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DISCUSSION: Furaffinity Improvement (Ads)
10 years ago
Good day, my subjects.
A few weeks ago, I began a journal series about possible improvements to furaffinity. Since then, there has been yet-another controversy on FA... this time around their use of graphic adult advertising on the site. Thankfully, it seems that the folks at IMVU have listened and replaced those ads, since I haven't seen any adult ads in quite a few days. Today I have a Mercedes Benz banner looking me in the face.
When FA began posting ads years ago, it bothered me greatly, but then I came to realize something: FA ads actually are a feature. Unlike ads on Gmail or Yahoo (or most places, for that matter) I have actually found them useful. I click through more often than I ever thought I would. So rather than them detracting from my FA "furry" experience, I discovered that they complemented it.
Not-so-much for Mercedes, and definitely not so much for human porn. While I earn a substantial paycheck, its not enough to purchase a new Mercedes, and I don't think I am alone in this. Furries tend not to be flush with cash. So I fail to see how these ads enhance the FA experience, unless ad revenues are directly going into funding future development (which is sorely lacking).
So my question is... Is there some way to increase FA's funding, while simultaneously enriching the furry experience on FA? Is there an untapped synergy there, or do we have to resort to external "mundie" advertising banners?
Here's one idea that I had. Why not charge 1% finders-fee for all business performed on the site? While that sounds onerous, its a pittance compared to how much PayPal gouges. And Paypal doesn't even really want us furries as customers (as shown by the number of artists and commissioners who have been banned from using that service). What if FA could set up a payment service? Take 1% (in addition to however much VISA or whoever takes), and it would still be cheaper than using Paypal. No risk of being banned for "furry artwork". Furthermore, it would fund FA better than these silly mundie ads, and allow the site to remain 100% fluffy.
I will probably post more on this, since I have more ideas to expand both the "payment" and "commissions" feature concepts. But for now, I think this already a lot to consider. So now I turn it to you all: what do you think of the mundie ads? Are you happy to accept them if they are funding future development? Can you think of another "more furry" way to fund future development? And what do you think of my proposal for a payment model?
Love to hear your ideas! Thanks,
~ Etheras
A few weeks ago, I began a journal series about possible improvements to furaffinity. Since then, there has been yet-another controversy on FA... this time around their use of graphic adult advertising on the site. Thankfully, it seems that the folks at IMVU have listened and replaced those ads, since I haven't seen any adult ads in quite a few days. Today I have a Mercedes Benz banner looking me in the face.
When FA began posting ads years ago, it bothered me greatly, but then I came to realize something: FA ads actually are a feature. Unlike ads on Gmail or Yahoo (or most places, for that matter) I have actually found them useful. I click through more often than I ever thought I would. So rather than them detracting from my FA "furry" experience, I discovered that they complemented it.
Not-so-much for Mercedes, and definitely not so much for human porn. While I earn a substantial paycheck, its not enough to purchase a new Mercedes, and I don't think I am alone in this. Furries tend not to be flush with cash. So I fail to see how these ads enhance the FA experience, unless ad revenues are directly going into funding future development (which is sorely lacking).
So my question is... Is there some way to increase FA's funding, while simultaneously enriching the furry experience on FA? Is there an untapped synergy there, or do we have to resort to external "mundie" advertising banners?
Here's one idea that I had. Why not charge 1% finders-fee for all business performed on the site? While that sounds onerous, its a pittance compared to how much PayPal gouges. And Paypal doesn't even really want us furries as customers (as shown by the number of artists and commissioners who have been banned from using that service). What if FA could set up a payment service? Take 1% (in addition to however much VISA or whoever takes), and it would still be cheaper than using Paypal. No risk of being banned for "furry artwork". Furthermore, it would fund FA better than these silly mundie ads, and allow the site to remain 100% fluffy.
I will probably post more on this, since I have more ideas to expand both the "payment" and "commissions" feature concepts. But for now, I think this already a lot to consider. So now I turn it to you all: what do you think of the mundie ads? Are you happy to accept them if they are funding future development? Can you think of another "more furry" way to fund future development? And what do you think of my proposal for a payment model?
Love to hear your ideas! Thanks,
~ Etheras
the ads never bothered me, even if they were porn ads. hell, i'm on this site mainly for porn anyway :P
one thing i think FA ought to introduce is the tag system similar to what e621 has. not many artists add tags of their own and can be difficult to find the particular piece you want to find.
I don't have a solution for this, however. People have been trying to come up with ways to organize data into meaningful results forever, and its an imperfect science.
Also there's the question of security. FA has been hacked before, hell, the pentagon, DOD, every major retailer, has been hacked. Whatever joke of a system the could throw together for independent payments would be child's play compared to paypal or the like, to break into and steal people's bank account information.
As for hacking... people make a big deal of hacking, but hackers are impotent. They make a big deal of wearing masks and using scary voice modulators, but for the most part "hacking" today doesn't really involve the leaking of data. It usually means taking down websites via DDOS. The way that "hackers" gain access to systems is simply by guessing passwords, or phishing by hosting sites that require you to enter password and email address, then checking to see if you've re-used the same password for your email. Or by getting people to download software and install it (OMG IF YOUR COMPUTER IS SHOWING THIS YOU ARE NOT SECURE, CLICK HERE TO FIX IT).
Hackers are romanticized, but the truth of the matter is... they're really quite impotent. Even the most basic encryption foils them.
Credit cards really haven't kept up with technology. That magnetic strip just has the same numbers that are on the front. So its like 16 digits, a name, an expiration date, and now a 3 digit code on the back of the card. That's not very secure.
If we're talking about the Sony hack, they literally just guessed his password. It was something stupid like "password". Some other tricks are honeypots, like "download this FREE APP" and its a keylogger. Or leaving a USB keychain out someplace where someone will find it.
The point is... even basic net safety and common sense will defeat all of these. But you're right: more can be done. Passwords aren't the most secure thing in the world. Recently I've seen a lot more services using "keychains", or programs that will interrogate the server, and send a few questions and answers back and forth. The only way for a hacker to pretend to be you, is to physically steal the keychain. So technologies exist that are making hackers obsolete. The resistance to adoption is actually a testament to the impotence of hackers. The truth is: people generally feel secure online. And the reason they feel that way, is because they generally ARE secure online. :P So they feel no need to carry around keychains.
Paypal is also selective on what policies it chooses to ignore or enforce. For example, Ebay has an "Adults Only" section and *drum rolls* Paypal processes all adult auctions, from toys to pornographic videos. The revenue stream is too good to enforce existing policies, so it gets a pass. Paypal today is a far cry from the vision of the original founders, Peter Thiel and Max Levchin.
I agree that Paypal is only a shadow of its original vision.
Of course, that's what separates the DeviantArts from the Googles of the world. XP
I dunno, but they do.
You are a fucking GOD.
I agree with everything you said there.
I wasn't aware of this consumer banning by Paypal though. Why target ANYONE? Paypal is there as a money transfer service. Why decide who can and who can't? It's the same discrimination that we see with people against LGBT marriage, or any form of marriage really.....or any form of "ism" out there. It's Furryism? Like sexism and...oh I dunno. I'm sure you get my point. We're on the same page with this.
LAY DOWN THE THUNDAH'