question Irratating pop up............

I suppose this question is really aimed at ADMIN but what is with the pop up ads within the posts.

Ok I understand the need for a revenue stream but for me these ads detract from the content of the post.:-(

I suppose this question is really aimed at ADMIN but what is with the pop up ads within the posts.

Ok I understand the need for a revenue stream but for me these ads detract from the content of the post.:-(

Something we are trying Gary as we don't get enough donations to pay for the server. And in fairness, there are a handful of kind members who donate every month - it is these generous folk who keep it open for everyone else.

Folks use HMVF to sell £000's of vehicles, kit etc etc but never donate any of it - which doesn't help.

So we are trying this for a while. The ads you see come from your browser so should be pretty OK.

Don't work! on one post they are blocking part of the text!. :-(

Something we are trying Gary as we don't get enough donations to pay for the server. And in fairness, there are a handful of kind members who donate every month - it is these generous folk who keep it open for everyone else.

 

Folks use HMVF to sell £000's of vehicles, kit etc etc but never donate any of it - which doesn't help.

 

So we are trying this for a while. The ads you see come from your browser so should be pretty OK.

I understand what you are saying Jack and TBH I understand the need to raise some money but..... not this way.

As Tony said and this is why I raised it on a couple of post some text was covered.

I have NO idea what it cost to run a forum such as HMVF and again if I am honest it matters little to me, but and it is a VERY BIG BUT I really value the contributions that some members make so a couple of ideas........

Why not charge for people selling kit, does the forum need ALL of the sections. By reducing the amount of sections would that reduce server cost ? I have no idea.

Of couse the most unpopular but best revenue stream would be a yearly subscription.

Its fair to say that would upset some people,but if they enjoy the forum as intented,then after the intial "I wont pay that brigade" settle down, I'm sure most people would rather see HMVF carrying on rather than go the way so many other forums go.

I have no idea as to what to charge,£10 per year seems to be an average.

As an example I subscribe to CMV, over the last couple of months the content seems to have more and more adverts as such when my term is up I wont be signing up again, on a personal level I would be delighted to divert some of my subcribtion money to HMVF

I would also like to add, on the whole the team at HMVF do a great job and its a valuable resource...........keep up the good work.

Roughly how much do you need to raise each month to run the Forum?

The target is set at £50 a month:

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/misc.php?do=donate

Chris

Don't work! on one post they are blocking part of the text!. :-(

Damn! Cheers Tony - we will have a look at it.

If the ads do not work (which they may not) then we will have a look at other methods!

Cheers!

The target is set at £50 a month:

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/misc.php?do=donate

 

Chris

So am I right in thinking £600 a year is needed to run the server ?

As an aside I have NEVER brought clarkes shoes on line or looked at a Lexus car so if infact they are from my browser why do I see these ads ?

Please let me know where it is blocking the text and I will take a look.

Joris, for my part I cant remember which thread or post I was looking at.

Damn! Cheers Tony - we will have a look at it.

 

If the ads do not work (which they may not) then we will have a look at other methods!

 

Cheers!

Jack are you saying that if the ads work they will stay rather than any other form of money generation ?

I've changed it, it no longer shows IN the post but after the first post.

I've changed it, it no longer shows IN the post but after the first post.

For my part that works better.

I found it quite rude to have an ad in a post that someone may have taken sometime to write.

Thank you Joris.

Now how can the rest of the forum help with the finances........

l agree what has been said l for one would not mind paying a yearly subscription and also think a fee should be payable

for selling items on the forum in advance l do not use paypal but would like to make a donation

I think that the idea of members paying a regular subscription has been raised before - but for whatever reason, it was not proceeded with. Perhaps Jack deciding that he did not want to go that way with it?

The Forum is a brilliant facilty for all of us who enjoy and contribute to it and it would only seem to be fair for us to pay something towards the running of it. I am quite sure that many would have no hesitation in taking up a regular financial commitment if that would help out.

Tony

You only need a minimum of 50 people to say they'd pay 25p a week and it's sorted. If there was an idiot/memory proof way of doing it I'd be happy to contibute - but not PayPal!

So am I right in thinking £600 a year is needed to run the server ?

As an aside I have NEVER brought clarkes shoes on line or looked at a Lexus car so if infact they are from my browser why do I see these ads ?

I am not too bothered by ads per se, but the much more nefarious issue is the nature of the purveyor that sends the ads. If the ads are sourced through a firm that pushes adware, they place all sorts of malicious code and tracking devices on members' computers. This code is then tracking other online activity, parsing out your conduct, demographics, socioeconomic profile, etc. You essentially become "the product" that is then marketed to advertisers, who pay the adware vendor to find them people that fit a certain profile for targeted ads. I'm not a computer expert, but from talking to friends that understand this stuff, it's pretty invasive. That's why if you do a google search on exterior paint, you are automatically flagged as a homeowner who wants to remodel and with a few dozen other searches, they can peg your education, income, car owned, marital status, etc.

I'm not sure if the moderators are aware of this.

I am not too bothered by ads per se, but the much more nefarious issue is the nature of the purveyor that sends the ads. If the ads are sourced through a firm that pushes adware, they place all sorts of malicious code and tracking devices on members' computers. This code is then tracking other online activity, parsing out your conduct, demographics, socioeconomic profile, etc. You essentially become "the product" that is then marketed to advertisers, who pay the adware vendor to find them people that fit a certain profile for targeted ads. I'm not a computer expert, but from talking to friends that understand this stuff, it's pretty invasive. That's why if you do a google search on exterior paint, you are automatically flagged as a homeowner who wants to remodel and with a few dozen other searches, they can peg your education, income, car owned, marital status, etc.

 

I'm not sure if the moderators are aware of this.

Im sure that anyone clever enough to run a forum is totally aware of this situation. That was infact one of my worries.

I would much rather "pay to view" than adverts.........over to you Jack

You only need a minimum of 50 people to say they'd pay 25p a week and it's sorted. If there was an idiot/memory proof way of doing it I'd be happy to contibute - but not PayPal!

Human nature being what it is, most people don't want to pay for services that are screen based. It would be far more productive for the mods (vs. engaging in small amount periodic billing) to source a few dozen advertisers that are topic specific. For instance, all the MV insurers would advertise on a MV site, since their ad cost is targeted at the source. It's just a question to give them data on # of users, visits per month, duration of visit, etc., so they see there is 10,000 page views per day (for example), and they can then derive projected revenue from advertising to this population base. Since it's 99% of the people that use their product, the forum would get a great rate (usually ad rates are based on $/1,000 eyeballs at target).

That would be my strategy if I ran the forum...

To find out more about "Online behavioral advertising" on adverts you see on the forum & elsewhere on the internet click the Adchoices button in the top right of the 3rd party adverts and all will be revealed.

Is it not possible for individuals to have a choice of:-

1. pay a subscription and have pages that are free of adverts.

2. use the forum for free and have the adverts.

I realise that there maybe problems running a dual system e.g. software, will the advertisers be happy with only some users are seeing their adverts and the administration.

People already make the choice of subscription television or only having Freeview and therefore what they are able to watch. I know that I can't watch all the F1 races live because of the choice that I have made but it is not the end of the world.

Advertising on forums as always been a contentious issue, mainly because contributors feel they give their input for free which is quite understandable.

It has been the subject of much discussion over the years on HMVF, mainly because Jack in the early days had no idea that interest would grow like it has, and he really does hate adverts, so quietly shouldered the running costs himself for quite a few years for our benefit.

In the real world people visit a forum hourly, daily, every so often, when they come across it, or when they have a problem they need help with, or just for a chat.

Getting such a disparate bunch to agree to contribute regularly is never going to work, some will but not the majority, so adverts seem to be the fairest way to fund a forum such as this, no one is out of pocket or feels beholden.

If anyone has a problem getting over the minor peripheral vision distraction caused by a few adverts I reckon it's a poor show, the last thing any one want's to do is detract from our enjoyment on here, but when push comes to shove some thing has to give.

Lighten up out there it's only the inter web after all....

Advertising on forums as always been a contentious issue, mainly because contributors feel they give their input for free which is quite understandable.

 

It has been the subject of much discussion over the years on HMVF, mainly because Jack in the early days had no idea that interest would grow like it has, and he really does hate adverts, so quietly shouldered the running costs himself for quite a few years for our benefit.

 

In the real world people visit a forum hourly, daily, every so often, when they come across it, or when they have a problem they need help with, or just for a chat.

 

Getting such a disparate bunch to agree to contribute regularly is never going to work, some will but not the majority, so adverts seem to be the fairest way to fund a forum such as this, no one is out of pocket or feels beholden.

 

If anyone has a problem getting over the minor peripheral vision distraction caused by a few adverts I reckon it's a poor show, the last thing any one want's to do is detract from our enjoyment on here, but when push comes to shove some thing has to give.

 

Lighten up out there it's only the inter web after all....

Bravo Bernard, I am sure you have summed up the feeling of most and agree with your comments fully:clap::clap:

Now, I wonder how we could turn this to our advantage……...:cool2:

I clicked the little button in the top of the ad... It's taken me nearly all night to get rid of the advertising providers name - hyperlinks started appearing in the text body as highlighted phrases! Not having a go as it were, more a caution.:nut:

Anyhow, I appreciate the need to raise funds, and as a suggestion a couple of other forums I use are generally free but certain areas ie 'For Sale' and 'Wanted' are only available to subscribers.