Ads Coming to AtariAge

[Omegamatrix]

What's an Ad? Is it one of those App thingamajigs? I'm still trying to catch up with this internet fad....

[+splendidnut]

9 minutes ago, Keatah said:

There are many many reasons why people can't subscribe, or are not allowed to subscribe, or whatever. Freeloading is only one of them.

Just to clarify... I was half-joking about the freeloading part.  I understand that there are people out there that have their reasons for not subscribing.  Whether those are good reasons or not, is something else entirely and that need not be discussed here.  Give what you can, when you can, to things you find valuable to you.

 

I personally subscribed here long ago to support this site because it has been a very valuable resource for me.  It one of the very few sites on the internet that serves the original purpose of the internet: to help connect people and spread information.  And Al seems like a very stand-up kind of guy... so I keep subscribing... when I remember.

[Austin]

The policy change makes sense and it doesn't bother me. Thanks for all the work you put into this site, it's by far the best forum I am a member of.

[Atariboy]

I don't ever notice ads except for annoying popups.

 

So it's going to have zero effect on me, so I say fleece them for all they're worth if it will help recoup some of the expenses of running AtariAge (Like most of you I'm sure, advertisers won't be benefiting from their exposure to me since I just tune it out and don't even notice them). 

[Keatah]

Ads are a good thing, because, they may alert me to a potentially good deal, or introduce me to a new e-commerce site. For example I just have to click on something Nikon related and I'll get ads and announcements of sales and even new Nikon products more or less. Not only that but they add a bit of spice and familiarity. AA looks rather bare without them.

 

However! I may not click on them directly because I run without all that AntiVirus and AntiMalware crap. All that stuff does is bog down a system. And it would be a hard violation of what I learned in the early 90's, "don't click on things you're not sure of".. And I'm not interested in feeding the middlemen (anti-malware co's and advertisers).

Edited September 24, 2019 by Keatah

[CPUWIZ]

 

EDIT:  Do you have any idea how many clicks tacos would get you? LOL

[Albert]

I'll make sure only ads for Tacos are shown in the AtariBox thread.

 

 ..Al

[TPR]

15 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

 

EDIT:  Do you have any idea how many clicks tacos would get you? LOL

I clicked and stared at the photo for at least a minute or two... 

[+Nathan Strum]

Is www.tacoage.com taken?

 

Just throwin' that out there as a possible source of revenue.

[Paul Slocum]

Not sure if it would affect revenue too much, but I'd like it if it sometimes showed ads for the new releases in the Atariage store.

 

It would also be cool if you could seek out well-targeted sponsors like the Amico.  If you can steer the ad content to be more like a retrogaming news feed then people will probably be more likely to leave the adblocker off.

 

Another strategy could be to focus on well-targeted/curated Amazon referral links for retrogamers:  Raspberry Pi kits, good USB joysticks, the 2600 portable, etc.

 

[Shawn]

Anyone who doesn't feel they are getting their monies worth out of an AA subscription isn't playing internets right.

[driph]

32 minutes ago, Paul Slocum said:

Not sure if it would affect revenue too much, but I'd like it if it sometimes showed ads for the new releases in the Atariage store.

 

It would also be cool if you could seek out well-targeted sponsors like the Amico.  If you can steer the ad content to be more like a retrogaming news feed then people will probably be more likely to leave the adblocker off.

 

Another strategy could be to focus on well-targeted/curated Amazon referral links for retrogamers:  Raspberry Pi kits, good USB joysticks, the 2600 portable, etc.

 

This! I'm all for heavily targeted advertising if it circulates money within the community. I'm not sure how the particular system you are implementing works, but often you can set up the rotation so that your own content cycles with the ads from the network. Having Atariage new releases and similar products show up in the ad rotation would be a great way to make the advertising system feel more like a benefit than a hindrance (alongside the inherent benefit of funding the site).

Edited September 24, 2019 by driph

[TPR]

45 minutes ago, Paul Slocum said:

Not sure if it would affect revenue too much, but I'd like it if it sometimes showed ads for the new releases in the Atariage store.

 

It would also be cool if you could seek out well-targeted sponsors like the Amico.  If you can steer the ad content to be more like a retrogaming news feed then people will probably be more likely to leave the adblocker off.

 

Another strategy could be to focus on well-targeted/curated Amazon referral links for retrogamers:  Raspberry Pi kits, good USB joysticks, the 2600 portable, etc.

 

 

12 minutes ago, driph said:

This! I'm all for heavily targeted advertising if it circulates money within the community. I'm not sure how the particular system you are implementing works, but often you can set up the rotation so that your own content cycles with the ads from the network. Having Atariage new releases and similar products show up in the ad rotation would be a great way to make the advertising system feel more like a benefit than a hindrance (alongside the inherent benefit of funding the site).

I think what some people may not quite understand is that suggestion actually creates MORE WORK for Al.  Going with a 3rd party ad agency means that all you have to take care of as a webmaster is placing the code on your site. That's it! They take care of everything else, which is really the core of the work load. 

 

If he were to do what you are all suggesting then he also have to play "Advertising Manager" for AtariAge which tasks include, but are not limited to: seeking out potential advertisers, negotiations & contracts with potential advertisers, filling slots for ad campaigns, swapping out artwork and code for different advertisers, having to create some sort of "reporting system" so his advertisers can see that it was money well spent, and then probably having to do these tasks, and many others EVERY MONTH because most sites work on a month-to-month basis with advertisers.  

 

Some sites around the size of AtariAge actually have someone who is tasked with this job because it can be a full-time position just having to contact hundreds of potential advertisers to fill those advertisement slots.  Self-publishing ads on your own site is actually a HUGE HUGE undertaking.  And based on what Al has already said, I highly doubt he has the bandwidth to do it on his own, and he probably doesn't want to pay someone else to do it because then that would almost negate the point of having ads in the first place.

 

I just wanted to throw that knowledge out there based on my own personal experience with web advertising. Hope that gives some insight!

[high voltage]

D.P. has ads.

[youki]

Wouldn't be better to impose to be subscriber  after a number of given post?  let say for instance 500 posts.  All people after 500 posts could pay 10$ or 20$  a year for instance to continue to use the forums?

 

Or could we have an option to pay and to not have the advertising?

 

[+Random Terrain]

Snippet from a related post from 2005:

 

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/71764-ads-on-atariage/?do=findComment&comment=880415

Quote

AA should have had ads long ago. I thought most everyone wanted their web site to become an asset that makes money on its own.

 

[Mike Harris]

No easy answers...
When I was updating TOSEC there was this one guy that was being part of the team because it was sharing the community and keeping the preservation and history alive.

Soon after he turned his sharing into a One Fichier that was benign.  Then he locked his grip even further and it demanded you turn off the adblocker and then even if you turned that off you are required to watch the ads that ended up sending you to malware sites.  Then he demanded that you pay a subscription fee.

I know I am rambling on but to get to the point.
If it turns into a harassment to read a few blogs or participate in the community then there will be no reason to show up to the party.

You have to have a reason to come here.  For me I have met a few friends, learned some programing and shared a bit of my life.

But if it turns into a shake and bake then???

I really like hanging out here just don't ruin it.

[Alfred]

The problem with third party ad hosting is your site is hostage to their server performance. Besides the problem of ad networks serving malware, having to wait 10 or 20 seconds for ads to load quickly convinces me to stop visiting a site forever.

[+frankodragon]

I just hope AtariAge won't be one of those obnoxious sites that darkens the screen and gives you a message telling you to disable adblockers.  Some sites are even notorious that disable browsing until you allow ads to be shown.

[TPR]

5 minutes ago, frankodragon said:

I just hope AtariAge won't be one of those obnoxious sites that darkens the screen and gives you a message telling you to disable adblockers.  Some sites are even notorious that disable browsing until you allow ads to be shown.

On 9/20/2019 at 7:15 PM, Albert said:

There will be no obnoxious pop-up ads, no ads that cover a good portion of your screen, no video ads, and no ads that autoplay audio.

I wonder how many people actually READ Al's initial post.  So many people seem to be having "concerns" that he has already addressed. ? 

[+OLD CS1]

mmmmmm tacos.  Gonna make a run for the border today.  Too bad there was no ad for Cool Ranch Doritos Locos tacos.  Lost money, there.

[Midnight Synergy]

100% support to you, Al, this is such an amazing site and community, there's no way you should be penalized financially for it.

 

To be totally honest, I've been planning to subscribe ever since the possibility existed, but then I'd keep forgetting about it or putting it off. This finally got me to put my ass in gear.  I hope it has a similar effect on lots of other people. 

[overgrouth]

If not for saving all the forum info I could get you a much cheaper option. The costs you are paying is outrageous. I used to run allfairgames.com and never never paying anything like that. None of my busness but I am sure lots of us are wondering how you been able to support this money sapping site.

[+CXK]

On 9/20/2019 at 7:05 PM, atari2600land said:

Does anyone even click on them?

I've gotten a little "click happy" before and accidentally clicked on one.  Does that count?

[+CXK]

As already said..  AA should really have had ads a long time ago.  It's a great site with a great community.  I would hate to see it close because the cost becomes too great to operate it.  I fully support the use of ads (and as already been said above..  almost every page uses them.)

 

Al, I thank you for your continued efforts to keep this wonderful family together.