# Banner ads for \*members\* **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 28, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084 "2007-11-28T21:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/21 "2007-11-28T23:25:58Z")
I am displeased with banner ads on a paid forum. If this is not temporary, I will be more displeased. Google ads, I can deal with, for the good of the board. If this is permanent, I would like some darn good numbers explaining why we have to put up with this ‘feature’, and what good it will do the members of the board. I don’t bitch about much, but I am not pleased with this at all. If, contrawise, it is a precursor to eliminating the member fee, I am for it. I feel the board was better before it went pay. Well. Not the infrastructure of the board, of course. If it is a necessary and temporary evil needed to raise money to upgrade the board? I will suffer. If it is permanent? Well, re-upping isn’t so far away. I may take my hat and go. Perhaps one more year, but… not more than that. Oh,yeah. Add avatars, I am _gone_. This is a library. Quiet in the library. Flashy things are bad. Avatars are double plus ungood. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/22 "2007-11-28T23:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] If you choose to take offense over it that’s unfortunate but that’s always your option. [/QUOTE] Y’know, **Tuba** , I’ve defended the thankless job the mods and admins do with enough frequency to be repeatedly accused of ass-kissing. But not every inquiry is a complaint and not every complaint is automatically unfounded, so there really isn’t any need for you to be so goddamned snarky. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/23 "2007-11-29T00:20:28Z")
No ads for me. ::shrug:: I’d be annoyed if I were getting ads (I do not LIKE ads) but I’m not getting ads. ETA: Demeter (Shiira variant, which in turn is a Safari variant), OSX 10.4.11 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/24 "2007-11-29T00:28:28Z")
I’ll just note that the only reason the ad bothers me is because it’s placed somewhat oddly. I think it would look better if it was on the right side of the blue and red Straight Dope banner rather than sitting in its own space. (Of course this might not work depending on screen resolution.) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/25 "2007-11-29T00:46:08Z")
The ads are now talking to people. This is highly undesirable behavior. As in ‘could get me fired.’ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/26 "2007-11-29T01:05:55Z")
I see no ads. IE7 with nothing special that I know of. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/27 "2007-11-29T01:08:23Z")
I have no banner ads. Windows Vista Home Premium, IE7, no ad blocking software. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/28 "2007-11-29T01:27:32Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Oh,yeah. Add avatars, I am _gone_. This is a library. Quiet in the library. Flashy things are bad. Avatars are double plus ungood. [/QUOTE] I strongly agree with this, unless there’s an option to disable avatars for an account. I access this board through dial-up occasionally- avatars would double or triple load times for me. But if there’s a turn-off option, who cares? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/29 "2007-11-29T01:30:14Z")
So far all but one of the ads has veen all Flash, and I have Flashblock installed on Firefox, so all I see is the placeholder. Nonetheless I got pissed off right away. I tried to calm myself down by thinking that maybe Jerry was told by management “Do this NOW,” so there was no time for notifying anyone, including the mods. However, after this: [QUOTE=TubaDiva] Jerry is currently chasing down an infrastructure problem and turning on the ads for everyone makes it easier to do so, it’s easier to find the bug when the situation is the same for all. [/quote] As noted, there’s NOTHING in Jerry’s post about this. It would have taken the edge off of things. [QUOTE=TubaDiva] If you choose to take offense over it that’s unfortunate but that’s always your option. [/QUOTE] I’ll be a lot politer than I’m tempted to be and just say “Get bent”. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/30 "2007-11-29T01:57:39Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] As noted, there’s NOTHING in Jerry’s post about this. It would have taken the edge off of things.I’ll be a lot politer than I’m tempted to be and just say “Get bent”. [/QUOTE] This is not the Pit thread. Just so’s ya know. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/31 "2007-11-29T02:04:24Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] The ads are now talking to people. This is highly undesirable behavior. As in ‘could get me fired.’ [/QUOTE] Maybe it’s a bad idea to browse while working then. 😉 ETA: I don’t see any ads, and even if I did, I wouldn’t really mind or care. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/32 "2007-11-29T02:05:06Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] This is not the Pit thread. Just so’s ya know. [/QUOTE] If you choose to take offense over it that’s unfortunate but - Oh, never mind. I don’t see any effing banners (IE7, Home Vista) but I also don’t see why **anyone** has to get bent out of shape over it. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/33 "2007-11-29T02:11:29Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] This is not the Pit thread. Just so’s ya know. [/QUOTE] And this is no longer the Straight Dope Message Board we paid for. The Chicago Reader can get bent. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/34 "2007-11-29T02:33:02Z")
I can ignore a simple banner ad. It’s the annoying Ford ad with the rollover drop-down thingy that bugs me, because I roll over it inadvertently. Firefox 2.0.0.9 and OS 10.4.10. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/35 "2007-11-29T02:35:48Z")
Frank? Is this temporary or permanent? Please clarify. ---
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/36 "2007-11-29T02:42:46Z")
I’m sorry if there is some confusion over whether or not the banner ad being displayed for all users is a temporary thing. That was not communicated to me. To the best of my knowledge a decision was made to show a banner ad to all users and I implemented that decision. Jerry ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/37 "2007-11-29T02:48:59Z")
[QUOTE=jdavis] I’m sorry if there is some confusion over whether or not the banner ad being displayed for all users is a temporary thing. That was not communicated to me. To the best of my knowledge a decision was made to show a banner ad to all users and I implemented that decision. Jerry [/QUOTE] Who made the decision? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/38 "2007-11-29T02:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] If you choose to take offense over it that’s unfortunate but that’s always your option. [/QUOTE] It is rather annoying when the ad covers up the menu from “User CP” to “New Posts”. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/39 "2007-11-29T03:46:11Z")
[QUOTE=Garfield226] Who made the decision? [/QUOTE] Could it be the new Chicago Reader overlords? ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084/40 "2007-11-29T03:46:50Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] Could it be the new Chicago Reader overlords? [/QUOTE] Could be. That’s what I’d like to find out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banner-ads-for-members/428084.md?page=3)