GC.com and google

[attroll]

I noticed tonight that GC.com has Google ads on their pages. I don't know when they started doing this but this should bring in some real good income. With 44,794 members logging caches and 236,295 forum members. I would love to get there monthly google check. I bet I could retire with that amount and still have a bunch of money left over.

[brdad]

Yes, they have been testing the ads since the middle of June I think, in an effort to raise some funds so they didn't have to raise the cost of premium membership. They have been playing with placement to get the best effect, so you may or may not see them in the same place the next time you visit. Also, remember, there are over 1,000,000 registered members to gc.com - the 44,794 you mentioned are only the ones who logged caches in the last 7 days. The number of people who look at gc.com's web pages are somewhere in the middle of those numbers.

Do you suppose such a system would help this site any?

[Haffy]

Do you suppose such a system would help this site any?

Did you ever look at the bottom of our cache page where the Google ads are? They are on the bottom of each page except our homepage. Maybe we need them there too.

[attroll]

Did you ever look at the bottom of our cache page where the Google ads are? They are on the bottom of each page except our homepage. Maybe we need them there too.

They used to be at the bottom of the homepage also here on this site also but I was informed that it was against GC's policy so I removed them from the homepage. Now that GC is putting the ads on there site then I guess it would not be against there policy anymore would it?

[Cache Maine]

If people would like to put a link to this website on their cache pages, then that initial home page must be free of advertising.

Potential new members vs. a potential click and a kickback

It's a hard decision.

[attroll]

If people would like to put a link to this website on their cache pages, then that initial home page must be free of advertising.

Potential new members vs. a potential click and a kickback

It's a hard decision.

I have heard this and that is why I took the ads off the front page. The ads that were on the front page originally were Google ads.

Maybe you know the answer to this Cameo. Since they were only Google ads and since GC is now supporting Google ads does that mean I can put them back on our frontpage? It would only seem fair that since they are now using Google ads on there page that we should be allowed to also. What is good the the goose should be good for the gander.

[Cache Maine]

Here is the excerpt from the Geocaching Listing Guidelines that I feel closely relates to this situation. All guidelines are subject to interpretation as we all know.

From the Geocaching Listing Requirements...

Commercial Caches
Commercial caches attempt to use the Geocaching.com web site cache reporting tool directly or indirectly (intentionally or non-intentionally) to solicit customers through a Geocaching.com listing. These are NOT permitted. Examples include for-profit locations that require an entrance fee, or locations that sell products or services. If the finder is required to go inside the business, interact with employees, and/or purchase a product or service, then the cache is presumed to be commercial.

Also, here is a link to the forum where the google ads are discussed.

[brdad]

The commercial cache section has to do with geocache pages, not other sites like this one. You cannot place a cache to promote your business.

Where is the actual text that says anything about putting ads on the front page?

Any it seems we don't have any link to gc.com on our front page anyway, so does it matter?

[Cache Maine]

They way I understand it is that when a person puts a link on their cache page to a site, it can not be a commercial site. If the person puts a link to www.geocachingmaine.org, than that initial page can not have google ads. The rest of the website is okay to have the google ads as well as a buy and sell forum.

This is the impression that I got from our reviewer, however, that was before the google ad addition on the cache listing pages, so maybe things have changed.

we don't have any link to gc.com on our front page anyway, so does it matter?

The issue comes up when the link is done in the other direction, from gc.com to a website.

[Haffy]

I don't see a problem with any of it. Heck any site you go to that has to do with geocaching usually has a link to GC.com and they have add banners all over their front page. I think we are making a mountain out of a mole hill here just like we did with the coin. Besides we don't have a link to GC.com anywhere on our site that I can see,at least on the front page.