Sponsored/Placed Stories

I've sent an email as well. Writing letters to companies is not something I do in general, but this style of advertising is balls and the right people need to understand this.

 

While i don't agree with it, it was at least showing things tech related. A USB powered Rocket Launcher.... as you do, and 2 stories regarding Intel's leaked Road Map.

Sam

 

Wow. Just, wow.

After the farce of the skimlinks ads in forums and in articles, I actually installed an ad blocker - I never bothered with one before. In fact, even now BT is the only site I regularly visit that isn't white listed. This is while it's also a page that I have open upon the launch of my browser - before they would've been getting multiple page views every day.

I've only noticed these ads because I came to the site on my phone, but this just takes the cake. It really makes me wonder if I should bother visiting the site and reading the articles. At the very least, I'm going to stop coming here on my phone or public computers or anywhere I might have to suffer these ads.

At least the forums are still awesome (touch wood)

 

Another nail in the coffin... seem bit-tech is second in line to CPC in terms of regular site content. I wouldn't return here if it wasn't for the forums and Joe's reviews.

 

Quite frankly they suck, the're misleading posing as articles and yet another reason to avoid the front page.

 

Sad thing is that I have sent an email to complain regarding this over a week ago and still not even recieved a reply or even an acknowledgement.

Shame on you Denis publishing !!!!

 

Dennis Publishing moto:

"Do it! It is much easier to apologise than obtain permission."

 

Possibly off-topic: Why is Jamie no longer red?

 

I am leaving the company and will not longer be an admin or moderator here.

 

They dont even wish to do that I at least expected an acknowledgement of my email after all I even made some suggestions to improve things but not even a thank you for taking the time to email us type of message ....

 

Sad to hear that, Jamie. Best of luck in the future though, I'm sure you'll do well for yourself; judging by what I've seen of your work here.
Not many of the old guard left at this stage, though.

Surely Dennis Publishing can see what's happening here? Not that it's likely to make much difference even if they do take note.
At this stage it seems to be getting a bit like trying to ice-skate uphill.

 

Yeah, good luck Jamie.

 

I recently installed an adblocker too due to this, bring back the old Custom PC instead of advertising inflated front pages. Just look at the forums to see users arent happy with the changes, ive been an avid reader of the magazines but feel lately too that every 2nd page has an advert on it, kind of defeats the purpose of buying the mag if you still need to advertise to create revenue. Ill still support the mag and community but like many others eyes are open to the future and what it brings.

 

Where are these sponsored stories? I've not seen one, either on Google Reader or the home page.

 

these two boxed in red are examples.

 

I don't like these sponsored posts but it seems like they have become more related to the website than before. Been seeing more gadget than boobs or belly posts.

 

Can we please have someone look at the rollover Intel ad at the base of the page, very annoying and obtrusive.

 

I've tolerated the intusive ad's up till now. Even the fake article ad's as if I'm honest bittech is not the first tech site I visit any more so they dont bother me (I stay for the forums and project logs)...

...but a rollover toolbar ad at the bottom of the page? Whats left on the checklist? A wait 5 sec portal page?

Part of what made bit appealing is that it was clean and classy with the ads unobtrusive but relevent. What happend to that? It's going to end up like the escapist soon enough.

 

I feel sorry for all the gents who actually write the articles on this website, as they all seem like quality blokes with good points of view. However this is getting ridiculous. I can't move my mouse at all on the page now without green links creating adverts, adverts pretending to be stories littering the news feed, background adverts being so garish and overpowering that they detract from the literary content of the site, and now that godawful Intel monstrosity at the bottom. Other websites run commercially and don't feel the need to p*ss this many people off this badly. They still manage to generate sound editorial without going bust. I'm sorry Bit-Tech, truly I am, and this is going to seem like sour-grapes, and actually contributing to making the problem worse, but I have just completed the cancellation of my longstanding (and I mean longstanding) subscription in protest. I shall no longer purchase a magazine published by a company with an advertising department that does not, despite what some more charitable souls say, listen to its readership in any way, shape, or form at all.

I would expect a conscientious company to address serious negative customer views (not you guys writing the articles - no one blames you guys at all - if not for you gents this site would have been dust soon after Dennis got it's grubby mitts on it) but it's telling that no one within Dennis themselves see fit to reply to any emails from me or several other people on these forums - well, if I'm not worth five minutes of their time, they certainly aren't worth my money.

I'm not angry. I'm disappointed.

Edit: Ha ha! The irony of it all.... It would appear the www.subsinfo.co.uk website isnt working at the moment and keeps going to an error screen everytime I try and cancel my subscription... Now there's a surprise! I'll keep trying...

 

These ads completely devalue the work of the editorial staff. In an attempt to keep the ads at least vaguely interesting to Bit-Tech's core audience, Dennis have somehow decided that advertising Bit-Tech's competitors is a Very Good Idea. I appreciate that times are tough, but surely when people such as Gizmodo are opening London offices, surely the lesson to be learnt (by Dennis) is that more content should be written? I see that the Bit-Tech staff have downsized (not sure how long that's been the case, maybe Alex was just never replaced), and have definitely noticed the drop in article output. Sad.