Why not utilise revenue sharing within moneysavingexpert forums?

2kids1wife0cash

It's great that there is no advertising on Martin's website.
We all know we are getting impartial advice from an expert with no other motives other than to help people out.
But as I'm sure everybody is aware, advertising has its place.

Some forums like the one at digitalpoint.com allows advertising through google adsense but shares the revenue with the people who post on the site.

I think this forum could benefit from a similar route but the users could keep 100% of the revenue and moneysavingexpert.com stays impartial.

This system does not go against Google's TOC's and would be a great benefit to a lot of people who use this site.

This is only a brief outline of what I think could be done.
If you would like some more detail on my idea just ask, as I didn't want to clog up the message with technical details.

El_Pirate

I don't think it would work out after spending all those years branding the site as 'free of ads'.

2kids1wife0cash

El_Pirate wrote: »

I don't think it would work out after spending all those years branding the site as 'free of ads'.

Yes but it's not the "free of ads" banner that drives people to the site.
It's the tried and tested methods Martin brings to people's attention. Don't forget this website uses Google Adwords Advertising to drive traffic to the site already.

I'm not talking about having ads on the main site. That should remain free of ads because a revenue share would be too difficult to work out.

Only on the Forum underneath the first post of each thread. These ads can be managed so no undesireable ads are allowed through too.
I would suggest only trusted members (IE100+ posts 50+ thanks) are allowed to participate.

marleyboy

I use this site primarily for the reason that it is "ad-free". Particularly on the Forum section, I can list many forum sites that are "Ad-free", MSE prides itself and the members that it is strictly an AD-FREE site. I speak for myself when I say I dont wish to trough through forums with advertisements slipped in between posts. I am less interested in a site that shares a revenue between its members, than a site that is more interested in the benefits of the mass population, on a completely honest, open and above all, not for profit, free and voluntary situation.

a11waysindebt

Have a think,and decide why the site is add free.

soolin

The site runs slow for a few of us and I certainly would be very unhappy if it was even slower due to ads.

I fully support this stance for MSE to be free of ads.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi

To answer the OP, the answer's a definite no.

To answer another point on here, there's no need to have a think about why it's ad-free. All the info on why there are no ads is clearly explained in the How This Site Is Funded article which is linked to from every article on the main site and from the boxes on the right-hand side of the forum.

Andrea

MSE_Martin

To have people on the forums posting ads willy nilly would be a nightmare. We have a referrers section and it works well. This isn't something I would consider I'm afraid.

Martin

sra

MSE_Martin wrote: »

To have people on the forums posting ads willy nilly would be a nightmare. We have a referrers section and it works well. This isn't something I would consider I'm afraid.

Martin

Just to clarify, the OPs suggesting something like Digitalpoint and Snap Preview does.

For example, on this thread you'll see there are two Google ads (top-right and between posts).

These ads are fixed there by Digitalpoint. If you have a Google Adsense account, you can tell Digitapoint your publisher id code and Digitalpoint will display ads using your publisher id on threads you participate in (so they'd be your ads with money going into your account).

Two problems -

I think you need to have a website before Google will let you an adsense account (though you could throw up a quick blog on blogger and get one very quickly)

It might encourage people just to post crap replies constantly just to be earning money off popular threads.

MSE_Martin

Hi folks

The site finances are very happily strongly in the black. There is no need for any donations and I wouldn't want it.

However we're ever closer to launching the new MSE educational Charity which should be up and running soon and people will be able to do nate to that

stebiz

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Hi folks

The site finances are very happily strongly in the black. There is no need for any donations and I wouldn't want it.

However we're ever closer to launching the new MSE educational Charity which should be up and running soon and people will be able to do nate to that

Is there somewhere we can read more about the proposed MSE educational Charity?? Who is it aimed at??

Cheers
Stebiz