DegreeInfo Spam

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by NorCal, Feb 8, 2011.

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  1. NorCal

    NorCal Active Member

    Just over the past 6 months or so, I've noticed there appears to be more spam here on DegreeInfo. It seems like almost every post has words that are underlined and linked to spam.

    I can't image running a website at the level of DegreeInfo, and it can't be cheap, but it just seems to me like we're selling our soul to the devil and slowly turning into a cheap spam filled website.

    :drillsergeant:
     
  2. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I can understand your frustration with the links that appear in your posts. They are often frustrating to even us mods. But the benefit of enduring these things is the fact that you do not have to pay to be a member. Bandwidth is very expensive. Degree Info is an awesome resource and, though I don't like it, I'm willing to endure the ads in order to have access to this site free of charge.
     
  3. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Just to add another thought; the auto links and the banner ads might be helpful and appreciated by visitors who are looking for exactly those sort of things. They can follow the links knowing that they only connect to legitimate schools, which is something you could not say for some other sites.
     
  4. b4cz28

    b4cz28 New Member

    Yes that's a very good thing!
     
  5. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    There is no spam on degreeinfo (other than the occasional spam that slips through, which our mods quickly remove.)

    There are context-sensitive keyword ads, and now context-sensitive banner ads (though the context sensitivity of the ads isn't very sophisticated yet.)

    We (the owners) have done our best to ensure that the ads are minimally intrusive, and we vet each school to ensure that it is accredited by a DoEd-recognized accreditor. As SurfDoctor said, I seriously doubt that any other online education community takes as much care in ensuring that we don't have ads for bogus schools, and actually, our context-sensitive ads are the only listings I've seen where the accreditor, and a description of the meaning of their accreditation, is listed right in the pop-up.

    As we continue to refine degreeinfo, the goal is to have a sensible balance between minimizing ads and maintaining the operating costs as well as covering costs to allow us to grow and implement new resources for the community. One thing I can assure you: as long as I'm in charge, the integrity of the site and content will always take precedence over advertising, and continuing to grow and improve the site is pretty high on my list.
     

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