Should we change our look?

[newey]

ProBoards now allows a choice of styles for the display of the advertising we all have to live with. Of course, the ads are the price we pay for being a "free" board.

Currently, we use the default ad style, a banner across the top of the page, as shown in the example below. ProBoards calls this a "Leaderboard".

We can switch to a rectangle style, as shown. With the rectangle, however, we get a user improvement- next to the ad, users get a list of the most recent topics in which the user has posted.

With the rectangle, guests see a handy "sign up" box, also as shown below.

Before making the change, I wanted to garner some feedback, hence this poll.

Some members use ad-blocking software. We don't know how this new style will work with the various programs folks use to block ads- it might just block the "new topics" list as well. And the change will also have an impact on those using portable devices to access the board- i.e., more scrolling. On the flipside, members would be one click away from recent topics to which they had posted.

What say you all?

[cynical1]

I would be one of those nefarious people using an ad blocker.

Unless it's a ProBoard ad all I have is a nice clean blank 90 px blank spot in the page. I don't block the ProBoard ads, otherwise I lose the icons and integral graphic link content on the forum. (...found that out by accident one day...)

Currently, at least in my browser, new posts have a "New" tag over the icon in the section in which they are posted. Flagging me with the last first posts offers me no advantage, considering I now have further to scroll down to actually read them.

If you scroll to the bottom of the Home page, in the Info Center, you already have the "Last Updated Topic:" and "View the 15 most recent posts of this forum" available, if you're interested.

I made my vote. The floor is open.

Happy Trails

Cynical One

[asmith]

I'm using Firefox with an adblocker, set to collapse the ads, so that it just looks (somewhat) like they were never there in most cases, instead of a big space. Just looks like an ad-less forum to me presently. Weirdly C1, I don't lose the image capabilities.

For me, it ain't broke, and I don't vote to fix it. Odd considering we're all tinkerers.

[JohnH]

I voted for the change - the saving of a click when logging in, and the chance to more quickly check on my recent topics seems worth a try.

[ijustwannastrat]

I'm with johnh. I have a slow computer, so a click saved is a lot of time in my pocket

[lpf3]

I find it easier to stay abreast of what's being discussed by checking the 15 most recent posts. Someone who doesn't post much (like me) might miss alot if he/she ( I ) only see the ones we're participating in.

The ads don't bother me.....

-lpf3

[ashcatlt]

It just looks like more scrolling to me.

I really like the feature on DIYStompboxes where there's a link for "new replies to my posts.". Don't know who they use, and I'm definitely not suggesting a move, I'm just saying...

[jcgss77]

It really doesn't matter to me either way. I do like it how it is, as I also use that new-fangled ad blocker plus, and it does a good seamless job of eliminating the space the ads once took up. BTW, the link for "make this board ad free" is still there. Pretty funny that I already have no ads...

However, I am always up to try something new. It just might help to spice things up around here.

Also, I think that my ABP is blocking embedded images. Can anyone share with me how to disable that part, and not disable ad blocks? Is it possible? Sorry to hijack...

[sumgai]

Proxomitron user here, since early 1999 (when I partied like it was.....).

I don't care what they output from the Forum servers, I rewrite everything* coming in anyways, on the fly, and to my specifications. I'll go with the flow, either way is fine with me. (A glance at the source code, a few moments in my Rules Editor, and I'm back in business, looking at what I wanna look at, not what some snot-nosed Marketing Exec thinks I have to look at!)


sumgai


* Everything except images & videos, can't diddle with those. But stylesheets, script code, mime interpretations, headers, it's all like an open book to me. <evil smilie here>

[gfxbss]

Hmm,

I also use an ad blocker. That being said even before using it I found the ads on this board far less invasive than on others....

I'm always down for a change and some experimentation.....

Tyler

[ozboomer]

I don't mind either way myself... but I would probably find the 'recent participation' summary sort of useful... So that might sway my thinking to the new arrangement...

[newey]

As of January 12, the voting was running 2 to 1 against.

So we'll just leave well enough alone.

[popsaka]

...Hey, wait a minute(!) I didn't get a chance to say I don't care.....

[sbgodofmetal]

i'd vote to keep it the way it is, i'm mobile and can't stand how slow my psp scrolls anyway!!! But a new color scheme every so often couldn't hurt, maybe one for specific holidays and so on.