Discussion
I got an email this morning along the lines of "I'm not going to visit PistonHeads any more because I object to a pop coming up when I visit telling me to turn off advert blocking - I am fed up of adverts taking up MY bandwidth and popping up left right and centre. Good web site - but this is not on!"
Can I just point out to people that without adverts this site would not exist. Adverts pay for the running costs of PH. That's the price you pay for reading the free site.
We don't use pop up adverts and most of the adverts are directly related to the subject matter. In fact I believe relavent advertising enhances the subject matter.
I'd be interested in people's views on this because the extreme scenario is that I may have to block the site to those who choose to block the adverts or offer a some sort of subscription service to those who are adamant that they don't want to see adverts.
I'm hoping I won't have to go that far as it could be counterproductive. In the interim I will be experimenting with techniques to circumvent advert blockers.
Can I just point out to people that without adverts this site would not exist. Adverts pay for the running costs of PH. That's the price you pay for reading the free site.
We don't use pop up adverts and most of the adverts are directly related to the subject matter. In fact I believe relavent advertising enhances the subject matter.
I'd be interested in people's views on this because the extreme scenario is that I may have to block the site to those who choose to block the adverts or offer a some sort of subscription service to those who are adamant that they don't want to see adverts.
I'm hoping I won't have to go that far as it could be counterproductive. In the interim I will be experimenting with techniques to circumvent advert blockers.
I don't have a problem with the adverts at all, in fact as you say they are all relevant, and often useful. The Henley Heritage ones are great too. 
As far as wasting bandwidth goes, that's a crap argument. The page text always loads before graphics for anyone who lives in the 20th century and doesn't have broadband.
As long as you never use popup adverts or adverts that conceal the text I'm trying to read I think you must do whatever you need to to keep the site running. And if that means paying for the right not to see adverts, then fair enough but I don't think many people would take you up on that.
As far as wasting bandwidth goes, that's a crap argument. The page text always loads before graphics for anyone who lives in the 20th century and doesn't have broadband.
As long as you never use popup adverts or adverts that conceal the text I'm trying to read I think you must do whatever you need to to keep the site running. And if that means paying for the right not to see adverts, then fair enough but I don't think many people would take you up on that.
its free, you get adverts. bit like ITV really. would say sky but you have to subscribe as well!! 
LIke you state, there related, and generally are of a benefit rather than stupid adverts for stuff you have no interest in eg: american diets, get rich quick schemes, or credit cards in america... I dont know how you turn down these advertisers, and I for one thankyou for giving us a well maintained site for NOWT, and advertisers we cant find if we didnt come here.
LIke you state, there related, and generally are of a benefit rather than stupid adverts for stuff you have no interest in eg: american diets, get rich quick schemes, or credit cards in america... I dont know how you turn down these advertisers, and I for one thankyou for giving us a well maintained site for NOWT, and advertisers we cant find if we didnt come here.
Ted,
Nothing wrong with the Ads IMO, some of them are quite good and all are relevant to the Site, ABD, Zertec, TVR/Lotus Dealers etc.
There has only been one Pop Up advert that I have noticed and that was from Scuderia or whoever they are. But even that was them loading something
Keep up the good work Ted, Fantastic Site, just gets better everyday!
Nothing wrong with the Ads IMO, some of them are quite good and all are relevant to the Site, ABD, Zertec, TVR/Lotus Dealers etc.
There has only been one Pop Up advert that I have noticed and that was from Scuderia or whoever they are. But even that was them loading something
Keep up the good work Ted, Fantastic Site, just gets better everyday!
Ted, I'm totally with you about the ads. I have no problem with the way you display them on your site - simple banner ads are unintrusive unlike some sites which feature pop-ups and flash ads that load up over the page. Is there not settings on these ad-blocker programs that lets certain sites be excluded from blocking? I find that a simple pop-up stopper such as the one from www.panicware.com is suitable for eliminating most annoying pop-up ads on other sites.
The site still looks classy with banner ads and I am quite (happily) surprised that I can visit a site as entertaining and informative as this for free.
The site still looks classy with banner ads and I am quite (happily) surprised that I can visit a site as entertaining and informative as this for free.
Only complaint that I have is the HHC ad at the top of the thread at the moment isn't the Waxol one 
.
I'm definitely with you on this - all the Ads do appear to be very in context, and as with others they often provide a good resource - a benefit rather than a detriment.
For instance, the ABD website is being widely (mis??)quoted in a few threads at the moment - I would guess that most people found it by following the ads. Also the Car Limits and Top Cats ads (amungst others) have been clicked by myself as they pointed to interesting content!
. I'm definitely with you on this - all the Ads do appear to be very in context, and as with others they often provide a good resource - a benefit rather than a detriment.
For instance, the ABD website is being widely (mis??)quoted in a few threads at the moment - I would guess that most people found it by following the ads. Also the Car Limits and Top Cats ads (amungst others) have been clicked by myself as they pointed to interesting content!
I must agree with the comments regarding "Pop-up" ads. I would run a mile to avoid a site with those, but the present banner ads are not out of place, and some of them are useful, especially since they are pertinant to the content of the site. (If you try pushing Saga Holidays or Readers Digest I might think otherwise ).
I must admit I detest sites with flashy ads that "glide" over the text or require you to dismiss them before you can read the content, as some car sites I used to visit do, but this level is fine.
). I must admit I detest sites with flashy ads that "glide" over the text or require you to dismiss them before you can read the content, as some car sites I used to visit do, but this level is fine.
Like most of the folk who have responded to your request for views, I find the adverts on PH to be discrete enough for me not to worry about them. And, like PeteH, I've found a couple to have been useful in my quest to enhance my car's performance.
I doubt if one email from a disgruntled (ex)member is in any way representative, so I'd not worry about it if I were you, Ted.
I doubt if one email from a disgruntled (ex)member is in any way representative, so I'd not worry about it if I were you, Ted.
It just goes to show you can't please all the people all the time.
The current format works fine imho. The ads are not in the way, and you don't have to click on anything to cancel them. I'd even go so far as to say that I don't really care what they are promoting. If they don't interest me I don't click them. Simple really.
Maybe I'm too laid back sometimes..........
The current format works fine imho. The ads are not in the way, and you don't have to click on anything to cancel them. I'd even go so far as to say that I don't really care what they are promoting. If they don't interest me I don't click them. Simple really.
Maybe I'm too laid back sometimes..........The current format is fine Ted. Would agree with the comments made on pop-ups - when visiting other sites I tend to close these anyway before they fully load.
The Ads are your main source of income and therefore should remain - think the emailer was very shortsighted to ask you to remove them.
If I have a devious mind I would suggest that this individual could be someone from a competitive website wanting to cause some trouble.
The Ads are your main source of income and therefore should remain - think the emailer was very shortsighted to ask you to remove them.
If I have a devious mind I would suggest that this individual could be someone from a competitive website wanting to cause some trouble.
Personally I have no issues with the ads on this site. They are topical and unobtrusive.
I tend to avoid sites with excessive popups etc simply because they are irritating, and not (in general) relevant to me.
The general consensus here seems to be that everyone is fine with them, and after all, they pay for the site!
I tend to avoid sites with excessive popups etc simply because they are irritating, and not (in general) relevant to me.
The general consensus here seems to be that everyone is fine with them, and after all, they pay for the site!
I personally loathe adverts in general, but...
- I've never had a pop-up invoked by PH.
- The banner ads are generally pertinent & this is the only site where I *ever* click thru...
- I'd like to retain the right to use an ad blocker, as I do on one of my PCs which is low on memory and CPU - a lot of the ads slow this PC down too much for the site to be usable
- I'd like Flash/Shockwave banners to be abolished as they max out the CPU and hang IE sometimes.
- If they pay for the site they have to stay.. there are things I'd pay to have on PH, but abolishing adverts in their current form is not one of them.
All that said, you're rid of a complaining twat, Ted. Good riddance!
- I've never had a pop-up invoked by PH.
- The banner ads are generally pertinent & this is the only site where I *ever* click thru...
- I'd like to retain the right to use an ad blocker, as I do on one of my PCs which is low on memory and CPU - a lot of the ads slow this PC down too much for the site to be usable
- I'd like Flash/Shockwave banners to be abolished as they max out the CPU and hang IE sometimes.
- If they pay for the site they have to stay.. there are things I'd pay to have on PH, but abolishing adverts in their current form is not one of them.
All that said, you're rid of a complaining twat, Ted. Good riddance!
Ted. I've just noticed an advert for Elise phone fascias. I feel I must object in the strongest possible terms. I hate mobile phones with a vengeance. They are not allowed in the house unless they have been turned off. A recent transgression by a guest resulted in his phone being lobbed into the garden. In the dark. 
He had to use our phone to ring himself up, before scurrying off into the garden to find it. Anyway, I digress. Please remove this advert with immediate effect........ errrrr.... no wait..... hold on.....
I'm quite a big fan of the Elise. Ummmmmmm..... forget I said anything.
He had to use our phone to ring himself up, before scurrying off into the garden to find it. Anyway, I digress. Please remove this advert with immediate effect........ errrrr.... no wait..... hold on..... I'm quite a big fan of the Elise. Ummmmmmm..... forget I said anything.
Thanks for your input - good to know the current format is working.
With regard to Flash ads slowing things down, I've wound down the use of them as I too have a slow PC here which struggles when they're on. I also lack the talent to make any particularly clever Flash ads so unless an advertiser specifically asks for them I'll not be using them.
I'm finding though that more people are using ad blockers without really making a concious decision to do so. Norton seems to make this possible with their security products. The side effect being that the classifieds section doesn't show up because it mentions the word 'advert' in the URL
There will be some subtle changes to things to break their detection mechanisms but on the whole you shouldn't notice them.
With regard to Flash ads slowing things down, I've wound down the use of them as I too have a slow PC here which struggles when they're on. I also lack the talent to make any particularly clever Flash ads so unless an advertiser specifically asks for them I'll not be using them.
I'm finding though that more people are using ad blockers without really making a concious decision to do so. Norton seems to make this possible with their security products. The side effect being that the classifieds section doesn't show up because it mentions the word 'advert' in the URL
There will be some subtle changes to things to break their detection mechanisms but on the whole you shouldn't notice them.
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