Andy Reichert Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Thanks Martin, I tried looking whewn signed out, but still had to disable my browser ad blocking to see them. Once unblocked, The two ads I saw were huge, unattractive and completely irrelevant. What's more I'd be very suspicious of clicking on the ad for "Malware removal". My input is that those were definitely an extemely off-putting impression if I was trying to attract new members to the forum. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryMeerkat Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I'd be happy for the ads to be modelling specific, in fact I've asked previously for a list of companies with clickable links to their websites. This situation would be great for users, great for modelling companies, and would produce site revenue. Ads for things completely irrelevant on a modelling forum - I'm not a great fan. I'm here for my interest, and if I was interested in something else then I would be somewhere else (which I am, I use an Alfa Romeo forum, which strangely doesn't advertise Hornby models?) But to be honest, I have the ability to scroll past the ad, I don't find the content of the ads offensive, and if it keeps this excellent site running and keeps Andy in gainful employment then I am more than happy to ignore any ads that are irrelevant to me. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2014 So I popped on on ipad just now, which is how I usually look at RMweb these days - not signed in for a scroll through - and I genuinely thought the site had been hacked. I totally get that the site needs to be paid for; but it just looks messy - I don't get the point of the tacky looking advert between the first and second post on the Layout Topics pages - can't you just keep them to the top and bottom? It just spoils it. Also, can't you get better produced adverts? These ones are all a bit Nigerian Prince-ish, and I'd be worried about what would happen if I pressed one by mistake. I can't say I'm overjoyed that the hard work I've put into creating models that have in turn created content being used to sell people cheap flights and international removals, but its 2014 and that's life. Meh Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom J Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 There's been competition before RMweb came to be and every point since; suffice to say that RMweb has continued to develop and grow through a combination of management of the site and members making use of the facilities to engage in a community. There's some world championship standard flouncing going on in this topic. RMweb would have ceased to be a long time ago if it weren't for the generosity of some of the membership and latterly a commercial organisation due to one thing; cost. There is not like-for-like competition in terms of stature and funding. How many other British model railway fora exist with a membership base approaching the size of this one? I am sure you will know your market better than me, Andy. I will stop laughing at the suggestion that Warners have been 'generous' if Warners ultimate memorandum and articles of association states that they have charitable or non-profit purposes. RMWeb was a canny investment - a very canny one, and I cannot for a moment fault the business acumen behind it, but if you work it too hard for income you will lose its intrinsic value. Your investment in 'Black Country Blues' has led to me attending Warners exhibitions and buying a magazine I generally wouldn't, but throwing advertising at me won't keep me around to do those things, and I can pretty much guarantee you I won't generate any click-throughs. I would encourage you to invest in in things which bring members in, rather than threatening to push them away. Money spent on Warners' other product offerings by growing numbers of RMweb members must represent better value for money for your business than advertising click-throughs - if not, you are in the wrong business! I have no issue per se with a forum being commercially run, but it does affect my expectations of it. No sentiment in business. You don't need to fear the prima donnas announcing 'I'm off' - you need to fear the quiet circle of decline as people decide the transaction of using the forum no longer suits them, as has been mentioned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 WTF?!?!?! People won't use the forum if it starts to pay for itself? Get a grip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
black5f Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hi Install adblock, install ghostery, install donottrackme. No more adverts ever. No more google etc tracking your history. :-) T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2014 you need to fear the quiet circle of decline as people decide the transaction of using the forum no longer suits them, as has been mentioned. ..what, all three of them? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Tom; I honestly think you're going unnecessarily over the top. Quite simply the site's costs need covering and whilst I'm testing different approaches to meet our side of the needs I'm sure you can hazard a guess how I may I think about disproportionate over-reaction. I'm quite happy to listen to balanced comments but silliness does turn me off I'm afraid. Napoleon obviously hadn't got it quite right when he called us a nation of shopkeepers as there'd be a bit more commercial nouse out there; I don't know what you do for a living Tom but if you work outside the public sector I'm sure commercialism comes into it somewhere as it would if you were a football supporter, a music buyer or a TV watcher etc etc etc etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2014 It should be remembered that it wasn't so long ago that Andy had to make an annual appeal for members to dip in their pockets to keep the forum going. It can be construed from this that most members do indeed want something for nothing as, if we had stumped up voluntarily, he wouldn't have had to do so. Indeed, it was also my understanding that it was only a minority of the membership who actually stumped up even after the appeals. So newer members need to understand this, from this experience the concept of a paid forum doesn't work. So, for me, and I suspect the vast majority of members on here, having a few adverts pop up here and there is a small price to pay for free membership of this resource. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Alex TM Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hi folks, I have only one great worry with these adds ... when I went into the preferences section in the Google-add it stated my interests in rail related sites (including this one) suggested I was over-65! Well, that is enough - I may be rapidly thinning on top, and greying fast with it but if RMWeb is ageing me by 18+ years then I'm off to sulk ...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom J Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 That's fine, Andy. Your opinion is as valid as mine. I have provided balance and pointed to a willingness to meet reasonable operating costs to avoid scattergun advertising, but your masters' imperatives indubitably go beyond break-even and you will I am sure weigh up the 'sweet spot' where you make money from people without alienating them. You will be the one to take the plaudits or brickbats not only from us, your market, but from your boss depending on the bottom line! It is fair enough to want to make a crust and as I said, a shrewd business move to buy this forum. In my considerable commercial experience however, you generally do your business a disservice by inferring that your customers are fools. When a business tells me my considered feedback is 'silly', I tend to leave it at that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 For crying our loud, it's a few adverts, it's not like the pirate bay where you're bombarded with 12-14 pop-ups just for turning up. You get a top banner and maybe, if you're really unlucky a google pop-up that you can close, calm down dear, it's only a commercial. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2014 and pointed to a willingness to meet reasonable operating costs That's the point I was trying to make in the thread above - we've been there, done that, and it doesn't work. You might have a willingness to put your hand in your pocket, from experience the vast majority have not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2014 It is fair enough to want to make a crust and as I said, a shrewd business move to buy this forum. In my considerable commercial experience however, you generally do your business a disservice by inferring that your customers are fools. Inferring? Do you mean implying? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium James Makin Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2014 Who do you go to, to buy banner space on RMWeb nowadays, is it via site admin or directly to Warners? I'd love to see if there's a price listing to see if it's something we can do to advertise a local show. Sorry if OT Many thanks, James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 James A PM to Andy Y will get you all the information you'll need, I expect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom J Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Inferring? Do you mean implying? I meant what I said, on the basis of flawed 'evidence' and 'reasoning', but yes, it was implied also, in my case! I have nothing more to add to this thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 GET OVER IT SO, ITS AN ADD TURN ON ITV / CHANNEL 4 ETC AND YOU GET ADDS YOU DON'T WANT. SKIP THEM / IGNORE THEM / LIVE WITH THEM WE NEED ANDY AND WE NEED WARNERS TO KEEP ANDY AND RM WEB GOING SO GET A LIFE AND LIVE WITH IT. I AM :locomotive: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Can I have a pop-up in my post that says .........You've won the lottery and a Full Size Broad Gauge Rover donated by the NRM pleeeeze !!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 There are drama queens on both sides of the argument now. Although considering the recent overt shouting, I find that more annoying than the advertisements in question.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted April 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2014 That's fine, Andy. Your opinion is as valid as mine. I have provided balance and pointed to a willingness to meet reasonable operating costs to avoid scattergun advertising, but your masters' imperatives indubitably go beyond break-even and you will I am sure weigh up the 'sweet spot' where you make money from people without alienating them. You will be the one to take the plaudits or brickbats not only from us, your market, but from your boss depending on the bottom line! It is fair enough to want to make a crust and as I said, a shrewd business move to buy this forum. In my considerable commercial experience however, you generally do your business a disservice by inferring that your customers are fools. When a business tells me my considered feedback is 'silly', I tend to leave it at that. The last raffle Andy did raised just short of 5 figures from a small % of us, it lasted all of about 7 months (not forgetting Andy was unpaid and doing it in his own time). I was quite happy to throw some money in knowing that others didn't but still used it. Using that as a basis this place probably costs about £60,000+ a year to run, Warners are a commercial company looking to run the forum along commercial lines, whether some like it or not this is the realistic way that a forum such as this will keep going. I like making a profit at work and see no reason why Warners shouldn't too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted April 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 18, 2014 I have told mysef not to get invoved in this discussion but have ignored me as usual. most if not all websites have advertising buses and trains have adverts inside and out tv programmes all have adverts (even bbc who advertise themselves) newspapers and magazines have adverts my postman has a hernia from bringing adverts to my door on a daily basis most sports, arts and music is sponsored and comes plastered in ads in the cinema you have to sit though numerous ads before you get to watch the film Soooo, as I see it you have two choices a) become a hermit b ) learn to live with advertising as a fact of life My advice, for what it's worth? Take option B, and whilst you are at it, give Andy Y a break! I don't know many specialist, free websites where you would even get this discussion (but you sure would get the advert) Sometimes the best thing about having the chance to express an opinion, is understanding when not to use it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Consider not what RMweb can do for you, but what you can do for RMweb. Seeing advertising as an intrusion on your enjoyment is short-sighted. Warners carries the burden of expense, Andy the burden of keeping it all mobile, while some members actually spend a lot of their free time preparing articles and offering advice. Then there are members who generally succeed in keeping it a happy and informed place. Consider the hole in your life if RMweb wasn't here ever again from tomorrow morning and maybe ones perspective will change....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock67B Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 G*d ! Suppose it is a trifle late but still - some of these posts take me back to the days of ranters on soap boxes at Hyde Park Corner. Didn't agree with much I heard there! Simply cannot understand how anyone with enough intelligence doesn't simply sign in or employ an ad-blocker. Does anyone else think that sometimes the word 'ill' should be inserted before 'considered'? Kind regards, now back to model railways, Jock67B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted April 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2014 I said back when MI first came out that my biggest fear would be someone offering Andy a job but saying RMWeb would have to be shut. Fortunately the offer he got was bring RMWeb with you and as I understand it Warners have paid for everything since and Andy a wage.... They haven't rushed to mine cash out off it and I think the link has done them a lot of good but in the end it is a commercial company which needs to pay its way. As yet I haven't found an advertisment at all does this mean I have an ad blocker I don't know and to be honest I don't care. The only thing that would upset me is to find I couldn't log on from work but my boss would probably put that down as a good thing..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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