Concern for YT’s Future:

Tofer · 12-21-2007, 11:49 AM

I just wanted to take the time and express my concern for the direction YT is heading. I know it’s mostly out of your hands now Corey, but the recent announcement from IB concerns me greatly. I really hate to hear the idea that there will be even MORE ad space, including the underlined word pop up ads, I understand that YT is now a business designed to make money for people. The hobby aspect of the website is dead, it is now all about selling the product of knowledge, which others have and will contribute. But ALL these ads and the idea of selling something seem to go against what this website was founded upon. I like the feel of YT and the atmosphere that is found here. I am a member of many other forums, including the forum I personally run, yet I still find myself always on YT. I am afraid that ALL the ads will drive me away from this place, (some of you may appreciate that

) but I don’t want to leave. I’m sure there are many others out there that feel the same way. I foresee the implantation of the new ads being the jump off point for a lot of people on this board, the straw that broke the camels back type of deal.

Sincerely,
Chris Eakland

Quote:

Originally Posted by IB Staff

The team at Internet Brands wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season and pass on some tidings for 2008.

Site Performance
The first big job for IB -- now largely complete -- was getting the sites onto bigger, better servers. We've also set up a system for superadmins to alert the IB tech team when there are site problems and for IB Tech to relay progress or questions back to those superadmins. We expect this will speed our fixes and improve communication all around.

Ads
We will be moving all of the ads into a centralized ad-serving system over the next couple of months. The new system should be faster for many ad formats and it will allow us to fix any glitches more quickly. Our goal is to make the transition happen without any impact on site performance, but please notify your administration team if you are noticing any serious advertising-related issues.

We are also adding a new tower ad unit to Yota-Tech. The tower ad performs well for our vendors on other sites, like Ford-Trucks.com and Audiworld. It will go in the right margin to minimize impact on reading and posting in the body of the page, while still giving vendors and other advertisers new display opportunities.

Lastly, we will be adding advertising text links to certain parts of the site. These are the ads that open in little windows when you mouse over them. While some sites have had these units for a long time, we're launching them in limited fashion on new sites, on archive and article pages.

Site Improvements
The Internet Brands team has been brainstorming product improvements for our enthusiast sites in consultation with superadmins and former owners. We've now hired developers focused on these sites (in most cases people who were working on these sites before acquisition), so we'll be able to start implementing some of those ideas in the new year.

We are still working on timelines, but some of the top priorities are:

- Search. IB Tech has been testing a new search engine on LS1tech.com, ThirdGen.org and one of our travel sites, FlyerTalk.com. So far the feedback has been positive, so we're refining and planning to begin deployment across other sites early next year.

- Upgrades to vBulletin 3.7 on vB-powered sites. As some of you know, Jelsoft is set to release the new 3.7 version by early January. There are new admin and moderator controls, tagging, improved functionality and, most importantly, strong social-network options like customizable member profile pages with blogs, photo albums and friend management. The new version is being road-tested on www.vbulletin.com, and you can see a preview at http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249460. We've been in close contact with Jelsoft (which is a division of Internet Brands), and we feel that 3.7 is a terrific stride forward for all vB-powered sites.

- Video. We are in the final rounds of choosing a video partner that would enable users to upload and share their own videos on enthusiast sites. There is strong demand for video and tons of great user-generated footage out there, and we're excited about providing the tools and venue to bring it all together.

Thank you for your patience, feedback and contributions as we roll out these projects. We feel yours is one of the best enthusiast communities in the world, and it deserves the best features and functionality.

Stanley Holt

DeathCougar · 12-21-2007, 12:00 PM

I was just about to post a bulletin about this!!

"Nothing is going to change" should have come with a * by it which includes

"Oh by the way we will add annoying ads at the top of the page, and we are going to sneak a tower ad in there too."

And those annoying as hell pop up ads when ever you move the mouse over certain words? I agree with Chris. This place was designed for the "hobby" aspect, and now its just all going to ads and bling bling.

I would really like to know what will happen to the money I contributed? The whole purpose of contributing money to the site was to avoid stupid things like Ads, popups, and the general annoyances that other sites have. YT is super simple and easy to navigate. But start throwing ads and popups and all the other BS in there and the usability goes through the floor.

I consider myself very computer savvy, but to have to wade through all the junk is a major PITA.

Hopefully our concerns will net a change or avoid such things, but if future follows history, our thoughts will go unanswered and unchanged and things will continue to degrade.

04 Rocko Taco · 12-21-2007, 12:01 PM

Chris, I for one have to agree with you on this. While I think a lot of people "saw" this coming when IB bought YT out, I think there were alot of people, including myslf who hoped it wouldnt come to this...
I, admittedly, dont spend as much time here now, I mostly lurk the classifieds and off topic, but I think this is the beginning of the end, for even some of the most loyal YT'ers.

DeathCougar · 12-21-2007, 12:07 PM

I used to post quite often on here. But the irritating ads, the stupid questions, and on and on have seen me posting less and less.

X-AWDriver · 12-21-2007, 12:23 PM

I was on the FJ board and they had a annoying Ford ad every few posts in their threads.

Too bad and I'll see how it does and see if the diffs are noticeable enough to annoy me.

Belize Off Road Team · 12-21-2007, 12:30 PM

i'm with you all too, it is sad that YT is moving towards more ads than helpfull information, hopefully the nitwits at IB will remove all those stupid ads from YT ad put them were the sun don't shine

Happy Holidays from Belize!

mtnfreak · 12-21-2007, 12:30 PM

The homogenization is upon us. Things work fairly well as they are - I say don't mess with it.
If changes must be made - tweak the search function. A simple search returns too many threads now. For example, from now on, anyone who searches for information on Chrome Bumpers will find this thread just because I typed in 'Chrome Bumpers'.
Also, disable the ability to 'quote' pictures posted in threads. There are threads on here that are 20 pages long and only contain 4 unique pictures.
As for the ads - I HAVE NEVER, NOR WILL I EVER, CLICK ON AN ADVERTISEMENT FOUND ON A WEB PAGE! They are wasted space to me. If text-linked ads start appearing in posts I will never visit this site again. If it costs me another 10 or 20 bucks to return this site to the member supported status it used to enjoy, then I will gladly step up.

MudHippy · 12-21-2007, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtnfreak

...I HAVE NEVER, NOR WILL I EVER, CLICK ON AN ADVERTISEMENT FOUND ON A WEB PAGE!...

X2 on that!

I'm tiring of having to look at/avoid looking at it all very quickly as well.

It has definetely detracted from the true nature of this site. Which has been for us members to support individual vendors on this site who have, essentially, earned our loyalty through good business practices and providing us with outstanding products.

I also have no intention of pointing the curious poster to these in-your-face advertisements for vendors, that haven't been approved by our members, for their parts and services needs. Why would I to recommend "www.FatBobsGarage.com" over 4Crawler.com or WabFab.org? I don't know about you, but when I shop online it is from reputable sources ONLY!

Get that crap outta my face! PLEASE!!!

***Corey*** · 12-21-2007, 01:00 PM

I have to agree with you on the ads.
The big FJ site I use has ads all over the place.
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/index...=active_topics
And IH8MUD has the underline text words you mention.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj-cruiser/1...questions.html

The FJ forum has the option in your control panel over there to turn off the underlined inteletext ads.
Will they do it here?
I suggested it.
As far as I know those inteletext ads will be for the archives.
http://www.yotatech.com/toyota-research/

As for all the banners and side tower ads like the big FJ site I use, many there report they see no ads at all.
It is called ad blocker, a plugin extension for the Firefox browser.
I myself have been meaning to download it to give it a try over there to see how it works.

Tofer · 12-21-2007, 01:15 PM

:pat: why would you go through the trouble of installing ads everywhere....... just to tell people to get an ad blocker!?!

if anything i'd rather have the archives be virgin with ZERO ads that way i can use google and search just the archives to come up with useful chit i'm looking for, vs having to wade balls-deep in ads on the main site, AND the archives.

just for kicks and giggles, i went to ford-trucks.com, clicked ont he first thread in the first sub-forum just to see what happens...... this scares me. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/686208-uaw-bonus.html

like i said before.... i dont HAVE to be here. i RUN a 4wheelin forum (www.pacific-crawlers.com.... Zero ads, smaller, more rib-poking allowed, more PG13ish) and i am a member of WATTORA, ORTTORA, national TTORA, Marlin Crawler, Ultimate Yota, Pirate, etc etc.... but i CHOOSE to spend alot of time here because of what it USED to be.

slosurfer · 12-21-2007, 01:22 PM

Chris, good post and very well put. I for one also will never click on an advertisement on any page. I think they will find that it is going to drive away those long term members that have a ton of info to share but don't enjoy having ads shoved at them. Of course, because of the wealth of knowledge that is already built here, they will always get the newbs to show up and join. Therefore, they could care less about the oldies but goodies, as long as their numbers are growing. It is now all about the almighty dollar. So a few members leave because of the added ads, they could care less, it doesn't dent their pocket book at all. (When I say "they" I'm talking about Internet Brands not the staff of YT)
I guess that is just the way it is now.

slosurfer · 12-21-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tofer

just for kicks and giggles, i went to ford-trucks.com, clicked ont he first thread in the first sub-forum just to see what happens...... this scares me. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/686208-uaw-bonus.html
.

Holy Crap! I'm not even sure if I saw any posts there or not.

hross14 · 12-21-2007, 01:28 PM

I was going to contribute--but why bother now--like all things--off to another site. I was also going to start adding to the Wiki on 3rd gen running gear....etc..info i have come accross while doing my build....

I wonder how many of us are going to get banned now for speaking out?

Tacoclimber · 12-21-2007, 01:28 PM

That was a forum board? I've seen commercials with less advertising!

JoKEpLaYeR · 12-21-2007, 01:36 PM

I'm glad Firefox, AdBlock and I became friends.

IB, Bring it on. See how much I care. Your ads do nothing to me.

DeathCougar · 12-21-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hross14

I was going to contribute--but why bother now--like all things--off to another site. I was also going to start adding to the Wiki on 3rd gen running gear....etc..info i have come accross while doing my build....

I wonder how many of us are going to get banned now for speaking out?

Well Corey would have to ban himself for speaking out as well, so i doubt it lol.

Point is, we shouldn't have to look into this ad blocker at all! This should not even be an issue. I will NEVER EVER click on a banner link. In fact, when I do on accident, I immeadietly close it down, and re-run spyware block to prevent the spyware from getting into my system.

12-21-2007, 12:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
04 Rocko Taco Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 4,092	Chris, I for one have to agree with you on this. While I think a lot of people "saw" this coming when IB bought YT out, I think there were alot of people, including myslf who hoped it wouldnt come to this... I, admittedly, dont spend as much time here now, I mostly lurk the classifieds and off topic, but I think this is the beginning of the end, for even some of the most loyal YT'ers. __________________ -Chris Tread Lightly! 04 Double Cab PreRunner. 3.4 - Auto 84 4Runner 4WD. 22R - 5 spd Lifted, Locked, 33x12.50 Disclaimer:My Photobucket is being revamped. If there are broken links, shoot me a PM. Thanks. ~Chris Great Toyota Tech

12-21-2007, 12:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
X-AWDriver Contributing Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Littleton,CO Posts: 9,532	I was on the FJ board and they had a annoying Ford ad every few posts in their threads. Too bad and I'll see how it does and see if the diffs are noticeable enough to annoy me. __________________ '99 4Runner Highlander 4wd E-locker,rear diff and deckplate mod * 265/75/16 Nitto TerraGrapplers * Yakima Load Warrior rack * clear corners/signals * Tacoma skidplate * Silverstar lamps/fogs Alpine CDA-9831,Bazooka EL Series 250w amp,MTX 10" sub

12-21-2007, 12:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
Belize Off Road Team Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Corozal Town, Belize Posts: 2,387	i'm with you all too, it is sad that YT is moving towards more ads than helpfull information, hopefully the nitwits at IB will remove all those stupid ads from YT ad put them were the sun don't shine Happy Holidays from Belize! __________________ -Phyl 1991 Hilux Surf SSR-G Petrol 3.0L V6 193,000kms l 3.4L V6 264,000kms to be rebuilt then installed! l Rancho RS5000 l 31"x10.50"xR15 Pro Comp Xterrain l K&N Drop in filter l PP 1" Lift Coil Springs l TRD shift knob l Lv. 3 First Aid Kit l White Gauges & Temp Controls l LED conversion l 80/100W Hella H4 l Hella Black Magic l 1st Gen Roll Bar Mod l FT/RR Diff. Breathers l Smittybilt XRC8 Winch l TOYOTA TOUR 2008 トヨタ\|NEVER QUIT

12-21-2007, 12:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
mtnfreak Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: People's Republic of Boulder Posts: 824	The homogenization is upon us. Things work fairly well as they are - I say don't mess with it. If changes must be made - tweak the search function. A simple search returns too many threads now. For example, from now on, anyone who searches for information on Chrome Bumpers will find this thread just because I typed in 'Chrome Bumpers'. Also, disable the ability to 'quote' pictures posted in threads. There are threads on here that are 20 pages long and only contain 4 unique pictures. As for the ads - I HAVE NEVER, NOR WILL I EVER, CLICK ON AN ADVERTISEMENT FOUND ON A WEB PAGE! They are wasted space to me. If text-linked ads start appearing in posts I will never visit this site again. If it costs me another 10 or 20 bucks to return this site to the member supported status it used to enjoy, then I will gladly step up. __________________ 89 4Runner, V6, Auto, Some stuff's stock, some's not.

12-21-2007, 01:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,819	I have to agree with you on the ads. The big FJ site I use has ads all over the place. http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/index...=active_topics And IH8MUD has the underline text words you mention. http://forum.ih8mud.com/fj-cruiser/1...questions.html The FJ forum has the option in your control panel over there to turn off the underlined inteletext ads. Will they do it here? I suggested it. As far as I know those inteletext ads will be for the archives. http://www.yotatech.com/toyota-research/ As for all the banners and side tower ads like the big FJ site I use, many there report they see no ads at all. It is called ad blocker, a plugin extension for the Firefox browser. I myself have been meaning to download it to give it a try over there to see how it works. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

12-21-2007, 01:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
Tofer Contributing Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Tacoma WA. Posts: 5,758	:pat: why would you go through the trouble of installing ads everywhere....... just to tell people to get an ad blocker!?! if anything i'd rather have the archives be virgin with ZERO ads that way i can use google and search just the archives to come up with useful chit i'm looking for, vs having to wade balls-deep in ads on the main site, AND the archives. just for kicks and giggles, i went to ford-trucks.com, clicked ont he first thread in the first sub-forum just to see what happens...... this scares me. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/686208-uaw-bonus.html like i said before.... i dont HAVE to be here. i RUN a 4wheelin forum (www.pacific-crawlers.com.... Zero ads, smaller, more rib-poking allowed, more PG13ish) and i am a member of WATTORA, ORTTORA, national TTORA, Marlin Crawler, Ultimate Yota, Pirate, etc etc.... but i CHOOSE to spend alot of time here because of what it USED to be. __________________ 3genRunner: including parts from 3 generations of 4runners, '92 pickup, '80something Land Cruiser, Chevy truck, Ford sedan 89 4runner: Project DD. 3.0, needs a new tranny 81 2wd pickup: 22R \| 5-sp \| long bed \| quad hauler, leaks oil but gets 26mpg 91 Honda Prelude: the Daily Driver WA, OR or CA wheeler?? Check out pacific-crawlers.com and check out yotaworks.com

12-21-2007, 01:22 PM	#11 (permalink)
slosurfer Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Osos, CA (we can't agree on crap!) Posts: 1,922	Chris, good post and very well put. I for one also will never click on an advertisement on any page. I think they will find that it is going to drive away those long term members that have a ton of info to share but don't enjoy having ads shoved at them. Of course, because of the wealth of knowledge that is already built here, they will always get the newbs to show up and join. Therefore, they could care less about the oldies but goodies, as long as their numbers are growing. It is now all about the almighty dollar. So a few members leave because of the added ads, they could care less, it doesn't dent their pocket book at all. (When I say "they" I'm talking about Internet Brands not the staff of YT) I guess that is just the way it is now. __________________ Chris 6th Annual Pismo 4runner Jamboree: Oct. 10-12, 2008 '93 4runner SR5 3.0 Auto 4WD '07 Tacoma Dcab 4x4 TRD offroad '89 F250 4x4 w/utility bed M416 1/4 ton military trailer "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." Ronald Reagan Semper Fi SLO 4wheelers

12-21-2007, 01:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
hross14 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 811	I was going to contribute--but why bother now--like all things--off to another site. I was also going to start adding to the Wiki on 3rd gen running gear....etc..info i have come accross while doing my build.... I wonder how many of us are going to get banned now for speaking out? __________________ Yes, I said "country." America really is a nation, but you couldn't convince those who lead the Democratic and Republican Parties of that. Both parties now see America as nothing more than an economy, a marketplace, and not a sovereign nation. They don't see you and me as citizens of this great nation; they see us as units of labor, consumers and taxpayers. Yes, I am here to collect my 238$ worth of stock from AIG. "What do you mean a free market economy doesnt apply to the rich?"

12-21-2007, 01:28 PM	#14 (permalink)
Tacoclimber Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Between a rock and a hard place, AZ Posts: 3,501	That was a forum board? I've seen commercials with less advertising! __________________ CJ ...<>< 03 DC TRD Tacoma 4wd with a bunch of junk. Just wheel the stupid thing!!! But do it responsibly, ok?

12-21-2007, 01:36 PM	#15 (permalink)
JoKEpLaYeR Contributing Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 854	I'm glad Firefox, AdBlock and I became friends. IB, Bring it on. See how much I care. Your ads do nothing to me. __________________ Steve/KG6ZJL <>< 1988 4Runner... it's giving my wallet anxiety issues. 'Locking the hubs and airing down... there is no better way to start a weekend!' - Me www.SteveArnett.com