Comments on: Subtractvertising http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/ Same old blog, brand new place Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:13:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ken Godskind http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29556 Ken Godskind Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:45:08 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29556 Ad supported content is a primary business model for the Internet currently, and that is not likely to change very soon. In fact, this is how we get to access so much useful or entertaining content for free. This makes it incumbent upon the operators of a particular site to ensure that their pages are loading in a reasonable time, since it is their brand and online reputation affected by poor page performance or errors. As a vendor of Web site performance monitoring and testing tools, I may be biased in saying this, but I am also confident that others inside and outside the industry agree, or soon will. External website monitoring using a browser-based monitoring system is the best method for understanding end-user page load times, and for understanding if your ad supplier is meeting their SLAs (service level agreements) to you and your customers. kgodskind@alertsite.com http://www.alertsite.com Ad supported content is a primary business model for the Internet currently, and that is not likely to change very soon. In fact, this is how we get to access so much useful or entertaining content for free.

This makes it incumbent upon the operators of a particular site to ensure that their pages are loading in a reasonable time, since it is their brand and online reputation affected by poor page performance or errors.

As a vendor of Web site performance monitoring and testing tools, I may be biased in saying this, but I am also confident that others inside and outside the industry agree, or soon will. External website monitoring using a browser-based monitoring system is the best method for understanding end-user page load times, and for understanding if your ad supplier is meeting their SLAs (service level agreements) to you and your customers.

kgodskind@alertsite.com
http://www.alertsite.com

]]> By: Simon http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29519 Simon Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:02:35 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29519 Sometimes it's not just ad server speed. Some ads contain lots of Javascript, and if the site does too, the browser can struggle to process it all. Sometimes it’s not just ad server speed. Some ads contain lots of Javascript, and if the site does too, the browser can struggle to process it all.

]]> By: Norbert Davis http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29515 Norbert Davis Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:01:27 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29515 Doc, I have had 10mb FIOS up and down for about 3 years now from Surewest Broadband (www.surewest.com out of Roseville Ca) and they were the first in the nation to deliver 50mb FIOS service. Verizon might be larger, but I don't think they were first. http://gigaom.com/2007/03/20/50megs-sacramento/ Norbert (happy 10mb FIOS user) Doc,

I have had 10mb FIOS up and down for about 3 years now from Surewest Broadband  www.surewest.com out of Roseville Ca) and they were the first in the nation to deliver 50mb FIOS service. Verizon might be larger, but I don’t think they were first.

http://gigaom.com/2007/03/20/50megs-sacramento/

Norbert (happy 10mb FIOS user)

]]> By: claire http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29474 claire Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:25:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29474 Thank you for noticing this. I've been annoyed by load times due to adserving for years now, and I am in the online ad industry. I've asked media partners about it and they act like I'm making it up (lalalala can't hear you....) I can't even get a straight answer about what registers as an impression! It's like asking someone about what constitutes the moment of conception. If the page loads halfway and hangs, say, on my leaderboard, but no content loads and the user clicks away, that's an impression--even though it's a useless one. You would think advertisers would be more up in arms about this but the fact is, most advertisers and agencies don't think to ask about this kind of stuff, partly because the technology still scares them, partly because they're still required to rationalize their online buys, partially because I think there's some mutual delusions being reinforced among those in the online ad business. We all want it to work, so when it doesn't, the best thing to do is pretend you "can't replicate the problem." I've even googled this problem a bunch and can't find much about it. Weird. Thank you for noticing this. I’ve been annoyed by load times due to adserving for years now, and I am in the online ad industry. I’ve asked media partners about it and they act like I’m making it up (lalalala can’t hear you….) I can’t even get a straight answer about what registers as an impression! It’s like asking someone about what constitutes the moment of conception. If the page loads halfway and hangs, say, on my leaderboard, but no content loads and the user clicks away, that’s an impression–even though it’s a useless one. You would think advertisers would be more up in arms about this but the fact is, most advertisers and agencies don’t think to ask about this kind of stuff, partly because the technology still scares them, partly because they’re still required to rationalize their online buys, partially because I think there’s some mutual delusions being reinforced among those in the online ad business. We all want it to work, so when it doesn’t, the best thing to do is pretend you “can’t replicate the problem.” I’ve even googled this problem a bunch and can’t find much about it. Weird.

]]> By: Doc Searls http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29456 Doc Searls Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:43:49 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29456 Thanks for the advice, Mike. Wish I were a better hacker. If I were, I'd do more of that stuff. But I'm qualified to do *some*, so I will. Jenet, I don't see the pop-up or pop-under ads on Weather.com, and only chose them as an example of a site that had a lot of ads that didn't seem to slow it down much. Kinda chose it at random. Find me a better example and I'll swap that one out. Damien, I think junk advertisers may always be with us; but the market in general will change. In my optimistic moments I think that will be for the better, but we'll see. Thanks for the advice, Mike. Wish I were a better hacker. If I were, I’d do more of that stuff. But I’m qualified to do *some*, so I will.

Jenet, I don’t see the pop-up or pop-under ads on Weather.com, and only chose them as an example of a site that had a lot of ads that didn’t seem to slow it down much. Kinda chose it at random. Find me a better example and I’ll swap that one out.

Damien, I think junk advertisers may always be with us; but the market in general will change. In my optimistic moments I think that will be for the better, but we’ll see.

]]> By: Ben http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29452 Ben Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:59:22 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29452 Or servers are upgraded with demand? Or servers are upgraded with demand?

]]> By: Damien http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29447 Damien Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:54:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29447 If the ad-servers will reach a cap in their delivery bandwidth as "domestic" users' bandwidth grows, won't they change their delivery model? If we can have symmetric 20MBit connections at home, would the delightful forced-delivery folks move to a paid SETI@Home model? "We'll give you a slice of revenue if you give us a slice of your bandwidth?" The economics might not work though. Advertisers have never failed to find a way to keep getting the message out. If the ad-servers will reach a cap in their delivery bandwidth as “domestic” users’ bandwidth grows, won’t they change their delivery model? If we can have symmetric 20MBit connections at home, would the delightful forced-delivery folks move to a paid SETI@Home model? “We’ll give you a slice of revenue if you give us a slice of your bandwidth?” The economics might not work though. Advertisers have never failed to find a way to keep getting the message out.

]]> By: Chris Brogan... http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29443 Chris Brogan... Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:46:04 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29443 Absolutely right, Doc. It's not the advertiser who will get the brunt of the negative impact. It's probably the site displaying the ad. My attention is at stake, is what I'm thinking. Absolutely right, Doc. It’s not the advertiser who will get the brunt of the negative impact. It’s probably the site displaying the ad. My attention is at stake, is what I’m thinking.

]]> By: Watch Your Ad Load Times | chrisbrogan.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29442 Watch Your Ad Load Times | chrisbrogan.com Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:44:36 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29442 [...] Searls has it right. If your site has ads that take forever to load, MY attention is in jeopardy. And now that [...] [...] Searls has it right. If your site has ads that take forever to load, MY attention is in jeopardy. And now that [...]

]]> By: Rex Hammock http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29441 Rex Hammock Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:26:07 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/03/17/subtractvertising/#comment-29441 I wonder if this is why Google is getting into the ad-serving business? http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/13/google-enters-the-ad-management-game/ I wonder if this is why Google is getting into the ad-serving business?

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/13/google-enters-the-ad-management-game/

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