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[Motd] Popup windowANN.lu
Posted on 22-Feb-2000 21:34 GMT by Christian Kemp46 comments
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Through a temporary deal, I will be running a popup advert on ANN (Javascript-enabled browsers only). While I'm not really in favour of popups of any kind, I guess sometimes compromises need to be made. In this case the payout and therefore my financial well-being seemed to be a pretty strong argument. Notice that this is a temporary action. I'm also open to your comments and criticisms, please use the comments section on the right of this message.
Popup window : Comment 1 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Trizt on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I just hate this, but I understand that you need the money, I think all popups should be forbidden.
Popup window : Comment 2 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Bob C. on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
A smaller size popup would be far less offensive!
Popup window : Comment 3 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by AGregory on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I understand you may need the money, but if by "popup", you mean
those ads which overlap and hide the website one is looking at
without the user requesting it, I think it is a bad idea.
It makes the internet like an annoying carnival barker, who
doesn't let you enjoy yourself,,,but actually interrupts you
on your way....
I was hoping, that soon websites will advertise themselves as
"outside, unsolicited,interference, free!"...
Anyway, I still think you are providing a good service to us
poor Amiga users, but please consider a different(legal) way
of augmenting your income...
1 suggestion, might be to have one or two more advertisements from
big firms...or a bunch of little links to amiga companies....
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Popup window : Comment 4 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Christian Kemp on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 2 (Bob C.):
> A smaller size popup would be far less offensive!
640x480 is their minimum size. :(
Popup window : Comment 5 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Christian Kemp on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 1 (Trizt):
> I just hate this, but I understand that you need the money, I think all popups should be forbidden.
I'm thinking pretty much along the same lines as far as popups are concerned, but with the amount of money this one is paying, I just couldn't resist... :-/
Popup window : Comment 6 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Radcliff on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
ANN has instantly gone from "top rating" down to "kinda bad"!
Popup window : Comment 7 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Christian Kemp on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 3 (AGregory):
> Anyway, I still think you are providing a good service to us
> poor Amiga users, but please consider a different(legal) way
> of augmenting your income...
I pretty much tried everything else. :(
> 1 suggestion, might be to have one or two more advertisements from
> big firms...or a bunch of little links to amiga companies....
> Anyway, keep up the good work.
Big individual companies are not all that interested in sponsoring Amiga sites.
Agencies such as Flycast or DoubleClick require more impressions than I can
deliver in a month (250,000 and 1,000,000 respectively). I applied for Sonar-
Network (DoubleClick's new 125,000+ programme) but after I signed my contract
didn't hear back from them. BurstMedia said they don't have enough suitable
advertisers, so they can't target my site and therefore can't accept me back in.
ImageNetworks is having very few CPM banners, and is paying a very low rate at
these. All other networks rely on CPC campaigns, but since only very few people
are checking out the advertisers on here, that's no viable option either. As
for Eternity, they are a very nice sponsor, but it's a sad fact that nowadays
no Amiga retailer/producer/programmer/.. can afford to pay industry standard
rates for adverts. In fact, in my year-long quest, Eternity were the only ones
who were actually willing to sponsor me at a rate we both could accept.
I hope I made things a little bit clearer. :)
Popup window : Comment 8 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Bob Shirley on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
You know, how hard is it to close a window? All you people do is whine
about everything. This site is a great set of pages dedicated to the Amiga,
but a site like this costs time and money to produce and maintain. It seems everyone in the Amiga community has forgotten that nothing is free. Is it any wonder that company's are falling by the wayside when the users of a machine that hasn't had a hardware update since the early 90's pirate any and every piece of software that comes down the pike? Is it any wonder hardware company's have been going out of business when the majority of users don't update their machines? There once was a great Amiga community, but over the past few years it has become largely a group of bitter people that would much prefer to wait around for someone to do something with the amiga technology that will make it great again, while they are pirating the latest version of Miami or Ibrowse. If Mr. Kemp needs to make a little money off this site, who are we to complain? Its HIS site! Sheesh.....learn to close windows.
-Bob
Popup window : Comment 9 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Screyso on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 7 (Christian Kemp):
WOW that's a huge pop-up!
How about it if it popped up as a background window?? The advertisement would still be seen (when we close the important windows).
Isn't that acceptable by the advertisers?
Like everyone else, I dislike pop-ups, but usually (with xoom/tripod f.i.) they are smaller. Only porn sites open these big/full size windows as pop-ups.... err... someone told me... : )
Bert
Popup window : Comment 10 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 21-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I don't like pop-up's that much but it's to price to be paid for having
professional service as ann.lu is.
And, in the end, to close the pop-up is easy: just hit the mouse on the
close gadget o put it in the bg :)
Keep up the great work CK!
Andrea
Popup window : Comment 11 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Jay on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Some web browsers will suppress the banners..Users who use
AWEB 3.3 can select in the Browsers Setting . .Suppress Banner Windows..
Ummm Very helpfull..heheh.
Popup window : Comment 12 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Paul D. Ferguson on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I don't mind the popup - it worked for me.
Popup window : Comment 13 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Bill Bonner on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
OK with me. Thanks for the site.
Popup window : Comment 14 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Tin on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I wish u told us before u put it on.. I was cursing for a bit.
Popup window : Comment 15 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Scott Konowal on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
No problem. Since IBrowse 2.1 still doesn't know how to resize windows like
"pop-ups", I'll just turn off javascript for this site.
Popup window : Comment 16 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Mark Olsen on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I have Javascript disabled anyways, so i don't care.
Christian: You know it is possible to make a script keep downloading those banners, right ?
Popup window : Comment 17 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Len Carsner on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
People have three options:
1 - Turn Javascript off.
2 - If you use Ibrowse like I do, then set it to open at a smaller size.
The pop-up comes opens at the same size as your startup screen.
3 - Quit bitchin' and shut the window. Are you goning to let one nuisance
keep you from enjoying the site content?
Popup window : Comment 18 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Brad Devlin on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I really don't like it. Do you expect anyone to respond ontherwise? While I can understand the financial implications, it as annoying as those rennegade porn adds that can getcha.
Popup window : Comment 19 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Brad Devlin on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 18 (Brad Devlin):
I visit this site 6 times a day. I just hate the popup. Please get rid of it as soon as you can.
Popup window : Comment 20 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 17 (Len Carsner):
Welcome to the Amiga world of unprofitability.
Popup window : Comment 21 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Brian Kamman on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
PopUp's suck.
Luckily most of the time I hit ANN w/o Javascript so it's not a big deal.
Other Alternatives:
Subscription fee: Have others help support the site. I was a member of the Amiga Web Directory for a few years before they gave up the cause.
Used Amiga for sale page: Do bidding on Amiga hardware and software such as what Ebay does and collect a % of the agreed to price
Banner Ads - They aren't too much fun either but they are easily passed when scrolling down the page. There's various tech companies that should be glad to do some online ads.
Other: I work at an ISP - send me email and we can talk about hosting the site at my company and prices versus what you are paying now. There's probably less expensive ISP's then what you are currently using.
Popup window : Comment 22 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Lee Bosch on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 7 (Christian Kemp):
If the pop-up didn't shower us with cookies (including at least one from
Flycast!), it wouldn't be so bad. As it is, I'll likely use another news site
until it goes away. I will not be bombarded by this kind of cookie activity.
Lee Bosch
Popup window : Comment 23 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by James Russell on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
I think any pop-up big enough to obscure your entire screen is tacky. No that my site doesn't have a couple buttons, but 640x480 WOW. As for Javascript I won't turn off a perfectly good technology just to deal with a pop-up here and there. There is always that close button up there. But given that it's temporary I wouldn't think people should wig out too much. Just don't make it a habit. 640 is far too big for a popup.
Popup window : Comment 24 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Kent Seaton on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 7 (Christian Kemp):
> All other networks rely on CPC campaigns, but since only very few people are
> checking out the advertisers on here, that's no viable option either. As for
> Eternity, they are a very nice sponsor, but it's a sad fact that nowadays no
> Amiga retailer/producer/programmer/.. can afford to pay industry standard
> rates for adverts. In fact, in my year-long quest, Eternity were the only
> ones who were actually willing to sponsor me at a rate we both could accept.
Well CK, I have to admit I know that it is hard to find advertisers out there willing to advertise that aren't a CPC, I should know, it took me quite some time as well. I've been doing some digging and looking around to see about options of setting up a sort of ring for CPC banners for the Amiga but I have not finalized anything just yet with all the possible advertisers. It might take some doing to find them and you might have to offer services beyond the normal to get them, but trust me, they are out there. I do have a couple of plans that I have been working on for the past year and a half but the feasibility is edgy at best.
Best of luck CK.
Popup window : Comment 25 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by RoboChook on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 22 (Lee Bosch):
My God. I can't believe some of the things you people get worked up about.
This site is outstanding, both in design and content.
Big deal about a pop-up.
Put things into perspective folks!
Popup window : Comment 26 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
By the way, Netscape doesn't like your popup:
JavaScript Error: http://www.ann.lu/, line 6:
syntax error.
-->
..^
Popup window : Comment 27 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Antoine Chavasse on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Oops ! forgot to fill in my nmae in the last comment...
Just want to add that under IE4, popup doesn't show at all.
Popup window : Comment 28 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Cybes on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Pop-up JScript windows are INCREDIBLY annoying on the Amiga right now for IBrowse definately and i forget regarding Voyager. And they also have a tendancy to crash IBrowse 2.1 and freeze the whole system.
Popup window : Comment 29 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Eoghann Irving on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Well I want to thank CK. If he hadn't added the popup code to About.com
I wouldn't have visited the page and wouldn't have found out about their
affiliate program which just happens to be perfect for my web page.
Cheers :)
Popup window : Comment 30 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Mark Olsen on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 27 (Antoine Chavasse):
Who wants to use Exploder anyways ?!
Popup window : Comment 31 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by MashMan on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Running v³ here with js on, I don't get one
Popup window : Comment 32 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Steven on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
This popup is to help bring in revenue, yet it seemd to have th opposite effect as, like most popups, it put people off visiting the site therefore less money.
S..
Popup window : Comment 33 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
It's the full screen window that you get forced to goto AFTER the first pop-up add that gets on MY nipples.
Popup window : Comment 34 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Hasse on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Popups are annoying, but all you have to do is close the window. If you need them then keep them. Thanks for a great site anyway.
Popup window : Comment 35 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Christian Kemp on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 33 (Anonymous):
> It's the full screen window that you get forced to goto AFTER the first pop-up add that gets on MY nipples.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that. I changed the code this morning, so that the popup doesn't appear while loading the page, but upon leaving it ("exit console"). But you should always only see one single
640x480 window pop up.
Anyway, I'm not convinced with the results of the popup right now, so I'll wait
until tonight, 22:00, and see how much I made in 24 hours. Depending on that
figure, the popup will, or (most likely) will not stay another day.
Popup window : Comment 36 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Mike Pindzola on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Like Comment #26 I get the JAVA error also (here at work).
I generally agree that it is an annoyance but a tolerable one, considering.
My actual gripe is I get the popup each time I come/return to the main page, this is v.annoying.
In general this site is well worth the bumps in the road. Keep up the good work Mr. Kemp!
Popup window : Comment 37 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Mike Pindzola on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 36 (Mike Pindzola):
I take it back: I only get the java error each time I return to the main page.
Popup window : Comment 38 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Bob Washburne on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
CK,
1) The pop-up is annoying, but I can deal with it. BTW, just how do you
make money from it? Are you collecting a billboard fee just for having it
or do people have to actually click on it?
2) The ad is annoying, but the cookies are scarey. For those who may not know,
a cookie is a small data string which stores some information about you on
your machine where the web site can retrieve it. The INTENT of the cookie is
to save you from having to retype passwords, etc. every time you get a new page.
Kind of like getting your hand stamped when leaving the club/park for a few
minutes.
Cookies are uesed 1) by passworded sites to save typing, 2) shopping sites to
keep track of your shopping cart (the web is "stateless" and servers do not
normally keep track of what you just did. Cookies can provide continuity),
3) Advertisers to keep track of where you surf so that they can target you
better.
IN THEORY cookies can be set so that only the server which set them can retrieve
them. In practice, the security sucks and there are plenty of ways available
to "harvest" a person's cookies. Also, do you remember seeing any
confidentiality statement by the advertiser that they WOULDN'T sell the info
they gathered about you to everyone in the world? Spam, Spam, Spam...GET RID
OF THOSE BLOODY VIKINGS!
So who cares if companies find out what sites I visit? Well, here are a couple
of cases to think about.
-) Your friend, who doesn't know squat about computers, has a brother with HIV.
He asks for your help in finding information on the web. So you sit down with
him, show him how to do a web search and go to a few sites. Good community
service, but do you really want the insurance companies to know you were
visiting HIV sites? Strange things might start happening to your approval
and rates...
-) After the shootings in Colombine, CO the US school system became very
concerned about the threat from "geeks". Never mind the jocks who tormented
them (all geeks) and shoved dog feces in their face. Jocks are cool. No, we
must protect ourselves from the geeks. So the FBI (this is true) came up with
a test to determine if a person was a geek. They have not ofered any tests to
find bullies. Several school systems are implementing these tests and sending
our future engineers off to re-hab because they don't care about sports or
fashion. Now - all that being said - how comfortable do you feel about the
government harvesting your cookies (or just buying the information from the
marketers) and finding out that you frequent computer sites?
And maybe after all of this you still don't care. That is fine. But the point
is that this information is being gathered without our knowlege or concent.
At least now we know that cookies are being set here and we can choose to
disable them.
3) I like the idea of selling classified ads, independant of what you do with
the adverts.
Bob W.
Popup window : Comment 39 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Adam Szymczak on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 38 (Bob Washburne):
Bob take a few deep breaths and relax. All browsers have an option to disable cookies. If you (or anyone else) are that paranoid, then simply disable them. Then again I noticed that you do not appear to have a problem posting your name and email address in your reply - you don't think people could use that information to "monitor" you ;) Just what we need, more conspiracy theories.


I don't understand what all the uproar is about. Yes, the popups are annoying, but you can close them. Christian did explicitly state that they are a temporary solution. Then again it is so typical of the amiga zealots to want everything for next-to-nothing or better, for free.
Popup window : Comment 40 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Andre Page on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
At the About.coom site I found they pay $.05 per click through...
Before you close the popup window, click on something in it first.
Then Christian will make a nickel or two. The more he makes,
the sooner he can take it off or find something else.
As a way to show our appreciation for all his past efforts,
Let's all click like mad and make him a "rich" man! ;-)
Bye,
/ / / //ANDRE
Popup window : Comment 41 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by amorel on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
Some people sell even their mother for money..
Pretty stupid that popup if you ask me.
Popup window : Comment 42 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by buzz on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
well, since i don't browse at home with javascript
enabled it doesnt bother me so much but how much money is needed to
run this site? does noone do anything for fun anymore?
the day my website needs banners is the day i close it, because it
would mean i am running it for something else other than the enjoyment.
Popup window : Comment 43 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Christian Kemp on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 40 (Andre Page):
> At the About.coom site I found they pay $.05 per click through...
No, I am paid a fixed CPM for opening the popup window. Their 0,05$
affiliate programme is something entirely different.
Popup window : Comment 44 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Eoghann Irving on 22-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 42 (buzz):
Oh for christs sake!
Do you have the slightest conception of the amount of time and effort required to
produce a news site on a regular basis?
Or the time and skill involved in writing the scripts that keep
this site going and getting better?
You think you could run a site of this quality in your spare time
for free? Try it and see how long you last.
I am sick of whining cheapskates who expect every to do stuff for
them for free.
Christian is not just entitled to get some reward for his
efforts, he bloody DESERVES a reward.
Popup window : Comment 45 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 23-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 35 (Christian Kemp):
When I went from the main page to here, the ad popped up at a large size almost covering the screen but not quite (not sure of the exact size), that was fine, but if I waited until it had completly loaded, when I shut it, I got a new browser (full screen) window of the same ad. This did'nt happen if I jumped on the ad as soon as it appeared, and shut it.
It does'nt really matter, I was just curious why it was happening.
Don't worry about it.
Thanks for the site anyway.
Popup window : Comment 46 of 46ANN.lu
Posted by buzz on 23-Feb-2000 23:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 44 (Eoghann Irving):
> Oh for christs sake!
calm down :)
> Do you have the slightest conception of the amount of time and effort required to
> produce a news site on a regular basis?
yes
> Or the time and skill involved in writing the scripts that keep
> this site going and getting better?
yes
> You think you could run a site of this quality in your spare time
> for free? Try it and see how long you last.
yes.. i already run a site in my spare time for free and i think
its a popular site too
> I am sick of whining cheapskates who expect every to do stuff for
> them for free.
i think if you read your text its YOU who is doing the whining.
i only posted my opinion on it. i said i didnt really mind the popup
and just wrote a few comments.
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