Buy & Sell Intrusion

[Andy Y]

Those ebay ads will be because your browsing behaviour is being tracked and ads served accordingly. Some people are more averse to that than blanket advertising but it does have its merits.

 

The reality for everyone is that had a commercial agreement not been reached some four and a half years ago there wouldn't be an RMweb; it's still the largest site in the hobby here which gives critical mass: No. of users + Vol. of content + Reliability = £many 

 

Without license fees or advertising we wouldn't have any media in our lives; if you want to look at advertising which really (negatively) impacts on user experiences just go and spend ten minutes on your local newspaper's website, they're all as frustrating as each other. I believe we strike a good balance here and I always give input to maintain it as so. Some days I wish some advertisers would come up with more engaging ads though, I like the Fox transfers ones though; they put some thought into it.

[cromptonnut]

I have always hated any form of advertising.

 

I remember the time I went into Bridget's Widgets, 123 High Street (next to the post office, open 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday), because I had seen their range of products and claim to be the cheapest in town, and told them so.

[Reorte]

If you don't like adverts there's Adblock (but perhaps that's against the site's T&Cs). A little bit of relevent to the subject matter on a site like RMWeb is fine by me, not really any different from subject-related adverts in a magazine. It's when they get really in your face / try to "personalise" / are general that they really annoy me. Buy and sell definitely fits in with the former "doesn't bother me" category, provide it's done OK, and a few items near the top of the page is reasonable. Some people don't like change, and that's definitely me (because I find most of it a change for the worse) but the only bit that bothers me on this redesign is the loss of some sub-forums on the main page, but there's a separate thread for that.

 

I know of other sites that survive off (generally unasked, or at least low key asked for) donations from members, has that been looked at? Nothing compulsory for using the site, just a bit of cash from those people happy to give it.

[Andy Y]

I know of other sites that survive off (generally unasked, or at least low key asked for) donations from members, has that been looked at? Nothing compulsory for using the site, just a bit of cash from those people happy to give it.

 

That's the way we used to limp along; largely it was the minority stumping up the majority of the money in addition to my own £s and that in itself isn't fair - I would suspect that's the same anywhere else. However it would not be reasonable to ask (probably the same people) to cover the costs of what the servers and support now cost; it's also fair to say that since investing in the servers and getting excellent support from Dediserve that the availability and reliability of the site has been exceptionally good for a sustained period of time.

[Ian J.]

Something that may start to happen with sites (both forums and general websites) is the option for 'free with adverts' vs 'subscription without adverts'. I doubt that the this forum's developers are at that place yet, but it's something that might happen eventually.

[Andy Y]

I doubt that the this forum's developers are at that place yet, but it's something that might happen eventually.

 

Technically I could arrange it very quickly but how much much would people pay and how many would pay it? That also affects the value of an ad; do you want your ad to be seen by everyone or just the ones who don't like to pay for stuff?

[Reorte]

Something that may start to happen with sites (both forums and general websites) is the option for 'free with adverts' vs 'subscription without adverts'. I doubt that the this forum's developers are at that place yet, but it's something that might happen eventually.

I wasn't thinking of subscriptions. My view on it (some people spending, others spending nothing, everyone still gets the same) that overall people may spend money on a site or two they use a lot and visit others for free, and that, overall, works; you can conceptualise it as your payment effectively subsidising more sites than just the ones you donate towards. Of course a lot of people will just not pay anything towards any, but hey, lesser evil.

 

That sounds like how Andy was saying RMWeb used to run though, so if it runs better now then fair enough.

[Talltim]

I do the majority of my RMWebbing on my phone using the mobile view, going straight to VNC. There have been a lot of changes that I never notice (although when clicking on a thread and it taking you to the first unread post stopped working it made me use my phone more as it still works there)

[beast66606]

I'm another who sort of noticed the adverts and thought "so what ?" - in fact they reminded me I have a lot of stuff to sell so perhaps I'll get a round tuit and start off loading, my domestic goddess demands some sort of payback for all the free stuff she does - rather like this site in fact, and like it, she's not too intrusive most of the time.

[Ian J.]

Technically I could arrange it very quickly but how much much would people pay and how many would pay it? That also affects the value of an ad; do you want your ad to be seen by everyone or just the ones who don't like to pay for stuff?

 

For me no ads means no ads. If I'm paying a subscription and see an advert, I'm going to be hostile to the advertiser and single them out for no spend or some serious complaints.

[BG John]

The problem for me in the last couple of days has been that I've seen almost nothing other than brightly coloured adverts saying that August BRM is now out. At least there's normally some variety, even if it's all for things I don't want to buy. One day I might have been browsing in a newsagent and bought a copy of BRM to see what it's like, but due to pushy advertising like that I wouldn't now touch it with a bargepole.

 

I like to be informed of what's available, so I can choose to buy it if I wish. Constantly shove it in my face, and I'm likely to tell you to shove it somewhere else, and that certainly won't be in my shopping basket .

[Andy Y]

but due to pushy advertising like that I wouldn't now touch it with a bargepole.

 

 

We all put a lot of effort into the magazine content and this site is the best place for us to advertise it.

 

Re-organisation is a work-in-progress, if you see some duplicated ads then is it really worth getting upset by it?

 

Every time I change or move anything I know some people won't be happy with it but it is part of developing things rather than it always being stale; site usage continues to grow and sales of the mag are still increasing year on year so although things may not be perfect for everyone's tastes 100% of the time we are doing some things right.

 

It all gets a bit depressing on a personal level about the character of people in what's supposed to be a hobby for enjoyment when a few are quick to grumble.

[Stubby47]

How dare Warners include adverts for their products on their own website ?

 

How will it end ? Adverts for Wild Swan books in MRJ ?  Adverts for all and sundry in newspapers? TV programmes being interrupted by adverts ? Billboards on the roadside ? Chaos, and the end of civilisation as we know it.

 

By the way, please see my website if you'd like a model building.

['CHARD]

Hoover in top right corner of the green bit at the top and a x appears...

 

I can't see a Class 50 anywhere?   

[Ian J.]

You can't please all of the people, all of the time. If you can please most of the people some of the time, you're doing pretty well.

 

In that case, I think RMweb is doing pretty well.

 

For those who really don't like the adverts and panels, there are ways to set things up to hide stuff if you take the time and trouble to research how things are done in browsers.

[2ManySpams]

Totally disgusted. Went to the newsagents on the way home and found that I couldn't buy a Marathon chocolate bar. Got offered something called a Snickers. I mean what is the world coming to?

 

Quit grumbling about something you get for free, go do some modelling.

[dhjgreen]

Hoover in top right corner of the green bit at the top and a x appears...

 

Andy G

Thanks for that. I was not seeing status updates, clicked the cross, they now show, brilliant!

[Chris116]

My only complaint is that I saw an item that I would otherwise not have seen and have now spent more money on models.

 

The adverts on each page are no more bothersome than threads that I am not interested in! Just scroll past them to what interests you, problem solved.

[57xx]

'My Followed Topics' gets its listing from any threads you have set to follow using the 'Follow this topic' button in the top right of the thread:

 

That's how is is supposed to work... however the reality is different.

 

Currently my My Followed topics panel shows 7 threads which have not had any new posts. If I go in to Content I Follow, 4 of the top 7 by date order have new content that I haven't read yet. The thread at the top of the front page panel is actually 5th in the CIF page list, the 2nd thread in the panel is 9th in CIF. 

[57xx]

Quit grumbling about something you get for free, go do some modelling.

 

If everyone did that, the site would be empty and die. 

[Nelson Jackson]

I don't mind adverts (usually) but this was taking the biscuit when I saw it the other day, I mean seriously! There were 2 more adverts, exactly the same further down the page.

[Oldddudders]

I joined RMweb in January 2009, apparently. It seems more recent than that. Site scope was limited, as was reliability. From time to time we passed the hat round to help defray Andy Y's expenses in running it.

 

Since then, the site and membership have grown exponentially, the reliability has gone up by leaps and bounds, and Andy Y has a salary for running it, among other duties. It is still free. Since, like Phil Holman and others, I use View New Content, and don't Follow Topics, nor have a status, I have not seen the B&S entries described above - but I do recognise that it makes great sense for Warners to promote the facility, for both buyers, sellers and themselves.

 

Every magazine I have ever read includes adverts for its own services and special offers. Adverts for BRM would seem modest enough in the margin of the page, as they invariably are.

 

Carry on, chaps.

[Andy Y]

I don't mind adverts (usually) but this was taking the biscuit when I saw it the other day, I mean seriously! There were 2 more adverts, exactly the same further down the page.

image.jpg

Yeah, already covered in another grumbling topic.

[2mmMark]

A site like this, where a lot of us spend far too much time, is like that old, comfortable pair of slippers you wouldn't be without.  One has grown used to them, and they fit. So, even apparently minor changes assume a surprising significance.  While I am sorry to make a fuss, to be honest, it did bother me to have things rearranged in a less convenient fashion.  If I am strictly honest, the fact that it was in the name of advertising, to me, did add a slither of insult to the grain of injury.  Others are, of course, free to disagree, and to consider my view point unreasonable or selfish.  I simply felt like someone who has got comfortable in his bed only to have to get up to let the dog out.

 

That said, there needs to be a balance.  Now that I realise the B&S new listings can remain minimised, I find the change does not impinge.  When I next find myself in funds, I shall be the first actively to seek out B&S!

 

I am sorry if I had started a topic that might engender discontent.  Perhaps I should have thought better of it.  Mr Y and his colleagues do a wonderful job, and this issue is an essentially trivial one.

 

My old comfortable slippers are really quite pongy.  I think I'm going to have to take them outside and shoot them.

 

A big advantage of RMWeb is that it doesn't smell.  If a little bit of advertising is the price to pay for fragrance, then sign me up.

 

Gotta go, there's an MRJ I'm trying to get worked up about.

 

Mark

 

[Nelson Jackson]

Yeah, already covered in another grumbling topic.

Got a link? And is anything being done about it?