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GOL On Advert Blocking, I Don't Hate You, But Please Don't Do It

By - | Views: 31,283
Now and then I do a little post to request that you don't block our adverts, or if you do then we offer you the option to support us without seeing any adverts and gain extra perks in the process!

To get this out the way: I don't hate you if you do.

Adverts pay for our hosting, pay for me to pick up games to video (or to buy Samsai to cast for you) and review for you when a developer won't give out a copy, and for me to generally get-by in day to day life. Time is money after-all and having a family time is short.

We also have GOL Premium, for $25 USD (£14.84 GBP/18.24EUR) a year or $15 (£8.90/10.93EUR) every 6 months.
In future I will also be implementing an ability for GOL Premium users to get a handy email when a game they want goes on Sale, it's half-done right now and I expect to finish it by the end of the month, GOL Premium users can already add it to their wishlist and track them that way, emails are to come soon!

Without adverts & GOL premium I wouldn't have been able to do this for as long as I have. I would never want to hide our content behind a forced "pay-wall" (as in you have to pay to see 2/3rds of every article or something like that) and never plan to. I don't see that as a way of getting rid of adverts and donations alone don't cut it sadly.

We are still to the best of my knowledge the most active Linux-focused gaming site around. It's not just that though, any developer has the ability to write about their own game and have it published here or to publish their thoughts on something related to Linux gaming, or even for regular gamers to write about games they are interested in to have it published here. We are an open platform and always will be which is why I think we work so well.

We never have and never will use popup adverts of any kind, we don't use noisy video adverts, we don't put an advert in the way of any content either. I spoke to another major Linux-focused website about the pop-over ads they use and that person told me the revenue from those is many multiples that of our adsense, but I still won't use it as they annoy even me. I've been approached many times for pop-under tab adverts and I show them where the door is as well to not annoy our readers.

If too many people block our adverts in future and the amount of people subscribing to GOL Premium stops/slows (currently we are doing o-k) then in future I may have to re-consider how much time I spend researching games for the site and maybe one day stop the site altogether, but currently that won't happen anytime soon don't worry!

I feel the same way as this guy: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/8854-The-Adblock-Episode, if you do block our adverts, don't be a dick about it.

In our tests over May 2014 58% of people blocked our adverts, that's a bit upsettingly high, but I will have to find a way to ignore it or else I will get annoyed and not post as much news and I don't want that to happen.

I still have a lot to learn about "internet life" and I make mistakes here and there, but I am always working for you to make Linux gaming better for everyone. I do it because I do enjoy it, not because I feel I have to and don't want to ever give it up.

Now give me all of your monies.

Finally: Thank you to everyone who has supported me, GOL and a big thank you to the many contributors we have. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
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About the author -
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
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72 comments
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Liam Dawe Jun 3, 2014
Quoting: Playing Penguin SupporterBTW: You are thinking about other payment options?

I'm open to suggestions as always.
tiger Jun 3, 2014
Liam have you tried with sponsored reviews?
I mean, "fair" sponsored reviews, where you alert your readers it's sponsored and "might" be a biased (nothing wrong with it IMO)
Liam Dawe Jun 3, 2014
Quoting: tigerLiam have you tried with sponsored reviews?
I mean, "fair" sponsored reviews, where you alert your readers it's sponsored and "might" be a biased (nothing wrong with it IMO)
We actually did a test once, this was the outcome: http://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/a-quick-message-on-sponsored-articles-my-apologies.3448
n30p1r4t3 Jun 3, 2014
This site is your only form of income?
Liam Dawe Jun 3, 2014
Quoting: n30p1r4t3This site is your only form of income?
Not my only no, but one of my main ones.
n30p1r4t3 Jun 3, 2014
I've spoken about this before, but you could use amazon referral links and then post "the best PC configurations for Linux June Edition" etc. Then have a range of hardware configs from low to high end all promised to work with Linux, etc that could be updated every so often. Surely you wouldn't recieve a ton of business that way, but money is money.


You could also feature a "Peripherals known to work well in Linux," and then link roccat items, etc.
Maquis196 Jun 3, 2014
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Is there any money in Steam referrals either? When you do an advert of a game and you have the "buy from Steam" button at the bottom, there not a way to get a cut of those sales?

Tuxgames used to have something similar for buying from them. I'll go unblock the ads as well.
tiger Jun 3, 2014
What about a "Game of the week" banner on top of the page, where a developer pays a small fee to GOL for appearing there for 1 week and giving away a code to your readers for buying the game with a small discount or something.

Just some random thoughts
neffo Jun 3, 2014
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: Playing Penguin SupporterBTW: You are thinking about other payment options?
I'm open to suggestions as always.

Can you make the square-ish ad just before the comments start a leaderboard-style (wide, but short)? It is kind of ugly as it is. Cheers.
David Rogers Jun 3, 2014
Unblocked as I like the site and the amount of new content everyday.
I agree the square ad above the comments looks out of place, either a wide one or two square ones side by side.

Just one question do you get money for just displaying the ads or only if people click on them?
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