Google Adds now in messages

[transat_jon]

I notice that the first message on every page now gets a Google Add placed inside the message on the right margin (as I suspect there will be here).

 

What is that about then?

 

It gives the impression that posters are endorsing the products when they are not. Having adverts on the page is good as it pays for the running of the site but I think putting them into the content of posters messages without their knowledge or agreement only turns people away from the site. A number of other message sites have folded after getting too agressive with their advertising policies, not doing things like this has been one of the reasons cruisecritic has been so long running.

 

Is anyone else bothered by this?

[ocngypz]

I find it infuriating.

[Fifer]

Me too! I do hope that this is not the thin end of a particularly unappealing wedge.

[Bramcruiser]

I thought exactly the same. While putting up with advertising here and there on the net is a fact of life the new ads on each page of each thread does indeed appear as if its the poster themselves that placed the ad in that spot. I don't think this sends a good message. If they wanted an ad on every page it should be better placed.

 

David

[Norfolk Brit]

Could they be funding the new improved server? If so, perhaps it's a small price to pay for the much faster boards?

 

Mary

[pnhmrk]

See http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=515416

 

I'm not keen on them (but I can just ignore them).

[transat_jon]

Could they be funding the new improved server? If so, perhaps it's a small price to pay for the much faster boards?

 

Mary

I don't have a particular issue with adverts as such, just that they are now inserted into the body of people's posts. I am sure on this board there used to be an advert just after the first post on the page : I can live with that.

 

Web site use and popularity are fickle things, sometimes little changes can have a big impact on your traffic and hence advertising income. I do remember one of the other cruise forums that dissapeared soon after becoming over zealous with their advertising. People were driven away by the constant pop ups and inserted banners. As has already been pointed out "Is this the thin end of a wedge..".

[fllady]

Don't understand why it bothers anyone. this is a FREE website, we don't have to pay for any of it, so someone does. I think it is a very minor inconvenience for using this wonderful and informative web site. :)

[Norfolk Brit]

I don't have a particular issue with adverts as such, just that they are now inserted into the body of people's posts. I am sure on this board there used to be an advert just after the first post on the page : I can live with that.

 

Web site use and popularity are fickle things, sometimes little changes can have a big impact on your traffic and hence advertising income. I do remember one of the other cruise forums that dissapeared soon after becoming over zealous with their advertising. People were driven away by the constant pop ups and inserted banners. As has already been pointed out "Is this the thin end of a wedge..".

 

I doubt they will deter as many people as the old incredibly slow server did.

 

Mary

[patwell]

I doubt they will deter as many people as the old incredibly slow server did.

 

Mary

 

I totally agree Mary...I can just ignore these irritating distractions but it was awfully hard to ignore all those problems we had with the slow server. Just read that first post fast and move on!

 

I'd hate to see too much of this show up though as I'd not like to see it drive people away....we know each others quirks so well by now!!:p ;)

 

Cheers, Penny...

 

PS..Hi Martin from Bear

[KarenR_UK]

Don't understand why it bothers anyone. this is a FREE website, we don't have to pay for any of it, so someone does. I think it is a very minor inconvenience for using this wonderful and informative web site. :)

 

It would have bothered me when I was on dial-up (not that long ago) - the pages took long enough to download as it was - now I am on broadband :D its less of an issue - I just think it makes the pages untidy (on a short post, the quote etc buttons are moved)

 

Karen

[transat_jon]

Don't understand why it bothers anyone. this is a FREE website, we don't have to pay for any of it, so someone does. I think it is a very minor inconvenience for using this wonderful and informative web site. :)

Good point : slow and unreliable connections also turn people away from sites. I suspect that there was a down turn in the number of new members to the site while there were the server issues.

 

Imagine for instance you are tea-total and have adverts for whisky put inside your posts, how about a political party or religious movement you do not agree with shown as part of your post. This is the issue.

 

I keep saying it, but....I have no problem with adverts. It is the placement inside a post that is the issue.

 

I have built some websites for charities and this is a major issue that can come up when banner adverts are put on the page as part of the hosting package, even where they claim that these are vetted. The most common problems come from alchohol and gambling adverts.

[ricker]

For those who find it objectionable perhaps adding a disclaimer to your signature with each post, or those who initiate the first message in a new thread could leave it blank and put their entry in the second message to get it away from the advertisement. Might work.

Rick

[transat_jon]

For those who find it objectionable perhaps adding a disclaimer to your signature with each post, or those who initiate the first message in a new thread could leave it blank and put their entry in the second message to get it away from the advertisement. Might work.

Rick

I like the "blank" idea.

My preference is that cruisecritic come to their senses and move them to be banners outside the messages.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I trust you have all read the Sticky on this subject :) ?

 

According to The Powers That Be, that the ads are successful (that is, people are clicking on them). If that is the case, then I am afraid they are not going anywhere.

 

I presume that they apparently are more successful than the old ads we had, which were rather less conspicuous.

 

Of course, if you want to go "right to the source", you are welcome to e-mail community@cruisecritic.com and someone more important than me will be glad to respond.

 

In the meantime, the best advice I can give you is that you try to ignore them. (I admit that I ignore virtually all web ads. On the other hand, if everyone was like me, I guess this site would be out of business :eek: ...)

[pnhmrk]

On the other hand, if everyone was like me, I guess this site would be out of business :eek:

 

Point taken - I think the English phrase would be "like it or lump it"!

 

Out of curiosity who does run this site? Who appoints the moderators? who selects the advertisers? Who does the day-to-day running? etc?

[patwell]

Point taken - I think the English phrase would be "like it or lump it"!

 

Out of curiosity who does run this site? Who appoints the moderators? who selects the advertisers? Who does the day-to-day running? etc?

 

A very apt comment Malcolm...."Like it or lump it",,,My Mother used to threaten to wash my mouth out with soap when i'd say that!! ;)

 

Who runs this place? The cruise gremlins Malcolm, the cruise gremlins!!:p

 

Cheers, Penny...who LOVES her cruise clock but can live without the other stuff:D

[travel-to-go]

A few things about the ads.

The first one I saw was about the woman threatening to take off her shirt and turn it inside out, with a big play button on it. I thought someone had slipped porn into a post and was angry! Then I realized it was hawling deoderant that wouldn't stain your clothes.

 

I am ADHD Iffind moving things to the sid e of the post aor so HUGE to be distracting. To the point I cannot read the post. there are some websites I now avoid like the plague. They are very annoying and defeat their purpose,as now I won't go to those pages and if one loads, I immediately move off or shut it down. I simply cannot concentrate when my eye is drawn elsewhere (which is what they want , after all!)

 

I have been on the internet long enough to remember when people started riping about the very first BANNER ads! (never mind pop-ups!) and the horror of the purists. We will never go back to that internet, where pretty much every thing you read was true and even scholarly, and each website was a thing of pride. There were no ads then (Heck, until Netscape, there was no World Wide Web, and no graphical interface! We used Mosaic and Pin, or Eudora and did Archie and Finger and Veronica!)

 

And it could backfire. If an ad is obnoxious enough, I will boycott that company. I would wear dirty clothes before I would buy Wisk- with their insipid (and word's most hated, according to polls) "Ring Around he Collar" ad. Lady. tell the idiot to wash his filthy neck, and do his own damn laundry!

 

Karie, who never minded the old ads, read them usually, and occasionally clicked on one. though that Chrysler one that was on the top for so long really irritated me. At least make it related to cruising!