As of now, new ad sales on webhostingtalk are on hiatus. This will be for a very short time until we roll out the updates/upgrades/etc for webhostingtalk and also install new ad serving software for our sites.

The end result will be more opportunities for small advertisers at lower prices. After hundreds of emails about only selling large packages, we are finally listening.

Also, we will have a page that clealy lists current availability, types of advertising, rates, and how to pay. Orders will be placed through an online form so that the process is much easier.

We will also be implementing ad standards so that all are the same size and the large html banners of today will be history in favor of a smaller banner size. After looking at the site on a smaller monitor, I agree on that point. In the end, teh same amount of space may eb taken up in ads on the main page, but only half will be at the top.

Webhostingtalk will also finally feature a directory of web hosting companies, offers, software, colo, bandwidth, etc. We are also working on an automated system for host ratings and comments so that there is an easier way to review a host and a more defined manner to present that information.

Lastly, with my acquisition of Hosting Tech and Host Buzz, we will soon be implementing a daily news feature. This will basically be a place for up to date industry news and information and a way to get your press release out without cost.

Also, we are thinking about eliminating the stickies.

Moderation. IMHO, the current moderators have done a fantastic job. Their hard work is very much appreciated. With that said, I am considering bringing on a full time staff member to assist with the moderation. This may help weed out some of the bad guys with more time to do research.

Your continued patronage of this forum is appreciated. With the acquisition of Hosting Tech and other web properties, we are looking forward to improving the user experience at webhostingtalk.

Lastly, we are now starting to advertise webhostingtalk on Overture. Some listings have already been placed and others are being placed in the next few days. This should help to continue the growth that wht has experienced. It is, afterall, the users that make this community.

Robert

Sounds good, although things are fine the way they are...


Also, we are thinking about eliminating the stickies


YES!!! Annoying things :D

Originally posted by headsurfer
As of now, new ad sales on webhostingtalk are on hiatus. This will be for a very short time until we roll out the updates/upgrades/etc for webhostingtalk and also install new ad serving software for our sites.



Good to hear :) What ad serving software will be used?

We will also be implementing ad standards so that all are the same size and the large html banners of today will be history in favor of a smaller banner size. After looking at the site on a smaller monitor, I agree on that point. In the end, teh same amount of space may eb taken up in ads on the main page, but only half will be at the top.

:agree: Any word on rich media ads? Those are fun to watch :D

Webhostingtalk will also finally feature a directory of web hosting companies, offers, software, colo, bandwidth, etc. We are also working on an automated system for host ratings and comments so that there is an easier way to review a host and a more defined manner to present that information.

Good to hear :).

Lastly, with my acquisition of Hosting Tech and Host Buzz, we will soon be implementing a daily news feature. This will basically be a place for up to date industry news and information and a way to get your press release out without cost.

Congrats on the purchases. Anyword on when hosting tech will be back in publication?

Also, we are thinking about eliminating the stickies.
:agree: Does this include the sticky in the main forum by kunal?


Moderation. IMHO, the current moderators have done a fantastic job. Their hard work is very much appreciated. With that said, I am considering bringing on a full time staff member to assist with the moderation. This may help weed out some of the bad guys with more time to do research.

:agree: Great idea to bring matt back...he's already hard at work :D As for the full time staff member, does this mean it's a paid position? Will this position be filled by a member of the board or will it be a RackShack/EV1 employee that is not a member of the forum?

Four things

First, as to the stickies: I would hate to see them eliminated (know I may be in the minority). I would just like to see them limited. However, I have responded to some of them and really like them as a way for the startup or very small business to advertise.

Second, as to standards: I have posted previously regarding this subject and, once again, encourage you (now, as a publisher) to establish standards for your advertisers. While I don't expect you to evaluate every advertiser, I would like to see some ethics in advertising standards and would hope to see the repeat offender and perpetrator of fraud or deceptive business practices disallowed.

Third, as to automating host ratings and comments: While I agree in theory, I do see a lot of ballot stuffing likely to occur, both positive and negative. While I like the comments, because one can evaluate them oneself for credibility, I am frightened by ratings as they are subject to manipulation by or against the provider.

Last, in spite of any fears upon your acquisition and, in spite of those who attempt to destroy the community or disparage the board itself, I continue to enjoy WHT, enjoy participating here, and applaud the continued good job you and the moderators have done here.

The hosting directory is a good idea, in the fact that a host could signup and list themsevles but having it with a comment system and a forum is kind of useless, if you want to say something negative or positive, you will have to post it twice. So I would think it have to be intergrated into vBulletin. So hosts could go into their User CP, click on a link saying they are a host, and list the host details, same can be done for designers, and programmers. Then from there, if a customer has a complaint or complement they can search for the host on the wish to comment on, click a link on the page to post a new comment. And in posting the comment, it will really make a new thread here, and record the thread id to the host dir db, so a list of threads can be made about the host.

Or the script could be written like the related threads feature in vB3, where key words are searched for and theads with those key words, the hosts name, would show up. This could be fooled by hosts though so not absolutely fool proof...

Hope I've been failry clear :D

All comments, suggestions, praise :), and gripes are appreciated. We want to grow the forum in quality as well as the other ways.

Originally posted by headsurfer
Lastly, with my acquisition of Hosting Tech and Host Buzz, we will soon be implementing a daily news feature. This will basically be a place for up to date industry news and information and a way to get your press release out without cost.


Dammit! I knew someone was going after host buzz, I should have guessed it was you :D. Should I tell Stephen and Allison at TheWHIR to be on the lookout :)?

edit: Now that you own host buzz you might want to take it out of censoring :D (host buzz vs ********).

That would be due to the past owner of host buzz, Marc Stephens, being just about the biggest prick I've ever encountered. He's been banned under many usernames here. I think he's 12 or 13 years old, but if not, he just chooses to act like it. He likes to email in insults, namecalling, says how worthless the forum is, etc. It figures we constantly have to ban his sorry donkey (ironic that we have to keep banning him from a place he feels is so worthless, eh?). I suppose it is good that the site is now out of his hands as I felt bad for the people giving him money for advertising etc., though I'm sorry he got a penny from Robert. You wouldn't believe how rude and immature his emails were...

Originally posted by Chicken
That would be due to the past owner of host buzz, Marc Stephens, being just about the biggest prick I've ever encountered. He's been banned under many usernames here. I think he's 12 or 13 years old, but if not, he just chooses to act like it.

Don't hold back Chicken, tell us how you really feel :D. Wow, I never realized that he was that bad. Sucks...

That would be due to the past owner of host buzz, Marc Stephens, being just about the biggest prick I've ever encountered. You were a lot nicer than I would have been....

Chicken Im with you

Marc is a total sell out in every way shape and form.

Im with you

Great news Robert! WebHostingTalk Forums is definitely becoming 'the place to be' on the Internet if you're in the hosting industry. I don't spend as much time here as I used to due to the increase in server administration clients, but I do come here once a day to check out new threads and if I have time I try to reply to help other users with small problems that they have.

With all the chanes you've listed in your first post above, you're definitely going the right way. Making things more formal with a full time staff would be a good idea since it will definitely mean someone is always alive behind the scenes at WebHostingTalk Forums. But as people have said, WHT is good as it is, so don't change it too much. Improvement is the idea here.

Just my thoughts.

Alan

The host rating system is likely to be abused
(hosts down-voting other hosts regardless of true performance)

Anyone have any ideas on how to minimise this ?

Originally posted by UH-Matt

Anyone have any ideas on how to minimise this ?

Make everyone who wants to vote register, don't allow two accounts to sign up from the same IP address, and make sure they have a valid e-mail address. This won't prevent bogus voting, but it will lessen it.

This wouldn't work for someone like me whois behind a transparent proxy and have to use the one IP for the whole ISPs dial up network.

If they use the same ISP as me I couldn't signup.

But being registered wont stop it...

I could still go and vote 0 for you guys right now ;)

Robert, the thousand bucks question, I guess:
are you going to consolidate WHT ahd ******** in 1 site?

At this time, there are no plans to consolidate any of the sites that I have purchased. (or will be purchasing)

Originally posted by UH-Matt

I could still go and vote 0 for you guys right now ;)

Well, you could, but I don't have a hosting company, so no one would care :). You could also tag votes with usernames, so people would know who voted low.

I like how Robert added on the (or will be purchasing)

Just to show us he's not done yet :D

I operate two forums (equine and baseball) and am interested in knowing what script you are using for banner ads on the top of each page. Is this available publicly or is it a propritary script?

I belive the top banner ads are outsouced

Robert,

Why don't you list all the resources you have acquired (=sites), while you do not integrate all of them?

We are going with a new system from banmanpro.

Now that you bought HostingTech, will we continue to receive our monthly subscriptions?

Originally posted by brn2h8
I operate two forums (equine and baseball) and am interested in knowing what script you are using for banner ads on the top of each page. Is this available publicly or is it a propritary script?

 

I am pretty sure its called Phpadnews, If you do a yahoo it should come right up.. very nice program btw..

Originally posted by OKIHost
 

I am pretty sure its called Phpadnews, If you do a yahoo it should come right up.. very nice program btw..

Nope, it is BanManPro (http://www.banmanpro.com/).
Not cheap though (about $700) and it requires WinNT and MSSql Server to run. I guess the ad servers are the only RackShack servers running on WinNT :D

Jacco

Originally posted by brn2h8
I operate two forums (equine and baseball) and am interested in knowing what script you are using for banner ads on the top of each page. Is this available publicly or is it a propritary script?

Just for you to be full informed:

Okihost is referring to PhpAdsNew (http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpadsnew/), an improved version of the first PhpAds project. This tool is considered (suggestions welcome :D) to be the best Open Source banner management tool and is tested with 1-2 million pageviews a day.