Video Ads

[Anonymous]

hate them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another here who would be willing to pay for an ad-free experience--even if it's a donation system that results in some footing the bill for other users.

What if it is only video-ad free but the display ads remain?

I’d totally be fine with that

Me too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for willing to pay a fee to avoid ads. I found this site in 2009 when I was pregnant the first time and have used it regularly since.

Jeff, do you have any idea what kind of subscription model would be sustainable?

In a post above I discussed the infrastructure challenges. Quite a bit of development and administrative overhead would be required.

About the only workable idea I have now is to create a Patreon account and ask for donations in return for stopping the video ads. It wouldn't really be a fair system because I can't offer anything beyond stopping the video ads in return for donations. Also, those who pay would be footing the bill for those who don't. But this wouldn't requite any development.

You have a lot of well off folks addicted to this site. Set a target to raise to get rid of the ads and put it out there. You’ll raise that money in no time. Seriously.

This is what I'd think too (but I'm no expert).

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for explaining the work involved to take payments. But... it may be worth it (of course this is making a big assumption you have the time for it). Based on your guesses on how many users would pay, how much would you need to charge a month or year for ad-free?

Who knows, you may come out quite ahead by doing so.. depends on how many are willing to pay and your costs.

I don't think a huge number would be willing to pay. Consider that only about 40% of our users are returning users. The drive-by users who find us via Google and come to read one thread that was in their search results won't be interested. Of the 40% who are returning users, I would be surprised if even 10% would be willing to pay.

Yeah I'd focus on the 40% returning users of course. If a decent percentage spend at least X hours a day/week/month on the site, that can give an idea of willingness to pay. I guess yo ucan see from ad data the demographics of the site, but I'm guessing the userbase is mostly well off, so a number would be willing to pay. But the Patreon is a good way to test the waters as you noted, and it's really easy to implement it.

[Anonymous]

These video ads are awful. I literally can't read the website on my iphone. They take up half the screen and jump all around and there is no X to press on to make it go away. I just came to my laptop to report this and see the video ads is on the laptop version as well. I am now going to try to go read it on the laptop but we will see.

[Anonymous]

A 4. The ads are a turn off and make it harder to read the content on thr forum.

[Anonymous]

4! The video ads are terrible. They expand at the top of the screen once you scroll passed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another here who would be willing to pay for an ad-free experience--even if it's a donation system that results in some footing the bill for other users.

What if it is only video-ad free but the display ads remain?

I’d totally be fine with that

The display ads don't bother me at all. The video pop up that has to be closed on every new page would be worth a donation to keep away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These video ads are awful. I literally can't read the website on my iphone. They take up half the screen and jump all around and there is no X to press on to make it go away. I just came to my laptop to report this and see the video ads is on the laptop version as well. I am now going to try to go read it on the laptop but we will see.

Agree. They jump into the text as if they’re posts and are extremely distracting. This is awful… I hope there is a different way to modify this or bring in revenue because this is a miserable user experience. I keep seeing a dancing conga line with a dog.

[Anonymous]

The ones in the bottom corner do cover content. Easy enough to close out.

[Anonymous]

5) Organizing a mob to burn down our house and salt the land on which it was built.

This one. Definitely. Half of us already know where you live. -.-

OK, but seriously: they're awful and make it almost impossible to read anything. On my computer when I scroll they reappear in an ongoing box hovering over everything else. I can't think of another website I use that does this. Maybe because I would look at it once and never again.


Get rid of them. Pay to play for all I care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These video ads are awful. I literally can't read the website on my iphone. They take up half the screen and jump all around and there is no X to press on to make it go away. I just came to my laptop to report this and see the video ads is on the laptop version as well. I am now going to try to go read it on the laptop but we will see.

Agree. They jump into the text as if they’re posts and are extremely distracting. This is awful… I hope there is a different way to modify this or bring in revenue because this is a miserable user experience. I keep seeing a dancing conga line with a dog.

Oh. Looked like someone was $*#ing the dog. Guess I need to get new glasses.

Awful either way, and hard to get rid of. Maybe it will end my endless scrolling of DCUM....after 10+ years

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another here who would be willing to pay for an ad-free experience--even if it's a donation system that results in some footing the bill for other users.

What if it is only video-ad free but the display ads remain?

That would be fine. The constant motion of the ad in the corner (of my eye/screen) is giving me both a headach and an eye twitch. If that stays I don't think I can.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Let's let the video ads run for a few days. In the meantime I'll think more about the Patreon idea. Perhaps, as the poster above suggested, I should just set a goal and try to raise that much. But, in the meantime, it would be nice to see what sort of revenue the video ads raise. If they don't raise very much, I'll stop them without you guys doing anything.

How many dollars in "not very much" vs "plenty"?

[Anonymous]

Ok now it’s just Keanu. I’ll allow it.