Sponsored links are back?

[Feath]

Big deal, there are links in your post. If you don't like them, don't click them. If other people click on them, they're not going to be stupid enough for blaming you for putting it there, you underestimate people on the internet (I never though i would say that). And if they do, it's their problem not yours, and just tell them the advertising scheme. If it means a better HL2.net, then let it be done.

Have you even read any of the posts?

 

[ComradeBadger]

Right here's my view on this.

Let's start with the very reason we're using these ads: supposedly to pour money BACK into the site.

This advertising method is more focused towards the site and will hopefully give us the income needed to purchase more web servers and gaming servers for the community to use. At the moment google ads simply don’t get anywhere near that.

We don't need more webservers, and game server providers (such as http://www.b33f.co.uk/ ) are quite happy to give us game servers free of charge in return for a little banner - if you treat the companies nicely.

Oh, and the reason the google ads don't provide any revenue is becuase they are rubbish. They also don't get much per click. I, like tGB and SM fail to see what this money would actually be used for. The off chance that we would somehow loose our hosting (very unlikely unless Munro decides for whatever reason to tell them to **** off) is not something that needs a large amount of preparation and funds. Many companies would happily host this site for no charge - with a banner of course.

Additionally, Half-Life 2 is going to be round for a long time. If this site stays along the same lines as it is now then the whole place will get stale and boring very quickly. With no new features, no new equipment and technology, with nothing fresh to offer then we'll quickly be overtaken by sites like HLFallout. Other sites like CSNation are doing the same thing with IntelliTXT, so have IGN been. Other sites are likely to follow as well.

Adverts do not make a site fresh. Money will not make a site fresh. If we get overtaken it'll be down to the fact that there is no reason for people to come here - no/bad content old/badly posted news. I'd actually LOVE to see what 'new features' and technologies this advertising revenue would get..

However, if you have any ideas that you think would be better than IntelliTXT that would enable the site to move forward then please make a new thread and tell us. If there is something that everyone agrees is a better idea, it will be done. At the moment though, this is the best idea so please let us know if you have a better one.

There are fantastic alternatives out there - Alienware for example offer an affiliate program, where if anyone buys something through the banner on your site, you get a cut of what they spend. And that's the kind of thing that vistors to this site might actually be interested in. Look at IGN - they have adverts geared towards their vistors. The fact that in-txt links are something generally associated with spyware (GATOR etc) does not make people want to click them.

Other reasons for objection have been raised by others.

Sometimes I don't know why I *******ing bother

 

[BeaverMon]

Seriously, I thought something was wrong with my system, when ALL the sudden, I was noticing green links in posts.
I'm glad it's not my system, now I know what this thing is.

 

[15357]

For the continued safety and income of the Democratic People's Republic of halflife2.net and for all its members!

 

[Murray_H]

Seriously, I thought something was wrong with my system, when ALL the sudden, I was noticing green links in posts.
I'm glad it's not my system, now I know what this thing is.

I thought the logical conclusion would be to blame Steam. I head it's the cause of 97.3% of computer errors, the other 2.7% caused by windows (in general, even your house's windows), that little chimp desktop buddy thing, and faulty keyboards.

 

[wowyouareacow]

I would like to comment since I read this forum everyday(but dont post much sorry)

First off shouldent moderators and admins discuss this in the private section of the forum? Cause it makes things look rather messy if u know what i mean.

And second Munro started this site way back in the days and he has been keeping it alive for this long, sure moderator and forum admin come and go but Mundro stayed around.

If he feels that this site needs a little extra income then ok. Go for it.

If he wants to buy a bear from some of the money then go for it. You have earned it. Without Munro I would have missed the joy of sitting here waiting for valve to release hl2 and watching people discuss all the crazy parts of hl2 and all the rumors.

This site has given me some good times and good laughs.

Give me the adds and il press to f......

 

[ComradeBadger]

In fact nearly all of the admins have been here since the start of the site... and I've been a moderator for over 2 years.

And if this was raised in the staff forum it'd get ignored.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Anything but this kind of aggressive advertising, jesus.

I can't really put anything into the topic that hasn't been said by tGB, Starmonkey and ComradeBadger.
Here's to you, spearheading the fight against the most intrusive kinds of commercialism getting a tighter grip on the little guy.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I would like to comment since I read this forum everyday(but dont post much sorry)

First off shouldent moderators and admins discuss this in the private section of the forum? Cause it makes things look rather messy if u know what i mean.

Sure, if we were consulted about it in advance. We weren't.

And second Munro started this site way back in the days and he has been keeping it alive for this long, sure moderator and forum admin come and go but Mundro stayed around.

If he feels that this site needs a little extra income then ok. Go for it.

If he wants to buy a bear from some of the money then go for it. You have earned it. Without Munro I would have missed the joy of sitting here waiting for valve to release hl2 and watching people discuss all the crazy parts of hl2 and all the rumors.

This site has given me some good times and good laughs.

Give me the adds and il press to f......

This isn't about income for the site, it's income for Munro. And this isn't a one-man operation.

 

[Yuri]

We really would appreciate the support during the trial anyway so give it a go. Remember, it's only a trial... Bare with us.

You already had a "trial," Mr. D. Remember? No one liked it? So you stopped?

I must admit, HL2.net does have a significantly less amount of banner ads and stuff like that than other video game websites. But as others have already mentioned, maybe there is a reason that this site doesn't need as much revenue. And jumping from google ads to raping my posts to sell some random product is a bit much, wouldn't you say?

 

[Ennui]

I wonder what Valve thinks of the site director profiting off a site that they host for free at their great expense? If anything, I'd be willing to bet that placing intrusive ads such as these that go to Munro's pocket jepardize our hosting deal with Valve/Limelight much more than anything else would like you mentioned in your post, Chris_D.

I think Munro's a good guy and I like the rest of the staff quite a bit but I don't think these ads are necessary or a good idea.

 

[Pesmerga]

If he's anything like this avatar counterpart, he's a genius businessman.

 

[gh0st]

Since when does money buy content? Meh sounds like a real solution: throw money at the problem!

 

[Chris D]

Since when did anyone say the money would be used for content?

 

[gh0st]

Since when did anyone say the money would be used for content?

Um... you?

With no new features, no new equipment and technology, with nothing fresh to offer then we'll quickly be overtaken by sites like HLFallout. Other sites like CSNation are doing the same thing with IntelliTXT, so have IGN been.

Maybe its just the way its phrased, but thats certainly the impression that I got.

 

[Ennui]

Wtf kind of equipment and technology do you need to upgrade a website beyond a free uberserver from valve?

The ability to write and code are both free.

 

[StarMonkey]

This isn't about income for the site, it's income for Munro. And this isn't a one-man operation.

That's what I'm bothered about

 

[Zerimski]

I've been told to shut the hell up, so this is the last you'll see from me on the matter. Possibly on any matter.

 

[Ennui]

Never surrender!

 

[Sulkdodds]

Wait, you need money for more content? Does that mean we get paid now?

 

[Naudian]

This isnt soooo bad.
Popups and spyware are soooooo bad.

 

[Feath]

Since when did anyone say the money would be used for content?

Well, you implied it when you said this:

Additionally, Half-Life 2 is going to be round for a long time. If this site stays along the same lines as it is now then the whole place will get stale and boring very quickly. With no new features, no new equipment and technology, with nothing fresh to offer then we'll quickly be overtaken by sites like HLFallout. Other sites like CSNation are doing the same thing with IntelliTXT, so have IGN been. Other sites are likely to follow as well.

 

[ray_MAN]

I've been told to shut the hell up, so this is the last you'll see from me on the matter. Possibly on any matter.

Don't give in to facist rulers!

I am ultimately pissed off now that the ads are slipping into the post topics. :|

 

[diluted]

Even since I stumbled onto that IntelliTXT crap the first time and thought my PC had spyware, I've hated it. But I have pretty much every ad bl0cked now (including intellitxt) so I guess it isn't much of an issue for me anymore.

 

[Munro]

Personally I don’t see a problem with this way of advertising. It’s just a new method that hasn’t been exploited yet. I’m getting fed up with people who can’t put up with 5 green links per page to support the site and community they’ve been a part of for years. The adverts we have are hardly noticeable. Both the googleads and text links and integrated into the sites design. Would you rather we take another approach and have large flashing animated ‘hit the monkey’ adverts and popups? I’ve tried to be minimalist with advert display and I really think this is the best option.

Most of you must have noticed Halflife2.net is starting to get old and stale. This is because simply providing news and content is not enough. I want to start providing more community centred features. After the game dies in popularity I hope the community will still exist.

If we manage to get some decent income and not the pennies from google then we’ll be able to pay for a lot more great things for the community to use. Gaming servers is one of them. We’ve tried a few sponsors in the past and tried contacting a few new ones but with zero support and rubbish servers no one will use them. I want to be able to purchase and setup our own gaming servers for our community. You might say there are plenty of other gaming servers out there but that’s not the point. We as a community should be able to join up together on a server we have input on and have a great friendly game. I want people to see our servers in their playing list and know their forum friends will be on it. This doesn’t just apply to HL2 servers either, the community are actively playing other games now and it would be nice to setup servers dedicated for them such as BF2, Unreal, etc.

There’s also the clan scene I want to support. Wouldn’t you like dedicated leagues and tournaments with great prizes on our own servers? Both on the net and dedicated lans? I also want to be able to host a large number of files and other community sites and mods. This just isn’t possible on our current server.

There’s so much we could offer and I’m kicking myself because we can’t provide it. Right now I’m suffering a big lack of morale. We need that community spirit back and unless that happens its pointless this site being here with the only goal being to provide a home for users to spam. You can’t just rely on the staff to provide everything for you on a plate without some help. We need you, the community, to help as much as possible even if it’s just putting up with seeing some green links or clicking our banners once in a while. It’s sad we don’t even get 50 clicks a day on our advertisements even though we have over 32,000 unique visitors.

 

[StarMonkey]

As I said on msn, it takes more than small time adlinks to generate that sort of revenue, and if you want to do it then you're going to have to register as a business and start making some real money.

Things like leagues etc.. can be done now if anyone can be bothered to administer them. Most clans have their own servers, and I'm 100% certain that we can borrow some. People would be willing to participate without prizes, just the honour of winning a tournament has been enough for hundreds of leagues in the past.
Calling our current sponsored servers 'rubbish' is hardly going to win over any friends from other companies.

Hosting a large number of community sites and mods will take more money than you can get from adlinks, to achieve this you will need to sort out some deals to get real money.

The other side of this is that we have a dedicated server kindly hosted by limelight and valve. If they see the site making money, there's a chance that they will get annoyed and pull the hosting, then we're stuck with nothing at all.

People dont click the ads because they dont want to. Adding more ads hidden throughout peoples posts isn't going to make people more likely to click them, it will just piss off the community.
If you want to make something big of halflife2.net then you need to sort out some real revenue, not something that's based on clicks. If we get a gameserver next month through adlinks money, then the month after there are no clicks, are you going to say "oh well, no server this month because you lot didnt click enough links".

 

[Munro]

As I said on msn, it takes more than small time adlinks to generate that sort of revenue, and if you want to do it then you're going to have to register as a business and start making some real money.

It's possible to make a lot more money other ways yes but with the estimates I've received from the people behind this advertising it sounds like we'll just make the figures needed to provide the stuff I want. I've got a life outside this forum and a career that's going well. I don't have a lot of time to give to the site any more but I still want the best for it. Right now I don't want to give up my job and start making a business of gaming.

Things like leagues etc.. can be done now if anyone can be bothered to administer them. Most clans have their own servers, and I'm 100% certain that we can borrow some. People would be willing to participate without prizes, just the honour of winning a tournament has been enough for hundreds of leagues in the past.

Sure, people are happy to play without prizes but it would be nice to give them something as a reward. In my experience unless you've got servers you personally control then league nights are going to end up a shambles. Clans tend to 'forget' they're meant to lend their server out, have trouble setting up administrator privledges, argue with a clan they don't like and withdraw the server or like many other clans simply fold up and die. League nights are a pain organising already without another third party adding to the pile

Calling our current sponsored servers 'rubbish' is hardly going to win over any friends from other companies.

Well, when your servers go down for no reason and you can't get any support after two months of constant PM's and emails then you've got yourself a problem.

Hosting a large number of community sites and mods will take more money than you can get from adlinks, to achieve this you will need to sort out some deals to get real money.

Having looked at the prices of this I think it's feasible.

The other side of this is that we have a dedicated server kindly hosted by limelight and valve. If they see the site making money, there's a chance that they will get annoyed and pull the hosting, then we're stuck with nothing at all.

We'll hopefully be making money but that's only to create a bigger and better community. If Valve want to give us gaming servers and allow us to host other sites and files then I'd happily accept their offer

People dont click the ads because they dont want to. Adding more ads hidden throughout peoples posts isn't going to make people more likely to click them, it will just piss off the community.

Every little helps. There's a much higher income from ad links then previous advertising. Remember this is still only a trial we might not go ahead with it.

If you want to make something big of halflife2.net then you need to sort out some real revenue, not something that's based on clicks. If we get a gameserver next month through adlinks money, then the month after there are no clicks, are you going to say "oh well, no server this month because you lot didnt click enough links".

I think the addition of new community members who use our servers will help give the site more income to provide even more for them.

 

[StarMonkey]

I'll take this somewhere private now

 

[StarMonkey]

I would like to point out that I have not just received a bribe.

 

[Munro]

:naughty:

 

[Maxi]

I somehow dislike the deletion of peoples post, especially posts made by friends such as the posts by hectic glenn.

EDIT: Also ffs, don't edit people sigs. It's all big-brotherish.

 

[Pro[pH]et]

Well, when your servers go down for no reason and you can't get any support after two months of constant PM's and emails then you've got yourself a problem.

Munro, don't talk like the gameserver companies are taking a dump on you. I know from experience this isn't true.

I helped leetnet with your 'account' and you didn't not hold up your end of the bargain. Why beef.co is still with you is beyond me.

You sent me an email on the 7th of this month asking me about setting up a dedicated server. Even with the fact you took a dump on me and leetnet I decided to help you out by responding to your email. I never heard back from you. Not a 'thank you' or anything was heard.

That's pretty much how you treated Leetnet. You got them convinced to host servers for you, made a lot of promises with banners, tournaments and a lot of home page mentions. You did none of those things, instead you put in these gay text adds. Here you are again, trying the same tricks, in an attempt to gain things you either already have or at least had and didn't have the work ethic to maintain.

Do you even realize that a dedicated server for you to do all this stuff on is gonna cost you at least $100.00 US a month? If you aren't already close to that number then these ads won't get it done for you. You want to give prizes too? How much is that gonna run? You gonna give out the latest and greatest video card or something? Now you are talking some real cash.

If you do get this server for more content and gameservers who is gonna manage them for you? You are too busy with your career right? You gonna turn it over to someone else then complain when they aren't at your every back and call?

I've received from the people behind this advertising it sounds like we'll just make the figures needed to provide the stuff I want.

That right there proves you don't know what you are talking about. You gonna just believe whatever they tell you? You don't know what you are doing.

Providing the stuff 'you' want? It all seems pretty clear now.

It’s sad we don’t even get 50 clicks a day on our advertisements even though we have over 32,000 unique visitors.

Take a hint, would ya? If people want to buy something they'll find it on their own. They don't need to come to these forums to shop.

I have NEVER clicked an add at a web site to find something. I would bet many others are in the same boat.

I think the addition of new community members who use our servers will help give the site more income to provide even more for them.

I have tried this many times and didn't get any new members to my site. Pretty much everyone who is in to hl2 knows this place exists already. If you get 32,000 unique visitors and you can't make your money how is a gameserver gonna make that much of a difference?

Excuse me while I puke.

 

[The Monkey]

Aren't sponsered links the ones that appear in the text you write?

 

[Feath]

Yes, they are.

 

[Munro]

Munro, don't talk like the gameserver companies are taking a dump on you. I know from experience this isn't true.

I helped leetnet with your 'account' and you didn't not hold up your end of the bargain. Why beef.co is still with you is beyond me.

I'm not even talking about leetnet mate I'm referring more to b33f not responding to our queries.

You sent me an email on the 7th of this month asking me about setting up a dedicated server. Even with the fact you took a dump on me and leetnet I decided to help you out by responding to your email. I never heard back from you. Not a 'thank you' or anything was heard.

I haven't had any contact with you in months? I'm not quite sure what you're talking about.

That's pretty much how you treated Leetnet. You got them convinced to host servers for you, made a lot of promises with banners, tournaments and a lot of home page mentions. You did none of those things, instead you put in these gay text adds. Here you are again, trying the same tricks, in an attempt to gain things you either already have or at least had and didn't have the work ethic to maintain.

I didn't even make the Leetnet deal, Icarus did. All that was promised was a small banner on our home page and links on the forum which we did. In the end Leetnet decided to pack up and remove our servers without any notice. Interestingly they're still claiming to be our sponsor.

Do you even realize that a dedicated server for you to do all this stuff on is gonna cost you at least $100.00 US a month? If you aren't already close to that number then these ads won't get it done for you. You want to give prizes too? How much is that gonna run? You gonna give out the latest and greatest video card or something? Now you are talking some real cash.

I'm fully aware of the costs.

If you do get this server for more content and gameservers who is gonna manage them for you? You are too busy with your career right? You gonna turn it over to someone else then complain when they aren't at your every back and call?

I have many staff and many people willing to help, that's what the community is about.

I somehow dislike the deletion of peoples post, especially posts made by friends such as the posts by hectic glenn.

EDIT: Also ffs, don't edit people sigs. It's all big-brotherish.

What on earth are you talking about and what does it have to do with this thread? :O

 

[Pro[pH]et]

I haven't had any contact with you in months? I'm not quite sure what you're talking about.

Well, the email said it was from you. I guess I'm mistaken.

I didn't even make the Leetnet deal, Icarus did. All that was promised was a small banner on our home page and links on the forum which we did. In the end Leetnet decided to pack up and remove our servers without any notice. Interestingly they're still claiming to be our sponsor.

So, it's Icarus' fault? Are you the site director or not? Maybe you are only when it suits your needs? Maybe leetnet got tired of empty promises? At some point I would have thought maybe you would have realized that if you didn't do something on your end Leetnet would just leave you.

They do need to update their site.

I have many staff and many people willing to help, that's what the community is about.

I...I...I...so, who is this really about?

 

[Munro]

What exactly are you trying to get at? As far as I know we kept our end of the deal.

 

[xLostx]

Half life 2 dedicated server, servers , access control, XP professional, connection speed Windows XP SP2

*edit* hmm why don't the sponsored links work when I say the "special" words?

*double edit* I demand a bribe.

 

[StardogChampion]

Half life 2 dedicated server, servers , access control, XP professional, connection speed Windows XP SP2

*edit* hmm why don't the sponsored links work when I say the "special" words?

*double edit* I demand a bribe.

I don't know. Are you using Windows XP SP2? What kind of internet connection do you have? Maybe go into the control panel and check for Half-life dedicated servers.

*edit* You're right, it's borked.

 

[Maxi]

I think he turned them off. I'm not seeing them either.