New advertising on MacTalk

**emerson** · 18th January 2012, 11:15 AM

Is this just a new thing? Damn it's annoying.
Opens on every screen, even after manually closing it.

Talking about the pop up Open University adverts down the bottom of the screen.

**mac_man_luke** · 18th January 2012, 12:13 PM

Adblock FTW

**mmulhern** · 18th January 2012, 12:26 PM

Didn't even notice it until you pointed it out.

From a forum usability perspective - Great!
From an advertising visibility perspective - Not so great

**LifeIsCheap** · 18th January 2012, 12:47 PM

There's "Don't Show Again" clickable text at the bottom right of the box. Click it and rest easy.

**thatfilthyspringbok** · 18th January 2012, 12:51 PM

The more striking thing is the amount of advertising space on the front page. 5 blocks when you count the popup, all saying the same thing.

I do get that the site is a business, and the real "customers" are the advertisers and our eyeballs are the commodity, it's just jarring to hit the page and have 5 of the same thing screaming at me. Maybe it won't be as jarring when there are more ads to rotate through.

**emerson** · 18th January 2012, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by LifeIsCheap

There's "Don't Show Again" clickable text at the bottom right of the box. Click it and rest easy.

Cant believe i missed that, thanks mate

**gehenna** · 18th January 2012, 03:16 PM

Wow, this is troubling.

**davebullard** · 18th January 2012, 03:49 PM

The ad on the bottom is called a catfish, and it's one of the latest trends in online advertising. It's relatively unobtrusive, though it does catch the eye – which is the point of advertising. And if you don't like it you can get rid of it with one click.

The overpopulation of the front page with Open Uni ads was a temporary thing ... the other ads are cycling now.

And the Open Uni articles on the front page (and the Resource Centre) weren't supposed to create threads on the forums. All fixed now.

Just a reality check before I go: MacTalk costs money and has to make money. Short of you all chipping in for a yearly subscription, you'll be seeing ads on the pages. Just like other sites. (Oh my GOD! Other websites have ADS??!!)

Cheers
Dave

**moto51** · 18th January 2012, 04:02 PM

Hey, at least we don't have the ads like lifehacker and gizmodo that are the whole background. I always use the Apple affiliate program to buy my Apple goods*, a nice little commission to MacTalk. When it went up for sale Anthony said it made approx. 90k in revenue per year, surely that was enough to cover costs and there used to be heaps less ads.

I remember a thread a while back about a paid version of MacTalk without the ads, etc. Decryption didn't really like the idea, probably because it meant too much work for too little gain.

*note: not always the case, i've had employee discount programs occasionally so I use them when I can.

**arkenstone** · 18th January 2012, 05:26 PM

Fwoar, that's a OPEN UNIVERSITIES pretty bloody patronis-OPEN UNIVERSITIES-ing response from you there, Dave-OPEN UNIVERSITIES-Bullard.

The users have started OPEN UNIVERSITIES a thread to say the ads are intrusive and you respond with

Oh my GOD! Other websites have ADS??!!

.

Poor OPEN UNIVERSITIES form.

**davebullard** · 18th January 2012, 05:43 PM

Sorry. Not supposed to be patronising. Just pointing out the realities everyone has of keeping a website going these days ... especially one with a database as big as MT's.

Cheers
Dave

**bennyling** · 18th January 2012, 05:49 PM

Rolling out the catfish by itself would have been fine.

Four consecutive sponsored posts is a bit much though.

**arkenstone** · 18th January 2012, 05:54 PM

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Dave. Booo.

My excitable friend Mr Ling doesn't even mention that comments were removed from those "sponsored posts".

I just find it really sad and disrespectful that the landing page of MacTalk.com.au now has not one single bit of not-advertising content on it. Not one.

You might as well redirected to a full page Open Universities add with a link at the bottom "Click here if you actually meant to go to MacTalk" because as it is you're forcing users to click or scoll to get beyond all the advertising bullshit anyway.

Fucking disrespectful IMHO.

It's Dave BOOOOOOOOOOOlard to me, Dave.Boooo.

**fother** · 18th January 2012, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by davebullard

Sorry. Not supposed to be patronising. Just pointing out the realities everyone has of keeping a website going these days ... especially one with a database as big as MT's.

Cheers
Dave

That's only one reality.

Another is that it's the community that keeps the site going, not the advertisers or the database.

**Shaxbon** · 18th January 2012, 06:03 PM

While I'm fine with a free site having ads to keep it afloat, I would think that tailoring the ads to the market (that is Mactalk Posters/readers) would be a better option.

I count four ads on the main page about Open universities (plus the two sponsored posts) which is a tad silly in itself. But, I would have thought that the majority of visitors of this site are already at university/completed studies or have no inclination to study. So, keep the four ads per page, but tailor them to the IT industry rather than "Laws that all traders obey".

Also, Dave, I think you underestimate how much we understand about the difficulties of maintaining and improving a website. Simply look at the numbers who donated to ensure Mactalk could get new servers back in 2008; Buy MacTalk a New Server - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

**kyte** · 18th January 2012, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by davebullard

Sorry. Not supposed to be patronising. Just pointing out the realities everyone has of keeping a website going these days ... especially one with a database as big as MT's.

Cheers
Dave

Like moto said...Anthony was making money on it... that's why it was attractive to a purchaser... ie you lot. You may want to recoup the costs of purchase but if you try to do it too fast you'll likely not do so well. Ever hear the story of the Golden Goose? Overdo the advertising and that's whats going to happen. I came to Mactalk because of the community but since Niche took over I have noticed a distinct alteration in the feel of the place and I am spending more time in forums other than this. In the past, it was loyalty that kept me here. That is something that cannot be bought. Please remember that.

---------- Post added at 06:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:15 PM ----------

I've noticed something else. Viglink is being used as well. That means that every link is monetised. This is something which should be disclosed to the site membership. I wouldnt have known what it was when I looked into the blockable items list, were it not for the fact that the admin of another site I use also uses viglink and has a small banner saying so, at the bottom of the navigation column. He's been very open about his affiliations, and he's running it on his own dollar.

**Goodbye** · 18th January 2012, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by fother

That's only one reality.

Another is that it's the community that keeps the site going, not the advertisers or the database.

Absolutely it's the community that keeps it going, but it isn't free to host a website, you know?
Servers cost money, and as this isn't a subscription-based website, advertising is the way the aforementioned money is earned.

This is a discussion that's been done to death and appears every time something to do with advertising changes, and it's getting almost as tiring as the "Why do Macs cost more here?" discussion.

**cejay** · 18th January 2012, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Goodbye

This is a discussion that's been done to death and appears every time something to do with advertising changes, and it's getting almost as tiring as the "Why do Macs cost more here?" discussion.

I don't think anyone disputes the necessity, but the implementation needs to be carefully considered.

**kyte** · 18th January 2012, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Goodbye

Absolutely it's the community that keeps it going, but it isn't free to host a website, you know?
Servers cost money, and as this isn't a subscription-based website, advertising is the way the aforementioned money is earned.

This isn't about hosting, or keeping it afloat, this is about making money and getting profit. That's why Niche bought it, because it was making money, it would not have been worth buying, otherwise. And thats why I spoke earlier of the golden goose. Overdo it, and you lose.

**fother** · 18th January 2012, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by Goodbye

Absolutely it's the community that keeps it going, but it isn't free to host a website, you know?
Servers cost money, and as this isn't a subscription-based website, advertising is the way the aforementioned money is earned.

This is a discussion that's been done to death and appears every time something to do with advertising changes, and it's getting almost as tiring as the "Why do Macs cost more here?" discussion.

Yes, I do know, from personal experience. I'd bet most of the people commenting either have direct experience running a website, or at least have an appreciation that it's not cost free.

Sorry if it's tiring and repetitive. But I'd suggest that members expressing concern at the increasingly avaricious model of the site are generally not naive to the financial drivers. Members giving feedback are not a nuisance - they are helping. They are the ones who don't just leave without saying anything.

As Shaxbon said, DaveBullard's response seems to underestimate the members' understanding of the costs.

Irony is, Niche appear to underestimate the value of the members.

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