Poll: Add advertising to TRs for logged out users?

[jon]

We are considering adding advertising between the first and second post to the posts in the Trip Report forums for users that are not logged in. Out of respect for everyone who has posted a trip report here, recognizing the amount of time that goes into it, we want to know your feelings on this topic.

 

We will make sure that none of the advertising is obnoxious and try to ensure it is relevant. As noted in another post 80% of the visitors to the trip report search page are not logged in, so there is a very large number of people reading this info but not necessarily contributing.

 

Please take a moment to reply to our quick poll. Thanks.

[genepires]

what is wrong with having people "lurk"? Is it because lurkers don't add to an advertising count? (besides just not contributing to the site)

 

Advertising will push people to log in and submit TR's?

[jon]

There is nothing wrong with people lurking and in the past they see about the same advertising. We aren't trying to punish lurkers, but hopefully this will encourage some to register and login which many steps closer to posting. The idea is if we are going to distribute the advertising those who are contributing should see the least.

[bstach]

I am logged in and I still see the advertising between first and second posts.

[jon]

I am logged in and I still see the advertising between first and second posts.

 

As a logged in user you should only see it in the spray forum, see this post.

[bstach]

Oh ok. Its working then.

[jmace]

Definitely sucks if you are not logged in, may push people to log in IF they know it will reduce the mid post ad.

 

 

[jon]

Definitely sucks if you are not logged in, may push people to log in IF they know it will reduce the mid post ad.

 

We'll use a less oppressive ad format for the TRs then you are currently seeing in spray.

[jon]

Is this statistically significant by Carl Rove standards yet?

[KirkW]

Is this statistically significant by Carl Rove standards yet?

 

By Rove standards that would depend on which outcome you favor.

[JasonG]

Depends if you are part of the "reality based community" or not.

 

Sounds good to me as far as the ads go. It would be great if we prodded some more folks to add some TRs/posts. Of course, there are always ways to block ads too for those who don't want to see them.

[KirkW]

"reality based community"

 

 

Thanks for that...had never heard the term before. Awesome.

 

quoting an unnamed aide to George W. Bush (later attributed to Karl Rove[1]):

The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." ... "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."[2]

 

Sorry for the diversion.

 

As far as the ads go sure why not, just don't start in with the pop ups. I've haven't gotten past the front page of a site with a pop up ad in over a decade.

[Fromage]

Is this statistically significant by Carl Rove standards yet?

 

I can't speak to Rove's standards, but this poll will never be statistically significant. Here's why:

 

Sample is not random

Respondents are self-selecting

You can only respond if you are logged in

 

Otherwise the sample size is just about large enough (you only need 40 people to be statistically significant).

 

This is not to say that the poll is useless- au contraire. If you want to know the opinions of those people who are logged in AND read the thread AND care enough to respond, then you're well on your way to gathering meaningful information.

 

We can get into Bayesian theory later.

[jon]

Is this statistically significant by Carl Rove standards yet?

 

I can't speak to Rove's standards, but this poll will never be statistically significant. Here's why:

 

Sample is not random

Respondents are self-selecting

You can only respond if you are logged in

 

Otherwise the sample size is just about large enough (you only need 40 people to be statistically significant).

 

This is not to say that the poll is useless- au contraire. If you want to know the opinions of those people who are logged in AND read the thread AND care enough to respond, then you're well on your way to gathering meaningful information.

 

We can get into Bayesian theory later.

 

Congrats, Fromage, you are the unofficial cc.com statistician.

 

I only wanted the opinion of those logged in who write TRs. If people can't click on a yes or no they don't care enough if there is an ad.

 

There does seem to be a significant number of people who don't want us to do this. Maybe if you can drop me a PM with why you feel this way, and no worries no offense will be taken on your opinion, we just want to do what is best.

[B Deleted_Beck]

I am logged in and I still see the advertising between first and second posts.

 

As a logged in user you should only see it in the spray forum, see this post.

 

I'm logged in, and seeing it in the Yard Sale forum

[jon]

We've added a different form of advertising on a few forums for logged in users, however, we have removed the top ad on the entire site so there is actually a net decrease in ads for logged in users. We will make changes as we test the effectiveness of different strategies, and we will certainly can the ones that don't work.

 

As a publisher running advertising is a tough deal. On one hand you have to do them effectively, which means making sure they are visible to your visitors and that get clicked, otherwise you don't make money, money which we use to pay to run the site. On the other hand, you have place your ads in such a manner that isn't obtrusive and obnoxious to the user. We've always been very conservative when dealing with ads so don't expect to see much more.

[akhalteke]

Jon, I think this is a small price to pay for this resource. Thanks for all the hard work in keeping this place up and not completely innundated with ads; especially ones for penis enlargers. At least the ads seem rather relevant to the subject matter of the board...