Optional ads :rejected:

[Zergling_man]

Here's my shitposty idea of the day: A setting on your user account that, when checked (which it is not by default or when not logged in), enables ads to be displayed while reading manga. Any profit earned from these ads being viewed/clicked would be given to both Mangadex and the group that scanned the manga in question.

Relevant:

[19:56] fresthy: then the sniping shenanigans ensues
[19:56] FAPtainKoreabo "Seasoned Fapper": lels
[19:56] 俺のZergはこんなに可愛わけがない!!! 青鳥: Good point.
[19:57] fresthy: actually it's a good idea
[19:57] Angelo Silva: :OOF:
[19:57] 俺のZergはこんなに可愛わけがない!!! 青鳥: Because the sniping shenanigans will ensue, and you get to enjoy the resulting drama?
[19:57] Official229: make a forum thread for it @俺のZergはこんなに可愛わけがない!!! 青鳥
[19:57] fresthy: it will be fun

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

Pretty sure the mods already said that ads are the absolute last resort for when there aren't enough funds and that they refuse to do it otherwise.

 

[Zergling_man]

That's cool.
I'd like to emphasise the opt-in part of this though; I'd be ok with opting into ads before funds get dire.

 

[Vofuro]

@Zergling_man
It's a good idea with good intention, but I doubt that will work out as it is. There'll be too many problems. Sniping as mentioned, groups needing to give identify-able bank details, thus they might not even want to, people not knowing about the option or complaining too much and spreading rumors depending whether the option is set by default or not, content of said ads probably being questionable/not the best because frankly, mangadex is operating in a grey legal if not illegal area.

And if money gets actually dire, mangadex starts a donate announcement and request.

I see too many risks and negative factors in it - I'd say as it is? No, causes more harm then good.

 

[Xaelath]

Any profit earned from these ads being viewed/clicked would be given to both Mangadex and the group that scanned the manga in question.

No.

It is indeed a shit idea.

 

[DANDAN_THE_DANDAN]

Ads are just gonna turn MD into nicer-MR.

 

[shouldsleep]

But why though?

MD and a lot of scanlators are not for profit. If a group accepts donations, they have the credits page to do so.

Plus imagine the logistics of doing such a thing.

 

[aniki_gunnar]

@Zergling_man
I have to agree with with @Vofuro, exspecially with regard to "identify-able bank details". Sure you could use something like Patreon or PayPal for this matter but on the other hand a new problem called management and logistics on finance destribution will arise.

As a side-note: It might not even work for unregistered user or user which are not logged-in because of add-blocker software and the like.

As a last thing to mention: You might even step out of the grey-zone and into the black-zone by going this way. So I would advise you to keep things as they are. Just ask the community to donate if the need should arise.

 

[phede86]

for md and groups, it would also be good, the problem is mainly legal.

 

[dokkotak]

i believe it was mentioned by staff before that ads would be the last-ditch option. and it's skipping way too many steps ahead thinking about sharing revenues from ads, when ads are not even a remote possibility yet.

personally i think it'd be a horrible idea -- ads in general, and revenue from ads going to groups: 1) as for individual groups, they can do that at their own websites, so why should MD do it for them instead? 2) it is a step towards making money off of an already legally grey area, and then you'd find a lot more trouble headed your way, probably more than it is worth; 3) i don't think MD was created with that purpose in mind (i mean commercializing, making money) in the first place. and it's not what scanlation is about or should be about.

 

[Plykiya]

@Zergling_man Rejected. We aren't interested in profiting off the site, ads will always be a last resort when all other methods to sustain the servers fail. In addition, the part where groups receive a portion of the revenue is something we don't want to promote ourselves in any way. If publishers see MangaDex promoting scanlation as an easy way to make money as a scanlator, they likely won't be kind to the idea. Greed kills

 

[Zergling_man]

Ok, most of that makes sense.

The bits that don't:
@Vofuro

complaining too much and spreading rumors depending whether the option is set by default or not

@aniki_gunnar

It might not even work for unregistered user or user which are not logged-in

I'll let you figure out why they make no sense.

 

[Teasday]

It doesn't help that few if any ad companies reputable enough that we would even remotely consider them most likely wouldn't be interested in a completely opt-in model. The CTRs are already low, imagine telling them we'd be serving those ads to a tiny fraction of the userbase.

 

[Vofuro]

@Zergling_man
Mine make sense to me
Overall, if there are ads, even if they are optional, there will be the rumor Mill. People will say it's the start, it'll become like mangafox and so on. That mangadex isn't what it stood for, Jada Jada Jada. If it's set by default, that problem will be more noticeable, because you can't assume that people check their options menu. If you don't, too little people will realize it's an option and do it.
Also, some people will complain about even if it's optional and they aren't using it.

But those are little reasons - the bigger problems are what have been discussed above already. I like the idea - that scanlation teams are supported - but it's really risky to do it with money.