Ads within posts

[oneofthefew]

First we had the ads at the top of the page! Then ads appeared after the first post in a topic. Now it appears that the owners of this forum have sunk to a new low - they're adding adverts into the posts!

How it works is a word or phrase is recognised by script. This scrip then produces a link to a pop-up, which then gives the option to get more info! As an example, see Tracing your family tree - there are four of these in the first comment (one of which is actually in my own signature!) and another in the first reply! These links look as if they were added by the person who posted the comment, but that is not the case - and chances are if someone now does add a link it could be ignored as people will expect it to be an advert!

I'll be curious to read comments from the admin of this forum and his/her explanation for this latest disgusting act by the money-grabbing owners of this forum - and no doubt the same thing is happening on the site! Anyway, I fully expect the admin to support the site owners in this latest act!

[Polwarth]

I don't like the fact that it looks as though the poster is adding these 'links'... it smacks of duplicity.

Fair enough, the owners want to make dosh out of the site - but this latest trend will put people off posting.... thereby defeating the object of trying to attract advertisers....

Own goal?

[Babz]

Why am I not getting these adverts ??

[oneofthefew]

You could have blocked scripts so won't see them! However, we shouldn't have to resort to doing that!

I really am p'd off that one of these ads is appearing in my signature - am I supposed to change it that so it doesn't become corrupted?

[admin]

Hi Everyone,

I'm really sorry about this. The decision to use this kind of advertising has come from higher up. I'm not happy about it either! But I suppose they have to create revenue to be able to continue this free forum.

Please don't let this stop you from posting, I'm sure in time we'll all get used to it.

As regards putting your own links in: Perhaps you can say something like "check out this link..." or something else to indicate it is actually a link that you put in.

Thanks
Admin

[oneofthefew]

Why do they need to create revenue to continue this free forum? Surely the GoogleAds at the top bring in some revenue and there's nothing to stop them adding a larger block of ads at the bottom of the page - there really is NO need for the ads to be created in this way!

[Polwarth]

It's an underhand method of advertising - when it gives the impression that the writer of a post has added links - when in reality, it is the board owner's money-making scheme.

Still, with the board being up for sale, it may all be academic anyway