Comments on: Options for removing advertisements from a Ning site http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/12/01/options-for-removing-advertisements-from-a-ning-site/ Weblog of Wesley Fryer Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/12/01/options-for-removing-advertisements-from-a-ning-site/comment-page-1/#comment-113333 Jason Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:59:10 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3947#comment-113333 I have been known to use a ad-remover or two myself but I would also ask: is it ethical to do so? The web is advertising-based... I think we agree that we need to put up with a certain amount of that when we use free sources... I have been known to use a ad-remover or two myself but I would also ask: is it ethical to do so? The web is advertising-based… I think we agree that we need to put up with a certain amount of that when we use free sources…

]]> By: Chris Johnson http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2009/12/01/options-for-removing-advertisements-from-a-ning-site/comment-page-1/#comment-112391 Chris Johnson Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:19:05 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=3947#comment-112391 Let me begin by saying that I have read your blog for quite a while (though this is my first comment) and I appreciate your posts. However, I think there's a hidden message in this post that may not be what you hope to convey. I would strongly advise those who read this post against using the ad removal "hack". I say this not because you might get caught or get in trouble, but because it needlessly takes advantage of the people who host your Ning. You're getting webhosting and access to the software platform they created (both of which cost money) for FREE and with very few restrictions. By removing the ads, you eliminate the only motivation for Ning to offer the service for free. (In biology, we would call it a parasitic relationship). If individuals who visit your Ning do not want to see the ads, there are many oft-traveled ways to remove them. To be fair, I have been known to "hack" a thing or two myself when I feel that there is no reasonable justification for something besides greed. Also, in web design, I find "display:none;" to be highly valuable for debugging, preloading, et cetera, but CSS is enabled with Ning so that users can customize their site. If you really want the ads gone, please pay the $20 to get them removed. Just think of the hidden curriculum behind what you are doing if you take a service and software without reciprocating in any way. Let me begin by saying that I have read your blog for quite a while (though this is my first comment) and I appreciate your posts. However, I think there’s a hidden message in this post that may not be what you hope to convey.

I would strongly advise those who read this post against using the ad removal “hack”. I say this not because you might get caught or get in trouble, but because it needlessly takes advantage of the people who host your Ning. You’re getting webhosting and access to the software platform they created (both of which cost money) for FREE and with very few restrictions. By removing the ads, you eliminate the only motivation for Ning to offer the service for free. (In biology, we would call it a parasitic relationship). If individuals who visit your Ning do not want to see the ads, there are many oft-traveled ways to remove them.

To be fair, I have been known to “hack” a thing or two myself when I feel that there is no reasonable justification for something besides greed. Also, in web design, I find “display:none;” to be highly valuable for debugging, preloading, et cetera, but CSS is enabled with Ning so that users can customize their site. If you really want the ads gone, please pay the $20 to get them removed. Just think of the hidden curriculum behind what you are doing if you take a service and software without reciprocating in any way.

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