got a bit of a shock when I saw the ads. Ok so I use Firefox and maybe the site is optimised for IE...but the ads really mess with the Vbulletin formatting.

kilt

What ads, Kilted? I'm on IE and I don't see any.

Weird....they've vanished. The site was plastered with Google powered Ads for ADD stuff like meds and ADHD friendly schools.

Gone now

kilt

I have seen these ads you have spoke of. I assume they appear when ever you first arrive at the site -- once the cookies are laid down they disappear.

Scotsman since you have Firefox do you also have the "Adblock" extension installed? I love this browser...

When you sign in the ads disappear :)

The ads are only for non-registered visitors.
Register = No ads

OK that explains it..... no worries I don't usually browse while not logged in so I've not seen the ads in their full glory in the threads.

There's been alot of talk here in the UK about our ISP's inserting "targeted" ads into their customers datastreams using eavesdropping techniques. Owing to the lack of formatting I wondered if something like it had happened at the US end of the pipe.

kilt

Thanks David for clearing that up. I was getting annoyed with them ..and you know it takes a lot to annoy me.

When I cleaned out my cookies and I came through as a guest I noticed the ads but wasn't surprised. It is not uncommon for forums to have advertisements located here and there. A Ford forum I belong to has advertisements between post that remain even after one logs in.


The fact that this particular community is set up so that all one has to do is log in and have them disappear is great. There are those communities who require some thing called a premium membership in order to have the option to rid the forum of advertisements. A premium membership as many have probably already guessed is one where there is a small payment involved.

Money is a necessary evil as are advertisements. . . . as annoying as both may be to deal with. My point is not all communities are as understanding of their entire membership as this one is

I'd imagine that the Ads pay the Administrators wages, and ISPs services and upgrading the Hard drives and Servers and such, to keep the place going.

It's not right to expect people to 'work for free'.

I'd imagine that the Ads pay the Administrators wages, and ISPs services and upgrading the Hard drives and Servers and such, to keep the place going.

It's not right to expect people to 'work for free'.


Gosh does this include moderators?

I believe the staff here is made up of volunteers - I know I do not make any money. . .


This thread (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49903) gives more details about how some of our stuff has been like subsidized by another larger community - hence the previous down times from time to time

The ads probably help to a small degree but probably not a whole lot - they might pay for some of the graphic sponsorship VBullitin fees which cost money according to this thingy (https://www.vbulletin.com/order/) this apparently does count the blog area if I am reading this right (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225281)

I some how do not think the ads generate enough money to pay for the basics although I am sure every little bit helps. . . here they have a place for donations - other places if ya want to ditch the ads then you pay a membership fee - with the fee you get a check box in your user CP that you can check to ditch your field of advertising - they normally have other perks like added PM storage. . .my point is I am sure the ads generate a small amount of money but probably not a lot other wise this forum wouldn't need to ask for donations and other forums wouldn't have paid memberships -

Most things need money - advertising generates a small amount of it {ya hope}

FYI...Administrators (just like the rest of the staff) make zero money from this site. We are all volunteers. We receive no compensation, at all (not even a preferred parking spot!).

Any donations and the minuscule revenue generated by Google Ads go directly to cover a fraction of the costs of running the forums.

I don't buy it. Have you lost your minds to sell advertising space to SCIENTOLOGY???? Ever read their stance on ADD??? Anyways, I'll be off now.

We don't sell ad space to individual companies. We have an agreement with Google Ads to place advertisements on the ADD Forums. I'll see if we can block specific companies...but, that's the scoop.

Ye Gods??

LOl!

My husband mentioned something about a specific ad last week and I told him he was crazy because there weren't any ad here...lol

I really like the concept of the ads only showing up for non-members or people who aren't logged in. I think it's great that David is earning some money to off-set the cost of this software and the server space.

As a former admin here I know how hard the admins and moderators work and even though they don't get paid they probably should. Most people have no idea how much goes on behind the scenes here at ADD Forums.