[Bubba]

You will almost certainly have noticed the recent addition of more google ads inside topics.

I'm not really keen on these (or any ads for that matter) but I'm still trying to generate a bit of revenue from the site and this is the easiest way. Currently the google ads only generate a small amount of income; something like a couple of quid per day across ukb and ukcaving.com. I'm just trying to up this figure a little.

The usual ad-blocking strategies will work so i guess most people who will see the ads will be at work.

Google ads only generate money when people click on them so if you see an ad that genuinely interests you then please consider having a look at the link, but only if you are genuinely interested in what the link is leading to.

Please do not just click everything you see in an attempt to be helpful. Google will spot this and just suspend the ad account. If people are clicking on links that they are not interested in then it just unfairly penalizes the advertiser so you can see why it is policed so heavily. Although I can appreciate that some people might do this to be helpful, in the long term it would only be harmful. For this reason I'm not allowed to click on any advert links.

When I get into a better financial situation I will scale back the ads but in the meantime, sorry for the inconvenience

[soapy]

that's ok bubbs; i've bought a timeshare in romania, a pool boy and a yogacizer, thanks to google ads

perlus the imvu pink lezzers

it's all gravy!

[Falling Down]

Bump...

Remember peeps there's a PayPal Donate button discretely placed at the Top Right of every page.  More donations less ads.  (Leave the IMVU lezzers on tho')

[Houdini]

Isn't there freeware to remove ads?

[nik at work]

Wouldn't it be better to donate a bit of money to the running of this site rather than blocking the ads, then maybe we could lose the ads altogether?

I don't know how much gets donated to running this site (and I don't care to know) but Bubba has been funding this place for several years now and has only recently put ads and a donate button on the site. The guy is a legend and it would be nice to think that peoples response to the obvious increase in pressure on Bubbas finances that this site is causing would be to chip in rather than suggesting ways round the system.

Of course if you're suggesting an ad blocker in conjunction with a donation then go for it.

[slackline]

Wouldn't it be better to donate a bit of money to the running of this site rather than blocking the ads, then maybe we could lose the ads altogether?

I don't know how much gets donated to running this site (and I don't care to know) but Bubba has been funding this place for several years now and has only recently put ads and a donate button on the site. The guy is a legend and it would be nice to think that peoples response to the obvious increase in pressure on Bubbas finances that this site is causing would be to chip in rather than suggesting ways round the system.

Of course if you're suggesting an ad blocker in conjunction with a donation then go for it.

  especially as in the long-term the amount of revenue from ads will be limited (although hopefully enough to ameliorate the financial situation).  There isn't a massive readership on this site and as Bubba says randomly clicking on links won't work.  Regular users will no doubt see the same ads time and again (I know I recognise them appearing repeatedly) and will therefore have checked out those that they are interested in.

[Bubba]

Isn't there freeware to remove ads?

Of course there is - Firefox will do it easily via Adblock Plus. That's really not the point though because if everyone does that and there's never any click throughs then the site won't last long, it's as simple as that.

I've run the place out of my own pocket for years but I simply can't afford to do that any more. Many of us are feeling the pinch at the moment and our mortgage is crippling us now it's gone up. As long as the site pays it's way then all is good but once that stops then I can't sustain it from my own cash. I know that ads are inconvenient but it's the simplest way to make the site pay for itself. They just about cover the costs most months.

Some of you have been extremely generous with their donations (  ) but the costs are ongoing and the google ads supply a base monthly income which I can rely on being there to pay the sever bill. As I've said above, as soon as I get a bit more income coming in (t-shirts, other projects, etc) then I'll revoke the ads that are inside the topics as they are unsightly so please think of it as a temporary measure rather than something that is here to stay.

Unfortunately many ads will be repeats but as new topics are started, google should offer new ads targeted to that topic.

[slackline]

Sorry, after re-reading my post I realise that it may have been construed that I'm saying the ads are pointless but thats not the case.  I've no objection at all and think they are a very minor, yet necessary intrusion on the site.

Would be a real shame to see this site fold, some very entertaining, interesting, informative and funny posters.  Besides, I'd have nothing to do at work 

[Bubba]

It's ok, I feel bad for whining the sob story - I'll keep the bubbempire going as long as possible and the ads will hopefully bugger off once things are a bit less credit crunched

[butters]

For those of you who want to run Ad-Block Plus but out of the goodness of your hearts still want to see the adverts on UKB add the following filter to Ad Block Plus*

@@|http://ukbouldering.com

This stops Ad Block Plus from running anywhere on ukbouldering.com - the only downside of this is that if you ad-blocked Houdini's flashing Skull avatar (now a sig) it is back! 

I will look into this tomorrow though and see if I can generate an exception to the bloody thing but tonight is going to be solely devoted to:  .
 
bluebrad

*  To get to filters go to: Tools --> Adblock Plus Preferences and from there select Filters --> Add Filter and copy in the above.

[Houdini]

Skulls rule 

[tomtom]

Isn't there freeware to remove ads?

Yup, there was an advert at the bottom of the page for it 

[tomtom]

It's ok, I feel bad for whining the sob story - I'll keep the bubbempire going as long as possible and the ads will hopefully bugger off once things are a bit less credit crunched

No need to apologise Bubba, you're doing & done a great service by dipping into your own pockets to keep the site up and running... I think it would help of you could post up a rough idea of what it costs you a year to keep going (server costs etc..) then when people make a donation they have a rough idea of how much is needed? I dunno, just to get an idea as theres probably 50-100 real regulars here - and if its £500 a year, then if they all bung in a fiver or tenner etc...

The way I look at it, if you think about how much entertainment you get from the cost of a book, or a CD, or a video game, or a night at the boozer, footy game etc.. etc.. etc..  then £5 - £10 a year for the laughs this site provide seem like a bargain! 

Just my £0.02 worth.. T

[Fiend]

@ Bubba: 

(in a respectful non-man-love sort of way)

[lagerstarfish]

It is amusing to note that as soon as Fiend posted on this thread there were ads for McDonald's products littered all over the place. Big Mac only has 490 calories apparently. McNuggets contain chicken, as do McChicken Sandwiches. Happy Meals make you happy. Isn't Google ace.

If Fiendy-boy clicks on and shows a commercial interset in enough of these ads then Bubba will be a fucking millionaire 

[slackline]

It is amusing to note that as soon as Fiend posted on this thread there were ads for McDonald's products littered all over the place. Big Mac only has 490 calories apparently. McNuggets contain chicken, as do McChicken Sandwiches. Happy Meals make you happy. Isn't Google ace.

If Fiendy-boy clicks on and shows a commercial interset in enough of these ads then Bubba will be a fucking millionaire 

Strange, I saw "MacMillan Cancer Support" 

Are you okay Fiend?

[tomtom]

Googles got some strange advertising algorithm, I just checked my profile to look at my PM's and had three adverts..
First was Lesbian Profile (!?) Second Arab Single Parents, and thirdly a graphical gay-parship.co.uk advert!
WTF??
 

[Bubba]

Google reads you rmind, don't try to deny your Lesbian Arab fetish

[Bubba]

I've removed the ads within topics - they were a bit annoying to say the least, didn't really generate much revenue and now the shop is working I can hopefully generate some dosh that way instead. Keeping the top/bottom ones as they're much less intrusive.

[soapy]

[Jaspersharpe]

Yes, why is that on every page?!

[magpie]

I thought it might be just me, so I didn't want to say anything. 

It's not really very discreet, is it? 

[Bubba]

Sorry, the ad wasn't meant to be up for that long, just for the evening - forgot to change it back before I left for work

Swapping it back now.

[dave]

I misread it at a glance and assumed it was a mathematical dating site.