[Hengis]

Like I said, your feedback is appreciated and if I ever decide to completely change the look, feel, revenue source or approach of the site, I may take your comments onboard.

I won't discuss the income of the site I'm afraid but I can tell you that running a dedicated server (to give our users the best experience) isn't cheap.

Advertising is a neccessary evil on a free advice site and if we ever introduce a membership fee (NOT planned) then those members will benefit from an ad-free PC Help Forum.

Take a look around the web at similar sites - you'll be surprised at the level of advertising on some (even popups/popunders).

[upgrader]

yep at least we dont have popups!

[Frakken-RooCH]

Originally Posted by Hengis

Like I said, your feedback is appreciated and if I ever decide to completely change the look, feel, revenue source or approach of the site, I may take your comments onboard.

I won't discuss the income of the site I'm afraid but I can tell you that running a dedicated server (to give our users the best experience) isn't cheap.

Advertising is a neccessary evil on a free advice site and if we ever introduce a membership fee (NOT planned) then those members will benefit from an ad-free PC Help Forum.

Take a look around the web at similar sites - you'll be surprised at the level of advertising on some (even popups/popunders).

Hengis, you seem to be misinterpreting every post I make, and as I've clarified my position twice now I can't see it as being anything other than intentional. Don't take umbrage at what I'm saying, and don't blow it out of all proportions, I'm simply providing feedback as a new member, so that the mods and admins of this forum can greater understand what exactly it is people see upon directly entering the site. I have no bias either way, I'm not a long in member so I won't be kissing up, and I have nothing against the site so I won't be unnecessarily trashing it. I'm giving you my honest, unbaised feedback!

And as I will reiterate for the final time, I have NOT suggested removing the adverts. Nor have I suggested a change in revenue procurance, nor anything else as bold. My one and ONLY suggestion was to take the adverts that are currently in the middle of the forum, and move them down the page. The reason? Well, I've been using forums my entire life, and have experience of stylistic approaches. And in all of my years I have very rarely come across a forum that puts adverts in the centre of it's page. Most have them either right at the top, or right at the bottom. The middle of a forum in most situations is used for the forum. It's the places that aren't often used that are given to ad space. To have adverts directly in the middle of the page is both distracting, and due to the style of the adverts in question it's also misleading. In all honesty upon entering the site I thought the adverts were buttons leading to the forum sections. So my one and only gripe here is that the buttons might be better used at the top or bottom of the page. If you take offense to that, well that's a very odd thing to take offense at to be honest

[Hengis]

Nope, no offense taken. Different isn't wrong

[chiaz]

We see what you mean Frakken.

Thanks for the valuable feedback.