Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Sneaky new MR pop up ad Locked

6134 views
44 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Monday, March 12, 2018 6:55 PM

cowman

 ...the host needs something to cover the costs. 

 

The costs are covered, all or in part, by the PR benefits of hosting a forum, plus ads for Kalmbach being free.  For Kalmbach.

Including the above with the profits of selling ad space either puts the project in the profit or loss column.  And such information is unlikely to be revealed here.

And whether allowing "irritating" ads changes it from one to the other is also unlikely to be revealed here.

Ed

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, March 12, 2018 8:10 PM

 I don;t see any ads from doubleclick on any websites - adblock does a good job of killing them. I do get them using the Facebook app on my iPad though, always the "You've won a free iphone" one. I don't remember any more, I may have pointed the various doubleclick sites to 127.0.0.1 in my hosts file.

 I do see ones the Kalmbach puts up, right now it's the one to enter the Play It Forward sweepstakes.  The rest are static ads on the main page. Like I said, I come in with mrr.trains.com and avoid a lot of stuff.

                                                   --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Farmington, NM
  • 383 posts
Posted by -E-C-Mills on Monday, March 12, 2018 8:47 PM

In the last couple months or so there has been a pop up every time I open a thread.  Sorry, but thats annoying and nobody likes pop ups.  I dont understand the concept of annoying somebody to get them to buy something?  Maybe its just me.

I dont see any other advertizing (other than the subscription ad on the top banner and the e newsletter on the side bar).  There is a lot of empty space on the side bar that I would think would be a great place for advertizing.  Maybe its a coding issue but if it were me, I would sell ad space on the side bar where the users online box is.  Every time a new page is opened, I would rotate a clickable static ad there.  This way the ad does not get stale, but not intrusive.  I'm not annoyed and much more likely to click on it.  Too much is a bad thing if it gets too busy over there, the ads wont get noticed.

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Culpeper, Va
  • 8,204 posts
Posted by IRONROOSTER on Monday, March 12, 2018 9:24 PM

The MR (and Kalmbach) ads don't bother me.  Nor do the others relating to model railroading - sometimes I see something interesting I didn't know about.  Easy enough to close when I want to move on.  I don't even mind the ad emails I get, in fact I find some very interesting.

I am a subscriber and long time member of the forum.  I hope both last a long time.

Paul

 

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, March 12, 2018 11:47 PM

Thank you for sharing your points of view.

I recognize that Kalmbach has to recoup its costs through advertizing. However, as has been suggested by several posters, there are 'good' ads and 'not so good' ads. I read lots of ads but not the ones where they are shoved in my face. My point with starting this thread is that the mid sign-in pop up really irritates me. Please at least let me sign in before the ads start.

Part of my problem is that for reasons unknown my browser has stopped keeping me signed in to most of my popular websites. I haven't sorted that out just yet so I am having to constantly sign back in to the sites. That is annoying enough without having to wade through pop ups every time I sign in. MR is the only site where I get the mid sign-in pop ups by the way.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • 2,980 posts
Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, March 12, 2018 11:56 PM

Earlier the "Users online" section had a member by the name of "Credit Repair Austin TX" online.

Users Online

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 12:29 AM

NWP SWP
Earlier the "Users online" section had a member by the name of "Credit Repair Austin TX" online.

Those have been cropping up for at least a year now. Usually between midnight and 5 AM eastern time.

 

Here's another example:

There was some discussion about them in the Diner a few days ago. Some of us thought this was the reason that the right-side panes disappeared for a while.

At the moment there is a "User" by the name of Bay Area Footcare!

Our doctors are substantially trained in all aspects of foot and ankle surgery including common foot problems such as bunions, hammertoes, heel spurs, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis and shin splints.

Address :  2299 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115

Phone: 415-292-0638

Hours: Mon - Fri  08:00 AM to 05:00 PM, Sat - Sun - Closed

website: https://bayareafootcare.com/

Might be a good excuse for me to take a little vacation to the SF Bay area and get my toenails trimmed Whistling

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 5:09 AM

Steven Otte
 
bearman
carl425 

Limit access to magazine subscribers only and build the cost of the forum into the subscription cost. 

This idea begs the question of how many non magazine subscribers are there on the forums? 

Past surveys have shown that most Forum users are not subscribers.

My sense, from the number of views on some threads, is that not only are most forum users not subscribers, but most forum viewers are probably not even registered forum members.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 6:21 AM

hon30critter

MR has apparently discovered a new way to get 'pop up' ads past my Ad Block. Recently when I go to sign in to the forums the sign in procedure has been interrupted by a pop up ad. I am so annoyed by it that I have deliberately refused to read the ad so don't ask me what it's all about. My point is that this is one more example of MR doing something that I'm not happy with.

At the risk of offending the powers that be, please share your feelings about this new affront to our sensibilities. I would ask that the forum members restrict their comments to this particular 'pop up' issue. Please do not turn this into a female dog session about every perceived fault that you can find with MR!

Steven, please understand that I am just trying to communicate to you the forum members feelings about this new annoyance. You can delete the thread if you wish, but that won't change the way I feel. I suspect that many others will share my opinion.

Respectfully,

Dave Warnica

 

 

It's a pretty simple question:  Running the forum costs money.  Who would you rather have pay for it; you or advertisers?

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: New England
  • 6,241 posts
Posted by Jumijo on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 6:42 AM

The pop up ads are a PITA and a poor reflection on MR. Annoying your customers is not good business.

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 1,835 posts
Posted by bearman on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 6:51 AM

It seems to me that if you dont like the ads, then, like any other business you can decline to patronize it.

Bear "It's all about having fun."

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by JoeinPA on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 7:56 AM

I'm not bothered by the pop up ad. It pops up and then is gone in a couple of seconds without me doing anything. No big deal. I'm using AdBlock on a Windows 10 laptop with Google Chrome.

Joe

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Fruita, CO
  • 541 posts
Posted by slammin on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 8:14 AM

I frequent a few automotive sites (Model A Ford, Miata) that solicit donations to keep the sites going. I make a small monthly donation to one and an annual donation to another.  Like public radio and TV, there are many more  viewers/listeners than donars.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 8:16 AM

gmpullman
Might be a good excuse for me to take a little vacation to the SF Bay area and get my toenails trimmed

I think we need this emoticon  

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

Moderator
  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Waukesha, WI
  • 1,764 posts
Posted by Steven Otte on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 8:55 AM

BigDaddy

 

 
gmpullman
Might be a good excuse for me to take a little vacation to the SF Bay area and get my toenails trimmed

 

I think we need this emoticon  

 

 

And that seems like as good a time as any to call it. Say goodnight, Gracie.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!