Video Ads

[Anonymous]

They are a 4 for me - and because of that I deployed the ad blocker. I'd previously exempted DCUM from the ad blocker because I know your revenue comes from ads.

Ads on the side are fine. Even some ads in the body. But these ended up covering text, and it was really annoying.

I'm sorry

[Anonymous]

Jeff sorry to derail but how about an entirely new forum solely dedicated to Keanu Reeves? Any negative comments about Keanu Reeves would be reported and immediately deleted by the moderator? I would pay $12.99 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeff sorry to derail but how about an entirely new forum solely dedicated to Keanu Reeves? Any negative comments about Keanu Reeves would be reported and immediately deleted by the moderator? I would pay $12.99 a month.

( No pop ups of course)

[Anonymous]

I’m a 3. It’s a necessary evil although the placement is annoying/distracting. I just got a video about welsh ponies swimming across a welsh river, and I watched it, although I have absolutely no idea what it was advertising (a documentary?). I assume they won’t all be that interesting.

[Anonymous]

Not video ads but have you thought about doing a funding campaign like Wikipedia does? I bet that many of us who find DCUM useful would contribute - especially if there was an anonymous way to do it.

[Anonymous]

Not a fan that it pops out and actually covers text. Very very frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Is the revenue problem something to do with pricing, ie traditional ads are paying less?

Or is it that site traffic is down, so that more revenue per ad is needed to keep total revenue more or less where it was before? If it’s the latter—lower viewership—I wonder if it’s the change in poster composition since COVID that’s making users like me come here less often. You do a great job moderating, but the site seems overrun with RWNJs, misogynists calling everyone Karen, anti-Catholic bigots (I’m not even Catholic), racists, and more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not video ads but have you thought about doing a funding campaign like Wikipedia does? I bet that many of us who find DCUM useful would contribute - especially if there was an anonymous way to do it.

This is a good idea. I usually give Wikipedia money during their annual (semi-annual?) campaigns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get migraines and can’t handle these video ads. I’m going to take a break from this site site for a week and then come back to see if you have stopped the video ads

+1. I was just coming here to say this. I get migraines that can have epilepsy type triggers. Keanu Reeves flashing on my screen makes me literally feel like throwing up. I can’t process it and it makes the site unusually.


First the Site Formerly Known as Twitter. Now DCUM. I could probably top world hunger in the time I will no spending on the internet because my happy paces are being make unusable.

But to be fair, I was a heavy user of FCPS, AAP and the age appropriate parenting forums. Then the colleges forum. Now I, too, have 2 kids in college and am past the colleges forum and young adult isn’t that great. And politics is so overrun with trolls it’s become unusable. So my DCUM usage has really slowed down recently anyway.

Off to solve work hunger. Or figure out Reddit. Or wait for Threads to have decent features.

PS— I get decently moderated content has value. I would pay some amount— maybe $25-30 a year— for an ad free version of DCUM.

Not the grammar police and I’ve made my share of typos, but thanks for the chuckle, PP.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Is the revenue problem something to do with pricing, ie traditional ads are paying less?

Or is it that site traffic is down, so that more revenue per ad is needed to keep total revenue more or less where it was before? If it’s the latter—lower viewership—I wonder if it’s the change in poster composition since COVID that’s making users like me come here less often. You do a great job moderating, but the site seems overrun with RWNJs, misogynists calling everyone Karen, anti-Catholic bigots (I’m not even Catholic), racists, and more.

The bolded is entirely the problem. We have had a drop in the number users over the past few years, but it stabilized and revenue was still at acceptable levels. Then revenues dropped while the number of users stayed the same. As I described above, I have made efforts to increase the number of users and those are paying off so we have had significant growth over the past few months. But, revenue increases have been minimal because display advertising is simply not earning much.

[Anonymous]

If nothing else let's give Jeff props for being transparent. He knows what he's talking about even if you don't.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an honest question. Has anyone, in the history of ever, said that ads are great? In any medium? I think the most you can hope for would be ‘It’s a necessary evil and I will begrudgingly accept it’.

Yes, "necessary evil" is the best I am hoping for. I am expecting far worse.

This is my opinion, don't love, but do what you need to do.

Can't believe your kids and mine are so close to being grown, DCUM has been a great resource and a fab source of distraction and entertainment too. Hard to believe it has been around for so long. Times change and needs must.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not video ads but have you thought about doing a funding campaign like Wikipedia does? I bet that many of us who find DCUM useful would contribute - especially if there was an anonymous way to do it.

This is a good idea. I usually give Wikipedia money during their annual (semi-annual?) campaigns.

I would be willing to support the site.

[Anonymous]

Could you try putting up a link to PayPal or Venmo or something and ask for donations? Give us hard numbers on what you need to raise.

As you know, I’m not wealthy liberal stereotype but am more than willing to donate. I have been on here at least ten years and remember the day I stumbled on the preschool forum through google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not video ads but have you thought about doing a funding campaign like Wikipedia does? I bet that many of us who find DCUM useful would contribute - especially if there was an anonymous way to do it.

Yep. I also frequent a music forum. Access is free, but they do an annual fundraising campaign. I always throw in a bit of money because I like the forum.