Cafe Announcements 📣 Ads running on Cafesaxophone

[Pete Thomas]

Over the next couple of weeks we are experimenting with ads. Mostly these would not be shown to members, however as it's an experiment there are sometimes errors so please don't panic if you do see ads that don't seem relevant either to you or the site but do feel free to let us know in this thread in case they are something that has gone awry with the experiment.

Currently we only run very few (and relatively) unobtrusive ads but I need to review how we get revenue that helps us "keep the lights on" (I actually hate that phrase). Also what ptential revenue we could be getting which helps find the value of the site.

This does not include our own ads, e.g. the PPT ads at the top

 

[lydian]

Do what you gotta do as long as they aren't as intrusive or offensive as that other saxophone site. The ads and bots were that last straw for me over there. Would be a shame to ruin your site as well. I appreciate you at least being aware and in control of yours. I'll definitely let you know of the experiment makes the site unusable for me.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Do what you gotta do as long as they aren't as intrusive or offensive as that other saxophone site. The ads and bots were that last straw for me over there. Would be a shame to ruin your site as well. I appreciate you at least being aware and in control of yours. I'll definitely let you know of the experiment makes the site unusable for me.

It should not affect members at all.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The ads and bots were that last straw for me over there.

We won't be putting any bots on the site. But ads may be necessary but only for visitors not members. Clicks on ads are generally not members anyway. In fact they are generally visitors that aren't that interested in the site, hence they click on an ad. It's ironic but the better presented a site is, the worse it is for advertising as viewers get engaged by the actual proper content if we are doing our job.

For visitors it will start out very intense as I will then try to pair it down to more acceptable.

 

[mizmar]

It should not affect members at all.

Or

Chrome/Android

 

[wakyct]

I am seeing the ads, using Chrome and Firefox on Android.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Thanks for replies, exactly what we needed.

Those have now (supposedly) been killed

 

[Pete Thomas]

Those have now (supposedly) been killed

I'm not sure they have, need more feedback please to see if it is fixed

 

[Ghr9204]

I do not see ads in this thread using Opera browser in Android. This also includes "Too Hot To Handle", "Is AI Taking Over".

 

[mizmar]

Those have now (supposedly) been killed

They've gone for me 👍🏽

I can't see the body, so can't testify to them being killed or just hiding.

 

[PigSquealer]

Not seeing any. Logged in or out. Brave, Safari, Duck. iPad Gen10, 256GB IOS 26.6.2

 

[Pete Thomas]

Not seeing any. Logged in or out. Brave, Safari, Duck. iPad Gen10, 256GB IOS 26.6.2

That's odd because you should see them logged out. Between some posts in thread list and also below content.

EDIOT: (sic) Ah, I forgot I'd had them temporarily turned off as part of the experiment. On again now.

 

[PigSquealer]

Ah, I forgot I'd had them temporarily turned off as part of the experiment. On again now.

Still nothing. Duck or Brave. I even tried to view the Breakfast room. Nope. Can’t view unless logged in.
Push another button 🤣

 

[Pete Thomas]

Can’t view unless logged in.

Can't view what if not logged in?

 

[PigSquealer]

Can't view what if not logged in?

I even tried to view the Breakfast room. Nope. Can’t view unless logged in.

This my double check for being logged out

 

[PigSquealer]

@Pete Thomas
Very odd. Yesterday logged out. I tested viewing different sections. I couldn’t view anything in the “Breakfast Room”.
The Breakfast Room would open. I could see each member that posted, but every post content showed….
“You need to login to view this post”. Sorry I didn’t take a screenshot. Even more odd. I can’t duplicate this now on three different browsers logged out !

 

[Pete Thomas]

“You need to login to view this post”. Sorry I didn’t take a screenshot. Even more odd. I can’t duplicate this now on three different browsers logged out !

Yes you need to be logged in to view anything past the first page or two. That's expected.

It used to be the Breakfastroom was not visible (as are some subforums on SOTW like the lounge I think). but we changed it so that any threads that might be useful for SEO would show enough to Google to get indexed.

 

[PigSquealer]

Yes you need to be logged in to view anything past the first page or two. That's expected.

It used to be the Breakfastroom was not visible (as are some subforums on SOTW like the lounge I think). but we changed it so that any threads that might be useful for SEO would show enough to Google to get indexed.

Understood well. I can’t duplicate my experience from yesterday. Only report my findings and observations.
You don’t really know what members are seeing unless there’s feedback.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I can’t duplicate my experience from yesterday.

Which experience? What you described seemed nornal if you mean only seeing some of the messages in Breakfastroom.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The Breakfast Room would open. I could see each member that posted, but every post content showed….

Ah now I see what you mean. That should not be every post, just the posts past the first page or two…