mart360

it would appear webby is short of a bob or two?? not content with sponsorship and bottom of the page google adds, which incedantaly have migrated to mid post positions... we now have column adds either side of the screen..


it used to be easy to view SN on my 21 inch monitor,, now i have a huge column add on the right and the format of the main posts are squashed up..

and the adds are garbage too..

how long before we get ripped pecks and herbal viagra being & its spin offs bieng thrust upon us?

Mart

kammy

Pay up to join or buck up I am affraid!

Mollox

Ah I did wonder why I had a skinny column of replies down the centre of the page, I can't see the ads as my ad blocker must be doing it's duty, but I did wonder why the reply bit had went anorexic, thanx for clearing that up for me

fatherpierre

Ad blocker working here too

Clazza

same here! Hurrah!

Stueyb

Adblocking and null routing of google page syndication working here too.

Serious question though Mods, just how much more advertising can you squeeze on the site ? I mean every single forum is sponsored by someone (ok not a bad idea, but do you really need to stick one banner add at the top, one as a second post and one about the bottom of the page, as well as one on the right hand side ? FFS its more ad than content at the mo.

And google PPC must be netting you THOUSANDS a month, which obviously aint going on the servers. Its obvious someone has sold out for the $$$

I did have a subscription once, but it wasnt worth the money. If you carry on doing this you will find people will leave. For those that dont like the ads, get some adblocking installed. Makes life a little easier.

SiDHEaD

You appear to have forgotten to use firefox.

ZYRUSS

i was going to say that, i cant see viagra adds and i use firefox.

How do i get the viagra adds, do i need to use internet explorer lol

ZYRUSS

hey mate, do you even own a subaru, one with a fully working engine i mean?

if your not prepared to pay subscription and you dont like it, then do one, go pester Bill Gates or something. like it or lump it unless you think your bringing something worth having to the party

Moonloops

as above - Firefox and adblock for me..

OllyK

Maxthon and AD Hunter - what adverts?

Dr Hu

Can't see any adverts here?

And nor do I at home? - Was this on test last night or sumfink?

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I can only see the ones at the bottom and top not sides

Stueyb

No mate, I dont. I did. I wasn't however aware that I needed one to post on a public forum that is "Non Scooby Related" There is a clue in there somewhere, can you find it

And as for bringing something to the party, brought a lot more to it than you mate with your 12 posts.

Yes its my perogative to do one. Just be aware that Scoobynet Ltd will be making a mint from you, the loyal following and you aint gonna see any of it.

WRX_Dazza

PMSL

Dazza
(Ex-Beemerboy)

T4molie

^^^ What Dr Hu said

Chris L

Well chaps it is the harsh economic realities of running a very large website I'm afraid. Bandwidth and servers have been upgraded several times and this isn't cheap. Click through stuff doesn't generate massive amounts (especially if people block the ads!), so the money has to come from somewhere. All the mods work for free and both Simon and Shaun have full time jobs in addition to running Scoobynet. It ain't that easy. You're all welcome to have a go if you want.

If you go to any sizeable BBS (Pistonheads for example), they have a fair amount of advertising on there too. At least with SN you have the option to stop them by subscribing and contributing to the running of the site!

Choice is yours...

T4molie

Well said Chris

Spoon

Exfúckinactly!

Dare I say I even filled in the survey!!

If ScoobyNet Ltd make millions then good luck to them.

Fill my username area with adverts if you want, see if I'm bothered.

Stueyb

Hi All,

Well yes I know from first hand experience it takes a lot of effort and cash to run large websites. What im trying to say in a nutshell is 2 things.

1) Is the aim of this website to make money for 2 people ? If so fine, just be clear about it

2) If Snet was making a profit before hand (Ill assume it was, but I stand corrected if anyone knows different) why change a winning formula. After all, it is supposed to be a community thing with community knowledge. i think it is increasingly being seen as a cash cow for certain people. A top website that converts ads at 2 to 1 (it wont get that good) is great but you need quality traffic to make it convert. Ie **** off too many people and they will go elsewhere and the traffic, therefore revenue, will drop.

I have also noticed a creeping of articles that are to my eye just ads for certain favoured companies.

I knowthat bandwidth/servers cost money but not that much money.

Spoon

Stuey,

1) Whatever the aim, what the heck is it to you?

2) Changes are implemented in any business, hopefully for an improvement.

Your concern almost appears personal. I would have assumed most people that come here, don't give it a thought, and just come in to read and post.

If money is required to run something and advertisers are prepared to pay towards that, and shít forbid, to make the owners wealthy, then why on earth not?

I fail to see your point, except one of 'I wish it was mine' perhaps.

Jonathan Davies

For what it's worth - not much I accept - I don't care about ads on screen in any number, but the pop-ups are different. They can make a minimised window maximise itself with the pop-up on top, which isn't great for work discretion.


But then I could join up if it was big deal.

OllyK

Agree popups are a pain, but many browsers now come with Ad Filters and Pop-up blockers pre-installed, so unless you have vanilla IE, chances are you won't be seeing the adverts anyway.

Mozilla / Firefox etc have some nice add-ins available that allow you to switch off all images etc, which can add to descrete viewing.

Jonathan Davies

Indeed, it's only at work that it happens - I can't change the software. But again, I could join up if it mattered that much to me to use SNet without popups.

Julz1983

I only see the ads at the top and bottom of the screen, none at the sides, think I would notice more ads on my 15" laptop screen!! Think yourself lucky you have a 21", (I can see it now, 'my screens bigger than yours blah blah'), And even if there was any it wouldn't bother me, I come on to look at posts and chat, ads don't bother me, I don't even think I have a ad blocker or pop up blocker

Stueyb

Spoon,

Your right, its not my concern. I just feel like Snet is going downhill and its a shame. Its gotten a long way from its enthusiast routes to a money making machine and we the users (ie revenue stream) are loosing out to what seems to be one huge add for the "in" crew. Ie impartial advice seems to be an endangered thing on these boards. I mean what happened to all those tech heads willing to help and getting excited over each others projects ?

As for wishing it were mine, I have my own sites with ppc and referal links that make decent money so im quite happy

Your right, I can vote with my feet, and I may well do that, or just continue to become even more stringent in my ad blocking

Chris L

Well Scoobynet is a registered limited company. Simon and Shaun, as the directors of that company have every right to make a profit - it is a business afterall. The primary objective has always been to allow the website to survive, which one or two close shaves aside, it has.

I guess you can't keep bumping along the bottom for ever, so it makes sense to turn SN into a proper viable business (again, exactly as Petrol Ted has done with Petrolheads - it is now his full time job, running the site).

I don't know the exact figures for the company, I guess you can look them up at Companies House. I haven't seen Simon or Shaun running around in Aston Martins, so I doubt the profits are that big!

Spoon

Stuey,

I can't think the adverts are to blame for what you feel is a decline in 'tech heads'.

People move on and with a general decline in anything decent coming through from the majority of youngsters in Britain today, things will appear to change everywhere.

However, this site still has plenty of amateur enthusiasts willing to share tips and give advice. I can't see any of them stopping that due to there being adverts.

Without the adverts the site might not be here so I can actually see it being the reverse.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I think what he is getting at is with the site becoming more and more commercialised and the draconian way threads are vetted and vaped people are less willing to provide advise as it is seen by the mods as promoting business and advertising, along with the fact you are not allowed to name and shame or say anything derogatory against a supplier/dealer or other member, all the good people on here have drifted away and it has turned into trolling, baiting and backstabbing amongst certain members. What was once confined to muppets is spilling out all over the sensible forums and folks are pissed off with it and moved on.

Just my opinion and not the opinion of anyone living or deceased

Spoon

I understand fully what Stuey is getting at Wurzel.
It's a fact of life in todays society. Companies and individuals put themselves up for litigation in whatever they do, protection is required to survive. Revenue is required to prosper.

As for the Muppets spilling out, well,................