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Geek Culture / Google Ads...

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Venge
18
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Joined: 13th Sep 2006
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 19:05
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having a toggle button for ads?

This is not a sig.
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David R
21
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 19:10
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Oh excellent, just installed Adblock, and I'm impressed: not only does it destroy the add, it removes all trace of it from the thread; you can't even tell it's there. Bye bye adverts!


"History shall be kind to me, for I intend to write it" - Winston Churchill
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 19:38
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You can only have 3 google blocks on a page + 1 google adlink block. Stop moaning about them!

[center]
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Ron Erickson
Moderator
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posted: 29th Mar 2007 19:54
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Quote: "The top and bottom ones are bearable, and I really don't notice them, but the middle ones are extremely distracting and interrupts my train of thought when reading a thread."


If a little image in between two posts in enough to de-rail someone's train of thought, I'd have to question how much horse-power that train's engine has to begin with. What the heck do you people do when you have to go to the next page? Take notes?

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adr
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 19:55 Edited at: 29th Mar 2007 19:56
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"Desperate to make money". Jeeesus....

TGC cannot derive any revenue from the forum itself. It is a loss maker. Outside of paying staff, I bet the bandwidth bills for this forum are the second biggest cost to TGC....

Stop your moaning. It's an advert. Do you piss and moan when adverts appear in a newspaper? "I paid for this newspaper, blah blah blah". Like WOLF says - concentrate a bit harder and it might not get you so out of whack.


I'm superfly TNT
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Venge
18
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 21:17
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It's like commercials on TV. If we didn't have them, every station would be PBS and more people would kick their tv's in.

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bitJericho
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Posted: 29th Mar 2007 21:21 Edited at: 29th Mar 2007 21:23
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Quote: "This thread is funny... Whoever would have thought a 600x120 block could cause such an issue."


Who woulda thought that a few commercials on tv would spoil a show.. Oh ye, that's why I don't pay for tv anymore

Quote: "It's like commercials on TV. If we didn't have them, every station would be PBS and more people would kick their tv's in."


Well they lost me altogether

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Bizar Guy
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 06:25 Edited at: 30th Mar 2007 06:38
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The add breaks my train of thought, but I can live with it. Mostly what it does is make me want to replace my sig with a smaller banner.

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Jess T
Retired Moderator
21
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Location: Over There... Kablam!
Posted: 30th Mar 2007 06:50
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Quote: "having a toggle button for ads?"


I think that's against AdSense's usage policies.

You're not allowed to tell people to click the ads, you're not allowed to put any text before it (as a header) other than "Advertisement" or "Sponsors" etc, and you're not allowed to hide it (so that you still get the page views and subsequently, money.

Nintendo DS & Dominos :: DS Dominos
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Milkman
18
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 07:07
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Quote: ""Sorry, I cant go to the party, Ive gotta go stand up for my rights on this forum about dark basic pro. OMG lyke they added ads in the middle of the post!""


lol

Who needs a signature?
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Jiffy
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 09:28
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Now I just noticed a Non-Google Adsense ad at the base of the Forum List--one for that "messenger" 'IMVU'. Again, nothing major, a lot of high profile sites have ads for that and a lot more, I just found it an interesting detail .


Evil has a new name. Demo out now!
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dark coder
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 11:25
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Also signatures help identify the user too, and I like looking at them sometimes, whereas as ads don't help me at all, if I want to buy a product then I will look it up myself and I don't like being told what I should buy as it makes me not want to buy it as I'm not an impulse buyer. I think that having an ad in the middle of the page is pretty annoying, as let's say for example that blocking that ad was impossible then I would be pretty annoyed as I look at a lot of topics and having to purposely skip an ad just to read more posts is rather annoying, however you can block them, and you can't compare it to adverts on TV as anyone can just change channels or make some tea(like all british do?).

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RUCCUS
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 15:10
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Quote: "and you can't compare it to adverts on TV as anyone can just change channels or make some tea(like all british do?)."


And anyone can just smoothly roll their middle finger down once on the mouse (aka scrolling)...


>> Gibble Blops - free, online, playable!
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Agent Dink
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Posted: 30th Mar 2007 15:22
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Seriously... there is far less intrusion from a tiny little ad than a tv commercial or a big distracting billboard on the highway! Thats the beauty of the internet, you don't have to pay any mind to all the "commercials" except for maybe when you stream a video and they have an advertisement first.

Just stop whining, it's a tiny little white block, barely bigger than a signature image. If you can't handle it, get a life, because there are far more important things to worry about than a block of text. If TGC started putting popups on their site, and all the annoying "HIT BRITNEY SPEARS WITH A WATER BALLOON AND WIN EVERY ELECTRONICS DEVICE KNOWN TO MAN AFTER YOU READ OUR 4 MILE LONG DISCLAIMER AND FILL OUT 41 SURVEYS!!!" in between posts, then you can start complaining. But a simple text box... gosh.

I have no signature...
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Milkman
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 02:46
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It seems that Rich put the adds in actual posts, and it doesn't seem to interrupt the thread so much that way. I think it's much better.

Who needs a signature?
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 11:21
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Yup - works well I think!

Although it seems quite random where they occur.

[center]
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Kohaku
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 11:24 Edited at: 3rd Apr 2007 11:42
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It is irritating if you're using Adblock though. Now you get this empty post. I'm convinced it's Rich getting back at us for blocking them in the first place. Weren't the ads supposed to be an April Fools thing?

I'm not that bothered by it though, especially as it's just an experiment, plus someone would tell me off for giving my opinion unless I added that I'm not that bothered by them.


You are not alone.
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 11:33
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You know - I think TGC are missing a trick.

If people are so bothered about the ads, then maybe TGC should offer a subscription service to the forum. Pay something like $50 a year for access to the forum and you wont see another ad again. Of course - that might just get people complaining about paying for it instead of seeing ads.

You're all expecting a hell of a lot of service for free you know... TGC are likely just trying to make the server pay for itself.

To who ever is in charge of the site now: Roughly how much of the site traffic is "anonymous" compared to authenticated posters? Maybe anonymous people should get more ad's on the page than authenticated?

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Kohaku
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 11:44
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Now that you mention it, it would be interesting to know exactly how much each of us would have to pay a year to cover hosting.


You are not alone.
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dark coder
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 11:59
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Actually I think faking a user posts for an ad is the worst idea possible, next we will see it have an avatar, have a random name and post gibberish with ads in between, and I don't think paying 50$ for no ads is a good idea as I get no ads for free currently, also TGC does rely on the forums too, without them they would have a lot less customers as I wouldn't have bought DBC / DBP if I didn't know there were forums from where I could get help / help others etc.

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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 12:22
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dark coder - say this forum costs them £200 a month (hosting/dev costs), and this is probably an underestimate. No2 DBP costs £20 online. That means TGC have to sell 10 copies of DBP based on forum "impressiveness" every month just to cover the cost of the forum and start looking at the concept of profit.

I agree this forum is a fantastic "free" addition to the software you buy from them - but I doubt it pays for itself in sales.

Also, lets remember than DBP's nearest competitor is Blitz Basic which, not only looks like its website was designed by a 12 year old, but is on sale for $100 (over twice as much as DBP) PLUS they want another $20 for a manual. So thats about £60 for a compiler, IDE and language from a website that is nowhere near as sleek as this site.

And people are complaining about google ads? Why not consider how cheap TGC's products are and how little profit they must be making and how much you've got from this forum for free (in terms of 'training' in DBP for example)?

I think 1-2 google adblocks per page is quite generous of TGC. I think they have grounds for putting even more ads based on the comparison between competitor products and pricing.

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GatorHex
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 13:07 Edited at: 3rd Apr 2007 13:13
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I don't mind adverts much, as long as they don't pop off the page.

But in my experience they don't generate much revenue and create links to you competitors!!!

Look I can see adverts for Blitz Basic already muhahahahaha!

TCG take my advise sell users game models/music/fx instead and take a share of the proffit. A bit like Turbo Squid but more fucused on gaming stuff

If TCG want I'll hos the forum for them for £100 a month!

http://www.KumKie.com http://bulldog.servegame.com
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Chris Franklin_
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 13:09
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agh google bot has a profile >_< looks worse now

DBP Media Pack - Released
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Richard Davey
Retired Moderator
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 14:43
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Quote: "Although it seems quite random where they occur."


They occur at exactly half way down the page. If you've got 30 messages per page set, it'll appear after the 15th. If there is only one message in the thread, it doesn't appear at all.

It looks better as a 'post', so it can stay like it is for now until Ricks little experiment is over.

Never trust a computer you can't throw out of a window
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Antidote
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 15:05
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I know that the ads are to help support TGC and that they are offering the entire forum for free and all that, but after just buying $150 worth of plug-ins it feels like a shot in the foot. I'm probably just whining about something I'll get used to, but seriously, a "user" named Google ads?


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Richard Davey
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 15:29
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Quote: "but after just buying $150 worth of plug-ins it feels like a shot in the foot."


Being a 'paying customer' and 'no ads' rarely goes together on half the sites I visit. I've lost track of how much I've paid ebay over the years, but I sure as hell can't browse their site without seeing all their adverts appear. Just one example out of the many many many in my bookmarks.

Never trust a computer you can't throw out of a window
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Dave J
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 15:29
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The fact that so many people feel so strongly about the ads is nothing short of overwhelming. Quite frankly, in this day and age where there are so many billboards, posters and advertisements pretty much everywhere you look, the fact that people are acting like a part of them is dying whenever they see the google ads makes me wonder what kind of lucid dream world they’re living in where they expect certain rights for utilising a free service and how they feel as if they are owed something for having what is in reality, a privilege granted to them. I don’t expect the posters in/on buses and trains to disappear when I buy a ticket (or when I pay my taxes), nor do I expect EB to rip down all the advertising posters in their store when I purchase an Xbox. I really wish people would stop complaining over nothing.


"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
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RUCCUS
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 15:31
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xD this is gona be awesome, we're gona get newcomers yelling at the googleAd for spamming their threads with ads xD.

"GoogleAd stop posting in my threads! Every post I make you post your add! Why havent they banned you yet!?!?!"

rofl.


>> Gibble Blops - free, online, playable!
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Virtual X
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 16:26
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why complain about some ads on the site? I don't see the problem. If you knew what some people were making from Adsense most of you would do the same, so don't be so hypocritical!

most of you 'kids' on this ite have to grow up (I say, while playing games lol)
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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 16:34
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If you get Adsense right (and your target audience are drawn to ads AND your content is worth it) you can make an immense amount off Adsense relatively easily.

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Code Dragon
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 16:54
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Google Ad needs an avatar.

By reading this sentence you have given me brief control of your mind.
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Antidote
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 17:17 Edited at: 3rd Apr 2007 17:20
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I have no problem with the ads at the top of the page, it's just the ads in the posts. That just looks ridiculous. I don't know how to describe it. I wouldn't mind if the ads were to the side, top, bottom, in any other direction, just in the middle of the page feels, weird.

I guess the thing is, that the ads in the posts don't flow. Even now that the ads are put into posts it's like your reading and then random ad for something I'll never get. I see ads all the time. It's the way a lot of sites make money and I don't have a problem with them because the ads fit into the page. The ads at the top look fine.


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Virtual X
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 20:12
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jeeeeeeeeeezus! most of you sound like those people who complain about certain TV programmes, simple answer = don't watch the bloody programme then lol, turn OVER, same sort of thing applies here, don't LOOK LOL.

go make a game or something *haha*
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Bizar Guy
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Posted: 4th Apr 2007 03:05 Edited at: 4th Apr 2007 03:08
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Quote: "xD this is gona be awesome, we're gona get newcomers yelling at the googleAd for spamming their threads with ads xD.

"GoogleAd stop posting in my threads! Every post I make you post your add! Why havent they banned you yet!?!?!""

ROLF

I don't see how this is a problem at all. Now that it's in a box, I just fly over it like I do when someone makes a single word comment. If Rick does decide to keep the add in the middle of the page, then it would be a good idea to put one at the bottom again as well just because it means a higher chance of being clicked, and essentially none of the forum users pay any attention to it.

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Jeku
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Posted: 4th Apr 2007 06:45
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There are script manipulation plug-ins you can download for Firefox to help you remove the Google post if you're really that desperate. I haven't tried myself but in theory it should work.

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Vampiric
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Posted: 4th Apr 2007 12:48 Edited at: 4th Apr 2007 12:49
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It's only an advert...

[Edit]What is the payment scheme for AdSense?[/Edit]

Computer says n00bed
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Benjamin
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Posted: 4th Apr 2007 12:55
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Why is there no "report abuse" button for it?

Tempest (DBP/DBCe)
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Crazy Ninja
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 01:49
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I personally don't care. It can be helpful sometime when you're reading and you wonder if you're halfway through the page yet. Other than that i just breeze over it.

Quote: "Why is there no "report abuse" button for it? "


Lol!

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HeavyAmp
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 05:44
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No problems with the Google adds here but I agree with Code Dragon. It needs an avatar.

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.
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Bizar Guy
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 05:46
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Quote: "It needs an avatar."


g-d forbid.

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Nicholas Thompson
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 11:42
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Quote: "What is the payment scheme for AdSense?"

The "value" of a click depends on a lot of factors.

There is the eCPM (Effective Cost Per thousand iMpression) - strange one I know. Each link has its own value.

Based on some maths, the total value of a click can range from anywhere between 1 cent and a few dollars.

For more info - take a peek at:
http://adsense.blogspot.com/2006/02/ecpm-what-exactly-is-that.html

[center]
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GatorHex
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 12:00 Edited at: 5th Apr 2007 12:03
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So far, it's been my own personal experience that 500,000 impressions earns about $100(£52) so you realy need a very popular site to earn a living from it! Being tied to the dollar is realy bad for Google Ad earnings at the moment as $100 used to equal £76 before the dollar devalued.

http://www.KumKie.com http://bulldog.servegame.com
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Jon Fletcher
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 17:32
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The simplest way to get rid of them is to click them, im already doing my part and 'reading' what some link to.

17" 1920x1200, 2GHz T2700 Core2Duo, 2GB DDR2, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900GS PCI-E, 100GB HDD, DVDRW
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Benjamin
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Posted: 5th Apr 2007 20:40
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Quote: "The simplest way to get rid of them is to click them"

No, that is the simplest way to make them stay.

To be honest they don't bother me that much any more, I'm getting used to them.

Tempest (DBP/DBCe)
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Benjamin A
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 00:19
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There's one way TGC could save itself a lot of money.....

Stop sending a "[TGC Forum] Thread Activity in" note for each person that replies. That most cost a lot of money and it's simply a waste of money. Just sent out one notice until the person visits the forum again. At times I'm getting over 50 of those notices sent to me for just a few topics. If you only sent one for each thread, then a lot of money could be saved.

Quote: "So far, it's been my own personal experience that 500,000 impressions earns about $100(£52) so you realy need a very popular site to earn a living from it! Being tied to the dollar is realy bad for Google Ad earnings at the moment as $100 used to equal £76 before the dollar devalued."


Add to that the fact that most users have blocked the ads by now, so there can't be much income coming from this.

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GameFun4U, the ultimate funtainment. Cool Games and Resources for your own games.
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Steve J
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 04:25
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@Benjamin A: Actually Email sending is a really cheap operation. Its a few bytes of data, at most 20-30 kilobytes of text and it isnt always sent for everyone, I dont get one.

Seriously your just a complainer.

pleading and needing and bleeding and breeding and feeding exceeding..where is everybody? trying and lying defying denying crying and dying..where is everybody?
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Benjamin A
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 09:33
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I didn't complain, I gave a suggestion..... it's always sent to everyone (perhaps your email account blocks them), so doing this to thousands of users ends up in the end.

http://www.gamefun4u.nl/index.html
GameFun4U, the ultimate funtainment. Cool Games and Resources for your own games.
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Jeku
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 10:09
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Quote: "it's always sent to everyone (perhaps your email account blocks them), so doing this to thousands of users ends up in the end."


What are you talking about? That's only if you request to receive email from the threds. TGC wouldn't put that option in there if it cost them too much money in bandwidth It's not annoying to me as I *never* check that box.

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Dave J
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 10:55
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Quote: "it's always sent to everyone (perhaps your email account blocks them)"


Maybe this little diagram will be of assistance:



"Computers are useless, they can only give you answers."
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Zappo
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Posted: 11th Apr 2007 19:03
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Quote: "- say this forum costs them £200 a month (hosting/dev costs), and this is probably an underestimate"

I would sincerely hope that is a MAJOR over estimate or they are being severely ripped off!
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