If You're Blocking Ads While On ATS, You Get A Big Ugly Message

a reply to: Donkey_Dean

So, if it were around $400 per month for a pair of servers at a datacenter.... I wonder how much other costs would be. Production costs. Web maintenance etc. A realistic yearly cost.

Annual crowdfunding effort may be the way to go. No ads ever.

ATS should just try it. Setup crowdfunding with a goal. If we hit it, no ads for a year. If we don't hit it, money returned.

a reply to: spiritualzombie

In another thread, someone suggested the ridiculous notion that ATS could be hosted on a $10/month virtual server.

I provided some extensive detail in my response.

We could serve our images for 12 hours for $10, much less the site.

I can certainly understand the reasoning behind these actions by ATS staff. However, the approach basically cemented exactly how people were going to respond.

Equating it to aspects like morality, and completely minimizing userbase concerns isn't exactly a winning recipe. Add to that memes talking about free speech costs, which we have been told doesn't exist here, and reactions to it are solidly predictable. There shouldn't be much disappointment for something that should have been seen coming a mile away.

Perhaps the answer, rather than a combo of guilt trips, blatant frustration, and hyperbole, is to really open up the possibilities for ATS in the future. Examine new, more effective business models and try to create something unique to solve the issue. Obviously, this IS a hot topic, so perhaps there is even the opportunity to create something new that balances the needs of everyone more equitably.

I have no doubt, whatsoever, that ATS staff is capable of such things. I'm really not sure this current method is the best option for anyone involved. But, surely, no one should be surprised at the response when users concerns are discarded completely with dubious assumptions and assertions.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Given our traffic, that would cost us over $5,000 per month.

Does it not earn ATS revenue when you allow ads on the site?

Why would it cost money?

I have no idea how things work on your end, but i thought the purpose of ads was to make money for the site?

IF its costing money instead of earning... why have them at all?

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Given our traffic, that would cost us over $5,000 per month.

Does it not earn ATS revenue when you allow ads on the site?

Why would it cost money?

I have no idea how things work on your end, but i thought the purpose of ads was to make money for the site?

IF its costing money instead of earning... why have them at all?

It's called extortion...

the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats.

a reply to: TheAmazingYeti

IF that was the case, and these ads provide no monetary value...

Remove them completely... thus eliminating the threat

originally posted by: XyZeR
I singed up for this USER created forum in 2005 when add blockers were non existent, I've never gotten an email or update about the changes in the T&C of this website.

The Wayback Machine helps when our memory fails.

This is what was at the end of the T&C back in 2005:

(These terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Please refer to them often to stay up-to-date with our current board policies.)

SkepticOverlord, can you run your own ads on ATS? That way you can choose the ads you want, charge the rates you think are fair, and hopefully the ads don't come form an external, bogged down ad server that slows page loading down.

This thread should be in the skunkworks in my opinion.

What a load of old tosh? Too many people expecting something for nothing and expecting it all for free.

"I dont want to see adverts or have to contribute, I just want to to be able to get everything for free mhwaa mhwaa mhwaa...

Do I like paying for stuff? Hell NO but given the option of a few ads or a basic subscription then why not.

Wake up and deal with it or pop off to one of the other sites that offer the same kinds of service. Oh no wait there are not any are there...

a reply to: nonspecific

Actually plenty out there

What happened to ATS and it's participation in the Ad Choices program ?

The blue Ad Choices icon was shown on ATS main pages. Clicking the icon enabled members to tailor adverts to suit their own preferences or even to opt out of most of the ads altogether.

Worth a shot?:

A post to the community that lists the comprehensive and itemized costs and profits of the site where we can work as a team to find viable ideas that make things better for the leaders of this site.

The list is vital as it would not only offer transparency to the site's issues, but I'm sure there are many business-oriented members here who can crunch the numbers and see what can be done about them. There are accountants and lawyers and people from every walk of life that can contribute ideas to helping this site and it's owners.

Also, we have a large creative base in our members that could possibly come up with all sorts of solutions and even merchandising if that's a chosen fix.

We'd need to know how narrow the profit is at this time and the goals you would like to reach. I realize that some people would expect requital for helping, but I'm sure many would be charitable with their skills to help support ATS.
As it's a community site, maybe we need to get the community involved in the solution more to absolve these frustrations.

For what it's worth... I'd happily purchase an ATS T-shirt or what not.

Peace.

originally posted by: TheShippingForecast
What happened to ATS and it's participation in the Ad Choices program ?

The blue Ad Choices icon was shown on ATS main pages. Clicking the icon enabled members to tailor adverts to suit their own preferences or even to opt out of most of the ads altogether.

Since all of the ads now have that, there's no reason for us to have it.

An annual subscription would be ok by me.

Also, on several other sites where I'm a member, we have a "sponsor" forum where we can go and click on one of the sponsor links and get discounts, specials, extra links, etc. I assume it works for the sponsors because they have continued to support us for a very long time. No ads on these sites other than those links in the sponsor forum.

a reply to: Serdgiam

...Let's just say that after doing ALOT of web programming
and bayesian network creation with neural net target
audience presentation, I can reliably say that the ads
you get have been getting are TARGETED specifically for you
based upon an expensive expert system-based website cookie
tracking, website surfing and text message keyword tracking system........

What the hell is wrong with some people? Stomping in here and demanding that S.O. continue to pay for ATS out of his own pocket while not even allowing advertisements so S.O. can actually afford to keep ATS online. Who the hell do you think you people are? You arrogant, entitled and selfish fools.

For the dummies: This website can only stay online if it earns enough from advertising dollars to pay for it. Too many people are using adblockers and therefore ATS does not earn enough to pay for its hosting and upkeep. Without that money there is NO ATS.

Where will you go to whinge about being asked to help contribute by turning off your adblockers then hmm?? Do you even care? How DARE you dictate to ME what websites I can visit by having one deliberately shut down because of your own arrogance, entitlement and selfishness.

For shame. You people are pathetic.

What if ATS was on the Safe Network and could enable micropayments?

This might be a relevant thread...forum.safenetwork.io...

Just a thought....

Edit - The micropayment debate is a lively one. It's a new economy being developed and nothing is set in stone yet. I think it is worth interacting with as a thought experiment (perhaps more).

a reply to: ArMaP

Yeah every user of every forum on the net literally checks and completely reads the T&C every time they visit the website ...sigh...Yes i am aware that it cost money to host a forum, but why oh why could it be done from 2005 (when i signed up) to 2015 (that's 10 years) and now all of a sudden it can't do it without adds, what changed?

This just keeps getting more ridiculous, you'dd almost start to believe that add revenue is the main goal of this site, not provide a place of discussion about conspiracies...

“I run a website, it costs me money to do so, I need advertising revenue to pay for the website, adblocking robs me of this revenue.“

In other words, people should support bad business models because it’s more convenient for the businessmen....

www.worthofweb.com...
ATS Estimated Worth:
$ 2,120,800


The reckoning is coming for an ad industry that grew reckless with user's bandwidth, user provided content, privacy, CPU, and attention.
About time.

originally posted by: XyZeR
a reply to: ArMaP

Yeah every user of every forum on the net literally checks and completely reads the T&C every time they visit the website ...sigh...Yes i am aware that it cost money to host a forum, but why oh why could it be done from 2005 (when i signed up) to 2015 (that's 10 years) and now all of a sudden it can't do it without adds, what changed?

The amount of content, members, visitors and therefore pageviews increased dramatically?

Jeez mate come on, its not that hard to figure out.

This just keeps getting more ridiculous, you'dd almost start to believe that add revenue is the main goal of this site, not provide a place of discussion about conspiracies...

Without that ad revenue this site wouldn't exist for you to come and act entitled on.

“I run a website, it costs me money to do so, I need advertising revenue to pay for the website, adblocking robs me of this revenue.“

In other words, people should support bad business models because it’s more convenient for the businessmen....

What business model would you suggest genius? Other than membership or ad revenue which are the two most popular forms of website funding for most of the #ing internet?

The lack of intelligence in this thread is awe-inspiring. The entitlement and selfishness even more so.