[Chainfire]

Originally Posted by 711

Since Mindark has approved the EFD auctions in principle (for low value EU items, i.e. under 500 peds) the ability to purchase EF adspace (or simply EFDs with which to purchase those ads) with PEDs is not that different.

I would get their explicit approval in either case. It'd be a shame if EF goes down because of it because you didn't.

I could have simply just offered the ads only for EFDs, with an option to purchase with cash, but how would this be any different than PEDs? If I had said instead that those without enough EFDs can purchase a 14 day ad campaign for $44, haven't I also created a standard exchange rate for EFDs to PEDs anyway?

How would this be any different? In principle, in the same way you cant pay for stuff at the grocery store with an ounce of cocaine, even though the cocaine <==> dollar exchange rate is pretty much fixed these days. Ok, that's an extreme analogy, but I think you get my point.

And even if you do it for dollars, instead of PEDs, that still isn't allowed without permission from MA according to the EULA (IIRC).

Since Mindark has tied the value of PEDs directly to the dollar (and by extension to all RL currencies, based on exchange rates), expressing prices in terms of dollars just to be "legal" with regard to EULA is simply semantics. Now, considering that the service offered here: adspace on a fan forum to promote events and items inside EU, is directly benefiting the EU community and activity in EU, how can this be a bad thing for MA or EU?

I think you've seen a sufficient amount of MA's actions by now to know that MA does not care one bit about which might or might not be good and/or bad for the community, so I'll just write that quote off as being uncharacteristically naive.

As for the ability of "Premium" members to automatically bypass ads: the privileges that were given to donators by Mindbuster do not apply to these ads, as they are directly related to EU. There will be no option to disable these member ads.

That's real nice of you. The one problem here is that I gave a little bit of cash to MindBuster because I thought he deserved it for operating this forum, and as a gigantic added bonus to disable ads. I don't know about you, but probably my primary incentive to pay for stuff online is to get rid of those damned ads (you really don't want to know how many sites I pay cash every month to not see those things). There is not a single other feature on EF that 'premium members' get extra for in comparison to non premium member I care a rats ass about. So yes, honestly, you putting ads back onto my screen does piss me off a bit. Even if it is with all good intentions, related to EU, etc. Furthermore, I fail to see why it being EU related makes a difference, at all.

Ofcourse, it is your forum now, and I will not pretend to have any special priviliges because I donated to MB. It is your good righ to change these things, but that does not mean I don't disagree with them with all my heart.

The structure of membership levels on EF will be revisited. Right now, a situation exists where new EF members have no way to gain the same permissions and priviliges of former donators. This is unfair, thus I will be working on a membership model that is much more fair to all members of the EF community, and which will reflect relative support of EF.

If the current situation is unfair, by all means try changing it for the better, you got my vote there. I however disagree with making it less fair to group A to make it more fair to group B. Yes, I know, balancing that properly may quite possibly be totally impossible, even in theory

Finally, the ads for the MMOWC that are currently being shown in the EF adspace banner location were donated by EF, which is a sponsor of the MMOWC. I thought this would be a great way not only to promote an exciting event that EF is helping to sponsor, but also to demonstrate the effectiveness of the EF adspace system to the community. Already the MMOWC banner has had over 27,000 impressions and 180 clicks in less than 10 hours. That's 180 EU participants gaining awareness of an event thread that very possibly would have not seen it without this ad.

Well one thing's for sure, you do know how to do the propaganda thing! I'd almost call it clever how you almost didn't fool me into thinking this piece of quote is is actually to give traffic to ND, while all clues point in the direction of it being a particularly shameless plug for the ad system you just implemented.

As a final note, I know I might be a bit of an a-hole, 711, hell I know I've given you more -reps in two weeks than all other people on this forum combined since I joined a year ago (and I don't -rep lightly). Don't take it personally, not meant that way, I think you can guess my reasoning, ultimately.