ads are good people let them into your world

(if you guys don't know Im majoring in advertising and marketing in college : p )

1. It's actually nothing like that.  By using the site with an ad-blocker, you are actually COSTING the site money in terms of bandwidth.  In that way, using Ad-Block is effectively stealing from the site, as you are using its data and simultaneously causing it an expense.

2. And yes, actually, Brett DID make the site with a mind to making money.  This is his full-time job, and it's how he earns a living.  Not to mention over twenty staff who need to be paid, the site's bandwidth, and oh yeah, the actual data.  Just because you have free access to the sales numbers doesn't mean Brett gets them for free.  Almost every business in the world takes a loss when starting up.  It doesn't mean it's acceptable once it gets off the ground.  Simply put, if everyone used ad-blockers, this site would not exist.  

then digg articles, use other methods. Buy a gamer shit from Gamer Prints. Its very easy to support us. Tons of ways.

I'll look into it. But I hope you guys don't pull the plug on me. Would be slightly unfair to those who are in my situation. :D

I think many of the money/time arguments have been posted and I believe both sides are right in some ways.

Still one thought; who likes commercials anywhere? I think when the internet starts adapting some organized commercial push (almost all websites implement some annoying way to show commercials) then websites will always need to find some balance. Maybe ad blockers won't use their blockers if ads weren't so troublesome, who knows

This may be a really dumd question, but do pop-ups count? If so then forgive me for blocking almost 300 ads from this ad. I understand completely that thats how your site and many others get their income. It might block thoes kind of ads, but I can still get a pop-up or two and still see the ads on the sides. For a while my I.E. blocked me from this site before due to malicious software; even my macafee blocked me though not permenantly. I don't know if this came from your ads but I couldn't access the site. My ad blocker is turned off right now; I'm waiting to see if anything happens.

Im not saying you shouldnt get paid, if theres money to be made.. go for it! You just have to evaluate how changes in your service affects your business.

Bolded #1 - As you expand, you have to calculate cost, for obvious reasons. If your only plan for how you make money is to use ads to finance a paid staff, fine. Thats your business model and thats the direction you want your company to go. Im okay with that. But if what makes this site successful, your targeted market segment (gamers), feel that the service you now provide is not something they want.. its a bad business move to go out and say "i dont care what you want, our home, our rules". Specially when its a service, and not a product, that gets its income from providing something people want.

Bolded #2 - And if i dont want to learn how to get a six pack in 2 weeks, or dont spend time on the internet promoting other websites on other websites, and dont purchase products through you're partners because they're foreign websites and i save money if i purchase my stuff from other companies. My only option is to expose myself to ads that want me to enlarge my penis (basicly).. or gtfo.

You need to find ways to ensure income without having to disable viewers for not wanting to be exposed to messages not suitable for certain people. If that means you have to promote your website even more so that the overal percentage of people not using ad-blockers outwheighs the people who do, then thats what you need to do. If you need to implement a premium membership, then thats what you need to do. But to block out users for not accepting a degraded service, is not the right way to go.

And as for sending more people to E3.. this is how you can view it.
- You need more money
- Page views earns you money
- You need more page views

...or

- Costs reduces income
- We need to cut down on our costs
- Removing users with Ad blockers reduces costs

So, the best way to go about this would be what; A) Get more page views and earn more money.. or B) Block out our market segment because they dont want to be exposed to advertisement. There's no right or wrong answer, its your business, you do what you want. All i know is i'd rather make more money than closing doors to potential income.

Go get your money!

So let me just be completely clear on this. Ioi, your solution is to turn off ad-blocker or...stop visiting the site?

1. Thats the problem with having ads as a sole source of income. Find other ways to get your money (i.e more page views).

2. True, if everyone used ad-blockers this site wouldnt exsist. Is that because A) The community is to blame for not liking our service, or B) Its our fault for not providing a service that makes users want to be apart of it?

Alot of you seem to look at this from a very juvenile way in business management. Im not trying to force you into anything, or start some shit. It just seems as if you'd rather not look to yourself to see how you can improve and make more money, but rather try to force your business upon people. A fundamental rule of business management is to make money, not to reduce costs as a means to get money.

Obviously reducing costs if possible is a given, but as i said, not the best way if you're looking to expand. If you want to expand, you need to earn more money. Also, check out the reply to ssj12 for further ways to look at this matter. Good day. Im off.. ill be back in 9 hours or