Comments on: HeroMachine and ads http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/ Get the latest on the world's premier character portrait creator. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:35:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Brad http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-534 Brad Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:43:10 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-534 I agree with Doomed Pixel, the ad within the space itself seems a bit much. Are the banners on every site not enough? I know I always notice them when I visit the app page, and if they catch my interest, I click on them. Ugo's Top 100 video game weapons was definitely one of their best yet, and I've noticed and clicked through the ads for movies quite a bit. I don't think the ad is necessary. However, altogether, if it can advance the HM project further, I would definitely be comfortable with it just replacing the message window and the rest of the app left as-is. ^That's what I was going to post yesterday, but I didn't get a chance. Now that I see this new pic, it's not so ugly, and I suppose with the way the message window is sized currently in HM, that may be a bit small for the purpose. Therefore, in the spirit of going with the flow, if an add must be added for further and further progress, I would just ask that it not be animated like a regular flash banner. That could become very distracting and particularly make it difficult to focus on colors. I think in this way, it could be programmed to have the same ad on the page as well as in HM, but only one animated to get more info- the HM ad would be more there to grab your attention. Whatever you and UGO end up working out, I think we just collectively ask that it be plain and simple, the very thing that made us fall in love with Hero Machine itself. I agree with Doomed Pixel, the ad within the space itself seems a bit much. Are the banners on every site not enough? I know I always notice them when I visit the app page, and if they catch my interest, I click on them. Ugo’s Top 100 video game weapons was definitely one of their best yet, and I’ve noticed and clicked through the ads for movies quite a bit. I don’t think the ad is necessary.
However, altogether, if it can advance the HM project further, I would definitely be comfortable with it just replacing the message window and the rest of the app left as-is.

^That’s what I was going to post yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance. Now that I see this new pic, it’s not so ugly, and I suppose with the way the message window is sized currently in HM, that may be a bit small for the purpose. Therefore, in the spirit of going with the flow, if an add must be added for further and further progress, I would just ask that it not be animated like a regular flash banner. That could become very distracting and particularly make it difficult to focus on colors. I think in this way, it could be programmed to have the same ad on the page as well as in HM, but only one animated to get more info- the HM ad would be more there to grab your attention.
Whatever you and UGO end up working out, I think we just collectively ask that it be plain and simple, the very thing that made us fall in love with Hero Machine itself.

]]> By: Jeff Hebert http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-532 Jeff Hebert Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:24:49 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-532 The balance between ads and content is a difficult one, and something I think every such site struggles with. The folks on the Yahoo Group have expressed some concern over the size of the ad relative to the content area, and the animated nature of a lot of the UGO ads as they'll look in the application. I think everyone has a different threshold of tolerance for ads, to Rick's point. Some people are perfectly willing to have something for free supported by ads. Others would much rather pay a fee and not be bothered with ads. I don't know that there is one perfect solution that satisfies everyone. A subscription model has been suggested, but that involves a lot of infrastructure on the back end (a way to process credit cards, keep track of billing information, provide password and username support, etc.) that UGO doesn't currently have. At least the user account stuff is available on the forums, but they're kind of a separate world. The balance between ads and content is a difficult one, and something I think every such site struggles with. The folks on the Yahoo Group have expressed some concern over the size of the ad relative to the content area, and the animated nature of a lot of the UGO ads as they’ll look in the application.

I think everyone has a different threshold of tolerance for ads, to Rick’s point. Some people are perfectly willing to have something for free supported by ads. Others would much rather pay a fee and not be bothered with ads. I don’t know that there is one perfect solution that satisfies everyone.

A subscription model has been suggested, but that involves a lot of infrastructure on the back end (a way to process credit cards, keep track of billing information, provide password and username support, etc.) that UGO doesn’t currently have. At least the user account stuff is available on the forums, but they’re kind of a separate world.

]]> By: Rick http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-531 Rick Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:29:43 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-531 "Commercialized it a bit too much". That is kind of the point. UGO is providing this to the users for 'free'. If I can use this for free, but have to see an ad (discretely placed of course) I'm in favor of it. The other option could easily be cough up $20 (FYI - in April 2007 that's exactly what I had to do to get my desktop version - prior to the downloads being free). “Commercialized it a bit too much”. That is kind of the point. UGO is providing this to the users for ‘free’. If I can use this for free, but have to see an ad (discretely placed of course) I’m in favor of it. The other option could easily be cough up $20 (FYI - in April 2007 that’s exactly what I had to do to get my desktop version - prior to the downloads being free).

]]> By: The Doomed Pixel http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-526 The Doomed Pixel Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:30:41 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-526 well, I guess it would be okay if it would make you happy. Personally, though, I don't like the idea of cramming everything off to to the side to make room for that add. It very much ruins the feel of the application and, in my humble but accurate opinion, commercializes it a bit *too* much. well, I guess it would be okay if it would make you happy. Personally, though, I don’t like the idea of cramming everything off to to the side to make room for that add. It very much ruins the feel of the application and, in my humble but accurate opinion, commercializes it a bit *too* much.

]]> By: Ashton Jakobson http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-525 Ashton Jakobson Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:58:39 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-525 This is a good spot, the message window is kind of useless, but the add is a little big, if you dropped the size a little bit, this would be good. If we click on the adds, does it make you or UGO more money? 'Cause if it does I'll click 'em a coupla' times when I come to hero machine... This is a good spot, the message window is kind of useless, but the add is a little big, if you dropped the size a little bit, this would be good. If we click on the adds, does it make you or UGO more money? ‘Cause if it does I’ll click ‘em a coupla’ times when I come to hero machine…

]]> By: Marcus http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-524 Marcus Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:43:53 +0000 http://www.heromachine.com/2008/02/14/heromachine-and-ads/#comment-524 it looks really good. the ad fills its function without intruding on the application too much. it looks really good. the ad fills its function without intruding on the application too much.

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