Dear all,

I wanted to let you know about a test I'm planning to run on the site over the next few weeks, which I'm not particularly happy about: for a few weeks, the site will be displaying advertisements. I'd like to explain why.

I've always been proud to have created an ad-free and completely free site. It cost me a lot of money for a long time, but donations (around 30/40 dollars after taxes) allow me to finance the server. So it's self-financing, and I'd like to thank the donors again.

For several years now, I've been living very badly in my job, which takes up all my time, energy and well-being. I'd like to leave it and my dream would be to manage to have a job with fewer hours, so I can devote more time to programming and Hogwarts; this would only be possible by compensating for the financial loss. You may have noticed that I'm now very, very absent, whereas I used to be able to devote a lot of time to you.

So I just want to have an idea (I have none) of whether it's possible.

So I'm going to have some tests carried out in different formats: well-integrated and discreet ads in the site's colors, white Google ads, ads between certain posts or ads at login or at the bottom of the site on mobile. I think I won't show any "gif" ads to remain discreet.

For now, it's ugly and annoying... but I'm working on integrating them properly. Give me, let's say, a week or two at most!

If this isn't conclusive or sufficient, I won't take the plunge and remove the ads.

I will keep you informed in all transparency of the results of this test.

I am also very interested in your returns / feedback during this period, do not hesitate to send me owls!

Hey Zach, I am sure I speak for a lot of the server when I say what you've created here is a truly magical place, I'm sure most of us will not mind some non intrusive ads to help you out, perhaps might I suggest as well a benefit to donators that they have an ad free experience? This could help you boost up as well while you find your perfect balance.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you and interacting with you.

Kind regards

I do plan to provide a way to block ads. However, I’m not implementing it right away because it’s entirely possible that, in the end, I won’t include any ads at all. This will therefore be addressed at a later stage.

I wanted to let you know that the tests are still ongoing. I’m aware that there are some ugly and inconvenient ads, and I’m evaluating them one by one to try to integrate them as best as possible and see if they work. For a few days (less than a week), I’m counting on your patience and understanding. Trust me to do my best for the site, as I’ve always tried to do!

No worries Zach! We do appreciate the huge commitment of time and effort you put into H.io, even if we don't get to see you much! You've made a truly magical and awesome place here. Do what you need to do in order to keep this place the Best Place on the net!

Colin

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give you an update. I didn't make much progress yesterday as I spent a lot of time on GDPR-related matters for Europeans (which is why only the English site is affected for now), and... I was at work.

This weekend, I'm working on several experiments at once:

• Trying to better integrate ads, especially between posts; I continue to experiment with different formats; my goal is to find something discreet without it feeling intrusive.
• Adding an option in the profile to hide ads; I'm waiting a bit to get a sense of the total volume, so I can later assess the percentage of people who will disable it. I'm not sure if I will keep this at the end.
• Finally, I'm considering redesigning the donation page to make it clearer and more familiar; this might be an alternative to ads!

I also want to remind you that, of course, I make sure that anyone using an ad blocker sees nothing and isn't disturbed on the site.

Thank you for your understanding, and for the many messages I’ve received, to which I’ll be replying soon. Finally, thanks to several donors whom I will be replying to this weekend, and for whom I will send a special message.

Hello everyone,

After four days of experimenting with ads on the website, here are the conclusions I've come to:

• Ads can indeed generate a significant amount of income (several thousand dollars per year).
• However, contrary to what I had hoped, there is no simple way to integrate them more seamlessly into the site or make them less intrusive. The options are very limited, which isn’t surprising when you think about it—advertisers pay to be seen and don’t want to be discreet.
• Ads make navigation extremely unpleasant and harm the immersion and desire to stay on the site.
• Most importantly, I just can’t accept them. They go against everything that, to me, defines the soul of this site: a glimpse of what the Internet was like twenty years ago—spaces created by passionate people, free of ads, privacy issues, and social media, simply bringing together individuals who share the same passions and want to escape the real world for a while.

Still, I needed to try this to truly understand what I was giving up.

That’s why I’m thrilled to announce the removal of all ads from the site and the decision to abandon this path entirely!

This experience has, however, revealed something important: thanks to some of you who reached out to me, I’ve realized that there are people willing to make donations—as long as there’s a more visible and accessible way to do so. I think this is an option worth exploring. Voluntary donations, without any pressure or obligation to purchase something, align perfectly with my values and would be a great source of motivation for me. I’ll be thinking about this approach in the near future.

In the meantime, I’m more motivated than ever to dive back into this site, which I’ve neglected too much this year. I have plenty of ideas that I’m sure you’ll love, and now it’s just a matter of finding the time and energy to bring them to life.

Lots of love, and thank you for your support!

Zachary Winslow wrote: 26 Nov 2024, 14:23 Lots of love, and thank you for your support!

Well, that's double good news then! Not just about the ads, but more importantly that you're feeling more motivated about this place! I can't wait to see what cool things you've got in mind for us!

I'm glad you went this way! The couple days with the ads were not super great, and it made me realize how much I love having this site freely available like this, and how willing I am to support it financially. I would love to see an easier way to donate, and updated lists of the financial supporters