I wanted to let everyone know of a few changes on the site. I'm testing out a new ad provider, ezoic. As part of this new integration, you may temporarily notice some extra ads - in some cases quite a lot - depending on your area of the world. This is part of the integration process as the machine learning figures out the optimum placement and type of ads for the audience. I'd like to extend my apologies for the temporary inconvenience. I'd mentioned this in the forum but wanted to ensure folks knew about this more widely.
For users with visual impairments or similar issues who normally allow us through their ad blockers, please know that re-enabling your ad blocker during this process is completely understandable.
As part of this setup, the site is now served via Cloudflare for better performance. Logged in users shouldn't notice much difference from this, but there have been occasional hiccups here and there.
I'm also experimenting with having PA.c Plartform download apps via our own servers rather than SourceForge. This is due to performance issues for users in some areas of the world with their closest SourceForge mirror. I'm unsure how well the server will cope with the additional bandwidth and load, so I'm testing it out on a Sunday first as it is typically our lightest day.
The reason for the new ad provider testing is due to a loss of about 2/3 of our ad revenue from Google AdSense. I had hoped it was temporary and would stabilize, even taking a loan to cover the shortfall, but it has not. So, I'm hoping that the new provider will help stabilize revenue without having too many ads once the testing/machine learning process is complete.
Thank you again for your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
John T. Haller, head portable app-type person
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Comments
Thanks a lot John for keeping
Thanks a lot John for keeping the project/platform alive and kicking!
unfortunately
it is almost impossible to use the website this way. Forum can not be read really, posts can be read only few seconds, then all is covered with moving adds which jump all over the screen.
The only result can be the switch some adblocker again, but this should not be the aim.
Navigation impossible
At the bottom of the first-page listing, there should be a Next Page link visible. There is none. The ad covers it. Thus, only the first page of the listings is available. Can you get the ads repositioned, to expose the site's links?
Listings?
Listings? You mean the news feed? It's only a single page now due to an issue with link poisoning in Drupal views.
Okay
Thanks, John. Now I understand. I was accustomed to scanning the 5 pages available, to see whether there was anything I'd missed. Yes. I meant the News feed. Sorry I wasn't careful in my post. Hope this all works out for you. I don't know what we'd all do without you and PortableApps.com.
new ads
IMHO it doesn't look like the new ad service is 'ready for prime time' as they say -- assuming what I am seeing is from them. So far, placement in the middle of things is more confusing than helpful. To me, an ad needs to be helpful, informative, and trustworthy, or else I ignore it, sometimes with an ad blocker.
I don't think it is helpful to place an ad in the middle of someone's comment - it looks like the commenter has selected the ad, and I first tried to figure out how the video helped make the commenter's point.
I don't think it is helpful to place an ad in the middle of a listing of apps. For example, the first entry under "Education" (just now) was for something that looks like a music player or service. I think it is an ad, rather than a new special portable app, but it is not obvious. It's not clear whether the thing advertised is even portable in any sense. It would be less confusing if it were isolated more from the actual site content (listing of apps), like putting it before the "Education" header and set off with a special background or border and "please support our sponsor" or some such. Leaving it 'in line' makes it look like the advertiser is trying to get you to click on it under false pretenses.
The last thing you want is for your new advertising partner to appear untrustworthy or interfering with site purpose and content.
Just my thoughts. I know the advertiser probably has a different point of view and probably statistics that prove I am wrong...
Ads are Annoying
I do realize you need to make money. I hate ads. I also think too many ads make you look like you are trying to trick your followers to click on some unwanted site or software they do not want. Makes you look untrustworthy. That is only my opinion. Seems like everyone is doing the ad thing to make money.
meanwhile website unusable
At begining it was terrible, but then it seemed to place adds only outside of the text part of the forum.
Currently for example the forum is absolutely unusable. Adds and also videos over whole screen appear, text of the forum can be seen just for seconds, thereafter it is hidden again behind some videos. It is impossible to click off those adds and videos.
OK, one can not log in when addblock is on, but it is extremely difficult to log in when the addblock is off as adds jumps all over the screen and I have to try many times until I can enter the creds into the mask.
The adds are local connected, this is OK, but I am not able to do anything else on the website.
To write this, I had to manage to login between and behind the adds first, then switch on the addblocker (which can not be th idea) and then write the text as it is not possible to write any text when addblock is off.
Testing new ads - AI working?
Looks HACKED! Then I thought it was Firefox!
I’m sorry and I will help in one way or another in the future. Hopefully whatever you decide for ads will be resolved soon. Thanks, you and this site are much appreciated!
Ongoing Changes, Exploring New Providers
I'm still working on fixing the ad issues on the site. I've disabled ads on the Download page, decreased the ad density, and disabled vignette ads (the annoying full-screen things that show up before navigating to a new page). I'm still not happy with the setup and I'm sure others aren't either. I just changed it from a 'Balanced' setting to 'User Experience Focused' as well so we'll see if that helps.
I'm talking with two other providers on improving the situation. Specifically, to improve the revenue per ad (better quality advertisers and fewer fake download button bidders) while decreasing the number of ads. I'll keep you all in the loop.
"Reject All"
I've enabled what I think should be a 'reject all unnecessary cookies' option for GDPR users that get the cookie consent form. This should make it easier for folks to manage. According to the admin UI, this will drop ad revenue another '20 to 50%' from the 1/3 drop we've seen in the last 8 months. I'm still working on getting a better balance. I met with one possible new network last week and have another meeting a week from tomorrow.