One more reason not to use WWF
Printed From: Web Wiz Forums
Category: Web Wiz Web App Support Forums
Forum Name: Web Wiz Forums
Forum Description: Support forum for Web Wiz Forums application.
URL: https://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=18687
Printed Date: 28 March 2026 at 7:15am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.08 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: One more reason not to use WWF
Posted By: huwnet
Subject: One more reason not to use WWF
Date Posted: 11 March 2006 at 7:20pm
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By all means removed this thread if you disagree... I have been a low-budget user of WWF for a long time. However IMHO the new version takes the piss. Here is a screenshot of a default install of WWF 8 beta 2:  Now the simple copyright link at the bottom is bearable (when compared to IPB which requires $100 for a license and $300 for copyright removal). However the banner and adsense ads are ridiculous. I understand that borg needs to make a living but running WWF without the link removal key just makes your forum look like an advert. I haven't yet checked the license to see if the moving gif and adsense can by removed but..... If the adsense ads are required it will stop people making money to host their own non-profit sites. I assume you have a special deal with Google? According to the standard adsense TOS you may only run ads on sites you own. If someone clicks on the adsense links many times on a WWF site then ALL your sites will get kicked out of adsense. There is also ANOTHER advert for WWcaptcha on the login :o and there is a sneaky link back to WWG in other places. Maybe you could also link to a free RSS parser rather than feeddemon? Although I have moved some of my sites to php and linux I still develop ASP-based sites. Looks like I am going to have to find other forum software.  |
Replies:
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 11 March 2006 at 9:28pm
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http://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=18063
------------- 
Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me. |
Posted By: huwnet
Date Posted: 11 March 2006 at 10:46pm
Interesting thread. I post here to see what the long-standing members thought. I would be interested to know Bruce's replies to my adsense querys |
dpyers wrote:Posted By: Tegwin
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 12:59am
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I dont think that the banner ads are such a bad thing IMHO. As you well know Borg has spent many hours on this forum and I think he has done a great job. After all the cost of a LINK removal key is not so expensive considering that Borg has spent ages of his time developing this. Why is it that in this day and age.. everyone wants everything for free, and then complains about something about it.. Basically IMHO if you dont like it, then dont use it.. SIMPLE!!!! |
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 2:09am
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I'm neutral in this controversy, but I think that huwnet brings up a good point. Does having WWF google and adsense adds prevent you from having your own google and adense adds? -------------
Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me. |
Posted By: VBScript
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 6:26am
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dpyers, You can still have you own google ads on your site. Because the javascript that displays them tells google the account number. So if you wanted you can have you own google ads but your own + WWF ads would lokk messy ------------- http://www.james-r.co.uk" rel="no follow - James http://www.gotrillian.com/?4498-20" rel="no follow - Trillian - M |
Posted By: huwnet
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 8:37am
However adsense TOS states only one adsense account should be used per page. And this also means you can only have two of your own ad-units. I would still like to know if Bruce has spoken to Google about this. I believe running adsense on sites you don't own is against the TOS. If someone fradulently clicks on your ads then Google will ban the whole WWG account. |
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 11:30am
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Posted this in the support forum thread, but it hasn't been approved yet: If you ask me it's a shame WWF now has ads in the free version. If you aren't getting enough monetry contributions to make it worth your while, why not ask for code contributions instead? IMHO the only thing preventing WWF from reaching its full potential is the fact that it's starting to become too much for 1 person to handle (don't get me wrong - you're doing a great job), in theory if you opened up development it would cut the amount of time you would need to spend on WWF, increase the WWF release cycle and make for a better product. Just something to think about. Have you also thought about creating a watered down free version? Just the same as "standard" but with fewer features, the user could then upgrade to "standard" for the same price as a link removal. |
Posted By: the boss
Date Posted: 12 March 2006 at 11:54am
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wouldnt it make an adware?? ------------- http://www.web2messenger.com/theboss"> 
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Posted By: Susan0722
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 3:46pm
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Do you realize how ridiculous you sound complaining about the attirbutes of a free product? ------------- Pay for your copy of WebWIZ, it's worth it and you know it! |
Posted By: Tegwin
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 3:49pm
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I agree with Susan.. You guys are rediculous .. Pay the money and stop complaining. |
Posted By: Susan0722
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 4:14pm
 Thank you Tegwin. I have been using this product since 2003, love it and had no problem paying for it. Funny thing is they been complaining about having to pay for it that long too!  Maybe they should try giving away for free some their skills to their clients or boss, then they will understand the concept.  ------------- Pay for your copy of WebWIZ, it's worth it and you know it! |
Posted By: Gullanian
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 4:16pm
| At the end of the day, it's free, he can put whatever he wants on it, he can license it however he wants, so if you don't like it just cough up £10 or whatever it is! |
Posted By: VBScript
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 4:41pm
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I've paid for it and it is worth it. It costs less than other Forum Systems. ------------- http://www.james-r.co.uk" rel="no follow - James http://www.gotrillian.com/?4498-20" rel="no follow - Trillian - M |
Posted By: Gullanian
Date Posted: 14 March 2006 at 9:08pm
| And is better, and you know the quality you can expect in the future. |
Posted By: the boss
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 8:23am
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well i have no problem with paying for it.. if i used WWGF in production enviroment or on my website.. i would pay for it right away.. ------------- http://www.web2messenger.com/theboss">
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Posted By: WebWiz-Bruce
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 12:24pm
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In reply to whether Google know about the ads in my software, it was
Google who actually phoned me and after a conversation with the Google
sales guy he suggested it and setup my Google account for me. As far as huwnet's comments go, it has been over 7 months since the Google Ads where first introduced at the end of last summer in version 7.95 and have been planned for a long time and have been covered in the license agreement for over two years now. The reason for the ads is that writing the software, support, and running this site is now a full-time job which takes me around 60 to 80 hours a week and I have a family to support with a 6 year old child, so need to be paid for my time or shut the site and look for a full-time job. I believe that Web Wiz Forums is one of the best ASP bulletin board systems there is and I spend nearly every night till 11pm working on new code to improve it after spending 8am till 7pm most days in the office anwsering emails, phones, forum posts, and doing general admin stuff. So for the price it is a bargain. So the choice is simple, either I charge for all versions and have no free version or somehow make the free version pay for itself by having ads. Many people did complain about the ads at first, but I think now most people have got use to them, and those that said people would stop using Web Wiz Forums because of the ads have been wrong as the number of users has actually risen since the introduction of the ad system. As they say though, nothing is free, and at the end of the day the site has grown from a hobby to a business with all the costs and debts of a business which someone needs to pay for, including:
All this funding needs to come from somewhere if the business and software is to survive into the future. |
Posted By: Tegwin
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 12:24pm
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I agree with Borg, running a business is not easy. There are many costs involved (Behind the scenes) which no one sees. Borg, you have my support mate, no matter what. I still think that WWG is the best forum there is.. I appreciate what you do, even if no one else does .. so here to you  
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Posted By: WebWiz-Bruce
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 1:32pm
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Thanks Tegwin for the support. I sometimes think it would be easier just to get a full-time job, then at least I would have a steady income, more free time, and more money. Oh well, at least I have the advantage of deciding which day, once a month, I take off. If I'm lucky  |
Posted By: ctscott
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 1:47pm
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purchased my key in 2002 plus another in 04 or 05. when the next version is released i plan on purchasing another boxed set. the ads don't bother me and i'd like to see WWF live long and prosper. ------------- ______________________ http://www.cfbtrivia.com" rel="nofollow - College Football Trivia |
Posted By: Bluefrog
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 2:43pm
I've talked with a few people that deal with Google, and it seems like their TOS & licenses are very maleable once they start dealing with people they can trust. e.g. One friend of mine does things that clearly were against the Google TOS a while ago. But he did that with Google's approval. Those 'violations' are now no longer 'violations' and anyone can do it. Google is flexible and works with people. ------------- http://renegademinds.com/" rel="nofollow - Renegade Minds - Guitar Software http://renegademinds.com/Default.aspx?tabid=65" rel="nofollow - Slow Down Music |
Posted By: Tegwin
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 2:55pm
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Yeah me too. I bought a license key way back.. I will defo buy another one when V8 is released and also when the .net version is released. |
Posted By: Tegwin
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 2:57pm
BORG!!!! DONT EVER GIVE UP MATE WHAT EVER YOU DO. Sometimes I feel the same about running my business, but nothing beats the freedom you get from "being out on your own"" |
Posted By: WebWiz-Bruce
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 3:06pm
| To be honest I couldn't see myself working for anyone else again, it does have it's advantages as well as it's disadvantages. |
Posted By: Susan0722
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 5:36pm
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I posted this in my other reply, but want to post it here too so to be sure you all see it. There was a time awhile back when BORG did get frustrated and shut this place down. I hated that! Not sure how long that hiatus lasted because, well.... I went away.
 But now I am back, and anyone I see belly aching about things will have to get an earful from this old cowgirl!
Oh those from the "mod builders group" that like to get a little pissy when answering questions that have been repeatedly asked, need to take a lesson from BORG on graciousness and follow his example. Just saying.....  ------------- Pay for your copy of WebWIZ, it's worth it and you know it! |
Posted By: sonya
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 6:40pm
Borg..
you have done a good job.. and you deserve to earn through WWF in whatever way u think is right..
well done.
 regards..
- Sonya
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Posted By: martha
Date Posted: 15 March 2006 at 8:55pm
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Borg has to be supported. His whole life is in front of his computer and apart from developing the forum he also replies to every question we have. He always has the time to respond. WWF is bussiness and bussiness do have expenses. After all, I dont get it...why bearing adsense is a greater problem than paying 30£ to remove it? |
Posted By: Shimpi06
Date Posted: 20 March 2006 at 6:52am
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Interesting topic.
The simple answer is this, there are other free forum scripts out there that do not have rotating ad links. You just have to do your research through finding and testing them. However, this must be said, not all forums scripts are created equal.
Bottom line is, if you want something for free, you get what you pay for.
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Posted By: craigg5
Date Posted: 22 March 2006 at 4:33am
| I agree, Borg has spent his timing creating this great forum and continually updates it, and the price he charges to remove the ads is very small. I think if you have a problem paying for it, then take the time (1000+ hours) and make a forum yourself, then you will probably change your mind about offering it for free or without ads. |
Posted By: VBScript
Date Posted: 22 March 2006 at 3:33pm
Think about the time it took to get from version 7 to version 8. Your probably talking 1000+ days. I have spent £50+ on Web Wiz Guide link removal code and have NEVER regretted it. ------------- http://www.james-r.co.uk" rel="no follow - James http://www.gotrillian.com/?4498-20" rel="no follow - Trillian - M |