On one very famous writer's forum that I am a member at, they have a wall of ads at the top of the forum. And, you literally cannot even see the actual forum without scrolling down. These ads are not in any way integrated into the site and just sit there obtrusively. And, I don't know how they are earning money with the ads (unless those are affiliate ads) or why everyone puts up with the ads as they are very tacky. The only reason I stick with that specific forum is because it gives me a chance to associate with other writers and learn new things. And, I'm guessing other writers are there for the same reason and just tolerate all those obnoxious ads.
Just wondering where you all draw the line on monetizing with obtrusive banners? Not specifically referring to just Adsense, but any type of banner ad, even paid/sponsor or affiliate ads. How can you place them so as not to annoy the site user or integrate them in such a way they don't interfere with your content?
When I do post exchanges, or if I intend to join a new forum in general, my rule of thumb is that if I'm going to join your forum, whether it be for a post exchange or because I truly am interested in joining, your forum must be easy to navigate around, and important features, like the login/register button, contact us button, etc, must be easy to find, if there are too many ads where all that stuff is supposed to be, then I will refuse to join. I don't mind a nice handful of ads (like how this place has it laid out, I can tolerate how the ads are laid out here) but if there's ads blocking needed features like logging in and registering, then all I can say is don't plan on me considering joining. I'll try to put up with it or install an ad blocker if I really want to join, but if it really gets to be too much for me, I won't even bother.
I can understand from a business perspective why the owners like having lots of adverts as it increases revenue however at the same time it detracts from your enjoyment as a member.
I actually really dislike ads, so on my forum, I only have them on the bottom of pages if you're not logged in or registered, and if you are logged in, there's only one on the bottom of the index page. Small, unobtrusive, but there for a tiny bit of revenue.
Harmful that is. Most ppl won't put up with it. The irony is, the owner gets money, but with the increase of finance the forum start to look cheaper. Ultimately, if your advertisement is not handled tastefully, you drive your own business down. Who wants to be in that sort of environment. The guideline has to be: what would I want for myself?
