Ever noticed how there's getting to be a lot of site advertisements with no link to the actual site? You click the ad, read through a novel of a plot 'summary', and you wave your mouse around to find the link. Well, there is no link. What good are the document-sized plots if there's no link to the actual site?

Maybe this is a superficial rant....but it's irritating me a bit. Especially on my own sites, when I can't link back because there is no way for me to find the site. Just a warning to you future plot makers - don't slave over the plot summary and forget to put in a link. A few words describing what the site is all about will suffice. No one wants to read a book about the roleplay.

Oh, those? I just delete 'em =P

What bothers me is the forums that don't have their links a different color (or different enough color) from their text. Then I'm always paranoid that they won't be able to find my link, or will be too damn lazy to look for one.

Oh, that's annoying. Those people obviously are focusing on flaunting their ad-making skills rather than actually advertising their site.

I'm with Clipsed. If I can't find the link, the ad goes bye-bye!

Harsh and final, perhaps, but without a link the ad's just a waste of space.

True, I delete the ad as well. I do give it a few days or a week to see if they'll come back and add a link to their topic...but if they don't, bye bye Mr. Ad.

Funny how a lot of people do this and then wonder why their sites have no members...

EDIT: Sometimes the sites have links, but the URL is completely screwed up. Something like this:

ttp://rpg-directory.com/index.php

Or this:

http:rpg-directory.com/index.php

Or even this:

http:http://rpg-directory.com/index.php

Or any variation of the three.

Just goes to show some folks obviously don't care enough about their own site to check that their ads/links etc are what they should be, and (for links) actually work. It's called a preview button , folks. It isn't rocket science: click the button and you'll see what the thing will look like when it's posted.

Otherwise, you won't get members and you will get a bad name.

Yeah, not having links is bad. Or just as worse is a link that I can't find because they have trickily hidden it somewhere in the middle of their advertisement. Especially on my skin, where links tend to blend into the background. ><

And what is with this new trend of having a link to everything BUT the main page of your forum? And if you're going to do that, why not also include an advertising link as well? :sweat:

I've seen a few of those ad recently, whether it's no link or wrong link. Most of the time I would be nice and remind the admin in their cbox. But there was once that the admin said she didn't need advice or tip, huh?

Ugh, I hate that. Actually, if you can come up with a word stronger than 'hate', throw that in for good measure.

I don't want a link to your rules, to your plot, to your canon list, to your bloody FACE CLAIM list. I don't even want a link to your advertising section. I want a link to your INDEX so I can find my own way around. If I can't, clearly the forum isn't right for me, and if it takes me forever and a day to find the advert section, clearly I won't be getting much exposure, no?

Loathe.

Despise.

Abominate.

(your friendly neighborhood walking thesaurus)

My god I hate that so much! It's such an annoying trend and it doesn't make sense much.


When it comes to ads with no link...I hate them. I really do. I don't even like insanely long apps. They should made a, say, two paragraph summary! But yeah, the absebce of a link is just annoying. People should bother looking over their apps *rolls eyes*

I never really paid much attention to those ads where there's a link for everything but the main page, but gosh is it starting to get to me. I agree with Clipsed - we're more than capable of navigating ourselves, thank you very much.

Oh yeah. Almost forgot. People seem to like hiding the link in the long novel of a plot. I mean, it could be ANYWHERE. First word, last word...some odd word in the middle. One can put the link in while making the ad look nice without making it invisible.

I agree with you. Normally, when I design my ad, I place the link not only in a small version of the banner at the top of the ad, but also in various links at the bottom. I normally just link to Home, Plot, Rules, Canons [if I have them], then Advertise && Affiliates.

There is no need to post anything more than that.

On a slightly related rant: I had someone show up in my cbox, post their board link, along with "spam! link! Lawlz!!!!111!!" Or some such. I deleted the post, then just for fun, went to look at the board. At that moment, there were two members, both the admin. Went back today, and guess what? Still only two members. Hmm. . .imagine that?

Meh. That bother me a little. What's worse is when you can't find their advertising forum. Gah!

On the sites where the links look exactly like the other text, I change the words of my links to be underlined so that they sort of "pretend" to be a link. [grins]

When people forget their links, I don't really mind to the extent that I'd want to make a rant about it. I laugh at them. XD What's even funnier is when they somehow get their own links wrong.