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The Strange Case of the Missing Ads

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FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#1: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:04:10 AM

Back at the academy, they always used to say: "You can tell when a certain day's going to be trouble." Gray like a shirt that hasn't been washed in a decade, wet as a face fresh off the latest Pixar flick, and smells like the Earth itself was sighin' over a lost love. Well, that's bull, I can tell you now. This particular day was glaring, odorless, and dryer that the Devil's micturiations. But that was the day a mystery came to me nonetheless.

Usually, when you're sittin' alone in your office (or, in my case, dorm room), it's a dame in a bit of red who comes bringin' the case. But it was my keen eyes that did it today. Me and my old friends, TV Tropes and Mr. Pepper, Ph D, were havin' a little private party when I realized that TV Tropes was in a bad way. Something about him wasn't normal. Something was... missing.

"The ads! My God, the ads are all gone!"

TV Tropes had been hoping nobody would notice. But my words cracked his facade. I had a problem on my hands.

Of course, whever old Teevee had a problem, there was only one place to go: Wiki Talk, the seedest forum on this side of the page. My only hope? To find the man known as Fast Eddie, and... "coerce" a few words out of him.

Laconic Version: Where did the ads go? Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
Marioguy128 Geomancer from various galaxies Since: Jan, 2010
Geomancer
#2: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:12:05 AM

Huh, first post looks like swiss cheese due to the missing ad.

edited 27th Oct '10 11:12:18 AM by Marioguy128

You got some dirt on you. Here's some more!
FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#3: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:23:42 AM

This is under frantic investigation. The very life of the wiki hangs in the balance.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
CentralAvenue Literally A Princess from The Palace of Serenity Since: Sep, 2014
Literally A Princess
#4: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:27:39 AM

[up]I wish that were hyperbole, but deep down I know it's not. sad

edited 27th Oct '10 11:28:21 AM by CentralAvenue

Heapers’ Hangout
FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#5: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:52:46 AM

...Well, that sucks.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
Marioguy128 Geomancer from various galaxies Since: Jan, 2010
Geomancer
#6: Oct 27th 2010 at 11:59:16 AM

[up][up][up]Considering how ads are how any website survives, I know that's true. So how long before the wiki has to go down if this doesn't get fixed?

You got some dirt on you. Here's some more!
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#7: Oct 27th 2010 at 12:34:24 PM

Sorry all, that was panic kicking in.

edited 27th Oct '10 12:36:13 PM by SpainSun

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
Aoede from tiptop scrublot Since: Jan, 2001
#8: Oct 27th 2010 at 12:50:55 PM

Take up collection and ask for donations?

survival of the tight-lipped
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#9: Oct 27th 2010 at 12:54:58 PM

We don't yet know why The Advertisement Server decided to go wonky on us, so it's premature to debate survival strategies. If the wiki does get forced to move off of an ad-funded model, then donations/subscriptions are the only way it could survive, and likely at a fraction of its current membership and capacity. But let's not even debate that yet until the core issue is resolved.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Willbyr Hi (Y2K) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Hi
#10: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:00:25 PM

The ads appear to be back, is anyone else seeing them?

EDIT: Hang on...they were there, and now they're gone again...???

edited 27th Oct '10 1:01:28 PM by Willbyr

SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#11: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:01:34 PM

"Not I" said the Sun.

edited 27th Oct '10 1:04:36 PM by SpainSun

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
Willbyr Hi (Y2K) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Hi
#12: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:24:35 PM

They're coming and going, and not all of them are showing up on a page at the same time when they do come back. Someone put The Advertisement Server in the sun, he's got gremlins.

Marioguy128 Geomancer from various galaxies Since: Jan, 2010
Geomancer
#13: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:30:56 PM

Maybe he's sick?

You got some dirt on you. Here's some more!
AlirozTheConfused Bibliophile. from Daz Huat! Since: May, 2010
Bibliophile.
#14: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:36:18 PM

Methinks he's been kidnapped.

Quick! Somebody check on Trope Tan!

edited 27th Oct '10 1:36:29 PM by AlirozTheConfused

Never be without a Hat! Hot means heat. I don't care if your usage dates to 1300, it's my word, not yours. My Pm box is open.
CentralAvenue Literally A Princess from The Palace of Serenity Since: Sep, 2014
Literally A Princess
#15: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:49:03 PM

On a quick glance, the ads seem to be back for me, though just on the wiki. Forum ads are still a no-go.

Heapers’ Hangout
FastEddie Since: Apr, 2004
#16: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:51:05 PM

Those are Amazon associate ads on the wiki. I've put them in to see if we can get any money at all during the time it takes Google to respond.

Not much chance they will be enough to support the wiki.

edited 27th Oct '10 1:51:35 PM by FastEddie

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
CentralAvenue Literally A Princess from The Palace of Serenity Since: Sep, 2014
Literally A Princess
#17: Oct 27th 2010 at 1:57:24 PM

Yes, that would explain why they all look the same and say "Amazon.com". I should pay more attention.

Heapers’ Hangout
EternalSeptember Since: Sep, 2010
#18: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:13:51 PM

^^ Too bad, It would be a lot more fitting for the site's profile to advertise fiction, and the Kindle, and similar works, than scientology.

Maybe if you would put up a lot more of them, everywhere where the google ads were used to be?

SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#19: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:24:52 PM

So, are we getting shut down...? sad

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
Marioguy128 Geomancer from various galaxies Since: Jan, 2010
Geomancer
#20: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:26:05 PM

It hasn't come to that yet. Don't panic, it's probably a bug or something.

edited 27th Oct '10 2:26:35 PM by Marioguy128

You got some dirt on you. Here's some more!
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#21: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:26:58 PM

I hope it doesn't.

Does anyone have any idea what's causing this? Is it the people the ads are coming from? Is it us?

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
CentralAvenue Literally A Princess from The Palace of Serenity Since: Sep, 2014
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#23: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:29:59 PM

I posted mine already and removed the post....

I'll make a thread for it in YF if no one objects.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#24: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:31:19 PM

Oh boy, it's like shit-down-shutting all over again!

If I had to guess, Google noticed the lack of privacy policy here, which contradicted some Google directive. Eddie fixed this, and now is waiting for Google to notice his message explaining this.

(This is a hypothesis, I have no information either.)

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Marioguy128 Geomancer from various galaxies Since: Jan, 2010
Geomancer
#25: Oct 27th 2010 at 2:33:26 PM

That explains the privacy policy that suddenly showed up at the bottom of the page.

You got some dirt on you. Here's some more!

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