Why has this site turned into one big ad! Once again sold out for the money!

[Mrbill83]

Site has turned into one big ad.

 

[RX8]

Do you think this site has a zero cost to maintain? If you don’t want to see ads then you could pay $15 to become a member as members don’t see any ads.

 

[pedro47]

Tell it liked it is. There are costs incurred to run this website. IMHO.

 

[iowaguy09]

Do you think this site has a zero cost to maintain? If you don’t want to see ads then you could pay $15 to become a member as members don’t see any ads.

Here, here! TUG membership is the best $15 I’ve spent so far this year!

 

[emeryjre]

Trying to keep a website/forum server in operation has become expensive. Maintaining server security alone has become a significant cost. Trying to do it with just advertising has become a problem as people now use ad blockers and no revenue comes from casual users. You can have a year of using site without ads for the cost of a burger and beer at your local pub.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I agree with everyone who said spend $ 15 and support a great user forum.

FYI - ads are what funds most media sources.
Guttenburg was printing a product to sell in the 1450's

 

[Passepartout]

Y'know, THAT's a perk of membership I'd overlooked. When I mention it (membership) to new guests, I emphasize the reviews and sightings (that guests don't see), not the NO ADS clean-up that to me it well worth the price of admission. Best $15 timesharing expenditure EVER!

If this tips any guests over to joining, feel free to use my username as a referral. I can use the 6-month extension on my TUG membership too.

Jim

 

[presley]

I've never seen ads, but after reading all these follow up posts I guess that's because I am a member.

 

[RX8]

If this tips any guests over to joining, feel free to use my username as a referral. I can use the 6-month extension on my TUG membership too.

That is a good point, Jim. It can be LESS than $15/year. By paying $30 you get three years of member access. It could even be FREE if one writes enough reviews or has referrals.

 

[silentg]

That’s why I write reviews! Also it helps to see other reviews for places I may think about going.

 

[Sandy VDH]

There are ads, LOL. I have been a member for years and didn't realize that there were ads.

 

[AwayWeGo]

The main purpose of newspapers (when that industry was still viable) was not to inform the public about events & actions. It was to attract eyeballs to pages that businesses would pay to advertise on.

The true motto of any newspaper is not All The News That Fits We Print. The newspaper's real motto is All The News That Carries The Advertising -- i.e., about 1 page of reading material for every 2 pages of advertisements.

The cost of a magazine or newspaper home delivery subscription mainly just covered distribution. Ditto the price of copies sold at newsstands. The cost of editorial content & printing & profits (if any) came from advertising revenue.

It's pretty much the same for radio & TV programming & no doubt something similar for digital content delivered by internet.

Increasingly, idividual customers can follow their own preferences about putting up with the ads on the 1 hand, or on the other hand paying for ad-free access.

Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[SteveinHNL]

I never realized there were ads here because I happily paid my $15 early on. Tremendous value for that $15 btw.

 

[Quiet Pine]

I've never seen ads, but after reading all these follow up posts I guess that's because I am a member.

Ads? Honest? I had no idea. Never saw a single ad. As American Express said in the '90s, "membership has its privileges."

 

[TUGBrian]

ads are certainly disabled for members.... although there has been no change to the ad layout format for guests/visitors in many years. We have no popup or full screen super annoying ads that im aware of!

but yes, we run google ads across all the TUG sites as part of the revenue stream...and is one of the very reasons we have never raised the membership price in nearly 30 years!

 

[DeniseM]

Mrbill83 - In 3 years, you have 7 log-ins, and a grand total of 3 posts. Thank you for your loyal patronage, and constructive criticism.

 

[TravelTime]

I have never noticed any ads on this site.

 

[DeniseM]

If you are a guest, and are logged in as a guest, there are Ads.
If you are a paid member, and logged in as a member, you don't see them.

 

[Pathways]

Site has turned into one big ad.

Mr.Bill - OHHHHH NOOOOOO!! Mr Hand says "What ads? I don't see any. - But Sluggo has reminded me I am a MEMBER, and the ads are a special benefit only allowed for NON-members.

 

[TravelTime]

If you are a guest, and are logged in as a guest, there are Ads.
If you are a paid member, and logged in as a member, you don't see them.

Ha, ha. So MrBill83 is complaining about ads because he is too cheap to pay $15 a year! Joke is on him, I guess.

Thanks for pointing out that paying members do not see ads. That was a smart way to set up TUG. If it is not posted already, perhaps mention to guests that if they do not want to see ads, they can become a paying member and support the community directly. Otherwise, they pay with their eyeballs.

 

[DaveNV]

Wow. Tough crowd.

Dave

 

[billymach4]

Site has turned into one big ad.

Mr Bill. You have turned this into one Huge Ad for Tug Membership.

 

[davidvel]

Site has turned into one big ad.

What do you do for a living, or did you do? Sell insurance? Do/did you do it for free?

 

[Mongoose]

Great site. Great community. I'm a member so I never see adds. Someone always wants everything for free. I guess they feel entitled to your labor. Sad really.

 

[Makai Guy]

TUG Members -- just log out of the BBS to see what the BBS is like with ads.