Win $500 USD From Phoronix, Take Our Survey

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Win $500 USD From Phoronix, Take Our Survey

IDG TechNetwork, our advertising partner for Phoronix, is running a site survey for us where you can win $500 USD. This survey should just take a matter of minutes and asks about your reading habits on Phoronix, what you would like to see, your job roles, how you interact with advertisements, etc. The results of this survey are used by IDG to help pull in new -- and relevant -- advertisers on Phoronix...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=NzA4OA

[ernstp]

US and Canada only :-(

[[Knuckles]]

Yeah... You should mention that this is US/Canada only on the news post right away, it's not very fair to bury this (I went to see the rules exactly because I expected it to be this way, unfortunately...).

[Michael]

;64091']Yeah... You should mention that this is US/Canada only on the news post right away, it's not very fair to bury this (I went to see the rules exactly because I expected it to be this way, unfortunately...).

I didn't know this myself, but will update the post.

[bobrik]

US and Canada only :-(
I agree, it's unfortunate. I don't think my (and anyone else') clicks on the adverts are less worth then those from US or Canada.

[ethana2]

When I make purchasing decisions, I don't look to little annoying .gif files on web pages, I look at reviews, benchmarks, and whether or not the vendor pisses me off.

There were some questions they should have asked in that survey that they did not.

[grantek]

Yeah, it seemed to equate more ads with more sales :(

I use adblock, so even though I'm outside the US I took the survey to make up for all the ads I miss :)

[Michael]

I use adblock, so even though I'm outside the US I took the survey to make up for all the ads I miss :)

Or you could just whitelist Phoronix.com in AdBlock :D

[bulletxt]

I agree, it's unfortunate. I don't think my (and anyone else') clicks on the adverts are less worth then those from US or Canada.

Exactly, there is no good reason for "US & Canada" only. When I see these things, I'm glad to say THANKS to the adblock plugin author.

[mycroes]

I'm using AdBlock too. I hoped that in the survey I could say phoronix really sucks without AdBlock, but of course, no such option, so I decided to not submit the survey either.

There are lots of technological sites that don't have the stupid annoying ads phoronix has. I still like the articles on phoronix, but that's really it. So if phoronix will mess up article content too, I guess there's not much here for people to go to anymore.
Regards,

Michael

[Michael]

There are lots of technological sites that don't have the stupid annoying ads phoronix has.

And which ads are those? Any ads that are irrelevant, flashy, or annoying I gladly block.

I still like the articles on phoronix, but that's really it. So if phoronix will mess up article content too, I guess there's not much here for people to go to anymore.

Well, most people don't go to Phoronix with the intentions of checking out the newest advertisements on the site. They go to read the articles.

[ethana2]

If it wasn't for google targeted text ads, I might not know about system76. I'm probably going to buy my next machine from them.

Image and animation banner ads eat brain power, cpu power, and network bandwidth, and they can burn in hades. All of them.

[mycroes]

And which ads are those? Any ads that are irrelevant, flashy, or annoying I gladly block.

The BiteFight ad? I've seen some of those mmorpg ads on phoronix too I think... Also, the script that adds the mouseover popups to some words is incredibly annoying, especially if you move the mousecursor with everything you read (luckily AdBlock also stops this monstrosity).
Regards,

Michael

[grantek]

Or you could just whitelist Phoronix.com in AdBlock :D

What the fuck? Why would I do that? I block ads for a reason, and before adblock was around I mentally filtered ads anyway. The louder something screams, the more I'll ignore it.

Michael, you're being a <australianism>tosser</australianism> about this whole "asking people to chug down ads that aren't even served by phoronix". Google text ads are good, but not good enough for me to go in and specifically exempt from an extension that just plugs into my browser and does everything.

Then you go off and accuse people of stealing (http://www.phoronix.com/forums/showpost.php?p=64112&postcount=25) when they're technically incapable of viewing the ads you don't even serve? That is NOT "Good Business Sense"...

And these aren't just your run-of-the-mill drop-by casual browsers, these are returning members that actually ADD value to the site! How much less would the site be worth if the forums went dead? All that content for FREE - we should be asking Phoronix for a commission on our posts.

Having said that, I just went and paid for a subscription. That's AU$50 for something that's sold as a way to stop seeing ads. Which I don't see. And you've previously asked people to go to some sort of effort to see.

The main technical reason I got it is to get the full-page articles, which I think is nice. The main warm-and-fuzzy reason I got it is to support the site and the forums. It's cool having the AMD guys there (you have Bridgman to thank for a lot of that), and there's a lot of value throughout it.

But being hostile to the people that form a part of that isn't cool, so STFU about the ads. Adblock is Good, and people that use it tend to be orders of magnitude less affected by ads anyway.

[Michael]

But being hostile to the people that form a part of that isn't cool, so STFU about the ads. Adblock is Good, and people that use it tend to be orders of magnitude less affected by ads anyway.

Well, I am sorry, but I just don't like seeing people blocking ads when they are needed for the survival of Phoronix. When margins are as tight as they are right now, and the CPMs dropping with these economic conditions, every impression does count.

[grantek]

Question: do the bulk of story views/forum views come from logged-in returning users?

[Michael]

Question: do the bulk of story views/forum views come from logged-in returning users?

A majority of the article views come from those that are not logged into the forums. Granted, that should not be surprising since there are only 18k total members on the forums, but there are millions of impressions per month.

[deanjo]

Filled it out and submitted it. With the exception of the ad in the first post of every thread they generally don't bother me. Lesser of two evils, deal with a few ads and at least help out a bit financially to a resource I regularly use or start looking for a site that tries to be as useful without the same ads which is pretty hard to find.

[energyman]

us&canada only - I call that discrimination. Like always. So not impressed.

[duncan_nz]

Actually its not discrimination, its racism.

What phoronix has ads?

[energyman]

I am not using adblock. I use konqueror - and I have a big filter list. However - the ads on phoronix should be shown - but I don't have flash active in konqueror. Flash is too cpu intensive for my taste and I like surfing without it better. So if phoronix wants to show me ads - fine. Do it! But not flash-ads.

[pfunkman]

I think everyone that admits to using adblock should be permanently banned.

When you freeloaders use adblock you are screwing over the sites you frequent. Sites dont magically exist for free, the money needs to come from somewhere and if not ad revenue then where? Do you all plan on donating for the bandwidth and space? Its not as cheap as most would think.

Sadly thats one of the biggest plagues on the internet these days. I dont know where the freeloaders got this sense of entitlement like everything should be free but i can only assume they rationalize it the same way pirates rationalize stealing. Honestly thier no better.

As far as contest being US and canada thats incredibly common. To make a contest legal and applicable in other countries there are additional hoops to jump through and not to mention currency conversion etc. making it US and canada keeps it simple and straightforward.

[energyman]

well, I am not blocking ads on phoronix. And I still think that 'its common' is a bad apology for discrimination. Also currency conversation is so not a problem. Also IDG is big. No, it just sucks. It is the same kind of discrimination why the whole world has to pay premium prices so the same stuff can be cheaper in the usa. Newegg not delivering outside of the USA or special bundles only available to us americans. You know what? Corporations who discrimiate me, because I am just a normal human and not a special american can lick my ass.

[deanjo]

well, I am not blocking ads on phoronix. And I still think that 'its common' is a bad apology for discrimination.

As been mentioned contests have laws that have to be obeyed. When running a lottery, draw, etc you have to obey the laws of the local it is being made from AND the laws of where the eligible contestants are. Some places winnings are taxable for example other's it is not. As far as whose fault it is, blame the gov't's and lawyers. The draw provider is only following the set of laws that they have to follow.

Bitch at your friendly politician, they are the ones that created the mess.

[energyman]

but they still want my info. They want, but they don't want to give back. Hm

[pfunkman]

well, I am not blocking ads on phoronix. And I still think that 'its common' is a bad apology for discrimination. Also currency conversation is so not a problem. Also IDG is big. No, it just sucks. It is the same kind of discrimination why the whole world has to pay premium prices so the same stuff can be cheaper in the usa. Newegg not delivering outside of the USA or special bundles only available to us americans. You know what? Corporations who discrimiate me, because I am just a normal human and not a special american can lick my ass.

Ignorance must be bliss. Calling it discrimination is the most ridiculous, childish and ignorant thing i have heard all day.

Its not about special americans getting anything. Its about the nightmare it is for an american based company to hold any form of contest for anyone but americans.

Want someone to blame or bitch to write your local congressman/parliament rep (If you have one of course).

[deanjo]

Ignorance must be bliss. Calling it discrimination is the most ridiculous, childish and ignorant thing i have heard all day.

Its not about special americans getting anything. Its about the nightmare it is for an american based company to hold any form of contest for anyone but americans.

Want someone to blame or bitch to write your local congressman/parliament rep (If you have one of course).

Amen, I wonder if people call and bitch at the tv or radio stations too when they see/hear a commercial or rip out ads in magazines.

[energyman]

so why it is cheaper to buy a VW in USA and have it delivered to Europe than buying it locally? Why is Alternate able to sent its stuff worldwide - but the Newegg is not? Why does cost computer hardware so much more outside the USA?
You guys get special treatment - and everybody else is paying for it.

And IDG wants to reach a worldwide audience with their ads and they want everybody to take the survey. But only americans have a chance to get something. Yeah - that is great work. Really.

[curaga]

Seriously, seeing "US/CA only" is something that really pisses me off. Powercolor has held several contests recently; they were open worldwide, and I am pretty sure they are an US based company. So it's not in any way impossible.

Also, I once ordered something from the US. They taxed me -twice-, first in the US, then locally here. I would think there's a law even in the US about only having to pay sales or whatever tax only in the receiving end. Greedy US.

@energyman - Alternate is from Germany, assuming we are thinking of the same site (alternate.eu)

[pfunkman]

so why it is cheaper to buy a VW in USA and have it delivered to Europe than buying it locally? Why is Alternate able to sent its stuff worldwide - but the Newegg is not? Why does cost computer hardware so much more outside the USA?
You guys get special treatment - and everybody else is paying for it.

Do you even have the slightest inkling at how the world works or are yo just content at being ignorant and whining about things you know absolutely nothing about?

Your VW example is not even remotely true and just shows how little you know and how your willing to make things up as you go to prove your failing point.

Newegg very rarely deals with single item orders and if you lived in america and ever sent things to the UK you would know its a literal nightmare just to send one thing let alone multikle mackages. Newegg operates out of multiple warehouses meaning when you order a bunch of components its very likely you will get 2-3 packages from the various locations.

So on top of the insane rates it costs to ship things to the UK you have to then hope customs dont sit on the package for weeks, ectra VAT charges etc.

Most companies just dont want to deal with the additional headache because there is so little return for all the hoops you have to jump through.

And IDG wants to reach a worldwide audience with their ads and they want everybody to take the survey. But only americans have a chance to get something. Yeah - that is great work. Really.

You see again you blame the company when you should blame your government form making it such a pain in the ass.


Seriously, seeing "US/CA only" is something that really pisses me off. Powercolor has held several contests recently; they were open worldwide, and I am pretty sure they are an US based company. So it's not in any way impossible.

See above^^ dont like it blame your government...

Not to mention that powercolor is a subsidiary of a company based in taiwan :rolleyes:

Also, I once ordered something from the US. They taxed me -twice-, first in the US, then locally here. I would think there's a law even in the US about only having to pay sales or whatever tax only in the receiving end. Greedy US.

In the US we dont pay taxes on items purchased except for very few states. You would have to show proof that you paid state sales tax as a non residant of the US because thats actually quite illegal.

Either way how is it greedy US that your country taxed you for an item that had nothing to do with your country and originated elsewhere?

The vat system is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard of and why even back in my days of ebay selling i refused to ship overseas.

[curaga]

Hmm, Wikipedia says:PowerColor
Founded 1997 [1]
Headquarters Industry, CA, United StatesIf their HQ is in the US and A, wouldn't that make them US-based?

[energyman]

pfunkman, it is you who has no clue. My VW expample is true (also true for BMW). This is the reason why a lot of people in Germany bought their car overseas - there were even infos about it from various sources of things that had to be changed to make an american vw legal for german streets. Please stop, you don't know anything. And I don't even bother to answer the rest. You know NOTHING and dare to attack me. So lame.

[pfunkman]

Hmm, Wikipedia says:If their HQ is in the US and A, wouldn't that make them US-based?

Powercolor is owned by TUL a company based in taiwan, want to hold an international contest do it as TUL and slap the powercolor name on it problem solved...

pfunkman, it is you who has no clue. My VW expample is true (also true for BMW). This is the reason why a lot of people in Germany bought their car overseas - there were even infos about it from various sources of things that had to be changed to make an american vw legal for german streets. Please stop, you don't know anything. And I don't even bother to answer the rest. You know NOTHING and dare to attack me. So lame.

Proof or STFU about the VW nonsense already. Even if it is true the exception is not the rule and im willing to bet the value of the american dollar being in the toilet would have more to do with it than anything. But i dont really feel like trying to teach economics 101 to someone content on pointing fingers and crying.

Tell your governments to loosen up the fucking laws a bit and maybe you will see some more contests applicable in your area otherwise quit crying like its our fault or even has anything to do with us.

So sick of these childish europeans that act like babies towards americans. You sound like a 4 year old crying that his little brother got a bigger piece of the cake. Its pathetic :rolleyes:

Since common sense apparently eludes you ill just leave it at this:

Im not attacking you, in fact you started off your nonsense attacking americans in general. You dont like how things work figure out who to blame before throwing another temper tantrum.

[deanjo]

pfunkman, it is you who has no clue. My VW expample is true (also true for BMW). This is the reason why a lot of people in Germany bought their car overseas - there were even infos about it from various sources of things that had to be changed to make an american vw legal for german streets. Please stop, you don't know anything. And I don't even bother to answer the rest. You know NOTHING and dare to attack me. So lame.

Actually it's quite the opposite. My cousin constantly orders Porsche and Mercedes bought directly in Germany and ships them over because it is cheaper. Sticker price on a foreign car is very misleading as there are several additional import, luxury, gas guzzler, etc taxes and tariffs that are added on at the dealer. BTW, Volkwagens sold in NA are generally made in Mexico.

[bridgman]

A few years ago you could save between 5 and 10% when buying a BMW in North America if you picked it up at the factory, including shipping it home and insurance while you were driving it around Europe. That did not include your own airfare over, accomodation, or beer ;)

I don't think it was actually "cheaper to buy there", just that cars picked up from the factory didn't come out of the local dealer's allocation so they were happy to sell at a lower price and still make some $$. Not sure what the current pricing is between NA and Germany.

Note - my "German Engineered Driving Experience" is the leftover Mercedes 300E parts that got designed into my Dodge Magnum :D

[gtrawoger]

Correct me if I am wrong, but this thread was about a phoronix survey... how did we get onto German engineered cars and calling each other names (which is a usual combo) ???

Anyways, going back to the Survey about ads on here, I don't have 'adblock'. I simply have learned to ignore most of the ads on websites.
But as Michael pointed out, impressions keep sites like phoronix alive. Wanna get more articles that are relevant? Stop using adblockers. Maybe even click on an ad for a change, especially when it is one that could interest you. I used to click on the ads for remote administration all the time. I actually learned quite a bit from the links it got me.

People keep forgetting that the advertisements is what keeps things free or at least affordable.

Just a thought ...

[duncan_nz]

I think everyone that admits to using adblock should be permanently banned.

Your very funny!

When you freeloaders use adblock you are screwing over the sites you frequent. Sites dont magically exist for free, the money needs to come from somewhere and if not ad revenue then where? Do you all plan on donating for the bandwidth and space? Its not as cheap as most would think.

If you can't afford to run a web site then don't run one, no body is forcing you to go bankrupt or something for spending 20 bucks a month. :rolleyes:

[deanjo]

Your very funny!



If you can't afford to run a web site then don't run one, no body is forcing you to go bankrupt or something for spending 20 bucks a month. :rolleyes:

LOL $20 a month, you clearly have no idea of the costs running a high traffic site let alone a site that does hardware reviews which often means cash out of pocket.

[duncan_nz]

I know where to find bargains.

[deanjo]

I know where to find bargains.

Please do tell where you can get a server that can handle the traffic that this site gets as well as it's sister sites and handle project management efficiently with enough bandwidth that you are not paying overages, experiencing regular downtime, that isn't a shared server and has guaranteed bandwidth.

Crap resellers need not apply.

[ethana2]

Companies should be paying phoronix to advertise for them by benchmarking and reviewing their products. When I look for new hardware to buy, this is where I'll be coming to find out what to go with.

[deanjo]

Companies should be paying phoronix to advertise for them by benchmarking and reviewing their products. When I look for new hardware to buy, this is where I'll be coming to find out what to go with.

Your captive audience would have to be much larger then what phoronix is presently for that to start happening.

[ethana2]

'buy now' links at the end of reviews with referral tags in the URL may not be a bad place to start.

Also, to gain a larger market, I recommend better OS X coverage and software reviews. (I'm mostly Ubuntu, but I use OS 10.4 on my eMac)

Distributed audience benchmark contributions might not be bad either.
'get a free phoronix contributor account, two months ad-free for submitted benchmarks'. ..PTS should enable people to do that, if they meet a stated need and adhere to the editor's standards...

[Michael]

'Also, to gain a larger market, I recommend better OS X coverage and software reviews. (I'm mostly Ubuntu, but I use OS 10.4 on my eMac)

I wouldn't mind that at all (well, OS X benchmarking and such since no other OS X site really does that), but at this time I just have a Mac Mini and am very strapped for capital at the moment.

[ethana2]

I wouldn't mind that at all (well, OS X benchmarking and such since no other OS X site really does that)


'niche'

but at this time I just have a Mac Mini and am very strapped for capital at the moment.
Distributed audience benchmark contributions might not be bad either.

PTS is getting very, very easy to install and to use. I don't think it's going to be that much of a stretch.

[Michael]

Distributed audience benchmark contributions might not be bad either.
'get a free phoronix contributor account, two months ad-free for submitted benchmarks'.

Sadly that method wouldn't be too sustainable.

[pfunkman]

Your very funny!



If you can't afford to run a web site then don't run one, no body is forcing you to go bankrupt or something for spending 20 bucks a month. :rolleyes:

Whats the weather like out there in fantasy land?