or eventually remove them, I'd have to either buy a contract with that same service so I can continue to use the same url and forum data, or move to another hosting service and set up my own forum there and start over from scratch (I wouldn't like to throw that away, 60000+ messages and 700+ users :().
But I'd need paying/donating customers (members) to be able to pay for the hosting, and because it's a mostly 'more mature female audience' (subject is machine embroidery, Dutch language only, the estimated average age is well over 50), and it's been free from the beginning, that would probably cost me over 80 percent of the current users, so that's not an option I'd want to even consider. And I'd be forced to either close that forum down, or introduce ads to pay for it... ;)
The current ads are on the top and bottom of every page, usually pretty on-topic with the forum-content. Hey, as a 'regular visitor' I even get google-ads with that kind of content on other sites that use google-ads ;D
Innuendo:
Also I'll add that it annoys me when sites have "paid premium" memberships that are add free--just bugs the heck out of me..
-kunkel321 (February 17, 2012, 11:33 AM)
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At least that setup is more logical than the one they have at Ars Technica. Even the paid memberships receive ads & still have to live by the threat that if you're found to be running an ad-blocker you run the risk of being banned from the site.
Mouser's not a tool. I trust that he'll do what's right for this site. He's always exhibited good judgement regarding the site's direction in the past & I'm confident he'll exhibit the same good judgement in the future because, you know....he's not a tool. :)
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