Change please - SD ads

June 13, 2012 12:27 AM from

I'm generally not one to bitch about such things, but please look at the following picture. I'm sure you can agree that the ads are a little bit of overkill. Could we either have them immediately following the OP or at the end of the replies? Eg not both?

I'm a fan of you folks advertising on your site (I mean, duh), but I'm not a fan of ridiculous overkill...which is what this comes across to me as (eg annoying). I'm pretty sure you'll agree with me if you are active on the forums. If you want to reach folks that post on the forums a lot, then an ad after the last post is best (though annoying). If you just want to throw out some info to folks that read the op and move along, then after the OP is best. I think after the OP is the best call. Thanks!

70,156 views 24 replies

Reply #1 June 13, 2012 12:27 AM from

Demigod Forums Top

Reply #2 June 13, 2012 12:29 AM from

Demigod Forums Top

To drive the point home clearly...

Useful in both spots?

Reply #3 June 13, 2012 12:35 AM from

Sins Forums Top

It is a bit overkill. If I wanted advertisements like this I would watch TV.

Reply #4 June 13, 2012 1:07 AM from

Sins Forums Top

It's over the top...Ads could be at the very bottom of each thread right near the quick reply area...people still see it without being annoyed...

Reply #5 June 13, 2012 2:33 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

AND here's another Provocation ! WTF (Why-the-Farkel) does the one Banner Ad for Elemental: Fallen Enchantress show a 4-masted Sailing Ship at the right end of the banner ? Is this a not-so-subtle "Preview of Coming Attractions" ??

Reply #6 June 13, 2012 2:41 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

[ Deleted ]

Reply #7 June 13, 2012 3:38 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

SD games are great and they deserve good advertising, but this is is too much.

Reply #8 June 13, 2012 3:48 AM from

GalCiv2 Forums Top

Two in-house ads per page seems a bit excessive, and seems to take longer for the page to load.

Reply #9 June 13, 2012 5:52 AM from

GalCiv2 Forums Top

Well two filters added to Adblock and I'm ad-free. Not saying I will have ads turned off whenever I visit the site but certainly on my netbook, it saves power.

Reply #10 June 13, 2012 5:59 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

As I understand it there will be a change to stop the double ads and just make one show going forward as the doubling up was not part of the original plan.

Also for anyone who browses this from Wincustomize and wonders what this is about (as it shows as the WinCustomize Talk -> Forum Issues group from WC), the ads should not show on WC for subscribers which is why you have never seen them.

Reply #11 June 13, 2012 7:25 AM from

Elemental Forums Top

I already adblocked them. They are annoying.

I see no point of ads on a company's forums- as presumably they are for folks who already bought the game or have real interest in the game.

Besides, SD's forums are slow enough without having to add more stuff.

Reply #12 June 13, 2012 8:36 AM from

JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Neil, reply 10

As I understand it there will be a change to stop the double ads and just make one show going forward as the doubling up was not part of the original plan.

End of Neil's quote

Really glad to hear it. Thanks!

Reply #13 June 13, 2012 8:40 AM from

Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Alstein, reply 12

I already adblocked them. They are annoying.

I see no point of ads on a company's forums- as presumably they are for folks who already bought the game or have real interest in the game.

Besides, SD's forums are slow enough without having to add more stuff.

End of Alstein's quote

I think the purpose is to expose you to the other games and software Stardock produce. You may have say an interest in Elemental, but are not aware of Galciv.

I would expect how they are shown to be refined over time as I think there is room for improvement.

Reply #14 June 13, 2012 9:44 AM from

Sins Forums Top

Quoting MarvinKosh, reply 10

Well two filters added to Adblock and I'm ad-free. Not saying I will have ads turned off whenever I visit the site but certainly on my netbook, it saves power.

End of MarvinKosh's quote

Wow, that did help. Thought Adblock would do that automatically.

Reply #15 June 13, 2012 9:58 AM from

GalCiv2 Forums Top

Nope. True, you may already have a lot of ads blocked by virtue of having an existing list, but for specific sites that aren't covered that way, you may need to do some manual configuring. You may even need Flashblock for some ads (who hasn't seen the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman now? Come on!) because Adblock doesn't always neatly remove such an ad from a page.

The Chrome version of Adblock comes with a handy 'Block an ad on this page' wizard, by the way.

Reply #16 June 13, 2012 10:40 AM from

Sins Forums Top

I used Ad Block Plus and just had to define a custom add blocker filters for the forum threads. I probably would have never installed an add blocker if the adds had not show up in the actual threads.

Reply #17 June 13, 2012 11:00 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting MarvinKosh, reply 15

comes with a handy 'Block an ad on this page' wizard,

End of MarvinKosh's quote

Did someone need a handy Wizard? .....oh,... wait. Nevermind.

Reply #18 June 13, 2012 11:15 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Subscribers don't get ads.

Reply #19 June 13, 2012 11:41 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 18

Subscribers don't get ads.

End of RedneckDude's quote

This is true, but what else would a gamer get with a WC subscription? More than likely they are not interested in desktop custmizing software and skins.

I'm not a gamer, so I have reasons for a WC subscription and have one.

Just wondering.

Reply #20 June 13, 2012 6:01 PM from

Elemental Forums Top

Huh, this is the first I'm seeing of in-thread ads. Do Stardock Gold accounts just not display them or what?

Reply #21 June 13, 2012 6:25 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

If you wear the special SD glasses, you can see them in 4D!

Reply #22 June 13, 2012 7:12 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

The Wizard is loose.

Reply #23 June 13, 2012 9:16 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

https://forums.wincustomize.com/426810

Food for thought....;)

Reply #24 June 13, 2012 11:54 PM from

JoeUser Forums Top

I just want to throw this simple concept out again (and then lock this thread as I didn't really want an "I hate ads" thread). My complaint is simply about overkill. My 1st few posts covered that 2 of the exact same banner ads spammed is a bit over the top. Neil chimed in and said that having 2 of them was not the intention and was an oversight. My complaint is resolved.

I have no problem, whatsoever, with SD advertising on their sites. And even if I did, it would be silly for me to bitch about that as its their sites. My only problem was just the accidental overdoing of it by spamming the same ad over and over. I'm happy to hear to about SD products that I might have missed as long as its not jammed down my throat. And if you hate this sort of thing, then you can use ad blocker to kill em off. Anyway, my take (which seems to be clearly understood) is that we don't need to see the same ad over and over (eg I make one post and there is the ad immediately before and after my post). I'm personally cool with seeing a SD ad in every thread. Thanks again for the response Neil.

edit - and last I checked - this currently seems to be resolved (I only see 1 ad now - thanks!)

/thread

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