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Digital bits sinks to new low (1 Viewer)

Tino

Taken As Ballast
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Complaining about pop-up ads is one thing, insulting the owner of an excellent FREE site and friend to the HTF is another.

I think Greg owes Bill Hunt an apology.
 

Brian Kidd

Senior HTF Member
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Nov 14, 2000
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Ron, I hate to tell you, but with the advent of Windows XP SP2 even the bloated and dreaded IE comes with a pop-up blocker. I agree with the folks who say that ads within a page aren't so bad unless they're so huge that you have to search for the content. The way-too-obtrusive animated ads with sound are nothing but a turn-off. I know that it's mostly the movie studios who use them. Maybe they'll learn eventually.

As for paying for the HTF, I'd be willing to. I do know, though, that there will be those who won't. It's kind of a Catch 22 situation. I don't envy you webmasters.
 

Tony Scello

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 8, 1999
Messages
318
I also fully support Bill and all the staff at the Bits for all their hard work over the years. Their insight on the industry, studio contacts, reviews, street dates, coverart, rumor mill information, etc. make the DigitalBits an invaluable free service and one of the best on the Web. A few pop-up ads to help them keep their heads above water financially couldn't come close to changing my opinion on their website. I'm a bit embarassed that this even came up and that Bill felt he needed to respond/defend himself when that shouldn't have been necessary.

Now that all the principles have had their say, I would like to suggest that this thread be closed so that we all can move on to more constructive topics.
 

KyleC

Supporting Actor
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Nov 1, 2003
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848
I'm sorry this thread serves no purpose but to bash a great site using another great site's bandwidth. Close it. If you have a problem with Digital Bits, go somewhere else. If it's the ads, then get a pop up stopper. Otherwise keep reading all the great FREE reviews these sites give us.
 

Robert Crawford

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I think you're wrong! The thread's starter might have wanted that to happen, but from what I read here so far, it appears this thread is more like an affirmation of support for DigitalBits and sites that are in a similar position when it comes to having the necessary income for their survival.






Crawdaddy
 

Scotty_McW

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
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370
I just wanted to chime in again with one of my own personal experiences and why the Digital Bits and HTF are so important to me.

Like many people here, film is a huge part of my life, but so is my family. It was devastating to me last year when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She only lasted a month, which could be seen as a blessing since she never had to deal with chemo. I would trade all my movies for just one more day with her.

During that time, my life was upside down. I could only talk about it so much. When I wanted time alone, even movies didn't provide me with much of an escape. I turned to the Bits and HTF. Through these two sites, I was able to have some of the normalcy in my life that I had before.

It was a great outlet for me to get online and read reviews, news, comments, look at other members theaters...everyting these two great sites provide.

To Ron, Parker, Bill, Todd, all the mods: Thanks for such great sites! It really meant alot to me to be able to go to such great places every day where I could temporarily forget the troubles that were going on in my life. I look forward to many more years of enjoyment from both of these sites!!!
 

Fredrik L

Agent
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Aug 29, 2002
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To Bill and the rest of The Digital Bits:

I've been a visitor at your site since 1999 and I'm deeply grateful for what you do and achieve. I love your daily coverage and your dedicated editorials. It's really rare these days, and I hope you continue. With two companies of my own, I know how hard it is to maintain even one monthly sallary.

I would without a doubt pay $200 a year for your service.
 

Herschel

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Jan 30, 2004
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My guess is the advertisers' main goal is to draw your attention to their product. Pop-ups and pop-unders will accomplish that much better than regular in-page ads, which lots of people have learned to tune out. I'm sure they've looked into it, and they must feel that the benefits of pop-ups outweigh the negatives.

And a big "me too" to all the good things that have been said so far about the Bits and HTF. Maybe everyone needs to visit a web site once a week that REALLY annoying and over-the-top with advertising, so that everything else feels reasonable in comparison... :)
 

Colin Jacobson

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I wonder if sites realistically could continue to exist with a subscription model. The Big Picture went that way but effectively seems dead now. Is anyone here a member of it? As far as I can tell, they've not posted a new review in three months! I'd be upset if I'd sent in my money for them and then had them vanish.

TDB was always bigger than TBP, though the latter was once fairly successful. I think the subscription model won't work, however. Yeah, it'd net the site some bucks upfront, but the problem is that there are too many competing services out there. When faced with the choice of paying $20/year for TDB or going somewhere else for free, most people will choose the latter. Many supporters will stick with them - this thread's demonstrated that - but their numbers would take a huge hit, which would then affect their studio support, which would cause them to lose subscribers, etc.

For better or for worse, people see the Internet as a free resource (not counting their ISP fees). If you're going to charge, it'd better be for something they can't get otherwise. For example, I happily send $10 a year to Pollstar to be a premium member because they get me excellent automatic updates on concert tours. I can get that info elsewhere, but not with such accuracy and ease.

I think subscriptions just won't work for DVD review/news sites. There's too much competition, so many people will just go elsewhere. That's not a reflection on the quality of the sites - just a realistic view of the marketplace.
 

Tony Scello

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 8, 1999
Messages
318
If this thread is not going to be closed because it has become an affirmation of The DigitalBits and other similar websites might it not be a good idea to at least modify the thread subject/title?
 

Marko Berg

Supporting Actor
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Mar 22, 2002
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What Fredrik L said. I too have been visiting The Digital Bits and this site since early 1999. I'm sure Fredrik agrees with me when I point out that sites such as these are especially valuable to those of us outside North America. Where else are we going to get accurate and timely information on R1 home theater-related issues?
 

Bill>Moore

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Mar 28, 2003
Messages
366
As a DVD afficianado, I am most grateful for HTF, Digital Bits, DVDFile and a number of others that I visit frequently. I don't like ads, but if I have to suffer through a few to get the information from the sites and be able to share in all the opinions we provide each other regarding our hobby, then I'll deal with 'em. As a moderator on another fairly busy forum, I'll attest to the amount of time that's poured into sites like these on a daily basis. It requires a lot of effort and a lot of love from many people. I'm very appreciative of everything those involved do to provide us with these sites.
 

Matt Butler

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As I said in the " Whats up with DVDfile?" thread; HTF, DVDfile and Digital bits are the best DVD sites on the net.
(Tvshowsondvd is another up on the "best of dvd sites" list as well)

Pop-ups are annoying as hell but Im not going to bitch about them because I know its a way the sites make money to keep running (as said earlier in this thread.)
Id rather have a few pop-ups then not have the sites at all.

Ill also echo what others have said:

Ron, Bill, Gord, Dave L and Peter Bracke all deserve our support and respect.

Thanks for the past 3 to 4 years of dvd news, reviews and fun. :)
 

Eric Larsen

Agent
Joined
Nov 27, 2003
Messages
38
Bill, Ron, and the rest of the Digital Bits and HTF Staff,

Thank you so much for all that you do.

No, I'm not a fan of pop up ads, but I wouldn't waste my time writing about them.

I will however take the time to show appreciation for the dedication and determination which continues to provide me with information to read and think about both on-line and as purchased book. I'm sorry to hear that the book has not sold more and is a way that you lost money.

The start of this thread is evidence that people will complain about anything.

What followed is appreciation that you all probably don't get enough of. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone back and read previous posts from before my initial visits or read pages and pages of reviews and chat transcripts. Because they're that good and vital to fans of DVD, film, whathaveyou.

The good greatly outweighs whatever inconvenience one could perceive (or conceive) of.

Thanks for better informing us in brief of the work and logistics necessary to do what you do.

I hearby call for this thread to be renamed "It's a Wonderful DVD site" and call for one of Mike Frezon's Weekly Roundup group hugs.:wink:

Man, people get needlessly nasty the week before a Star Wars release.

Talk with y'all at the next chat if not before.
 

MikeFR

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May 16, 2002
Messages
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Sorry but Alexa traffic ranking is not an accurate representation of a sites traffic or bandwidth.
 

GeorgePaul

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
274

Er, William, have you watched F/X or the Spike channel lately? I don't like to predict the future, but BANK ON this prediction: unless there is an absolutely bloodthirsty mass outcry by viewers, television promos will follow the lead of the Internet pop-up ad. And unlike the Internet, content blocked out by ads WON'T stay on the TV screen for as long as you want it to.

As so many other posters have already pointed out, it's no use trying to boycott a free site--especially when it's one of the top three DVD news and review sites on the web. As long as they're not constant, ads are a small price to pay for all the great free information and networking (not to mention venting ;)) that we can get on HTF and the 'Bits.

Besides, if the ad turns you off so much that you resolve to no longer visit the site, what's the superior business model out there that you would rely on instead?
 

Jimmy M

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
309
I'd like to add my support of Bill and HTF. As one who has supported both of them *, I feel I can say this: So long as the site doesn't load anything onto my machine that I don't authorize (and by 'load' I mead software, not ads) and don't open multiple new windows, then they can do what they want. If I enjoy the content, I'll be back. And I do enjoy the content at the Bits. Bill, keep it up.

Jimmy!

* = Instead of buying one more DVD I donated to the last HTF drive, and I bought Bill's book through his Amazon link. Now how can I get Bill & co. to autograph it? :)
 

John Stone

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Messages
680
Ok, I've had it.

I run a web site that was once very small, but over the past year it has exploded in popularity. Of course my out of pocket costs have gone through the roof. To help defray some of these costs while keeping my site/forums free, I have accepted some advertising from a select few companies that I believe in. Still, some people complain. Loudly. It's amazing - you pour your soul into a project, you make it totally free, and when you do what you must to help keep the site free some people lose their friggin minds and call you a "sellout".

The Digital Bits, DVD File and The HTF are the absolute best resources of their kind on the net AND THEY ARE FREE. Who cares about a couple of ads?

Some of you have no idea what's involved to keep sites like these running, and you people are the ones who seem to do the most complaining. Good god. Stop your damn bitching and enjoy what you have.
 

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