# Giving non-registered users more quality while forcing registered users to see ads **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520 "2005-09-26T17:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/61 "2005-09-27T15:17:47Z")
Count me in among those who (a) has never complained about board administration, ever - whether paying for subscriptions, Google ads, questionable mod/management decisions, etc. Generally I’ve been quite happy here and I’ve not seen anything to get worked up about (and honestly, IRL I am (often quite literally) the first to speak up when management/administration makes shady or poor decisions, and the last to say “it’s no big deal!”), and (b) re-upped largely for the search function, and © is really confused and unhappy with the way things are now. The privilege of posting is losing its lustre in the light of ads, full Google exposure, and no noticable improvement in board function despite all the money now flowing in. Can we have an administrator in here to explain why any of us should resubscribe? What value are we getting for our $15? ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/62 "2005-09-27T15:25:51Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > …Can we have an administrator in here to explain why any of us should resubscribe? What value are we getting for our $15? Well, that’s one theory. Another is that they will circle the wagons, evade the issue and generally act as the “Donny Don’ts” of anything approaching customer service. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/63 "2005-09-27T15:53:38Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > While I understand people’s concern regarding the Google indexing (although I do not feel strongly about it either way myself), this part is perhaps the biggest nitpick I have ever seen. What if they made a backup? Think about all the databases in the world that are people’s browser caches! If they made a backup it would still be the same database and still owned by the same people. If anyone has the SDMB in their browser cache they really should do a tidy on their hard-disk. And they aren’t sharing their cache with the world either. A major part of my annoyance here is, as others have pointed out, how no discussion or even notification of this was given. The ads appeared, the googling has started, get use to it. It’s like coming home to discover your landlord has decided to make your front room a showroom, without so much as asking. I’m with **cowgirl** on this, I’ve usually been understanding of the decisions around here, even the ones I didn’t fully agree with. But this one stinks in both the implications and the way it was handled. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/64 "2005-09-27T16:00:00Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Interesting that no one seems to have been concerned with the privacy issue back in this thread. The thread is not primarily about the privacy issue. Searching for my real name brings up my web page, and searching for my nick brings up two different pages of mine in the top ten. I probably said some stuff here in the past that I would be hesitant to say now, but I don’t have it in my sights to become a politician so big whoop. It’s a quality thing. The Reader’s taking something from us and giving it to someone else - and they don’t even have to see the ads due to a poor technical implementation. The accounting here has reached six figures. A more careful and thought out implementation was and is appropriate, IMHO. > [@Why can't I use Google to search the Straight Dope archives?](#): > > Letting a search engine such as Google spider a site reduces capacity available for members and tends to slow or block access through system timeouts from overdemand. > > Our resources have nearly always been compromised as is and we wished to reserve as much access for the community as possible. > > Chicago Reader management also felt they should have more control over the content and wished to archive for themselves. They backup everything, so there’s no good reason to have it out there somewhere else, somewhere the Reader does not control. I should point out all this is copyrighted material and the Reader spends a great deal of time as is persuading cyberthieves from lifting material wholesale. > > You will also notice that none of the other search engines or [archive.org](http://archive.org) is allowed to spider here either. > > Our search engine is far from perfect, but it’s the best we have under the circumstances that prevail. If you are disaccommodated, we apologize. > > your humble TubaDiva > Administrator [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295727&highlight=Google). More than a year ago I chimed in about why it would have been a good thing to bring in Google. But I didn’t anticipate it happening in concordance with advertising - letting Google crawl the site alone will bring in a lot more revenue over time. We don’t need the advertising. > [@Alterego](#): > > I dont understand why we dont just disable the search function completely and let Google crawl the site. After the first initial crawl the bandwidth it took up would be minimal. Now that we are a money making entity it would bring in tons of visitors and return better search results anyway. In the long run (even short term, probably) it would likely speed up the board since no one would be searching it. Google is now capable of crawling dynamic sites, and Googlebot also respects a custom wildcard (\*) so you can specifiy that its not allowed to crawl member profiles, individual posts (only full threads) etc… [link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=247789&highlight=Google) Organize a conference call over Skype with the board administrators and the decision making folks at the Reader and have a brainstorming session about what is best for this community. Things have always been done very prudently here so this willy-nilly behavior completely blows my mind. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/65 "2005-09-27T18:35:42Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Interesting that no one seems to have been concerned with the privacy issue back in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=109034). It’s the difference between having a quasi-embarassing picture of yourself shown on the local public access station at 3am and having the same picture broadcast during the first quarter of the superbowl. Sure, it’s public, and less than ideal, and someone might run across it in the former situation, but it’s not a 50%+ market share. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/66 "2005-09-27T19:24:59Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > Oh dear. > > hi2u message bots. ☹ Which one of you was it? :mad: > [@](#): > > Kasimadhanani (3:29:12 PM): hi sexy > Kasimadhanani (3:29:36 PM): u a bot rite > LeeTheBruce (3:29:45 PM): Hey yourself. > LeeTheBruce (3:29:58 PM): im a bot UR RITE! > Kasimadhanani (3:29:59 PM): u a bot > Kasimadhanani (3:30:14 PM): yea rite > LeeTheBruce (3:30:24 PM): WTH. Who is this? > Kasimadhanani (3:30:41 PM): i got this screen name off online > LeeTheBruce (3:31:02 PM): Your initials don’t happen to be [a friend of mine initials], do they? > Kasimadhanani (3:31:08 PM): u mite want to delete it so people dontr keep im u > Kasimadhanani (3:31:12 PM): no > Kasimadhanani (3:31:42 PM): there is a conversation between u and zoloaol > LeeTheBruce (3:32:23 PM): Ok, great. Good talking to you. > Kasimadhanani (3:32:55 PM): i have to go u wana be friends > Kasimadhanani (3:33:18 PM): u seem nice > Kasimadhanani (3:33:34 PM): seeya > LeeTheBruce (3:33:35 PM): I’m a terrible bastard. Trust me. > LeeTheBruce (3:33:38 PM): Later. > Kasimadhanani (3:33:44 PM): sry > Kasimadhanani (3:33:56 PM): about wat i said before > Kasimadhanani (3:34:14 PM): dont say that about urself > Kasimadhanani signed off at 3:34:35 PM. ---
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/67 "2005-09-27T20:03:45Z")
I apologize for making a mistake in how I requested Google crawl the SDMB so that relevant ads could be delivered. Not understanding at the time that Google had two bots (Googlebot and Mediabot) I allowed in Googlebot when I should have only allowed in Mediabot. I believe Googlebot can crawl a page creating information for ad relevancy and for the Google search engine. Mediabot on the other hand only crawls a page to create information for ad relevancy and will not deliver that information to Google’s search engine. I’ve rectified my earlier mistake by now only allowing Mediabot access to crawl the SDMB. I’ve also requested that Google remove all information they currently have stored about [http://boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com). That request will take up to 5 days to be fulfilled so for an interim period of time what Googlebot has acquired will remain available to a Google search. I will follow up on my request and verify that Google has removed what they have indexed to date. As of now Google will be prohibited from indexing any additional content. My Apologies, Jerry ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/68 "2005-09-27T20:07:39Z")
> [@jdavis](#): > > As of now Google will be prohibited from indexing any additional content. Thank you. I am very appreciative. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/69 "2005-09-27T20:13:07Z")
> [@jdavis](#): > > My Apologies, > > Jerry Dude, you rock. I wish we had a lot more of this taking responsibility in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/70 "2005-09-27T20:20:11Z")
> [@jdavis](#): > > As of now Google will be prohibited from indexing any additional content. Kudos, Jerry. Well done and thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/71 "2005-09-27T20:26:50Z")
> [@jdavis](#): > > I apologize for making a mistake in how I requested Google crawl the SDMB so that relevant ads could be delivered. Not understanding at the time that Google had two bots (Googlebot and Mediabot) I allowed in Googlebot when I should have only allowed in Mediabot. I believe Googlebot can crawl a page creating information for ad relevancy and for the Google search engine. Mediabot on the other hand only crawls a page to create information for ad relevancy and will not deliver that information to Google’s search engine. > > I’ve rectified my earlier mistake by now only allowing Mediabot access to crawl the SDMB. I’ve also requested that Google remove all information they currently have stored about [http://boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com). That request will take up to 5 days to be fulfilled so for an interim period of time what Googlebot has acquired will remain available to a Google search. I will follow up on my request and verify that Google has removed what they have indexed to date. As of now Google will be prohibited from indexing any additional content. > > My Apologies, > > Jerry How come everybody else is so arrogant about it? Can we clone you? Make moe of you, and staff the whole thing with you? Thanks, Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/72 "2005-09-27T20:26:56Z")
Yes, very classy. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/73 "2005-09-27T20:33:33Z")
I have to admit, suddenly I’m happy about having changed my name to Anaamika rather than the old one…that way people can’t match it up as easily! ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/74 "2005-09-27T20:44:14Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I have to admit, suddenly I’m happy about having changed my name to Anaamika rather than the old one…that way people can’t match it up as easily! I’m pretty happy I’m the anonymous, l(ower case) bus guy now too. Thanks Jerry, a good resolution to this. Hell, if I had $15 I’d send it in right now. No, really, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/75 "2005-09-27T20:44:28Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I have to admit, suddenly I’m happy about having changed my name to Anaamika rather than the old one…that way people can’t match it up as easily! I’m pretty happy I’m the anonymous, (lower case) bus guy now too. Thanks Jerry, a good resolution to this. Hell, if I had $15 I’d send it in right now. No, really, I would. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/76 "2005-09-27T20:45:55Z")
Um…double post…didn’t preview… I’ll be hiding over here if anyone needs me. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/77 "2005-09-27T20:50:57Z")
Thanks, Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/78 "2005-09-27T20:54:46Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Yeah, this really bothers me. I don’t like my old posts being available to the general public after I was explicitly told they wouldn’t be made available; I don’t mind ads but I really mind this. This is the reason I’m not going to renew next year and sorry that I did this last time. You don’t promise people a certain level of privacy then take it away, unless you’re a shitty business, and it seems that you (the SDMB) are. I wonder what the boards will look like after April? (Well, I’ll still be here since I registered in October, but I’ll be posting way less.) You do know that some people only paid the fee so they can still search the forums, right? We didn’t “promise people a certain level of privacy.” On the contrary, we have gone out of our way to make people realize this is a public board. **MEBuckner** has already quoted our registration agreement; let me quote it again: “Please remember that postings on this board are visible to anyone with access to the Internet, and are retained in a database indefinitely. Please do not post personal revelations or other information that may come back to haunt you. In particular, do not post your telephone number or address.” Until we began running Google ads, we didn’t allow Google to index the SDMB database for the reasons given by TubaDiva in her post on this subject: (1) It taxed the server - I believe Jerry made the decision about spiders when the SDMB was still handled in-house; (2) we were concerned about copyright violations - we have had many complaints about other sites appropriating SDMB content. We said nothing about privacy - we couldn’t, because the board is not private. Nearly 55,000 people have registered. The board is visited by over 100,000 “unique hosts” each month. The site as a whole is visited by multiple hundreds of thousands. Since the first day we went online, anyone with an Internet connection has been able to read the board for free without registering. We realize that the sense of community is an important part of the SDMB’s attraction. Please be aware, however, that you are having a conversation on a crowded street. Anyone can eavesdrop without your knowledge. Opening the SDMB to Google has not changed this fundamental fact. Conduct yourself accordingly. On a related subject: Every time we make a significant change in our operations, we get complaints from people who feel they have been deceived - that we “promised” never to show ads to subscribers, or to make the database searchable by Google, or something of the sort. We made no such promises. The promises we do make for the most part are explicitly stated in the registration agreement or in stickies on ATMB. Absent such a statement, don’t assume that just because we do things a certain way now we will do them that way forevermore. We don’t wish to alienate our users, but this is a business, and we need to run it in a way that makes business sense. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/79 "2005-09-27T21:09:23Z")
hey this is good news =) i know how to use adblock so i’ll shutup about members being subjected to them. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520/80 "2005-09-27T21:31:57Z")
I can’t believe no one’s said this yet, but: What do you get in return for paying to subscribe? You get the right to keep on posting after your month’s (or pre-P2P term) trial subscription is over. That’s the basic right you’re buying. Anything beyond that – search engine, “Member” or “Charter Member” under your name, whatever – is icing on that cake. Too paltry to be worth paying for? That’s your choice – whether to join or to re-up, you decide whether participating here is worth the outlay. Sure, there are other aspects to consider, but it seems at least to me that’s the heart of why anyone would choose to pay to be a Doper. Jerry – Thanks. Class act. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-non-registered-users-more-quality-while-forcing-registered-users-to-see-ads/323520.md?page=5)