AdBlockers might be hurting Stratics?

[Beer_Cayse]

Interesting article I found on ArsTechnica indicates some of our favorite sites might actually be hurt by us using ad blockers. Article is here.

I am assuming most Stratics ads are of the view type as mentioned here. We could be doing this place a disservice.

 

[Aran]

Tough titty.

 

[Guido_LS]

What's hurting Stratics - re: advertising - is the ads being pushed.

None of them in the header area are of any interest to me. I couldn't care less about browser based gaming, let alone those being "hosted" by companies that have, at best, dubious pasts, and, at best, are so shallow that it makes the kiddie pool look deep.

I have no objection to ads like the ones for things like the power glove for MMO's, etc - they, at least, have *some* relationship to UO. Evony has no relationship to UO at all. Nor do any of the others.

And if Stratics is going to force me to look at them, then, just like on television, I am going to reserve the right to ignore, or in this case, block them. I may have no say in what Stratics uses for advertising, but I surely have the complete and total right to say what content does and doesn't get displayed on my computer.

Given that the VAST majority of this site, excluding the Ultima Online section, is dead, I don't feel I should be obligated to pay for them, in any form - ad driven or not. I was a subscriber before, and would potentially be one again. But I also feel that, since EA is using this as their official communications portal, they should be footing at least a portion of, if not all of, the bill.

 

[Beer_Cayse]

Actually, I understand this and believe it or not I even understand Arans response! <shrug> I use Firefox and AdBlockPlus for the very same reasons you state.

I have tried some of these browser-based games and some are reaonably decent but not connected to UO. Hell, WOW and some of the other MMORPG ones have more relationship to UO!

Just raising a flag so to speak and I note that Stratics personnel have not even commented as to the possible truth to this article.

 

[Petra Fyde]

There is a reason my ad blocker doesn't block Stratics. Please bear in mind that the site has just gotten a new General Manager. He has plans for the site and I'm pretty certain they don't include leaving most of it 'dead'.

 

[Kiminality]

Just raising a flag so to speak and I note that Stratics personnel have not even commented as to the possible truth to this article.

It would hardly make a difference if it were confirmed.

 

[Guido_LS]

There is a reason my ad blocker doesn't block Stratics. Please bear in mind that the site has just gotten a new General Manager. He has plans for the site and I'm pretty certain they don't include leaving most of it 'dead'.

That would require a lot of stripping of content... the only other part of the Stratics network that is even remotely seeing traffic is ToonTown... I don't know if that is a reflection on Stratics or the state of MMO's in general, but I do feel it's a waste of resources to keep areas alive that haven't seen a post since 2008 or earlier... or a total of 3-4 posts, period.

As for JHall's plans, it would be nice if there was an information leak or two... the secret squirrel thing barely works for EA/Mythic - and as I like to point out, this *IS* the only place where we have direct access to them.

 

[Petra Fyde]

Well, you could try a short browse around here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=505

and maybe here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=32

There's a few signs of life here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27

 

[Beer_Cayse]

AdBlockerPlus (ABP) allows me to set exceptions. But does NOT seeing them at all harm Stratics profits as the article says some "viewing pays" stuff might? Or is it "pay for your ad regardless if folks block it or not?

Thanks for your thoughts ...

 

[Guido_LS]

Well, you could try a short browse around here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=505

and maybe here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=32

There's a few signs of life here:
http://vboards.stratics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27

Your first link isn't even in the menu to the left, and from what I read, is nothing but lore for a game yet to be released. And even though it will be an EA game, would you care to wager they have their own, official forums? I didn't think so.

As for the other 2, we have threads in UHall with more posts in them than the entire front page of the forums you linked. I also know that, again, both of those games have their own official forums, hosted and run by Blizzard and SoE respectively, which probably is a good indication of why there isn't a lot of traffic here.

But you seem to be missing the overall theme to this - and you have personally denied all the implications yourself. The single, overriding theme, is that Ultima Online is the ONLY MMO on Stratics that has no official, company supported, forums. Well, excepting games like EA-Land, which doesn't even exist anymore.... And that is fine. But I will bet dollars to donuts that there are NO ads for Evony or any other browser based game on the Blizzard site. Nor are there any on the SOE sites. I'd go so far as to extend that to the sites that EA DOES host.

Plain and simple. If EA/Mythic insists on using Stratics as it's only outlet for communications with the playerbase, then it is THEIR responsibility to handle the cost. I won't reprint the post, as it wasn't directly to me, and it is on another forum, but I know you, personally, have seen the EA/Mythic response to the head administrator for the only other well known English speaking UO fansite. So there is no room for denial.

So you will have to forgive me if I have a lack of faith in things being changed - I'd like to believe that it will happen. Believe me, I would. But as the saying goes, I may not be from Missouri, but you're still going to have to show me.

 

[Aran]

There is a reason my ad blocker doesn't block Stratics. Please bear in mind that the site has just gotten a new General Manager. He has plans for the site and I'm pretty certain they don't include leaving most of it 'dead'.

You mean like his plans for adding a thousand different ad spots?