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Sponsored link signifying an inadequacy?

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  • 01-10-2015 7:29am
    #1
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,306 ✭✭✭✭


    I know it's a sponsored link, and the space was paid for, but that massive IG logo on the front page looks stupid, and is irritating.


    So, feedback for boards: That massive IG logo looks stupid, and is irritating this user.

    Feedback for IG organisers: Your massive logo looks stupid, and is irritating. I know nothing about your product, service and/or event, and don't care to find out. Because your massive logo looks stupid. And is irritating.
    Post edited by Shield on


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    #2
    flyingsnail
    Registered Users Posts: 2,754 ✭✭✭flyingsnail


    I agree, it takes up way too much of the front page, I can only see the top two threads.


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    #3
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    This has to be the most intrusive sponsored link/advert yet. It actually puts you off the item being pushed.


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    #4
    Penn
    Registered Users Posts: 33,702 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    For some reason, and call me crazy if you want, but I have a funny feeling that it's not actually supposed to be that big and that it's an error as opposed to IG paying to have a MASSIVE logo on the Boards homepage.


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    #5
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,569 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Never ever go to te homepage so they can have whatever they want there.


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    #6
    Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 12,597 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Community Manager


    Penn wrote: »
    For some reason, and call me crazy if you want, but I have a funny feeling that it's not actually supposed to be that big and that it's an error as opposed to IG paying to have a MASSIVE logo on the Boards homepage.

    Thank God one of you has some sense. It was a mistake, I uploaded the incorrect logo size yesterday evening, I rectified it when I logged in this morning.

    Crisis over!

    How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site



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    #7
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,306 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »
    Thank God one of you has some sense. It was a mistake, I uploaded the incorrect logo size yesterday evening, I rectified it when I logged in this morning.

    Crisis over!

    Hey! I have loadsa sense! Just not about computerey stuff...


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    #8
    KomradeBishop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,981 ✭✭✭KomradeBishop


    Are sponsored links targeted at specific forums? If so, what specific forums does the IG sponsored post target? (I've noticed it appears to target one particular forum)

    If this is how it works, then - depending upon the forum - this creates a conflict of interest between Boards financial incentives, and free discussion on certain forums, where there is a financial incentive to alter the acceptable range of discussion for a forum.

    Also - does Boards do any research with who they are doing business with, before accepting sponsored links? I've only had an initial look myself, but it looks like Boards should research this some more...
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:IG_Group

    If Boards is accepting sponsored links targeting specific forums, which can create a financial incentive for altering the range of acceptable discussion for that forum, and from groups whose reputation/ethics needs better research/reviewing (not alleging anything wrong here, leave that for others to research...), then that's not good and is something that posters should be concerned about, as having the potential to create a bias over discussion on a forum.


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    #9
    Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 12,597 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Community Manager


    KomradeBishop wrote: »
    Are sponsored links targeted at specific forums?
    Yes, they are.
    If so, what specific forums does the IG sponsored post target? (I've noticed it appears to target one particular forum)
    Currently targetting 8 different forums, mostly those connected in some way to finance as this is their target audience.
    If this is how it works, then - depending upon the forum - this creates a conflict of interest between Boards financial incentives, and free discussion on certain forums, where there is a financial incentive to alter the acceptable range of discussion for a forum.
    Do you genuinely think we in the office have the time to read the entire site where there are thousands of posts per day and somehow alter discussions to something acceptable to our hundreds of advertisers? Really, is that what you think happens here in our office, bearing in mind that you could count us all on two hands with fingers left over?
    Also - does Boards do any research with who they are doing business with, before accepting sponsored links? I've only had an initial look myself, but it looks like Boards should research this some more...
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:IG_Group

    No, we do not search for companies on Wikipedia before deciding whether or not to allow them to advertise on our site. There are certain things we have declined to advertise in the past, so yes we have guidelines and standards.
    If Boards is accepting sponsored links targeting specific forums, which can create a financial incentive for altering the range of acceptable discussion for that forum, and from groups whose reputation/ethics needs better research/reviewing (not alleging anything wrong here, leave that for others to research...), then that's not good and is something that posters should be concerned about, as having the potential to create a bias over discussion on a forum.
    You seem to just repeating yourself here; I'm not following suit. See above.

    How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site



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    #10
    KomradeBishop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,981 ✭✭✭KomradeBishop


    Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »
    Currently targetting 8 different forums, mostly those connected in some way to finance as this is their target audience.
    Ok - on some of those forums though, it should be checked whether it is suitable for an advertisement to be placed there, due to the potential conflict of interest I mention.
    Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »
    Do you genuinely think we in the office have the time to read the entire site where there are thousands of posts per day and somehow alter discussions to something acceptable to our hundreds of advertisers? Really, is that what you think happens here in our office, bearing in mind that you could count us all on two hands with fingers left over?
    I didn't say any of that happens. It does however, create a financial incentive - in precisely the same way as newspaper advertisements can affect what goes into a newspaper - and there are a lots of easy/subtle ways to alter the tone of discussion on a forum, which require very little effort, on behalf of the site.

    For example, admins have the final say on mod selection, and it is very easy to subtly influence the tone of a forum in a pretty undetectable way, through selective picking out of mods (again, not saying this does happen...) - the mod selection process is very easily gamed, if the incentive is there - and there does seem to be an increasing financial incentive for doing this (which is not a comment on anybodies ethics, or saying that this would happen - speaking about conflicts of interest often gets interpreted as that, but it's pointing out a legitimate potential issue - it'd be naive for forum-goers to ignore those kinds of financial incentives).
    Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »
    No, we do not search for companies on Wikipedia before deciding whether or not to allow them to advertise on our site. There are certain things we have declined to advertise in the past, so yes we have guidelines and standards.
    Well, some more research should be done - especially if something as easily researched as Wikipedia throws up questions, that deserve further research - if there are potential ethical issues with a sponsor (not saying there are issues in this particular case). It's good that there are already some guidelines like this though.


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