I dig this form. And I have absolutely no problem with Adsense - in fact, as a marketer, I enjoy seeing the ads that are contextually related to topics of discussion and content. Done well, it's a painless and near transparent way to integrate advertising and content.

The new giant double ad-block as the centerpiece of each screen view, where you have to scroll down to get to any content is a bit over the the top, though. It's by far the most aggressive monetization strategy I've come across on a reputable forum.

The result is that I'm significantly less likely to want to spend my time, visit and post my contributions here. I'm not saying I quit...but rather, that the whole atmosphere has been made much less inviting.

I like them...I've actually found some cool stuff clicking through some of those ads. If I'm not in the mood, I get a quick case of ad-blindness.

I believe Michel is simply running tests on this right now for Google, so perhaps he will change it soon.

They've been giving my index finger a little extra scroll-wheel exercise... If I didn't have one on my mouse, I'm sure it'd be more obnoxious.

I have to agree... The new bigger ad block... just bugs. Too much scrolling and it also looks bad, IMO. It makes the forum look a little too much like an ad farm.

I agree.

If it's just for testing, then what is being tested exactly? How much money can be made from members and guests?

When there's two columns of four small ads each, a couple of the same ads appear on both sides -- that must bring their click-through rate down a bit.

The left column says "Ads by Google" and the right side says "Ads by Goooooogle." Is there a difference? Both links take me to the same Google page.

OK, it's time for me to 'fess up...

http://www.copywritersboard.com/spec...t-history.html

PageRank at the moment or no... online communities are fickle and tend to jump ship every few years, unless treated with the utmost respect. The smart thing to do would be to groom and milk your cash cow, not kill it for some quick pocket change.

There is no way I am going to spend time contributing good content to a site that perpetually aches my index finger to use it.

No one is forced to be here...I would also prefer that the larger block of ads wasn't there, but I consider this forum a treasure of a resource, and it's a very small inconvenience compared to either leaving it or having it shut down.
Both technically and content-wise, it's a top-notch forum, and I realize that Michel has to pay the bills for that. I appreciate the explanation from Michel.