Blog piece: Ads, Supporters, Endorsements and Bandwidth Throttling

[FalmerBane]

I'm a face/companion modder and I do it for my own amusement. I have files that have 10K downloads and 100 endorsement which for a companion mod that is not standalone isn't really that bad but it shows a certain lake of effort from the Nexus community as far as I am concerned. Making an original looking, unique and fully functioning companion is a lot more time consuming than most people think, making an interesting mod page can take almost as much time as the mod itself but it gives the mod a professional feel. My point is this, have there been times that I have felt like throwing the towel in because I don't see much appreciation from the community, well yes. I have come to the realization that if I make my core users happy that is all that really matters. People nowadays aren't as appreciative as they used to be and that is a fact. I endorse most all of the mods I have downloaded even if they ultimately do not work for me. I do this to foster the creativity the mod author has shown in his or her mod. I also look at mods as an expression of that author. I might not always agree with their final work but I feel like an endorsement is the least I can do for them and who knows it may spur the author on to improve and make something that really adds to my game.

 

Please endorse your mods, it's not like it costs anything and being human it is amazing how such a little (and free) gesture can make someone's day.

Edited February 8, 2013 by FalmerBane

[WarMaster09]

Alright I get all out it, adblock is already disabled here and some other places.

But what i dont understand is this " site skin ads". what is this site skin?

[donniemunro]

I've just paid my £1.20 (inc VAT!) and am now a Supporter. :-) I installed AdBlock recently purely because I was tired of seeing ads for SSDs on this very site, and your blog awoke my conscience. (Why is it that when you buy something, the retailer tries to sell you lots more of the exact same thing?) Right, now to endorse those mods I love but haven't got around to telling anyone yet...

[Nofsdad]

I try not to fail to endorse any mod that I like well enough to retain in my list although I sometimes forget for a while until something brings it to mind. I usually leave a little note of appreciation in comments also. These seem like such small tokens though. They in no way express the appreciation I have for you guys and gals that have made FNV my favorite game for far beyond the average shelf life of games around here.

 

And to the person who made the dig that I had never supported the Nexus financially and probably never would, I thought I explained that sufficiently but obviously not. I have a rather minimal rig and run only about 60 mods on average. Of those, nearly all of the major ones have had to be downloaded from other sites because they are no longer available here for whatever reasons.

 

Of the remainder and of the many files I have downloaded here, probably two thirds of my download count has consisted of files I have downloaded, tried and found wanting for various reasons and don't use. Some of them were never used owing to inadequate file descriptions or failure to post requirements that I couldn't meet.

 

All I'm saying is that if there are to be standards for downloaders to meet and especially if we are going to be paying for the privilege of using the site... which I am prepared to do no matter what some amateur shrink might think if for no other reason than those flashing ever changing ads are a major distraction for me... then I think there should be standards for uploads also and that we shouldn't have to spend hours of time... time that we would be paying for if all comes to fuition... trying to find the files that will work for us. Some simple standards for file descriptions and a requirement for images on those files that change content would be a nice start. "Alpharumagogo. My first mod, be nice to me." is NOT a file description.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Nofsdad

[Hutspot01]

I use:

 

- NoScript

- Gostery

- Flashblock

- Adblock Plus

- Blocking spyware/adware/malware domains through windows' hosts file.

 

 

There is just no way that I'll turn those off, sorry. And I'll explain my perspective if you'd care to know.

 

 

Javascript does have it's uses but the reason for using NoScript and blocking Javascript by default should be obvious: Java is one of the main reasons for getting infected by malware whilst browsing. I have no wish for malware injection or any other malicious attempt through some dodgy add provider or other third party. And there is no guarantee that a even trusted site like the Nexus won't get victimized for malicious javascript by third parties beyond it's control.

From my perspective: I want full control on which scripts are running from my browser. Whenever there's java code that needs to be ran for something useful I'll allow it, but only for that. No add should ever in no circumstance have to run a script on my end, never. There is absolutely no necessity for that and too many bad things can/will come from it.

 

The reason for using Ghostery is security/privacy related. It's no-one 's business where I've been before and what I'm doing. I have no reason whatsoever to consider it desirable to have some third party looking over my shoulders. It's no-one 's prerogative to expect to have the right to accumulate data of my personal actions to squeeze revenue out of it. Ghostery is on and it will always stay on, no exceptions.

 

Flash can be a major annoyance as well. It's too often used for obnoxious advertising, redundant performance eating code, malicious code, etc. A great tool like Flashblock can be configured to just block all flash content and replace it with a button. Click the button and the content will play. Some sites actually do useful stuff with flash, so they'll be excepted from default blockage, but otherwise it's on.

 

The reason for using Adblock Plus is because even though many adds are not very intrusive/obnoxious/frustrating, many others are. Besides that it's a first line of defence for privacy/security protection. And it's a first line of defence against malicious actions like browser injection, for which adds are used more often then not. It's always on and will always stay on.

I do however add exceptions for some trusted sites that I'd like to support. But there are requirements: 1) the trusted site must have full control on what adds get shown by whom, 2) it has to be guaranteed the adds won't be intrusive/obnoxious/frustrating, 3) it has to be totally impossible to abuse the ads with malicious intent.

Sadly there have been some very obnoxious and intrusive adds on the nexus, and even cases of malicious code through adds, so forgive me but the Nexus is certainly not on my exceptions list for the time being.

 

All the above might come off a bit egocentric and ungrateful to a great service like the Nexus, but it's not meant that way at all. Imho it's out of bare necessity. A great service like the Nexus suffers from the bad, which is a sad thing, but unfortunately that's just the world we live in and the internet we browse on. I'll much sooner look for more comprehensive measures then that I'd loosen them up. And yes, it's my own choice to prefer some sense of privacy, security, safety and sanity while browsing over add revenue for a service like the Nexus. Just as many many others have made that same choice and many like myself will always encourage others to do the same. In that light I do consider it reasonable to be penalized in available bandwidth, since bandwidth consumption and maintenance is no-doubt a major expense for the Nexus.

 

 

About the endorsement incentive:

 

I fully support and try to actively use the endorsement system. It's a great service to mod-users and mod-makers. If giving incentive entices more users to actively use it then that'd be great. But I do worry that the quality of the endorsement system may suffer if there's no check on proper usage. Right now the people who endorse are the people who care enough to share whether they really like a mod or not, no incentive required, just because they care. Who's to say some won't just download a random load of mods and randomly endorse or abstain just to get the bonus, or worse, do that continuously to maintain that bonus?

 

Imho an over time ratio per user could be more useful then a per-month count. If you've endorsed or abstained a certain percentage of the mods you've downloaded over time, or have endorsed or abstained a certain percentage of the mods loaded in the NMM, you get an incentive. The latter would be most useful imho, since it entices people to use NMM and use it's endorsement feature while they're at it.

 

 

Also:

 

I respect the heads up given with regards to the costs involved with the Nexus. I am certainly considering becoming a supporter since the Nexus isn't likely to get any revenue through adds off my leeching. For only a few coins it's the least anyone could do to support this awesome service. Given the service you've provided over the years I'm even considering getting a long overdue (lifetime) premium membership, as payback for what this service has done for these games these years.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Hutspot01

[gingermike]

Part of the reason I use the nexus sites is precisely because you are always given the reason for things that are happening. The honesty of Dark0ne and the other Nexus employees and admins gives us as users the feeling that we are valued. This is so rare in sites that see the level of success reached by the Nexus. I would happily continue to pay the frankly pitifully small amounts requested in order to not only support the sites, but ensure that all those involved know how much they are appreciated.

Thank you

[GiraffeMonster]

Guess I should stop clicking the ads. Whoops, I wasn't aware of that, my bad.

 

"I know that all this talk of incentivisation through bandwidth throttling has a few gaping holes in the plan. What if you’re on dial-up, or 1MB/sec download speeds are a dream to you? All this talk is pretty pointless huh? Yeah, it is. Sorry about that. What if you don’t care about download speeds? Well, yeah, pretty pointless too. But I wanted to look for ways that we could incentivise aspects of this site for you, and I’ll continue to look for ways to incentivise things in the future. This is the first step, I’m sure, of many."

 

Heh, yeah. Bell throttling my bandwith to an obscenely low 300kbps kinda sucks. I do use Adblock, disabling it on sites that I visit enough, the nexus being one of them. Even though I do that, the header ad at the top of the page never displays, but the square-shaped one does. It's been like that for a while.

[RustyXXL]

As the last case of malware in adds I've read from was only like 1,5-2 Weeks ago my NoScript and Addblock will keep running.

I have no problems with adds in general. But my Computer Security and privacy comes first.

So as long as most of the adds rely on JavaScript, Flash and similar technologies, wich always be a major security-hole, so long they will be blocked.

I'm really sorry for every site wich relies on add-revenue, but it is simply not my problem. Every one of these Site owner should bug the add-companies to finally provide solutions wich don't potentially open security holes on the clients machines, maybe then we'll finally come to an solution for this dilemma someday, if enough site-owners ask for it.

That said I already did pay for a premium some time ago, and will do so again, when I can afford it...

[BigBodZod]

I've been wanting to support the Nexus for awhile now, my issue is that I do not support Pay Pal.

 

Any other means of paying for a premium account ?

[Captiva]

Nofsdad... I wasn't trying to insult you... They are never going to please everyone... So the list of complaints you have will prolly always keep you from donating money to them.... It is that simple. No psycology degree needed.

 

Do what you want...

 

but When I got to the point where I had downloaded alot of mods, and was coming here near daily, then I decided I had paid more money for less service before, and despite everything not being perfect, I just decided to support them when I could afford it next... But that is me.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Captiva