Too many ads

Thanks for the tips, but please note which version of vbulletin this site is running. This site is SORELY overdue for an upgrade, and I am in the queue to have it done. Because of all the custom mods on this site, each and every one of those will need to be rewritten from scratch in order to work with the newest version, which will make this an expensive proposition. So even if I were inclined to implement and mods, I am not going to do anything to the software at this time because anything I mod now will need to be completely done over when this site gets converted to 3.7.x when my programmer can fit it into his schedule. So in effect, I would have to pay twice for any mod implemented right now.

I'm still not convinced, however, that anything needs to be done. If I would limit the number of ads posted, all I would be doing is trading complaints about the current situation for complaints about the new one. People won't LIKE being limited to the number of ads they will be able to post and sure as the sun is going to rise in the morning, they will CERTAINLY let me know about it in a thread much like this one.

So as I have learned in the past, if I believe I am going to hear complaints no matter what I do or do not do, it is much better for my sanity to just take the path of least resistance (and work load). So let me see, the choices are, do a bunch of work or pay a programmer to implement some programming mods and then get complaints from advertisers about the restrictions on posting ads, OR do nothing at all and save the money I would pay a programmer and leave things as they are, and get some complaints and the current situation..... Hmm, I have to think about this............

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Thanks for the tips, but please note which version of vbulletin this site is running. This site is SORELY overdue for an upgrade, and I am in the queue to have it done. Because of all the custom mods on this site, each and every one of those will need to be rewritten from scratch in order to work with the newest version, which will make this an expensive proposition. So even if I were inclined to implement and mods, I am not going to do anything to the software at this time because anything I mod now will need to be completely done over when this site gets converted to 3.7.x when my programmer can fit it into his schedule. So in effect, I would have to pay twice for any mod implemented right now.

I'm still not convinced, however, that anything needs to be done. If I would limit the number of ads posted, all I would be doing is trading complaints about the current situation for complaints about the new one. People won't LIKE being limited to the number of ads they will be able to post and sure as the sun is going to rise in the morning, they will CERTAINLY let me know about it in a thread much like this one.

So as I have learned in the past, if I believe I am going to hear complaints no matter what I do or do not do, it is much better for my sanity to just take the path of least resistance (and work load). So let me see, the choices are, do a bunch of work or pay a programmer to implement some programming mods and then get complaints from advertisers about the restrictions on posting ads, OR do nothing at all and save the money I would pay a programmer and leave things as they are, and get some complaints and the current situation..... Hmm, I have to think about this............

Well, if you dont want to do any programming changes, how about a friendly recomendation to the people floodding the system to try and put all their eggs in one basket, lol *cough* 9ofninth *cough*

It's really quite annoying to see 20 bearded dragons that look almost identical anyway every time you log in to the classifieds.

I also think the number of people annoyed by this situation outnumber the people who abuse the system, but that's just my take on this.

Originally Posted by Goanna

Well, if you dont want to do any programming changes, how about a friendly recomendation to the people floodding the system to try and put all their eggs in one basket, lol *cough* 9ofninth *cough*

It's really quite annoying to see 20 bearded dragons that look almost identical anyway every time you log in to the classifieds.

I also think the number of people annoyed by this situation outnumber the people who abuse the system, but that's just my take on this.

And just a reminder, that posting ads in the classifieds are for *free*. The old saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth may be appropriate here....

I am not a user of the free ads, but commend you for making it available as you have. That making changes to it now are not practical for time/money concerns is something which makes more than enough sense to me.

However, in the theoretical:

I'm still not convinced, however, that anything needs to be done. If I would limit the number of ads posted, all I would be doing is trading complaints about the current situation for complaints about the new one. People won't LIKE being limited to the number of ads they will be able to post and sure as the sun is going to rise in the morning, they will CERTAINLY let me know about it in a thread much like this one.

Kingsnake, which charges $, has a "three new ads per category per day" limit. Works fine for them, and no amount of higher fees paid gets past that restriction. I would suggest that they do it for all the reasons mentioned by others, and all of which I believe would make your ad pages more appealing to larger numbers of advertisers and viewers. One person posting ads ad nausea is only tedious for other vendors and shoppers, serving no upside that I can see, and IMMHO actually discourages both.

Originally Posted by Goanna

*cough*

Billy,

Get some syrup or something.
Have you even bothered to try the 'responding with your own ads, letting each member of your group post at a certain time' idea?
It's not like you're gonna strip the classified gears out or anything if y'all and your cough buddy post ads deliriously for a few days. And it might solve the problem.

Different sites will run under different strategies based on the perspective of the owners, I guess. Plus additional factors such as traffic levels and revenue overall being generated by the websites. These are all factors that some people have neglected to consider in their arguments comparing this site with others.

For instance, I frequent several Corvette related websites and was surprised to see how they handle general advertising on their sites. The way they do it is that unless you are a paid sponsor, you can't even post a link or mention your business anywhere on the site within any post. Period. You want the advertising in ANY form, you pay to be a sponsor or do without. Personally I don't like that sort of arrangement, but apparently it works for them. I don't believe for an instant that such an arrangement would work on this site.

As for kingsnake.com, there is no contest concerning their traffic levels for their classifieds nor the revenue being pulled in concerning that concern. They have the finances and the staff to pretty much handle such things, and any comparison along those lines is certainly comparing apples to oranges.

And while I am thinking of it, I'm really not at all concerned with what goes on in the photopost classifieds section anyway. Quite likely after the site upgrade, that section might just be going away anyway.

Originally Posted by Goanna

Well, if you dont want to do any programming changes, how about a friendly recomendation to the people floodding the system to try and put all their eggs in one basket, lol *cough* 9ofninth *cough*

It's really quite annoying to see 20 bearded dragons that look almost identical anyway every time you log in to the classifieds.

I also think the number of people annoyed by this situation outnumber the people who abuse the system, but that's just my take on this.

Actually, this addresses a couple of issues.

First, the member you speak of is a contributing member, sponsors a classifieds form, and also is a paid banner advertiser. I believe he is paying his dues in order to use the classifieds here to the fullest. I don't give paying members any special perks or extraordinary considerations, but neither am I going to be inclined to single them out for sanctions based on other members who just disagree with their business methods here that are NOT in violation of any stated or implied rules.

Secondly, posting individual pics of the animals for sale is generally what people expect when they are trying to pick out the particular animal they want. Lord knows I have gotten my full of requests like that for my own animals from prospective customers, so I certainly can't fault anyone for doing what potential customers really want anyway. Just because YOU are not interested in those animals doesn't necessarily mean that no one else is. I would certainly be within my rights to post pics of every corn snake I have available in a like method, and the potential customers interested in those snakes would certainly appreciate it, while those not interested in my animals might not. That's just the way it is.

I get your point about this being a paying sponsor of the site, this really does make sense why they have more say in the matter. I honestly agree 100% with the Corvette board you frequent not allowing people who aren't sponsors to advertise. It is the same way on a tanning forum I visit, only sponsors may advertise their products, as openly and blatantly as they so choose in whatever post they so choose and in their signatures. Non sponsors may not. It's simple reasoning- the sponsors paid for the privilege of their products or services to be advertised on the particular forum. It is not fair to them to allow anyone who so chooses to advertise competing businesses. Why would any become a paid sponsor then? There has to be some perks to spending money on advertising on or just sponsoring a message board or no one would give their money. Here, people who pay get certain benefits over non paying members, just those benefits are different than for other boards.

But I think the fact that the person who is annoying so many is a paid sponsor of the site, sort of gives him the right to annoy whoever he wants that's not a paying contributor or a sponsor or is simply less of one than he is.

Honestly, I think that would have been the best response in the first place, rather that "I run this place and I don't care" the answer of "He financially supports this place running way more than any of you do so I feel no need to upset him over a few complaints." makes a lot of sense.

~Katy

The only problem with your logic, Katy, is that the Contributor level membership is $25. There are a number of people who contribute at a higher level than that ($100 and $250) that have voiced their feeling about this person's approach.

I do understand both sides of this argument...but, for the record, if I WAS interested in what he was selling, I would not open that many ads to view his animals. If he wants to show individual photos of each animal, it could just as easily be done within a few ads (one for each clutch, for example). While there are only 4 attachments allowed per post, it would only take 4 posts to show 16 animals...and the text could include descriptors and weights. Another means would be to utilize Photobucket, or a like source, to host the pics...that way, a large number of images could be included, with headings/descriptors between them. I didn't get bent about the BP people doing it last year, I'm not concerned about this person doing it now. I think more people would respond better to showing more animals per ad, vs the singleton approach, but there may be people that enjoy opening 15 different ads to see the same animal
(I think there is a name for that, but it might only apply if the person in question uses dial up, lol)

Originally Posted by WebSlave

the member you speak of is a contributing member, sponsors a classifieds form, and also is a paid banner advertiser.

This, to me, says that this member is sending more money to the site than people at the $100 level, considering its $25 to be a contributing member, $50 to sponsor a classified, and I'll be honest I don't know how much for a banner ad but I'm sure it's more than $25. So they're total monetary contribution ads up to more.

Not sure if it would come out to over $250, so that could be a valid point as far as people who contribute $250 maybe should have a little more clout.

~Katy