Ad-blocker on PSU - Why it hurts us...

[PeanutButterMunky]

Yay, support! lol

[Vulgotha]

Well,

PSU has had some seriously intrusive ads. I don't mean mildly annoying, I mean flat out aggravating. Like the constant drop down crap that opens up this flash video for a product that takes up the top half of the page. That stuff is more or less constant, and there have been plenty of other times where crap has gone on in the side bar advert slots as well that are grating. It has repeatedly prevented me from clicking on the tool bar up there to access my profile, posting history and so forth.

Secondly, I could be totally wrong on this here but I doubt you guys go through with a fine comb and sort through ads that pop up on this page very often (at least a few of them) because I am fairly sure they are powered by Google Adsense which feeds off of your search\browser history.

I'm a Web Application Developer, so I do realize that using adblock impacts the revenue for a page. But I still use it anyway. Because I believe if something is broken or annoying, and there are means around it, one should not suffer through it. Somebody will improvise and find a more efficient and non-intrusive way for sites to make cash. Maybe it will be simple data mining of your user base- maybe you already do this.

Point is, where there exists a demand or need there will be a solution. Users hated ads, so somebody got creative and made ad blocker. Now websites are losing a portion of their revenue, so somebody will come up with a solution here- though it may not be in the way one expects or immediately.

You could try selling actual t-shirts and products, as well as making premium subscriber only services.. But that does require some injection of investment $$$ into PSU from the owner(s) and outside forces.

But it seems to me the business model for this site must be pretty lackluster anyways if the staff are purely on a volunteer basis only and things are just barely in the black. What is the management doing to actually go and analyze what major financial pit falls & costs are and brainstorming good money making ideas?

Because ad blocking software is just never going away.

[StevenW]

Appreciate the feedback. Looking into other avenues is exactly what we're doing. The site has actually been turned around compared to the state it was in a couple of years ago. I won't go into detail but the previous owner basically tied us up for a number of years with a conpany where we had no control over revenue and where it was coming from. We're now back on track, though there's still some way to go.

Apart from the relative few sites who now have other sites as part of their network giving then a reach of millions, most sites utilise the community talent for articles or pay next to nothing. I've written freelance for many high profile sites and been paid a small amount and others where I wrote for free to gain experience and build a portfolio.

PSU is a site started by gamers not businessmen, though in the last couple of years it's clear to see that it's big enough...could be big enough to run successfully as a business without losing track of its roots.

As a result, we're now continuosly brainstorming and have a ton of ideas and features we want for the site.Most of these need money to make happen. I'm sure it will happen at PSU but at the moment every little bit helps.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

[Acid Snake]

Fine, I'll turn it off. Don't ever say I ain't done nothing nice for PSU.

[Blacksite]

Well, I'm part of the staff, which means I'm also part of the subscriber usergroup so they don't appear for me unless I log out of my account. I should have disabled Adblock Plus for PSU a long time ago. Lol. >.<

[The Black Wolf]

I don't think I have an ad blocker thingy on so we're good to go.

Out of curiosity, who is the owner of PSU? Is he a current admin?

[DeviousOne]

I don't think I have an ad blocker thingy on so we're good to go.

Out of curiosity, who is the owner of PSU? Is he a current admin?

We can not disclose that private info...

Its me...lmfao jk!

[Blacksite]

I noticed a couple of those hyperlink ads Tut mentioned a while back. I even got one in the 'Join' in Join Date on my profile page.

It just seems a bit excessive.

[The Black Wolf]

We can not disclose that private info...

Its me...lmfao jk!

lol

Edit:

I know who it is . . . it's "Array"!

[Blacksite]

No, it's Mr.Bishop.

[Mike_Harradence]

Massive kudos to all the guys who are supporting us on this particular subject; Steven has already said so, but it's greatly appreciated.

@Blackwolf: Doug Bishop is the big boss, but Steven Williamson is otherwise in charge of things and is now 'the face' of PSU.

[claud3]

So it cost you revenue when it is on, I thought also you would get revenue through other means

[Valefor]

The ads PSU use are just too intrusive. A banner along the top, or a banner at the side? Fine. But both, and a huge one that covers the whole background? I can't accept that. When using the adblocker you may not be getting any revenue from my visit, but without it I wouldn't visit the site at all because of how overbearing they are. It makes reading posts so unpleasant.

Without adblocker:
before.jpg

With:
after.jpg

[Naxi]

No ads so far.

[PS3-The Ultimate Machine]

Ads in my region are usually appropriate on PSU, never used adblocker, and now that I know that it hurts revenues, I won't be using it anytime soon.

[Jaeger]

While I appreciate the fact you need to garner revenue to keep PSU, I feel that some of the adverts can be somewhat distracting and, in some cases, just plain annoying. As pointed out by BBK, some adverts even play automatically upon loading the page and take up half the screen with a video of a game in which you have zero interest. It was adverts like that that prompted me to add PSU to the blacklist on AdBlock or risk having my viewing experience hindered by ugly and intrusive adverts. I'm all for supporting PSU by any means, hence why I became a subscriber. In doing so, I removed the website from the blacklist as subs don't see ads. I do believe my subscription is due to run out soon but I shall be renewing immediately - anything to keep PSU going.

To all those who aren't subscribers and block the adverts but wish to help PSU going, I highly recommend you subscribe. You get the ability to remove the adverts sans AdBlock and, of course, you get all the bonus features the subscribers get, including access to the subscribers forum. Honestly, I don't know why it took me so long to subscribe in the first place. I've always said PSU is a great community and I stand by that fact to this day and will do anything in my power to help PSU along the way. Again, I highly recommend subscribing to all non-subs.

[Bigdoggy]

If less people are reading it then it's time to stop being so damn strict on the rules in the forum which in turn will bring in more people. People can't even defend themselves and they get stupid infractions because they are "feeding the trolls" or some bullshit like that. over the few years I have seen so many people get banned on these forums for pretty mediocre stuff and if people aren't coming in here to read and comment, I would surely be looking into your banning policy because it's not fun for anyone to have to walk on eggshells on this forum.

You want more people to come into this site for the forums and articles, then it's time to start letting certain things pass. Just look at the infraction and banning history, it's awful. no wonder why people aren't really showing up. there should be a lot more then 70 people within all the forum tabs.

Forums also should look pleasing to the eye, it attracts more people.

[StevenW]

The ads PSU use are just too intrusive. A banner along the top, or a banner at the side? Fine. But both, and a huge one that covers the whole background? I can't accept that. When using the adblocker you may not be getting any revenue from my visit, but without it I wouldn't visit the site at all because of how overbearing they are. It makes reading posts so unpleasant.

Without adblocker:
before.jpg

With:
after.jpg

That Chrome one was horrible I know. We did remove it. You should see game-related ones that blend in with the site better.

[StevenW]

I meant to say - we don't get revenue through clicking on the ads, just from them being there and you guys seeing them.

[Silver_Knight]

I'm going to click every ad I fucking see for the sake of PSU!

[PeanutButterMunky]

I'm going to click every ad I fucking see for the sake of PSU!

You don't have to click on them... they just have to load.

[Silver_Knight]

You don't have to click on them... they just have to load.

Well, I already do that. I never use ad blocker because I know it's vital to keep sites alive!

[Ixion]

If less people are reading it then it's time to stop being so damn strict on the rules in the forum which in turn will bring in more people. People can't even defend themselves and they get stupid infractions because they are "feeding the trolls" or some bullshit like that. over the few years I have seen so many people get banned on these forums for pretty mediocre stuff and if people aren't coming in here to read and comment, I would surely be looking into your banning policy because it's not fun for anyone to have to walk on eggshells on this forum.

You want more people to come into this site for the forums and articles, then it's time to start letting certain things pass. Just look at the infraction and banning history, it's awful. no wonder why people aren't really showing up. there should be a lot more then 70 people within all the forum tabs.

Members are also turned away from communities where trolls constantly annoy people, threads continuously go off-topic, discussions often get personal, etc.

[Jaeger]

Members are also turned away from communities where trolls constantly annoy people, threads continuously go off-topic, discussions often get personal, etc.

Ironically, negativity such as the type seen in his post can also put people off.

[claud3]

I meant to say - we don't get revenue through clicking on the ads, just from them being there and you guys seeing them.

you get your revenue through other means then, by eye sight only... So we see an ad and click it, you get paid for every ad displayed by the companies that display them..

Not by click, but by showing them only

Ok i get it now...