Fun idea, poor placement. I really dislike the idea of people who don't have anything to really advertise being able to stuff things on my world. Sponsors like the ones in the links or regular advertising would be fine but this? *sigh*

If you're going to offer this to premium members, then how about also offering the option to turn it off? I can guarantee you that if I don't want it, I sure as hell wouldn't subject my friends to it. So that's a feature that doesn't interest me at all.

-Darren

I have no problem with relevant advertisements that support the site being on my Worlds because I'm not a Premium member. Things for Premium, Art of Otaku, sponsor links (DVDs, merchandise, convention or licensing annouments, etc.), celebrity and other organized chats, and so on, would all be acceptable kinds of advertisements to have posted. I am a bit bothered by not having any kind of quality control over what text advertisements are shown on my Worlds though. For now, I've taken the only measure I can which is an indemnity disclaimer in my World introductions stating that I'm not affiliated with or endorsing content of ad links on my Worlds. If I can't control the content, I won't be held responsible for it either.

Paid for privilege to advertise or not, the final say about what goes on a user's page should be up to that user (As long as it doesn't violate the TOS), no one else. I can understand not wanting to let basic members, like myself, turn off those annoying advertisements completely, the money to run the site has to come from somewhere, but it would be nice to have some say in what's displayed there.

This being a beta feature, I know things will change with time and feedback. I'll be patient with it and tolerate the inconvenience for now.

I'm okay with the idea, but not so crazy about it being on my world page. I'd be less bothered if it were circulated in the backroom, at least.

When I first read this, I didn't think it would be too bad. But when I visited my WORLD and saw the ad link there, it really, really, ticked me off. It just didn't feel right to not have control over my own WORLD.

I'm not going to point out all the reasons to remove this feature, you can read all the rest of the comments for that, but I just want to say that this feature was a bad idea.

I'm fine with advertising like company ads and such. But I don't like that premium members can link their worlds on my personal world. Just because they paid extra money, it shouldn't give them the right to spam other people's blogs. I don't like this idea. I really hope you guys get rid of it...

Even though the actual links don't look very intrusive, I thought that kind of thing was considered spam. Thus the bit in the rules about not leaving comments that only promote your world.

So... spot on the front page where they would rotate seems like a good idea. Stuff for real advertising like premium, art of otaku, upcoming anime, etc. That's fine.

But the other... I think it has no place on people's worlds. That's my two cents. Keep the feature, just put the links in a better place. Unless you're worried that members are going to do...

OMG SUPER KAWAII YAOI HERE!!!

And wouldn't that just look ever so super special on the front page in a link box. It would look equally as awful on my world, so yeah, I don't need links to people's blogs on my own blog.

~*Aaryanna*~

@Allamorph:

Whatever your purpose was, the image inspired me to make this.

I think I mainly agree with timechaser. The idea can still work, it just needs tweaking.
I myself don't mind so much the ad links on my World. What I do mind are the ads that are being used to promote what are basically just blogs. That feels like unnecessary promotion/spam to me. :/

@Waffuru:

I totally agree with you. I dont like this.

Hmmm, seeing that one of the links was nothing more than The Best Place Ever and merely linked to someone's world (someone who according to their info isnt' even old enough to be a member) I see this as spam instead of advertising for contests or wishing someone a Happy Birthday. The same for one that said My Mini Otaku, it was nothing more than a link to their world. More spam in my opinion.

Based on what I've read here and at other worlds in regards to this new feature, I'm leaning in favor of creating a box to go underneath the sponsor links that features these random ad links by premium members.

It would be a good compromise in my opinion. People could still have their ads and they'd get good exposure in a location like that. Plus non-premium members would not have to worry about stuff they are not interested in showing up on their personal worlds. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that even some premium members don't care for it.

Though I think stuff that supports the site in a more direct manner is acceptable on one's world page, like sponsors links for upcoming anime, or to promote the premium service. I realize this is just a beta feature at the moment, but I see a very real potential of it driving an unnecessary wedge between the regular member base and the premium users, in it's current form that is.

-Sabrina

...Now that I've read others comments, I've fully understood this situation.

And I'm not too sure if I like it. :|

But if it's subject to change, whatever is whatever. It's not like I'm premium. *shrugs*

No Adam, just plain outright NO. It's a nice idea but the execution or rather placement is poorly thought out. :/ It's one thing to have regular advertising from site sponsors since those help keep the place running, but from other members? NO.

If this isn't allowed in comments "No posting for the sole reason of promoting your own sites/contests." Then why the hell are you suddenly allowing people to do it directly on our world where we can't get rid of it or opt out?

Why not add a box under the sponsor links where several of them are posted and can rotate? Then they get exposure all over the site and leave our poor worlds in peace.

I was fine with that when it was only advertising the premium service and the art of otaku but now, to be frank, I find it extremely irritating.

~Crystia

Also, peeps need to quit freakin' out about this feature. Key words in the post: BETA FEATURE THAT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Lordy.

@Allamorph:

*returns from a short bit of repetitive refreshing to discover which world this actually is*

lol"yoai".

I've written a formal petition against this feature, as well as suggesting possible compromises if it will not be removed. If you are against this feature the way it stands now, please read and sign, and feel free to propose your own solutions!

@nEcRo64x:

Were you a member when we had myOtaku sites rather than Worlds? For a very long time, all myOtaku sites had large ad banners or randomly generated Google ads on them. Corporate ads I could tolerate, as they generate revenue for the site.
However, like you said, member-produced ads do not. That's what we're protesting.

Incidentally, a (censored) shot of the world that I did not care to be directed to is here: nice, thanks.

@Waffuru:

Patience in all things. This will be only a momentary discomfort, I'm sure.

Thoughts on the feature here: Tesser

I did place a few thoughts on the adjustment of the feature later on down the page. Like Des said, I believe this could be good. But as it's implemented now, it WILL be annoying.

Oh...well there goes basically everything I liked about this website...like at all.

- Advertising a chat event you have that's coming up soon

That would certainly help spread more word about things like Movie Sign or Anime Club. But I can also understand how everyone else who's commented so far feels. This idea could still work with some more tweaking though.

Yeah, this one could turn out to be pretty annoying. I can picture my blog bogged down with "AD ME PLZ!!!!" and other such inane drivel. I say the option to turn it off should be made available, at least.

Or to only accept ads from certain members. That would be nice.

At first, when I saw the word: "Ad Link" I thought it meant we can add our ads where the other ads are located on TheOtaku, but then seeing that it's in OUR worlds....yeah like what everyone said, I don't like the idea neither....
My World feels all cramped up now with more links .____. It's a nice idea to get other people to come to other's portfolios or such, but prefer it not to be in our Worlds.

Isn't this kinda illegal?

I dunno, it feels like pseudo-hacking...but not...

In any case, I agree with the majority opinion. I don't like having some random ad caked onto my World without my consent. =/ It's akin to someone building a billboard on my yard without permission, or someone building a cellphone tower on the premises without permission [though I know, in the latter case, people get paid a LOT if they have those built on their property].

Hey, I liked the fact that my World was ad-less, thank you. >> And having AdBock turned on doesn't get rid of them...

I wouldn't be as annoyed with this feature if it was corporate ads, like "*insert anime here* box set available now from *insert company here*!", because those are business, they're kind of necessary to keep the site running, they're made by companies advertising products rather than members advertising their art/life/etc, and ad banners were on myO sites for a long time so I could deal with a simple text link, but having other members create and decide what ads can and will be circulated on MY World? No, thank you.

EDIT: Alternative ideas proposal, if you really want to keep the ads on Worlds thing-
-Premium members can put ads only on their own Worlds.
-Members check in their backroom whether they want to allow Premium members' ads to be put on their Worlds or not. Ads will only be circulated on the Worlds of members who check "yes." Everyone is initially on "yes" until they change it to "no" themselves.
-Replace the member ads with corporate ads, and Premium members can pick which corporate ad(s) they want on their Worlds.

Personally, I like my second idea best, and I think it'd be best for the site.

...

Yeah, I REALLY don't like this idea.

I side with Des on this. I'd be rather annoyed to have someone 'ad my world'. And what happens if a good majority want to put their ad on one particular world because they know the person is popular? Like Iruka Sensei or Elves?

Des brings up a good point, and frankly, it feels like a violation of my personal space. My World is something I've put lots of time into, and I would really prefer not to have somebody randomly advertising their things in it.

Nice idea there..... good concept.... i like it.... lets see how this works out

Personally, I don't like other people being able to put up links on my World. Other places on the site, like in the sidebar next to the sponsor links, would be fine. But letting premium members put ad links on other people's Worlds doesn't seem much better than if you were to exempt them from the no advertising in comments rule—maybe even worse, since we can remove comments but not the links.

I think this is a decent idea but I believe the placement is going to annoy a lot of people and could fuel resentment of premium members.