• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Locking and unlocking classified ads

WebSlave

WebSlave

I believe I have made it safely ashore.
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First off, please read this thread concerning the changes now being implemented in the classified ad sections.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750570

This thread is specifically about how to lock (close) and unlock (open) classified ad threads for Contributor level and above members.

In reference to the earlier mentioned change in how classified ad threads are now only able to be closed (locked) by Contributor level members and above, here is a little primer for those of you who might not be familiar with the process.

First off, the Thread Tools menu is located above the upper right hand corner of the thread.

thread_locking_01.JPG



You need to click on that down facing arrow in order to see the actual menu selections.

thread_locking_02.JPG


Make sure the button for Close Thread is selected, then click on the Perform Action button.

That is it! The classified ad thread is now closed (locked) so no replies can be made to it, or in the case where there are already replies, no further replies can be made.

Now if you should decide to reopen your classified ad, for whatever reason, you simply select the same menu, but this time the option shows you the ability to OPEN the ad.

thread_locking_03.JPG


This time the button shows Open Thread, so verify that is the option selected, and then click on the Perform Action button.

Done! The classifieds ad thread has now been reopened.

Anyway, hope that helps.

BTW, interested parties can also lock (close) their classified ad thread during the creation of the ad instead of having to go back to edit the initial thread post as indicated in the above post.

While creating the classified ad thread, down in the section called Additional Options where you also go in order to manage attachments to add photos, there is a line at the bottom of that area where you can click the checkbox to close the ad immediately when you post it.

thread_locking_04.JPG


Just a FYI...
 
The 'thread tools' box on my latest ad seems to be malfunctioning. Any ideas?
 

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No malfunction.

I change settings every now and again for one reason or another. Back in the day I had to choose between blocking all replies to classified ads, or allowing them all unrestricted. I chose the middle of the road by allowing the original ad authors to choose what they would prefer. And paid my programmer to set up that classifieds control panel to help in that respect.

Since the discussion forums here never really went anywhere, I am now thinking that this might have been a mistake, and perhaps discussions in the ads might be the only avenue members are willing to travel in order to have discussions and increase overall participation. So I am giving that a try to see if that helps to increase participation in the site in general. Good idea? Who knows? :shrug01: The only way to find out is to try it to see.
 
I just became a benefactor and went to my ad and do not find anywhere that box called "Thread Tools" in the upper right hand corner. Only a drop down to edit or delete the ad. I have logged out and logged back in and it does now say benefactor level. I still have many ads which in the past I did not with the higher contribution. Also my pictures break up the information in the ad instead of being at the bottom. Please advise as how to lock my latest ad or do it for me thanks. William Lamoreaux
 
Please remember that we have undergone a major platform change with this site. On the old platform there were MANY custom mods done over the years that it was running. To expect everything to be able to be ported over, whether immediately or even possible to do at all, is being just a slight bit unrealistic, don't you think? Some things are just not going to be possible to do here. I have my new developer supposedly working on the Classifieds Control Panel for this platform, but have not heard about any updates to his progress, It is entirely possible that he bit off more than he can chew with that mod.
 
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