Anyone planning on picking up the iPhone 4, their smallest smartphone?

I went with the "Yeah, I’ll stare at it all day, she’s gorgeous, I need her!" option because, honestly, it’s the only one that sounds sufficiently sarcastic...

At first, I didn't even realize what was actually going on—and I'm sure plenty of others were just as lost as I was. But after this stunt? Pretty much everyone is going to start blocking ads. I mean, if they don't start charging us specifically for using an adblocker, there won't be much left to block anyway. 🙂

Jose Miller3 said:Alright, let’s just lay it all out there—we all saw what those geniuses over at Apple's marketing department and the forum leadership pulled on us today... so, how are we feeling about it?

Are you actually gonna rush out to the store tomorrow to grab that "miracle" phone? Because apparently, you can snag one at *Verizon* right now starting $3.00!

Or maybe you'll just toss it aside with total disgust if it ever happens to land in your hands?

Or—and I'm throwing this third option out there—do you think this whole brainwashing stunt is actually gonna work... leaving some kind of permanent mark so that, down the road, you'll find yourself subconsciously craving this dark little object?

Let me know what you guys think 🙂

It might be wise to read through one thread on this same
Reddit
first.

Susan Jackson65 said:It’s not even about whether I’ll buy an iPhone 4 anymore; honestly, I’m seriously considering just logging off this forum for good! It isn't just that the layout has become a total disaster—especially for those of us using widescreen monitors—but the way they are shoving ULTRA-UBER-AGGRESSIVE advertisements down our throats from both sides makes it impossible to actually use the site properly!

And it’s not just the sheer aggression of the placement; these ads are practically stabbing you in the eyes and hitting your central nervous system like a physical assault!

Besides, who on earth needs more space for ads when the forum already has its own dedicated "marketing" section? Everyone’s out here asking questions, but it's clear some people are just looking to grab a quick buck... and frankly, this is a complete and utter catastrophe!

I have to admit, in all my time online, I haven't encountered such a blatant, shameless barrage of advertising on any other forum.

I expect them to revert to the old way or come up with a legitimate solution, because right now, this is absolute rock bottom in every sense of the word.

Maybe this would be more appealing to some people.

Maria Barnes said:Hey 🙂

Let's be real: ads are a necessary evil, but they're also a godsend because they keep this Reddit alive. This gorgeous Nokia will be up for two weeks. 🙂

Since we actually give a damn about your opinion and don't want to drown this place in spam, we’re pulling the standard 160-pixel right sidebar while this wallpaper ad is running. Expect that change sometime after 8 PM tonight.

Right now, the site width is sitting at 1100 pixels. Honestly? It’s probably too wide. Long lines make reading a pain, though that’s a debate for another day. Some sites stay ad-free yet still stick to a fixed width—take the Webmaster's forum Webmaster, for example. They actually pay attention to those details and keep things at 950 pixels.

Our goal is simple: fund this site using ads that aren't aggressive and, ideally, actually useful. I don't think this one is over the top; it’s static and doesn't mess with the actual content area.

Bottom line: we're listening to you. We're looking for the least painful way to host the ads that, as I said, we absolutely need.

And that would become even more obvious if this option
were turned off.

Maria Barnes said:Hey 🙂

Let's be real: ads are a necessary evil, but they're also a godsend because they keep this Reddit alive. This gorgeous Nokia will be up for two weeks. 🙂

Since we actually give a damn about your opinion and don't want to drown this place in spam, we’re pulling the standard 160-pixel right sidebar while this wallpaper ad is running. Expect that change sometime after 8 PM tonight.

Right now, the site width is sitting at 1100 pixels. Honestly? It’s probably too wide. Long lines make reading a pain, though that’s a debate for another day. Some sites stay ad-free yet still stick to a fixed width—take the Webmaster's forum Webmaster, for example. They actually pay attention to those details and keep things at 950 pixels.

Our goal is simple: fund this site using ads that aren't aggressive and, ideally, actually useful. I don't think this one is over the top; it’s static and doesn't mess with the actual content area.

Bottom line: we're listening to you. We're looking for the least painful way to host the ads that, as I said, we absolutely need.

Look, ads are fine. They don't bother me, and I get why they need to be there. The issue is this fixed width. If you're going to insist on a fixed layout, please shrink it down to something readable. At least 950 pixels, though personally, I think 850 would be better. That way, it stays legible even on most modern smartphones.

Ultimately, if you choose to be stubborn, just wait for the mid-term statistics to tell you exactly what you need to do...

ironharbor8 said:Look, ads are fine. They don't bother me, and I get why they need to be there. The issue is this fixed width. If you're going to insist on a fixed layout, please shrink it down to something readable. At least 950 pixels, though personally, I think 850 would be better. That way, it stays legible even on most modern smartphones.

Ultimately, if you choose to be stubborn, just wait for the mid-term statistics to tell you exactly what you need to do...

If you're rocking an Android, you should really grab Tapatalk. This forum supports it, and it makes reading everything on your phone a breeze.
We shouldn't have to shrink the entire forum layout just to accommodate mobile users.

ironharbor8 said:Look, ads are fine. They don't bother me, and I get why they need to be there. The issue is this fixed width. If you're going to insist on a fixed layout, please shrink it down to something readable. At least 950 pixels, though personally, I think 850 would be better. That way, it stays legible even on most modern smartphones.

Ultimately, if you choose to be stubborn, just wait for the mid-term statistics to tell you exactly what you need to do...

So you're advocating for an even narrower layout? 😱
If we're choosing between a comfortable reading experience on a desktop versus one on a phone, I guess it’s more logical to prioritize monitors.

Joshua Jones13 said:So you're advocating for an even narrower layout? 😱
If we're choosing between a comfortable reading experience on a desktop versus one on a phone, I guess it’s more logical to prioritize monitors.

Is 1100px really too wide for you? Personally, when I open my browser, I find myself scrolling left and right just to finish a single line. Besides, I usually have several apps running at once, so maximizing a window to full screen isn't practical. On the flip side, a narrower column is much easier on the eyes. It's the same reason printed newspapers—which can be massive—never run text from edge to edge; they use columns. There's a functional reason for that...

I've been lurking on various Reddit communities for over a decade, and not a single one is set up this way. It looks amateurish and it's frankly impractical.

Christian Howard2 said:If you're rocking an Android, you should really grab Tapatalk. This forum supports it, and it makes reading everything on your phone a breeze.
We shouldn't have to shrink the entire forum layout just to accommodate mobile users.

Thanks.🙂

Quote : Jolly Roger

ironharbor8 said:Is 1100px really too wide for you? Personally, when I open my browser, I find myself scrolling left and right just to finish a single line. Besides, I usually have several apps running at once, so maximizing a window to full screen isn't practical. On the flip side, a narrower column is much easier on the eyes. It's the same reason printed newspapers—which can be massive—never run text from edge to edge; they use columns. There's a functional reason for that...

I've been lurking on various Reddit communities for over a decade, and not a single one is set up this way. It looks amateurish and it's frankly impractical.

Not for me. Even back when I was stuck using a 15'' monitor, I rarely ever had to scroll left or right. I guess. 🤷

Quote : Jolly Roger

I usually have a bunch of apps running at once, so maximizing everything to full screen just isn't really practical for me, I guess.

Yeah, that’s exactly it. I always maximize my browser to full screen, and then having a narrow Reddit thread just looks ugly and becomes a total pain to read.

Maria Barnes, thanks for reaching out and explaining the situation with the ads. I get why we need them to keep things running, and you have my full support on that.
The real question is what the long-term strategy looks like for this site. It feels like even the admins and mods aren't quite sure what's coming next. Do you have any specific plans for the future? Are we looking at using the ad revenue to upgrade to a better server so the site runs faster? Will there be more ads like these, and is the current layout permanent? I know that’s a lot to ask, but we're all wondering.

Best, Matthew Ruiz8
**-------------------**

It would be an absolute game-changer if every user could just customize their own layout width in the settings. Right now, no matter how you set it up, there’s always someone for whom the UI looks totally broken—it's frustrating. I actually managed to hack together some custom scripts to fix it for myself, but honestly... the devs should really consider making this an official feature. Maybe they could implement a maximum width limit, though, just so it doesn't mess with the site's ad revenue or marketing layouts too much.

As much as I think I get the ad—looking at it from a business owner's perspective, not a customer's—I just can't wrap my head around all this white crap everywhere. You know, everything people have already screenshotted, plus this:

• white
• crap

And honestly, the fixed width makes even less sense to me. 🙂

There's no way I'm buying a Nokia—I mean, why would I drop that much cash on something like this? It just feels like a waste.
As far as the ads go, look, I don't mind people working hard and fighting for their slice of the pie, but honestly, all these commercials are starting to get on my nerves. Even with TV—I barely watch anything because there's just constant advertising everywhere, which is exactly why I tune out. So, if you ask me, this ad—and any others they run—is actually backfiring. I’ve used Nokia phones my whole life, but probably not anymore; I’ll be looking at other brands instead. Nokia is definitely falling behind the competition.

Maria Barnes said:Hey 🙂

Let's be real: ads are a necessary evil, but they're also a godsend because they keep this Reddit alive. This gorgeous Nokia will be up for two weeks. 🙂

Since we actually give a damn about your opinion and don't want to drown this place in spam, we’re pulling the standard 160-pixel right sidebar while this wallpaper ad is running. Expect that change sometime after 8 PM tonight.

Right now, the site width is sitting at 1100 pixels. Honestly? It’s probably too wide. Long lines make reading a pain, though that’s a debate for another day. Some sites stay ad-free yet still stick to a fixed width—take the Webmaster's forum Webmaster, for example. They actually pay attention to those details and keep things at 950 pixels.

Our goal is simple: fund this site using ads that aren't aggressive and, ideally, actually useful. I don't think this one is over the top; it’s static and doesn't mess with the actual content area.

Bottom line: we're listening to you. We're looking for the least painful way to host the ads that, as I said, we absolutely need.

I completely agree with the owner's expertise here.
Look, folks—it's a global crisis, money is tight, kids need to eat—and I'm not sure who could possibly satisfy all you egocentrics.

The moderator opens the thread in agreement with the owner, and you naive types just fall for the act.

The whole point of this thread is to "pacify" the community through a controlled disavowal, preventing a massive wave of anger or people jumping ship from the site.

Kudos to them.

wiredmarlin33 said:I went with the "Yeah, I’ll stare at it all day, she’s gorgeous, I need her!" option because, honestly, it’s the only one that sounds sufficiently sarcastic...

At first, I didn't even realize what was actually going on—and I'm sure plenty of others were just as lost as I was. But after this stunt? Pretty much everyone is going to start blocking ads. I mean, if they don't start charging us specifically for using an adblocker, there won't be much left to block anyway. 🙂

Me too. 😁 It’s particularly hilarious seeing half of one image and half of another on my laptop screen—one labeled "iPhone 4 is the smallest phone ever" and the other "Nokia new model."

Good grief, you'd think a bunch of toddlers put this together.