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Google ads

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  • 21-04-2004 1:59pm
    #1
    Stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭


    When did they start appearing? Just noticed one now advertising bulletin board software. heh.
    Post edited by Shield on


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Comments

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    #2
    regi
    Registered Users Posts: 3,279 ✭✭✭regi


    We're running a trial of them, to see if they work for us. They're only appearing in certain forums for the time being.


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    #3
    daveirl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 ✭✭✭✭daveirl


    This post has been deleted.


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    #4
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Thats what we are trying out... Dadddy Cloud is at play... I'll be under my bed if anyones looking for me.

    DeV.


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    #5
    mickeyboymel
    Registered Users Posts: 815 ✭✭✭mickeyboymel


    Can a firewall be configured to block these? I use Norton and recently had cause to turn it off for a brief period while browsing here, I did not even know there were ads on this site until then!!


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    #6
    nahdoic
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭nahdoic


    mickeyboymel - Many organisations use a web proxy to access the internet, and that web proxy can be set to automatically filters out ads and other such junk for you.

    I don't know if adsense will work for boards.

    If you could get google to index your content, and have ads relevant to the content on the page. You'd make a fortune. But I don't think this is possible with vbulletin. Maybe in the new version?

    adsense pays very well even if the ads aren't completely targetted to that page but it can pick up and understand the overall theme of your website. But I'm not sure if that would work for boards as there is no central theme.

    You don't get paid for the charity ads, if you're seeing a lot of charity ads, it isn't working.


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    #7
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    We are testing it at the moment. We'll see what happens and we are playing with VB3 too to see how they work with that...

    DeV.


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    #8
    Moriarty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,007 ✭✭✭Moriarty


    Would it be possible to have a very plain interface that google and the like can use to look through running alongside the regular vbulletin stuff? Maybe even make any http requests from *.google.com divert to that interface. Probably a lot of work for little overall return I guess :/


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    #9
    Terminator
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭Terminator


    You should also consider putting it on the home page too as this page has the most entry point visitors and the third most exit vistors (according to your stats).

    Most people I know have had the best results with the Leaderboard and Skyscraper sizes.

    See also webmaster world for 1000s of related tips : http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum89/


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    #10
    Dustaz
    Registered Users Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭Dustaz


    jesus, ive never had a problem with ads before now, but those google ads are the UGLIEST things ive ever seen.

    They really fcuk up the aesthetic. Minor point maybe but ... eww.


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    #11
    dahamsta
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    Look'n'Feel can be changed but there's hardly much of a point when they're only playing around with them.

    The URLs don't really matter, if anything running the ads will coax Googlebot to spider a bit deeper into Boards.

    adam


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    #12
    Redshift
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,486 ✭✭✭Redshift


    I don't think they're that bad, take a look at somewhere like digital spy they have all these animated ads including one for t-mobile advertising a camera phone not only is it distracting but it makes this stupid fncking camera noise every few seconds:rolleyes:
    I do think that when the ads are up and running that subscribers shouldn't see them.


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    #13
    robbie1876
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭robbie1876


    Can a firewall be configured to block these?
    Kiero Personal Firewall is your best friend.

    Aside from this, I think it's a good move by boards to generate revenue without too much work. It really is a shame that the ads are not more aesthetically pleasing though. For me, they remain turned off as a result.

    Robbie


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    #14
    Cloud
    Registered Users Posts: 5,049 ✭✭✭Cloud


    Just for you Dustaz, I've customised the Google Ads to each theme. They shouldn't look so out of place now with the rest of the site.


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    #15
    BuffyBot
    Registered Users Posts: 24,924 ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    I'm on the minimalist skin and the ads don't look too bad now with the customisation :)

    I'm not too sure about the Public Service ads asking us to "Help Save Canadian Wildlife" though. They look a bit cack :dunno:


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    #16
    Stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    I think they're far better than any poxy animated ads.


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    #17
    Rabies
    Registered Users Posts: 15,258 ✭✭✭✭Rabies


    Originally posted by Cloud
    Just for you Dustaz, I've customised the Google Ads to each theme. They shouldn't look so out of place now with the rest of the site.
    Makes a big difference now. Blends right in with the Cloud skin. Doesn't stand out too much.


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    #18
    Yerac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 235 ✭✭Yerac


    They look fine to me, have been relevant to different threads I've been on too.

    The public service announcements can be configured and I presume while still in "testing", it's something to be done later.


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    #19
    Dustaz
    Registered Users Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭Dustaz


    Originally posted by Cloud
    Just for you Dustaz, I've customised the Google Ads to each theme. They shouldn't look so out of place now with the rest of the site.

    \o/

    They look ten times better now :)

    Thanks


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    #20
    GoneShootin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,478 ✭✭✭GoneShootin


    anyway of having the google ads tailored PER FORUM ? So technology would generate differents ads etc etc


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    #21
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Originally posted by Dustaz
    jesus, ive never had a problem with ads before now, but those google ads are the UGLIEST things ive ever seen.

    They really fcuk up the aesthetic. Minor point maybe but ... eww.

    LOL... yeah cos some of the home drawn MS-Paint jobs we've had before were art deco.... :) Clouds sorted it I see anyway.
    Originally posted by Gone Shootin
    anyway of having the google ads tailored PER FORUM ? So technology would generate differents ads etc etc

    I think this requires either google to spider us deeper or for VB3 though I would have hoped it would have tailored the ads based on the thread subject links...

    DeV.


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    #22
    regi
    Registered Users Posts: 3,279 ✭✭✭regi


    It works somewhat in reverse actually.

    Page X has an add on it. Google has never even heard of this page before. The first time the page is viewed showing Google's ad, Google sees the URL of our page in their log as a referrer and then sends the spider to that exact URL to it in order to tailor the ad.

    This is why if someone viewed this thread with an url of http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=$BIG_STUPID_SESSIONID&threadid=155305 it would appear to google as a totally different page as http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155305. In fact, we could even be penalised for attempting to have 'multiple' pages with the same content.


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    #23
    SantaHoe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,488 ✭✭✭SantaHoe


    Google is the tool of the devil.
    Also I take the don't call us; we'll call you approach to shopping and despise marketing and advertising in all its evil forms.
    How about a communist theme where adds are replaced by propeganda posters?


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    #24
    JustHalf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭JustHalf


    Why is there a session ID in the URL anyway? Aren't cookies used anyway?


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    #25
    Goodshape
    Registered Users Posts: 8,488 ✭✭✭Goodshape


    I'm with SantaHoe on this one,

    I don't think it's in my interest for people to know how best to sell me things.


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    #26
    irishgeo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,494 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    Firefox is your friend.Not one add in sight.


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    #27
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Originally posted by JustHalf
    Why is there a session ID in the URL anyway? Aren't cookies used anyway?
    Afaik, sessions help keep track of things which are only short-term and would be wasteful sticking them in the DB. Stuff like turning the icon grey for threads you've recently read, for example.

    I could be wrong though.

    (Firefox doesn't seem to show Session IDs in the URL in the Address bar, although that could be to do with my settings rather than Firefox.)


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    #28
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    Originally posted by irishgeo
    Firefox is your friend.Not one add in sight.


    Jeez... thanks mate... hate to think I might have gotten a pint out of this.

    DeV.


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    #29
    mr_angry
    Registered Users Posts: 3,312 ✭✭✭mr_angry


    How come Puck gets Karate adverts on his journal? Surely I should get adverts for "drink yourself into a mindless depression" or something? ;)


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    #30
    Goodshape
    Registered Users Posts: 8,488 ✭✭✭Goodshape


    Dev, if I ever meet you in a pub somewhere, I would gladly buy you a pint. In the meantime I'd prefer not to be coaxed into buying sh1te I don't need.

    Thankfully, the ratio of 'good stuff' to 'bad stuff' around here is sufficient to keep me around. Hence the feeling that I might owe you a pint sometime.


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    #31
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    I just got an ad on my journal for wholesale bones for BBQing... not funny :)

    I dont understand peoples objections to these (if indeed there really is an objection).

    1. I just perused the Poker forum (I'm poker nuts right now) and got an "ad" for links to books on Poker... which I'm reading voraciously at the moment. Isnt that better then getting ads for shít you just arent interested in?? When does it stop being an ad and start being something you WANTED to see.... when its in someones post???

    2. They dont animate, they dont flash, they are in keeping with the styles... they are a lot better then the other ads we've had before!

    3. The admins *might* get a thai dinner out EVERY month from these... jeez we wouldnt know ourselves! I mean, we've waited 5 years for this moment... free food once a month! And you never know, perhaps... with time and patience... TWICE a month... no tom, dont tease yourself, such lofty returns would never be allowed...

    Turn them on, turn them off whatever, its not the cash that concerns me, its a pittance, its the "we wouldnt even give you the steam off our piss" attitude that annoys me. Thanks... thanks for nothing.

    Tom Murphy.


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