Ads.. just cos you gotta take them doesnt mean they have to be spam.

DeVore

Ok... I have this idea that spam is information in the wrong place. Typically, you're email box but technically any information is useful to someone sxomewhere.

If you think about it, theres some dirty aul bloke out there, munching viagra and alternately pumping his penis-enlarging and whackin' off to porn for whom an email-inbox is like a little piece of heaven every morning.

If he needs dental work done, buys medication regularly or trades stocks... score! \o/

So... in an effort to make the thing top right actually of some VAGUE INTEREST to you, we've altered the ads system so that
tech ads can be targetted at the Sci / Tech area and Games ads at the Games category etc etc.

If we cant get rid of them, they might as well at least be relevant.

So there you go. Btw, that HP ad is the first to take advantage of this new system so if you see it outside the Sci / Tech tree of forums do let us know.

DeV.

seamus

<butters>Oooooh!</butters>

Funkeh. Does this mean that boards.ie is getting too many ad requests?

Will we start seeing an Irish Times -v- Indo ad war above the Politics boards?!

DeVore

I wouldnt exactly go that far Seamus but we are getting some more interest in the last few months. ("More" means "more then none")

Ironically despite the fact that we are charging them considerably more for fewer targetted ads, advertisers are always asking us for this.

We couldnt have been arsed before but I was worried Cloud didnt have something to tinker with and you know what he gets like

DeV.

Gordon

So you're trying to tell us that on the P.I. board we will be seeing ads for improving one's penis size and how Gina and her girlfriend want to meet me?

Good stuff.

DeVore

That would seem on topic yes LOL!

If we ever get penis enlargement ads I'll localise them to *just* that board

DeV.

DeVore

Actually, if I had my way I would do it the OTHER way and allow people to express a preference for what ad they wanted to see.

So say say Amp there signs up for Tech Ads and Trojan decides he'd rather get Sports ads.

So as Amp wanders around Boards sowing seeds of oddity he'd get a random ad from the various Tech-related campaigns we're running that month. Trojan would get the same for Sport. The idea being that at least they are likely to be even vaguely interested in what they are being shown.
In both cases if there isnt an ad to be shown, we'd show a house-ad or nothing. Beer banners could run accross all preferences...

The general idea here is kinda like this: "look, you gotta take an ad on each page but at least you can tell us what sort of thing you are interested in and then the ad might be useful or informative".

Now, advertisers love that sort of shít because it means their ads are being shown only to people who have expressed a prior interest in the topic.

Most people hate giving that sort of information out though because it never stops with one ad, next you are on Tech/Sports spam-lists, getting special offers etc etc etc.
But if you could trust the intermediary (like for example US) then it wouldnt be a problem would it?

Normally I hate that targetted marketing bull but in some way the idea of improving the relevancy of ads I have to take *anyway* seems like a good idea.

Of course I have no idea if this is technically feasible (cant see why not!) or if it wouldnt send our server into orbit but its an idea I give you all for free

DeV.

yellum

Originally posted by DeVore
That would seem on topic yes LOL!

If we ever get penis enlargement ads I'll localise them to *just* that board

i'd pay for you to place some of these ads on peoples journals.

sceptre

Originally posted by DeVore
Actually, if I had my way I would do it the OTHER way and allow people to express a preference for what ad they wanted to see.

Ah now I like that idea quite a lot. With a trusted intermediary who could guarantee a spamless experience I'm sure quite a few others would go for it as well. Ideally it'd work as a CP option (some people wouldn't be bothered either way) and it's the kind of thing advertisers have wet dreams about (and are willing to pay even more for). As long as it isn't specifially targetted to the individual (rather than a set the individual places themselves in) but you're not quite thinking along those lines anyway.

Originally posted by DeVore
If he needs dental work done, buys medication regularly or trades stocks... score! \o/

Don't forget septic tank draining services:)

Roller Toaster

Let's not forget debt consolidation in the finance forum, instant college diplomas in education or american green cards in travel.

DeVore

Aye sceptre, thats exactly it.

<rant>

The way things have gone on on the internet is completely topsy turvy. Each person should have the right to define what interests them, who can contact them and in what manner.

The above should be completely customisable by the individual at will and even the idea of "opt in" shouldnt exist because there should be NO OTHER WAY of doing it.

The USA is starting to see things my way with this new "do not call" list idea.... its a start at least!

All information should be held at a set level: ie:
"There are 2538 people who have opted to see the Tech Ads"
rather then "Show me the list of all the people who have opted to see the Tech ads."

Obviously the ultimate solution would be one where everyone was interested in every ad they were served.... but thats not realistic. However you can cut out 80% of the misses and you know the funny thing... BOTH PARTIES are happier.
The advertisers knew that every penny they spend is being spent to serve an ad to someone who has previously expressed an interest in that area.... and the viewer is happy because the ads are less likely to be for panty liners when the user is a 45 year old male.
</rant>

You know we've no idea what our readers do for a living, what age they are, or what brought them to boards. We should really do one of those census things. a Boards Census hahaha... oh watch the fight the powers complain about that one...

DeV.

Roller Toaster

I have no problem with the banner ads at the moment, hell I barely notice them. All that targetting and stuff is all well and good but all I'd ask from the ads on this site is that they don't expand beyond that little 468x60 box at the top of the screen. I remember promises from sites like gamespy that they'd only use banner ads like the one here but before long there was massive tower ads, pop ups, flash ads that zipped across the screen and all manner of intrusive stuff.
I'm interested in getting webhosting at the moment but that doesn't mean I visit the tech forum, I like some sports but that doesn't mean I go to the sports forum. The fact that I don't go to certain forums doesn't mean I wouldn't interested in some of the ads that could be specific to certain forums. Maybe if the frequency of those ads rotating in specific forums was higher than normal instead of being exclusive to one forum it would be a bit of a middle ground.

DeVore

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm on record as saying we will never do popup ads, interstitials or expanding-out-of-their-box ads.

We once took an ad from Eircom which after a few hundred thousand impressions got replaced by one of those exploding-flash ads and we pulled it immediately and took our ad business in house to control it. (if you search the site you'll find an apology from me for it too).
I've turned down cash for popups before as well.

I think I've made my position on them clear enough that if I were to change tune now all trust and authority to direct this site would be gone.

So to be clear...
Not now. Not ever.

DeV.

amp

Originally posted by DeVore

So say say Amp there signs up for Tech Ads and Trojan decides he'd rather get Sports ads.

So as Amp wanders around Boards sowing seeds of oddity he'd get a random ad from the various Tech-related campaigns we're running that month.

So Mr Murphy, not only do you defame me with allegations that I'm a nerd, YOU IMPLY THAT I AM SOWING SEEDS OF ODDITY! No wait, you're not implying that, you're actually saying that.

And that's besides the fact that you want to put boards users into boxes. Little ones with no windows. I AM A NAME NOT A NUMBER! NO WAIT! ACTUALLY I AM A LOT OF NAMES! AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF NUMBERS! SOMETIMES I AM A NAME AND A NUMBER! I'M CONFUSED!

I OBJECT TO BEING SHOWN ADS WHICH MIGHT ACTUALLY CAUSE ME TO CLICK ON THEM AND ULTIMATELY SPEND MONEY ON PRODUCTS I ACTUALLY MIGHT LIKE TO OWN AT REDUCED PRICES!
FOR EXAMPLE A KEYBOARD WITH A WORKING CAPSLOCK!

Evil Phil

That Gina is a two timing bitch.

Victor

Originally posted by DeVore
The USA is starting to see things my way with this new "do not call" list idea.... its a start at least!

I was in New York visiting a college friend and while she was at work, the phone rang and sure enough it was "X" phone company looking for here to change her long distance phone carrier.

Phone company rep: "Hi, this is XXXX from X phone company, could I speak to Ms. Daly please."

Me: "I'm sorry she's at work at the moment"

Phone company rep (addressing me): "Are you Mr. Daly?"

Me (in convulsions): "Eh, no hahahahah..... hahhahaahahahha ... I wish!"