Ad Hidiousness

Working on cleaning up the ads guys. I hate the footer as much as you do. Let me provide a little insight into what is happening.

TWL has been around for almost 13 years now. Most of that we had no ads. We put in Google ads because we needed to cover our costs. It covered us for a while, but in the last 6 months it had dwindled. Basically, google didnt like our content. Post a pic of a girl in a bakini.... banned. vile team name... banned. naughty words... banned. Someone says nazi... banned. finally we ran out of appeals.

Honestly, I have always felt like we should be soft R rating. Language is almost anything goes. No porn pics or racist crap and we are pretty much good. I had no intention of filtering myself, so why would I filter any of you. I want you guys to be able to act like retards when the mood suits you and dealing with the draconian policies of google wasnt going to work out.

On a side note: Ad blockers suck. They rob publishers of the ability to pay their bills. You really should support sites that need this revenue by at least displaying the ads, if not clicking on the ones that mean something to you. And dont use privacy as an excuse for blocking ads - we all know there hasnt been privacy on the internet for a decade.

Anyhow... we can cover a few months of hosting on our own. Beyond that, we need ad support. We are going to turn off the auto-play video and that silly search bar. The banners we will need to keep and we may need to re-add the intext stuff, although I prefer not to.

Thanks for your patience guys.

Pol
TeamWarfare Senior Staff

Originally posted by: Polaris
They rob publishers of the ability to pay their bills. You really should support sites that need this revenue by at least displaying the ads, if not clicking on the ones that mean something to you. And dont use privacy as an excuse for blocking ads - we all know there hasnt been privacy on the internet for a decade.

I understand and support that, but wouldnt it be time to find some decent sponsors instead of advertisment that you can not control? Say you have people directly putting Money in to the website by having their brand showcased?

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Stream: twitch.tv/philippovich
Twitter: @Philippovich

Donations?

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Zoomacroom
TeamWarfare Assistant Manager, Digital Media & News
Email: Zoomacroom@teamwarfare.com
IRC: #teamwarfare

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Follow TWL on: Facebook | Twitter | Steam

Thanks for explaining!

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GoddessWolfie
TeamWarfare News Director
Email: twlnews@gmail.com
IRC: #teamwarfare,
Follow TWL on: Facebook | Twitter | Steam

So...on average, what is a rough estimate of the monthly expense for hosting TWL?

Are we talking $100, $500, $1000, etc?

Originally posted by: Philippovich
I understand and support that, but wouldnt it be time to find some decent sponsors instead of advertisment that you can not control? Say you have people directly putting Money in to the website by having their brand showcased?

We had that for a long time. The market went to auction models and the internet took it in the ass. I am open to giving full site sponsorship credit with all of the ad space to anyone who is willing to remain a neutral when it comes to games we support. It's just not that easy to find.



Not in this for the money guys. Just want to keep us running.

Pol
TeamWarfare Senior Staff

Originally posted by: Neechoo Cheeska
So...on average, what is a rough estimate of the monthly expense for hosting TWL?

Are we talking $100, $500, $1000, etc?

figure $200 per month to cover hosting and allow us to build a small nut to pay for things like hardware or licensing if we need it. Anything over that would go to funding software upgrades (and we know we need that).

So... What if we offered $10 annual subs in exchange for removing the ads? (we would keep them for unpaid members)

Pol
TeamWarfare Senior Staff

Originally posted by: Polaris

So... What if we offered $10 annual subs in exchange for removing the ads? (we would keep them for unpaid members)

What would keep people from just using adblock? Any way to offer an in-site bonus in the current state? Or a silly bonus like the old donator titles... maybe a new donator tag (would appear under the username like the twl football for staff).

Originally posted by: Zoomacroom

Originally posted by: Polaris

So... What if we offered $10 annual subs in exchange for removing the ads? (we would keep them for unpaid members)

What would keep people from just using adblock? Any way to offer an in-site bonus in the current state? Or a silly bonus like the old donator titles... maybe a new donator tag (would appear under the username like the twl football for staff).

The subscription would be in place of donations. I am willing to run on donations, but there has to be some benefit to it. We can update titles, or whatever makes sense. We always have options.

Pol
TeamWarfare Senior Staff

Members only get a search option, a nifty contributor title, and some other fun perks. Hm. Hah.

Originally posted by: Polaris

Originally posted by: Zoomacroom

Originally posted by: Polaris

So... What if we offered $10 annual subs in exchange for removing the ads? (we would keep them for unpaid members)

What would keep people from just using adblock? Any way to offer an in-site bonus in the current state? Or a silly bonus like the old donator titles... maybe a new donator tag (would appear under the username like the twl football for staff).

The subscription would be in place of donations. I am willing to run on donations, but there has to be some benefit to it. We can update titles, or whatever makes sense. We always have options.

Yeah, just trying to help generate some ideas here. I'm an idea man! I'd love to see this site stay alive for a few more decades.

Seems a bit hard to do, with the current site setup... difficult to integrate new features.
Like with a new site, could do something like "enhanced user profile" or "larger avatar" or other random little things for a "premium user."

Till then, maybe just open up a general donation like the old days... $ goes firstly to server costs, and any extra at the month goes to future site development.

OR, give users the option to dictate where a donation goes. Server cost, new site cost, tournament prizes, and so on. Though, then you have the issue of dividing up which game gets how much.
Post edited by Zoomacroom at 12/9/2013 9:14:26 PM

Footer ad is killed. Thank the lord.

... and Triston.

Pol
TeamWarfare Senior Staff

Originally posted by: Polaris
Footer ad is killed. Thank the lord.

... and Triston.

Amen

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GoddessWolfie
TeamWarfare News Director
Email: twlnews@gmail.com
IRC: #teamwarfare,
Follow TWL on: Facebook | Twitter | Steam

When viewing the site on Safari through my iPhone, it keeps opening the App Store to the one game.

Sucks.

Game of War.

Edit:

HOLY GOD!!!

Every time I advance a page, it keeps kicking me off Safari and opening the App Store now.

Ugh!

Edit2:

Seems to do it whenever the top banner loads an iOS ad.
Game if War and Empire: Four Kingdoms.

A Bulova ad popped up, no auto-switch to the App Store. I don't mind the Buliva watch ads, but I'm ready to start giving negative reviews for these two games that keep popping me out of Safari.


Post edited by Bibimbap at 12/9/2013 10:27:46 PM

Originally posted by: Polaris

So... What if we offered $10 annual subs in exchange for removing the ads? (we would keep them for unpaid members)

Buck a month for ad-free browsing seems reasonable to me. It would be more impressive if there was a basket of sites that the subscription made ad-free. I guess it would depend on how many ways that could be split and still be worth it offset by an increased number of subscribers.
Post edited by Stryk at 12/9/2013 10:26:44 PM

This is taking $200 per month to keep running & more?
Somebody is taking it in the ass on that. You don't really have anything more then a basic website with a basic ladder format & bandwidth.
No way that is costing you $200 per month & if it is you seriously need to be looking at how this is run.

Originally posted by: Bibimbap
When viewing the site on Safari through my iPhone, it keeps opening the App Store to the one game.

Sucks.

me too. Game of war!!!


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"If guns kill people then spoons make us fat!"

Originally posted by: Stoneymontana
This is taking $200 per month to keep running & more?
Somebody is taking it in the ass on that. You don't really have anything more then a basic website with a basic ladder format & bandwidth.
No way that is costing you $200 per month & if it is you seriously need to be looking at how this is run.

It has more to do with the technology than the horsepower. The main challenge is the SQL Server. We have tried lighter hardware and it simply chokes. In theory we could roll it back, but you see the performance drop pretty quickly.

And a $200 funding target builds up a small, but needed warchest.

Originally posted by: Polaris

Originally posted by: Stoneymontana
This is taking $200 per month to keep running & more?
Somebody is taking it in the ass on that. You don't really have anything more then a basic website with a basic ladder format & bandwidth.
No way that is costing you $200 per month & if it is you seriously need to be looking at how this is run.

It has more to do with the technology than the horsepower. The main challenge is the SQL Server. We have tried lighter hardware and it simply chokes. In theory we could roll it back, but you see the performance drop pretty quickly.

And a $200 funding target builds up a small, but needed warchest.

And in response to the "OMG USE LAMP" or wtfever people want us to do - we know. I would love to rebuild the site in a more effective technology, but I there are 2 limitations

1) I dont have time to do it myself.
2) I really dont do that stuff anymore.

I'd be happy to entertain volunteers. Until then, we have what we have.

SQL Server - I'm assuming that's the database for the forum.

So I'm curious...what is the forum software used here? Was it all custom written years ago?

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Originally posted by: Cummins aka RomneyBot
I woke up at like 8 am, woke her up and she told me she needed to be honest. She said I fucked both your friends last night. I dont know why I did it. I punched a hole in the wall because I realized how stupid I was. Then I looked outside no sign of any rain. <--update Jun 1st, 2012.

i frequent 4 forums.

teamwarfare, tribalwar, godlikeproductiuons and abovetopsecret.

* not in that order.

there are ways to get this forum funded without banning people who bring a draw by having a minor monthly donation by making those people admins for their threads.

this forum is old and it shows.

by allowing any poster who starts a thread to then be able to monitor said thread because they donated to the site, will not only help you admin jobs but will entice more people to donate in an attempt to become an admin for their threads and viewership will rise.

i know it sounds crazy but on glp, thats how it goes and its pretty awesome.

OP is admin of said thread and the only people who can do it are those who donate.
Post edited by samUwell at 12/10/2013 2:07:05 AM

Start charging for bans. Like I'll give you 50 bucks and I get to ban someone for two weeks.

Profit.

If this all comes down to money to keep this place around I'll send you $1200 to cover half a years costs so you can put resources into upgrading the site.

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
If this all comes down to money to keep this place around I'll send you $1200 to cover half a years costs so you can put resources into upgrading the site.

And for SC doing so......give the guy a special "fuck it button".

One that mimics a nuclear launch pad so he can ban certain people if he so chooses. Even if just for an hour or two.

Spice this place up a little
Post edited by Mockery at 12/10/2013 12:22:23 PM

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
If this all comes down to money to keep this place around I'll send you $1200 to cover half a years costs so you can put resources into upgrading the site.

Why don't you fund TWL v2 so @01-01-2014 we have a new beginning? You even can have a seat at the table with Juiflix then.
Post edited by -Napir^ at 12/10/2013 1:34:12 PM

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Originally posted by: Cummins aka RomneyBot
I woke up at like 8 am, woke her up and she told me she needed to be honest. She said I fucked both your friends last night. I dont know why I did it. I punched a hole in the wall because I realized how stupid I was. Then I looked outside no sign of any rain. <--update Jun 1st, 2012.

SC will be TWL's sugardaddy.

Look...I'm not fucking around here. If we need a few dollars to keep this place relevant and reasonably modern, let just do it. I like this place. for the most part everyone is a decent human and its not a bad place to hang out.

I think by modernizing the site it would attract more users to the gaming side. More users = more revenue, either by donations or ad revenue.

Lets shit or get off the pot already. Someone in charge email me and we can work out how to get you some funds.

I did mention that you are serious SC, so lets see what happens.

Given that TWL 2.0 started about...oh...4 years ago, shouldn't we be on, like, TWL 8.0 by now?

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
Look...I'm not fucking around here. If we need a few dollars to keep this place relevant and reasonably modern, let just do it. I like this place. for the most part everyone is a decent human and its not a bad place to hang out.

I think by modernizing the site it would attract more users to the gaming side. More users = more revenue, either by donations or ad revenue.

Lets shit or get off the pot already. Someone in charge email me and we can work out how to get you some funds.

While it would be great and nice of you, I am not giving up Killet for you if this is your idea for that.
Post edited by Goddess Wolfie at 12/10/2013 4:17:07 PM

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GoddessWolfie
TeamWarfare News Director
Email: twlnews@gmail.com
IRC: #teamwarfare,
Follow TWL on: Facebook | Twitter | Steam

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
Look...I'm not fucking around here.

I don't think anyone that's been around here and knows your character was doubting it.

And big props to you for stepping up and actually getting involved to make it happen.

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
Look...I'm not fucking around here. If we need a few dollars to keep this place relevant and reasonably modern, let just do it. I like this place. for the most part everyone is a decent human and its not a bad place to hang out.

I think by modernizing the site it would attract more users to the gaming side. More users = more revenue, either by donations or ad revenue.

Lets shit or get off the pot already. Someone in charge email me and we can work out how to get you some funds.

Wow, nice of you! Props from here

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Stream: twitch.tv/philippovich
Twitter: @Philippovich

Originally posted by: Smiling Canadian
Look...I'm not fucking around here. If we need a few dollars to keep this place relevant and reasonably modern, let just do it. I like this place. for the most part everyone is a decent human and its not a bad place to hang out.

I think by modernizing the site it would attract more users to the gaming side. More users = more revenue, either by donations or ad revenue.

Lets shit or get off the pot already. Someone in charge email me and we can work out how to get you some funds.

I would consider assisting as well but my hangup is more on clearly delineated plans and expectations for the future of the site. As long as I've been lurking here I've never seen anything more then vague assertions as to the future intent of the administrators. I'm not looking for a monetary ROI but I won't just pony up for some gilded lillies.
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