Sponsored/Placed Stories

Hi guys,

Just a quick shout to say I've noticed a couple of... "out-of-place" stories come up in the latest article feed. I thought something must be awry, or there was a tech angle I just wasn't getting from the titles. A quick closer look revealed "Sponsored by: Huffington Post" or "Sponsored by: AOL Jobs", to name a couple.

Sponsored links in the bit-tech article feed. Would this be considered "blurring the line between editorial and advertising"?

After the Thermaltake advert in the podcast and this, I'll be considering taking this site off my Adblock white-list. I can't imagine I'll be the only one.

Could someone please let me know if this is an error in the advertising department (which I know has happened before, when risqué/gambling adverts have slipped through the net to land on here), or is this is here to stay?

Many thanks,

Will

 

Hi Will

Unfortunately, this is the latest example in a string of ad deals that have been booked across all of Dennis's websites that we (the bit-tech editorial team) don't have any control over.

This despite them appearing in the feed of editorial articles.

I don't like them, but unfortunately in these tough economic times the commerical needs of Dennis take priority over any concerns that we the editorial team have

 

James, If I have a complaint, who do I write to?

 

I'll echo Parge's complaint. No self-respecting journalist wants what they're doing to you guys, but we're tired of them inking deals that destroy the place that our patronage made what it is. Rather than jump you (which would be counterproductive, as well as ill-placed) who can we direct our ire to properly?

 

As I said on Twitter - I want to distance myself from this as much as possible.

These stories are nothing to do with me, I publicly oppose them and was not consulted or made aware of their introduction to the site I am an editor for.

I have voiced my concerns to relative parties and do not like them one bit.

 

Unless they are about games, tech or boobs I'm not clicking on them, I don't live near a subway and I don't know wth candy is

 

If they were relevant tech stories I could see the benefit - but something completely unrelated and masked as an article just isn't right.

 

If it was advertising other dennis sites [PC Pro/Computer Shopper etc] it'd be ok [ish] with me, of it was clear *this is an advert*... but disguising them as news/article posts, that I don;t agree with, on any site.

 

Seriously, what the hell has this to do with a tech site http://dads.new.digg.com/click?impr...50a823dbac7fb7bb73ec6b1d5013dae6435e9d19db413



This appeared on the sites front page in amongst the articles.

 

WOW that at appears a number of times, to be honest I can kind of understand why after all a business needs to make money. But come on there are better ways to do this.

This week I have subscribed to the CPC mag to show my support to Bit-Tech through CPC although it get a feeling that there will only be an increase in adverts like this.

To be honest this community is a mix of people why not get some of these people together to dicuss ways to promote subcribing and ways the members can support Bit-Tech and CPC afterall if they shut this tomorrow where would we all go ......

I hope Denis doesnt rune a good thing and I will be keeping an eye on this during the next three months which will help me decide about my subcription

 

Thanks for your feedback guys, as I said in my original post I can't do anything about these appalling adverts, but you can find the contact details of our advertising staff on this website: http://www.dennis.co.uk/brands/bit-tech and try getting in contact with them.

 

Not meaning to step on toes or tell people how to do their jobs, but doesn't Dennis appreciate the benefit of *targeted* advertising? The adverts will NOT make them money if it alienates the demographic and they go elsewhere.

Give us relevant, useful adverts (If that is what HAS to happen) and we might even thank you for it

 

I hadn't noticed them before now, but that may be due to the fact that I almost always go straight to the forums. Taking a closer look at the front page, I see a sponsored story about a guy selling candy on the subway. That particular story is featured twice in the "Latest Articles" column. Man, that must be one great story if it appears twice!

Sorry Dennis Publishing, but I expect to see this kind of crap on Yahoo's front page, not on Bit-tech.

 

Looks like I'm not the only one upset by this, then?

Had a lovely email from a certain Mr A Leather to ask how I was keeping, and to tell me his opinion on these new adverts (hint: he's not over-joyed). Also, he has his Christmas hat on. Huzzah!

I'll be dropping an email to the ads department in the morning. Are there any other Dennis Publishing sites where this is happening?

 

Awesome. I now see a sponsored article about a Craigslist ad in which a "mega-billionaire" seeks "hot twin assassins."

In my opinion these sort of articles just do not belong on Bit-tech. Sadly, this is yet another thorn in the growing weed that is Dennis Publishing's takeover of Bit-tech.

 

To be fair, I don't remember Dennis being anywhere NEAR this back back in the old CPC days. I think it's merely the growing weed that is Dennis Publishing.

 

I don't think it is any surprise that the quoted user survey on bit-tech readers views of adverts on the site is from 2008 and not more recent...

In my opinion, these ads reflect negatively on all the editorial staff here. It isn't at all obvious that they are sponsored adverts, in fact I would go as far to say that the intent is to deceive people.

Just an idea, but there is a ready made way to make it known the members here disagree, beyond simply emailing someone who quite clearly doesn't have a clue about the readership's views on adverts ( Dan Hellens dan_hellens@dennis.co.uk )

Multiple threads with appropriate titles in general discussion and project logs which are continually bumped to be the most popular threads on the site, thus being placed directly next to the offending adverts

 

^^ Well said.

 

This is easily as bad as Skimlinks in the forum was. What's worse is that it's also horribly unfair on the editorial staff.

I've said it before and I've said it again - Dennis buying bit-tech seems to only benefit Dennis and absolutely nobody else.
How can the suits be this clueless?

 

Many thanks for the email, just to let you know I have sent an email to voice my concerns this morning .... much love Bit-tech'ers