Whats Happening to GTP???

[87chevy]

I've been inactive here for a while, so i expected things to change a little but....

this site seems to be becoming very commercialized(sp?)... i knew when the whole "premium member" thing came out that it was said you could avoid some of the advertisements by paying for more features. but c'mon, gimme a break!

i have been checking the Terry Schiavo thread today and now, when i read the last page....theres a Car AD in the actaul post at the top of the page! and then about halfway down i see the "Sponsors" box that i though was normally supposed to be at the bottom, but now its wedged inbetween posts AND there is another "Sponsors" box at the bottom. and everytime i come here i get a "pop-up blocked" message. thank goodness i have that turned on.

i dont like the way this site seems to be changing. i've got enough monthly subscriptions/bills as it is. i'm not paying for another one, but i used to love the lack of adverts. i realize that this is more than just a hobby for Jordan now, but i really was attracted to the...."small time" feel of the site when i first joined.

i probably would have been more inclined to contribute money for the site earlier on if maybe Jordan said "Hey, this site has grown soo much that i can't really afford to run it for free anymore, i'm going to make it possible to donate money so i dont' have to whore-out my site to corporate america."(no, it's not gotten that bad yet)




Let the Flames Begin!

 

[MrktMkr1986]

Why flame? It's your opinion and you're entitled. However, I feel Jordan is doing the right thing. I am pro-business, but then again, you already knew that.

 

[87chevy]

Why flame? It's your opinion and you're entitled. However, I feel Jordan is doing the right thing. I am pro-business, but then again, you already knew that.

sorry, i've been on the StarWarsGalaxies forums for the last...8months, they are a tad....different. thank god this site doesn't have a Star Rating system lol

 

[Zrow]

The site is huge, and servers to accommodate for all the members and forums are no doubt expensive. The ads really aren't intrusive anyway - it's just letting the site pay for itself somewhat.

 

[Minnesota01R6]

Jordan has every right to make money on this board. He has put in a lot of labor into this site (one of the ways to acquire wealth) Mrktmkr and invested in the servers/templates/whatever else (another wink to Mrktmkr). I'm not trying to flame, I'm just saying that it's like broadcast TV or Radio - you aren't paying for the service, the sponsors are.

 

[dbartucci]

I thought you only saw ads in the middle of threads and in posts if you weren't a member. That's how it is for me anyways.

 

[MrktMkr1986]

Jordan has every right to make money on this board. He has put in a lot of labor into this site (one of the ways to acquire wealth) Mrktmkr and invested in the servers/templates/whatever else (another wink to Mrktmkr). I'm not trying to flame, I'm just saying that it's like broadcast TV or Radio - you aren't paying for the service, the sponsors are.

Someone's been paying attention to my posts!

Seriously, that pretty much sums up my opinions. As long as we live in a capitalist society, the idea is to expand -- create wealth. I personally don't find the advertisements very intrusive, though I do sometimes find myself clicking on the targeted ads.

EDIT:

I actually like the targeted ads by the way. It usually has something to do with the stock market.

 

[Jordan]

I completely understand your comments, but your argument ignores a few facts and realities which explain and answer your question.

First of all, when you have a website of your own, no matter what the size, you want it to grow and expand. I know that many people reminisce about the "days of old" when a cozy, closer atmosphere existed here, but if I did anything to "keep things the way they are" at any point of this site's life it would be the beginning of the end. What is so fascinating about GTP or any online community, is that it is dynamic and changing. It's just like a human being in many ways - it goes through different stages of development and has countless influences and experiences which shape its condition and behaviors. It's like a child to me, and I want the site to realize its full potential and I will promote expansion and growth in every way that I can.

Now, that growth and expansion has side affects, of course. The advertisements, for example, are the most obvious. I think they are hideous and unsightly on this beautiful layout that I planned and designed myself. It kills me to stick in ad-code that I know will result in some stupid flashing smilie ad right in the middle of the page, but I don't have any other choice. Just go to the Downloads section and do the math...you'll find that GTPlanet sucks down more than 2 terabytes of data every month. And on top of that, you've got to pay monthly fees for the server hardware, hardware and software upgrades, and you've got to pay an expert a minimum of $20/hour to fix things when it all goes down.

That money has to come from somewhere, and a simple banner ad or one pop-up won't be much help. It would be nice to think that I should have started "taking donations" when I first needed help (I have before), but that's an idealistic, unrealistic, and impossible way to survive long-term. It would simply never, ever cover the expenses.

I've done the best I can to make all this work and keep everyone happy. I could maximize the site's revenue potential by showing all those "guest ads" to registered members such as pop-ups, box ads in posts, and more intrusive Adsense locations, but I have not because I know it would make the site difficult to use for members. I could also include interstitial ads, floating javascript boxes, and send spam to users - but I do not and I will not.

The fact is that GTPlanet will always be changing, and those changes will always bring about positive and negative side affects...and there's nothing that you, I, or anyone can do about it.

 

[Sage]

87chevy – Are you sure you were logged in when you were viewing that thread? The car ad that was imbedded in the first post should only show up for Guests (ditto the sponsor ads under the second post – you should only have one banner ad at the top of the forum, and Google ads at the very bottom).

 

[PS]

I find Jordan's site to be wonderful. For me, the only ads I see are at the very top, at the main page, which are changing monthly it seems. With that, at least I'm not subject to the exact same annoying add all the time. It's like those Kia commercials, they drive you nuts, but when they start changing them all you start to get amused and it becomes a part of your life.

The atmosphere here is great. It reminds me of "Cheers"- everyone is, in general, warm, welcoming, hating, and flaming- just like any tight-knit group of friends. Lots of things to read, to see, to just have fun with. Especially when you look at some of the photoshop or drawing competitions, some of the works in there can really blow you away.

I don't really know what the point of this post was, but what is the point of each individual post in the Opinions Forum? Just to say what's on your mind, and that's what I love about GTP.


Unless you say something real nasty, in which case you get your ass banned.

 

[a6m5]

I know that many people reminisce about the "days of old" when a cozy, closer atmosphere existed here, but if I did anything to "keep things the way they are" at any point of this site's life it would be the beginning of the end.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

I haven't been annoyed by any of the ads at all, but I haven't seen any of the extra ads 87chevy is talking about either. Maybe because I'm always logged in, like Sage mentioned.

I think most of us realize the extra effort Jordan makes to keep the ads from becoming annoying and we do appreciate it. Please do keep up the good work! 👍

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

Everywhere you go on the internet, you will most likely see an advertisement. The size of each site will factor into the density of the advertisements. Most sites grow, especially sites with a clear and specific purpose, dedicated to something popular, like Gran Turismo. This is how the internet goes.

Now, GTP is attractive to a lot of people, because it doesn't just focus on the one subject. You have gaming, and the many forms of it, computers and electronics, photography and graphics, motorsport, automotive talk, various off-topic areas like music and movies. This site is very diverse, and I'm sure if these things were taken away, you wouldn't be happy at all, and neither would most regulars, as well as any other member really.

With these things included, GTP will continue to grow and attract people to this site, along with the specifics on Gran Turismo. The vast information on Gran Turismo, predominantly the videos and graphics, come at a cost. This means, as Jordan said, advertisements need to be displayed, amongst other things. But this only comes at the cost of a little bandwidth, and an extra line of scrolling really, so why the fuss? Honestly, advertisements shouldn't bother too many people unless they're pop-ups. Now, you shouldn't get pop-up advertisements unless you aren't logged onto GTP. Clicking one simple tick-box (Remember me) will fix this.

Sorry, but I really find the constant complaints about advertisements irritable. The only thing you should be mildly annoyed at is possibly the posted advertisements. These, I can understand, would be annoying. Apart from all of this, the advertisements on GTP are substantially better than most other websites, especially ones of this size.

Also, GTPremium is a choice. Jordan isn't forcing you to pay for it, nor is he taking away any privelages. He is simply offering a few extra features in return for a small amount of money which covers some of the costs of this site, and also benefitting himself, which is very understandable, considering that Jordan puts an incredible amount of time into running and maintaining this site, as well as keeping the members as happy as he can and helping provide one the best Gran Turismo resources you'll find on the web. Like I said, it's a choice. To purchase it or not is completely up to you and/or the credit card holders, it's not an obligation.

I think the few advertisements and GTPremium is a very minor issue, when you think of what Jordan has provided for us, so instead of using your time on GTP to complain about minor things like this, why not enjoy the site's features and have yourself a good time on here? Maybe then, people might start to become a little more close-knit, and GTP can come reasonably close to how it used to be.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I'm sorry where ever I go everything always gets crowded... The freeways, stores.. this site.

 

[87chevy]

Sorry, but I really find the constant complaints about advertisements irritable.

hmmm, i know this isn't directed toward me, since i'm pretty sure this is the first time i've ever complained.

I think the few advertisements and GTPremium is a very minor issue, when you think of what Jordan has provided for us, so instead of using your time on GTP to complain about minor things like this, why not enjoy the site's features and have yourself a good time on here? Maybe then, people might start to become a little more close-knit, and GTP can come reasonably close to how it used to be.

honestly, i don't like the internet sometimes because it's very hard to know what tone paragraphs like this are written in. being told how i should conduct my time here, in the opinions forums of all places, definitely doesn't strike well with me.

I hardly ever complain about this site. could be my first time ever. and, i believe it was Sage who pointed out that i shouldn't have seen that stuff if i was signed in, which, once i read that i realized i may not have been. i think i had just cleared all my cookies and such, and probably wasn't signed in

if i didn't like this site, i wouldn't be here. i know how good this place was/is. back in my hayday, pre-GT4, the Opinions forum was much more lively, and i really enjoyed myself. really some great debates back then...

i knew Jordan would respond, and he did, which i appreciate. because now i know that he hates advertisements as much as i do so really, it was all triggered by something that i wouldn't have even seen if i was logged in but it's interesting to see the reactions/responses of others anyways.

 

[Jimmy Enslashay]

I think you've interpreted what I said all wrong. It wasn't directed at you, but generally there is a lot of complaining about advertisements on here, and it kind of bothers me.

Also, I'm not telling you how to spend your time here on GTP, I'm simply expressing my opinion on how things should be.

I apologise that it sounded a little harsh and a little too directed, but as you said, sometimes tones are hard to pick up on the internet.

 

[xcsti]

Honestly I've never gotten an ad from GTP (which is something you guys might want to look into), but even when I'm on another computer it never bothers me. The only Ads that anyone should be bothered by are the large intrusive ones that fold down over or slide across the screen.

I'll probably poney up for premium some time this summer.