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Giant Bomb Thread #5 - We love you, Ryan Davis

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feeble peanut said:
Seems like a serious case of entitlement to me (it's our right to get paid based on a bullshit business model that offers nothing for the consumer) . If anything, I should be the one getting paid having to look at product placement and ads.
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This statement is so bullshit that I'm sure it's already been pulled apart already, but just in case it hasn't: Nothing for the consumer? You get to read their content for free. Would you rather everything on the Internet was behind a paywall?

Alfredo said:
I wouldn't mind ads in the podcast at all.
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Same. Especially if they handled them the same way as they are on Comedy Bang Bang.
 
rogue_pigeon said:

This statement is so bullshit that I'm sure it's already been pulled apart already, but just in case it hasn't: Nothing for the consumer? You get to read their content for free. Would you rather everything on the Internet was behind a paywall?


Same. Especially if they handled them the same way as they are on Comedy Bang Bang.
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Without stating a position on this, consider that the "free" content that you are talking about is actually a form of advertising for their subscription service. #footinbothcamps
 
M3z_ said:
I think the problem with all this hate toward adblock from content creators is that they direct their frustrations at the users, when they should be directing it at the business people who employ them and put these business models into place. It's easy to tell your fan base that they should feel obligated to support your business model if they like your content, it is hard to talk to the people above you and demand change for the BENEFIT OF YOURSELF AND USERS.

Also this whole idea that many content creators have thrown around of basically saying if you don't like our ads then don't partake in our content because that is stealing is extremely short sighted in my view. You are daring your fan base to make you irrelevant and stop caring about you, that is the most backwards thinking possible. At least users of adblock still exist as traffic on your site. At least they still show that there exists a fan base that can potentially be monetized if you find a business model that works. I can't fathom the reasoning in someone's head that tells them it's better that someone never looks or touches their content than to enjoy it with adblock. This is just like the music industry, TV industry, and every other industry that has found their old dying business models threatened by technology. Every time the first people these businesses look to blame is their users.

I'm sorry that many of these content creators have people they know and respect losing jobs, but you can't tell me that is the users fault. "My friend lost his job because you won't engage with our shitty business model, and that's your fault for not burdening yourself with our problem". Never mind we have not attempted to work with the realities of today's technology, instead we will sit here and speak zealously of our right to earn our wage with this shitty model or die trying. This just does not make pragmatic sense.

How does one inspire a change in business model from the sites they enjoy if not adblock? Not visiting sites at all is sure as fuck a faster way to put people out of jobs than visiting those sites with a blocker. At least you have traffic numbers to leverage to business people.

I actively promote any business that will provide me with an ad free subscription model. I pay for Netflix, I pay for GB premium, I pay for amazon prime, I have paid for fighting game streams at times when I was into that. I fucking hate that my XBL and PS Plus accounts have ads, and I do not support cable and instead either watch netflix/prime or wait until I can purchase a show digitally/physically. Give me a business model that isn't terrible and I will be happy to engage with it, otherwise I know only one method to show my distaste without completely abandoning any level of support for a site.

Creators ask what would happen if everyone used adblock, I ask what if everyone took your advice and let your sites rot? You tell me which one offers a better chance at survival.
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Great post, 100% agree with you.
 
rogue_pigeon said:
To be honest, I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about there.
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How many people you reckon signed up for a sub without viewing any of this free content?

Not trying to single you out but people should recognize that GB use a hybrid model which changes the discussion
 
M3z_ said:
I'm sorry that many of these content creators have people they know and respect losing jobs, but you can't tell me that is the users fault. "My friend lost his job because you won't engage with our shitty business model, and that's your fault for not burdening yourself with our problem." Never mind we have not attempted to work with the realities of today's technology, instead we will sit here and speak zealously of our right to earn our wage with this shitty model or die trying.
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*applause*
 
I had a day one sub that I kept until a combination of CBS and lack of worthwhile content. Had them whitelisted until I got hit with some gross ads that split the screen in half with a curtain or something (maybe it was for Netflix?).
 
If people want to AdBlock Giant Bomb, that's their perogative. I just think they should lose the ability to complain about how most new features are Subscriber-only.

I think back to the complaint a while back about how there currently isn't a free regular live show. Ad Block is partly why.
 
DaBuddaDa said:
*applause*
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Giant Bomb specifically offers a subscription option that gives those users who are morally opposed to the very idea of ads. That model apparently does not adequately replace the revenue generated by the ad supported model. What other option is there for them to generate additional revenue that will sustain them? They could put more of their content behind the paywall, I guess, and hope that increases membership but I get the distinct feeling that those who don't want to currently pay and also choose to block their ads won't suddenly be convinced. If they are unable to collect money from advertisers, who else do they turn to other than their users to pay them directly to 100% fund their site?
 
It's easy to point out that it's shitty, quite another to give a better alternative. Right now, ads are the best thing we have relatively speaking, but you're free to come up with a new model. Unless you're (general you) suggesting everything should be locked behind a paywall, how else would you allow people to view content for free while still giving the creators enough money to live?
 
demidar said:
It's easy to point out that it's shitty, quite another to give a better alternative. Right now, ads are the best thing we have relatively speaking, but you're free to come up with a new model. Unless you're (general you) suggesting everything should be locked behind a paywall, how else would you allow people to view content for free?
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There are many ways to make ads less intrusive. CPMs on preroll video are way higher and offer a much better experience than in browser ads. I work for a company that uses ads. Our page loads are tripled because of them. Just look at a site with ads and go to inspector in Chrome and the network tab and see the process they take to load into the browser. It's asinine.
 
Dragon said:
There are many ways to make ads less intrusive. CPMs on preroll video are way higher and offer a much better experience than in browser ads. I work for a company that uses ads. Our page loads are tripled because of them. Just look at a site with ads and go to inspector in Chrome and the network tab and see the process they take to load into the browser. It's asinine.
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Are you talking about ads that play before the main video starts? Don't Giantbomb do that in the Youtube videos?

But yeah, that could work, although wouldn't increase bandwidth costs as well or is that paid by someone else?
 
I am on Day 5 of the GOTY Deliberations circa 2011 in my re-listening to everything and man, it is every bit as crazy and exhausting as I remember it now that we're down to discussing the top 2.
 
I have a webcomic. There's only a few ways for webcomic people to earn money, and advertising is one of them- and ad networks such as Project Wonderful exist that allow you to funnel that ad money back to growing your own readership.

AdBlock, by it's nature, would block these ads as well.

Frankly, if the ad isn't badly designed (and therefore takes forever to load), stays in it's little box, and isn't fraudulent, I don't see what the big deal is.
 
webrunner said:
I have a webcomic. There's only a few ways for webcomic people to earn money, and advertising is one of them- and ad networks such as Project Wonderful exist that allow you to funnel that ad money back to growing your own readership.

AdBlock, by it's nature, would block these ads as well.

Frankly, if the ad isn't badly designed (and therefore takes forever to load), stays in it's little box, and isn't fraudulent, I don't see what the big deal is.
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Video and audio ads are by definition a whole other thing. They already have unintrusive box ads for non-subscribers and I don't think anyone has an issue with that. Blocking the full site skins and weird Netflix thing they had a couple of months ago (and Jeff did apologise for the Netflix one because he hates that kind of thing) blocks the small unintrusive ones too, unfortunately.
 
Ashsturm said:
I understand where Alex is coming from but I lose sympathy when sites like GB have scripts from nearly 20 sites attempting to run on their homepage

jiu.png


I know it's something 1% of users would care about but that doesn't fill me with confidence from a security perspective
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This is actually a pretty bad thing that not many people care about. Also, their "sponsored links" ads are questionable, too.

bildschirmfotoxosfx.png
 
Rapstah said:
Video and audio ads are by definition a whole other thing. They already have unintrusive box ads for non-subscribers and I don't think anyone has an issue with that. Blocking the full site skins and weird Netflix thing they had a couple of months ago (and Jeff did apologise for the Netflix one because he hates that kind of thing) blocks the small unintrusive ones too, unfortunately.
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"Site skin" ads bug me as well. Like I said, if an ad stays in it's little box it's fine. I don't think Keenspot allows popup ads or anything on their network so I should be safe there.
 
I'm going to make a new service/app thing. You pay my app what you can afford (say, $10/month), it then tracks your browsing habits and divides up the cash based on how much time you spent on each website.

I'll call it stoptalkingaboutfuckingadblockinthisthreaditsreallyfuckingboring.ly
 
daycru said:
I had a day one sub that I kept until a combination of CBS and lack of worthwhile content. Had them whitelisted until I got hit with some gross ads that split the screen in half with a curtain or something (maybe it was for Netflix?).
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Arrested development on Netflix was the ad that did that.
 
Do we have any idea how many subscribers they have these days? I remember a long time ago during a BLLSL they have something like 10k? Might be misremembering though. Haven't seen a figure for it in a long time.
 
Jokab said:
Do we have any idea how many subscribers they have these days? I remember a long time ago during a BLLSL they have something like 10k? Might be misremembering though. Haven't seen a figure for it in a long time.
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I think I remember seeing a number around the upper 18,000 mark during the last BLLSL.
 
Internet economics is rough. It is one thing when you are creating web content as a side job, but when it is your only job and you are getting older and want some financial security, it gets dicey. It is almost like you have to sign up to a CBSi, then take a regular paycheck. Then you can always point to CBS when economic realities force you to do ads or get more visible sponsors or have the stars of CSI on your show.
 
daycru said:
Gerstmann drives a car worth more than many of our homes, if they can't make it, that's their issue.I had a day one sub that I kept until a combination of CBS and lack of worthwhile content. Had them whitelisted until I got hit with some gross ads that split the screen in half with a curtain or something (maybe it was for Netflix?).
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Hahaha. what???

he drives a Lexus IS350 as far as I know. That cars under 50k in the states.

How shitty are peoples houses down there? haha
 
I really enjoyed that Hearthstone Quick Look. I need to continue desperately ping ponging around the Internet to find a key.

I thought Brad would be unhappy to discover that it has an auction house and trading... but apparently it actually doesn't? Not sure how I feel about that.
 
demidar said:
Are you talking about ads that play before the main video starts? Don't Giantbomb do that in the Youtube videos?

But yeah, that could work, although wouldn't increase bandwidth costs as well or is that paid by someone else?
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Do they on youtube? Didn't know that. I use Roku/Boxee to play all the gb videos.

A 30 second video in front of videos that are 30 minutes? No. It would increase costs if they're using a third party video ad server like liverail but then they could traffic them accordingly. My company gets over $20/CPM for videos that are shit quality because they have content that people care about.

I do think ads on the internet are broken. Truthfully, if giantbomb did away with the ads and doubled their subscription cost for a year, I'd buy it still. Even though they're full of malaise at the moment they're still some of the best content I watch.

webrunner said:
I have a webcomic. There's only a few ways for webcomic people to earn money, and advertising is one of them- and ad networks such as Project Wonderful exist that allow you to funnel that ad money back to growing your own readership.

AdBlock, by it's nature, would block these ads as well.

Frankly, if the ad isn't badly designed (and therefore takes forever to load), stays in it's little box, and isn't fraudulent, I don't see what the big deal is.
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I agree with you. I looked on the site that I basically run (and which I have no control over which ad network we use) and for a single ad, it took 10 requests to process it. If you urge people to say hey, these are just simple HTML5 self contained apps that reside in a space 300 x 250 and don't slow down the page precipitously then cool. And I urge you to do so. Also if you run a web comic and want it on the iPhone, my old boss runs http://www.comicchameleon.com/. I can put you in touch with him if you want another way to get some money out of your comic.
 
Dragon said:
Do they on youtube? Didn't know that. I use Roku/Boxee to play all the gb videos.

A 30 second video in front of videos that are 30 minutes? No. It would increase costs if they're using a third party video ad server like liverail but then they could traffic them accordingly. My company gets over $20/CPM for videos that are shit quality because they have content that people care about.

I do think ads on the internet are broken. Truthfully, if giantbomb did away with the ads and doubled their subscription cost for a year, I'd buy it still. Even though they're full of malaise at the moment they're still some of the best content I watch.



I agree with you. I looked on the site that I basically run (and which I have no control over which ad network we use) and for a single ad, it took 10 requests to process it. If you urge people to say hey, these are just simple HTML5 self contained apps that reside in a space 300 x 250 and don't slow down the page precipitously then cool. And I urge you to do so. Also if you run a web comic and want it on the iPhone, my old boss runs http://www.comicchameleon.com/. I can put you in touch with him if you want another way to get some money out of your comic.
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I'm watching a quicklook on youtube right now, and there was no ad. I think the video ads on their site are twitch's doing.

Fox318 said:
I thought Jeff bought a Nissan GTR?
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He's got a Lexus. I remember it from when he drove to E3.
 
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