We wanted to give you a quick heads-up that programmatic ads will be returning to the forum shortly. We’ve worked with our ad provider to enable conservative filters in an effort to reduce any inappropriate or irrelevant ads.
A few things to keep in mind:
Ad Learning Period: Programmatic ads take up to two weeks to “learn” user preferences. Over time, the ads you see should become more relevant and useful.
Long-Term Plan: Our ultimate goal is to move away from programmatic ads and focus on direct-sold ad partnerships with companies in our industry. This process takes time, but our dedicated ads team is already working on securing these deals.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve the ad experience on the forum. If you notice anything out of place, feel free to report it.
Thanks for the heads up Nick! We get that it’s a process, hope you get those partnerships you’re looking for, and that the forums are all the better for it!
Well, that was short notice. The ads have started already. Haven’t seen one trains related. Maybe I should snap some photos and post them. Anyone need women’s underwear?
As a retired school teacher, I taught, “You cannot get something for nothing”.
Long ago a political ad used that phrase, students came to me and said, “They are using YOUR statement”. I corrected them.
As I taught physics, a lever will let you lift weights you can not “dead weight lift”. But consider when using the lever, YOU moved 3 feet pushing downward and the car moved 1 inch upward.
Then too they (one student) WON a free bicycle at MacDonalds. Wait… who bought/paid for the bicycle? MacDonalds did, and in return they tack 2 cents on each of everyone who bought a hamburger. There is NO FREE LUNCH.
Why this rant? Come on folks, Firecrown might be a company with deep pockets, but they can’t go without income of advertising. This is basic economics 101.
That said: Firecrown, just keep up the good work of the website. endmrw0205251319
If there was a thin band of MRR related ads down the side of the page I would likely click on a lot of them. When I got paper magazines I bet I looked at every ad in the magazine. Being bombarded by nonsense means “SHIELDS UP” in the form of an ad blocker.
You won’t see many model railroad ads until they go to direct-sale ads. Why? Because model railroad companies don’t buy ads with large ad service providers like Google.
Perhaps, just perhaps, if all of the forum free-loaders bought subscriptions and other products there would be less need for advertising on the forums.
I’ve also suggested that subscribers get an ad-free forum experience as a benefit. I still think that’s the best way to go.
The ads I’ve seen are relatively small and in line with the content, not the page covering pop-up ads. Easy enough to scroll past what is coming up. Nothing worth getting worked up over. I think this just shows that members care about this forum and that a lot of us have PTSD from the old forums (ad practices and functionality). Give our new hosts a chance. They have bills to pay just like you and I.
I think this probably goes back to the old forum. Only about one-fourth to one-third of the forum posters actually subscribed to the magazine. However, several of them were the biggest complainers about the forum.
well I will not complain , I have nothing in my town no shows,no hobby shops,and no clubs, this forum is great and I’m loving it , thank you York1 for the info.
Unfortunately, a lot of people nowadays either forget that saying or they never heard it in the first place but that’s another topic for another time. I don’t like ads either, but the alternative is putting the forums behind a paywall which I like even less. It is what it is.
