New PS ads mid-thread

[quantum]

Has anyone noticed the banners appearing in between posts? 

Personally, I prefer the previous look where there was a banner at the top of the page.  Putting these banners between posts messes up the flow of the thread.  IMO those banners were more prominent at the top of the page. 

[Bob]

I was just coming over to here to comment.

The top banner ads were ok.  It look good.  I was wondering why someone made an ad their signature.  They're out of place in the body of the comments.

[dima_76557]

Has anyone noticed the banners appearing in between posts?

Yes. I think you can do this for guests, but not for registered members. Not my idea of a fine reading experience.

There is also a mistake in the announcement for guests:

77774 pianists, teachers, students
and piano enthisiasts can't be wrong

[quantum]

I'm seeing the banners while logged on. 

[outin]

I guess we'll get used to it...was better before though...

[dima_76557]

I'm seeing the banners while logged on. 

I meant to say the same, but I may not have phrased correctly.

[nilsjohan]

Thanks for the feedback. We are doing some tests, targeted at non members, which need to run for a few days in order to be evaluated. But it makes sense to remove the banners between posts for logged in users.

[ajspiano]

I certainly think its a little much for gold users to see adds mid thread..

But the forum is big, free and requires maintenance..  I can easily accept efforts to generate further revenue out of non paying members or guests.

[Bob]

Sounds like a money-making opportunity.

[ajspiano]

Sounds like a money-making opportunity.

This space for rent.  Ad space available here.  Get "the most" amount of ad space here compared to other forum members.  More space.

hahah indeed, only thing is you don't own the space - so you'll have to hope nils doesn't keep tabs on you.

[Bob]

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There.  I own that space.  I've claimed it.  It's Pianostreet squatting.  It's mine now.  I'm not giving it back.  I have rights... 'n stuff.

*Bob considers threatening copyright infringement and doing copyright shake downs on anyone who copies the idea.*  Or maybe I could license it.  Let someone else do all the work.

[outin]

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I've claimed ownership! And there's nothing you can do about it!

[ajspiano]

I wonder what rights the post authors have on forums if a forum owner decides to commercially publish any of the content?

[j_menz]

I wonder what rights the post authors have on forums if a forum owner decides to commercially publish any of the content?

Posters hold copyright in their contributions unless that is assigned under the terms and conditions of use.

[ajspiano]

Posters hold copyright in their contributions unless that is assigned under the terms and conditions of use.

Yes, I thought that was the case, but I'm a bit interested as to how they go about actually defending the rights if anything malicious happened. I've heard about a few people who got banned from forums and consequently lost control of their posts.

They just wanted to delete their content but were completely unable to unless the forum owner decided to lift the ban.

[j_menz]

Yes, I thought that was the case, but I'm a bit interested as to how they go about actually defending the rights if anything malicious happened. I've heard about a few people who got banned from forums and consequently lost control of their posts.

They just wanted to delete their content but were completely unable to unless the forum owner decided to lift the ban.

You could sue if your content was published elsewhere (unless the terms and conditions provided otherwise or the use was allowed under the fair use  provisions of copyright law). In practice, this is really only viable if  it is done for (significant) profit.

In terms of removing what was once posted, that isn't strictly copyright. There is an implied license to publish (on the forum) anything you post in a forum - common sense dictates as much. Whether termination of membership terminates that license would be open to argument and would depend to a degree on the terms/rules of the forum. Enforcement of any such right, in practice, would be impractical and expensive, and my gut feeling is that prospects for success (except in exceptional circumstances) would be rather meagre even if you were to take it to court.

[Bob]

I've claimed ownership! And there's nothing you can do about it!

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Reclaimed.

I'm not going to do anything with it. My plan is to hold onto it for a while and sell it to developers.

[outin]

Reclaimed.

I'm still in there though...

[j_menz]

Reclaimed.

I'm still in there though...

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[ajspiano]

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Now there's no getting it back.

[j_menz]

Now there's no getting it back.

[dima_76557]

But the forum is big, free and requires maintenance..  I can easily accept efforts to generate further revenue out of non paying members or guests.

I would rather make the underlined part "non-contributing members". The people who contribute actively (not necessarily with money, but by writing interesting stuff that attracts readers) already help to enhance the value of this resource, and also deserve to have their voices heard.

[ajspiano]

I would rather make the underlined part "non-contributing members". The people who contribute actively (not necessarily with money, but by writing interesting stuff that attracts readers) already help to enhance the value of this resource, and also deserve to have their voices heard.

Yeh fair enough, difficult thing to isolate perhaps..  only nils would have good stats on the number on non contributors be they guest of member that spend time here.

It also depends on what revenue he gets out of the ads though..  there might be masses of exposure to the forum from silver/guest comparatively to gold, and the forum itself may also produce limit revenue..  the money comes from gold members, who may well remain gold members regardless of the forum because they are here to get the sheet music.

I didn't mean to single out valued silver members such as yourself and suggest you should be targeted with ads and me not as a gold member.. I'm just thinking aloud about the business side of the forum.

[j_menz]

*** wonders if anyone else has noticed that they are gone anyway.............

[ajspiano]

*** wonders if anyone else has noticed that they are gone anyway.............

Didn't actually see them to begin with..

[dima_76557]

Yeh fair enough, difficult thing to isolate perhaps..  only nils would have good stats on the number on non contributors be they guest of member that spend time here.

I would be in favor of a "Like" feature for posts, the total results of which only the admin can see. In that way, he could easily separate the wheat from the chaff, and punish/award accordingly.

[ajspiano]

I would be in favor of a "Like" feature for posts, the total results of which only the admin can see. In that way, he could easily separate the wheat from the chaff, and punish/award accordingly.

I strongly fear how I would be graded. No doubt I'd end up running away for all the ads promoting correct use of apostrophes, and J_menz could take a holiday from busting me up ov'r it.

More seriously though, that would be a pretty good idea. Assuming no one maliciously abused it, which I doubt they would since the figures wouldn't be public.

[j_menz]

correct use of apostrophes, and J_menz could take a holiday from busting me up over it'.

it'   

Sigh!  My work is never done. 

[ajspiano]

it'   

What are you talking about?

[dima_76557]

More seriously though, that would be a pretty good idea. Assuming no one maliciously abused it, which I doubt they would since the figures wouldn't be public.

If it's only "Like" without "Dislike", no particular risks of abuse involved, I think. And if "friends" promote "friends", regardless of quality, so be it. Personally, I can easily live with that idea.

[ajspiano]

If it's only "Like" without "Dislike", no particular risks of abuse involved, I think. And if "friends" promote "friends", regardless of quality, so be it. Personally, I can easily live with that idea.

I just clicked on the "did you find this post useful : yes" button for you. If its already in place you're potentially one up on me so far today. Unless people really liked my american flag earlier..

[dima_76557]

I just clicked on the "did you find this post useful

Thank you for your good intentions, but does that feature really work? From some older posts, I understood it was there "just for show"; inactive that is.
P.S.: I can imagine the "No" part is likely to be abused.

[j_menz]

What are you talking about?

Don't pretend you don't know.

you're potentially one up on me so far today. Unless people really liked my american flag earlier..

She's two up if dislike goes negative.  

Thank you for your good intentions, but does that feature really work? From some older posts, I understood it was there "just for show"; inactive that is.

It actually serves no function at present as far as I can see, though Nils may have a secret database somewhere to keep himself amused.

[ajspiano]

Thank you for your good intentions, but does that feature really work? From some older posts, I understood it was there "just for show"; inactive that is.

I did click it, but I don't think its actually functional..  or atleast, if it is (maybe it is recorded in the back end) it obviously doesn't display anything out here and I don't think nils uses for anything either... 

so maybe we all have a secret rating that no one actually knows about. If the link is there it probably does do something given that its a working built in part of the smf package, and I see no reason to modify it to then do nothing with it..

[outin]

so maybe we all have a secret rating that no one actually knows about.

Some of us may actually be secret agents...

[ajspiano]

She's two up if dislike goes negative.

Bastard.

On another forum I used to frequent that had a public scoring system of that nature one of the most well respected members had a score that was bordering on negative 4 figures. Maybe I'm that guy here.

..probably not. (my negative score will be because I'm an ass and rarely answer questions in a helpful manner anymore)

Some of us may actually be secret agents...

maybe I am.

[dima_76557]

Some of us may actually be secret agents...

I was told that the work of some secret agents is so secret that they don't know themselves what they're doing, so you may well be right.

[ajspiano]

I was told that the work of some secret agents is so secret that they don't know themselves what they're doing, so you may well be right.

I was accused of either hacking PS, or being in cahoots with nils..  maybe I really did or was? 

[outin]

I was accused of either hacking PS, or being in cahoots with nils..  maybe I really did or was? 

Yeah, that will forever be a stain on you otherwise good reputation

[Bob]

Hm.  Looks like the ads went away.  And someone removed my eye catching signature. It's all a big mystery.... 

[Bob]

Nils said I'm not allowed to sell or rent signature space so he had to remove my signature.

Oh well. My plans to rule the world are foiled yet again. 


























*Bob takes another piece of the forum...*   Shhh.....

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*Bob scans the horizon.*  Looks unlimited from what I can tell.  No end to it.   *Bob contemplates the possibility of snail driving across the undeveloped sections of the forum.*  The French would pay a lot per snail head....   *Bob wonders which way France is.*

[lostinidlewonder]

I don't even think that administrators here listen to anything we talk about on this forum unless it by coincidence falls in line with the very few changes they are intending to do. Look at my thread clearly highlighting an error in the page, how easy it is to correct wrong text, yet it hasn't been done for still half a year after it was mentioned.

In all honesty this forum is extremely laggy when it comes to upgrading it which is a shame because many members have many good ideas to improve the community but we get ZERO feedback from admin.

[Bob]

I think the ads are back, or I just noticed them again.

If you don't log in, you get ads in the middle of the threads.  Log in, ads are gone, banner ad back on top.