Wednesday, 2 June 2004 - 1:53 PM EDT

Not to jump the gun, but there was an excellent post on the Tripod Club after we launched the sidebar on there that I think answers a lot of questions that people have about it.

There's a really long comment from 'jamie', he's the big man in charge of Tripod and of Angelfire and providing his comments and feedback. If you're at all interested in why Angelfire does what it does and want a bit of a peek into our thought processes, this makes a really good read. There's a bit too much context for me to rewrite the post directly here and have it make sense, but the post itself is somewhat negative as a whole.

Still, scroll down and get the comment... highly recommended.

http://club.tripod.com/index.blog?entry_id=321719

Wednesday, 2 June 2004 - 7:58 PM EDT

why does angelfire insist on RUINING all of our sites? angelfire customers are leaving in droves because of all the crap that they are throwing at us. this sidebar thing is the latest stupid idea. it's ruining my site and pushing all of my text and images out of place. it makes my visitors have to perform yet ANOTHER annoying thing when they come to my page, after they've closed out all the pop-ups. it punishes those of us with multiple pages the most, because EVERY TIME, EVERY SINGLE TIME someone goes to 'page 2' or whatever, they have that stupid sidebar popping up again. my visitors don't come to my site to see other sites, they come here to see MY SITE. i know a lot of customers are angry about this sidebar, and angelfire "claims" that they read these blogs to get feedback. they also claim that free users generate traffic and ad revenue. you won't have any free users if you keep this up. PLEASE PLEASE do the smart thing and remove this sidbar!!!

Wednesday, 2 June 2004 - 9:37 PM EDT

I'm gonna have to say that I really dislike this new feature. I understand that it works essentially like a banner exchange, but if that's the case, we should have have the option to opt out of and in to it, especcially since a list of links to other (mostly free) sites is not likely to bring in much cash (unlike advertisements, the reasoning behind which I understand-nothing is completely free). The placement of the sidebar (popping out of the left side) is particularly annoying and distracting, and that it pops up on every page even after you close it is downright aggrivating. I've been enjoying the angelfire service since 1998, but this feature as it is currently implemented is most displeasing. I only hope that it is modified soon.

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 1:42 PM EDT

I agree this sidebar thing sucks !! It's bad enough with the so called similar ads running at the tops of the pages. I find it very irritating and I'm sure my visitors do as well and if angelfire is sticking with this lame idea then I will delete both my sites and go elsewhere.

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 1:43 PM EDT

I agree this sidebar thing sucks !! It's bad enough with the so called similar ads running at the tops of the pages. I find it very irritating and I'm sure my visitors do as well and if angelfire is sticking with this lame idea then I will delete both my sites and go elsewhere.

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 2:38 PM EDT

I agree, this feature is VERY intrusive. It makes Angelfire pages *impossible* to access using my text reader browser (it only brings up the sidebar, not the page I'm attempting to access) and several of the links it's providing to 'similar sites' are *cartoon porn* links. I don't like that I'm no longer able to decide if and where adult-oriented material appears on my pages.

There are a lot of adult pages out there that are NOT created with the intent of kids seeing links to them on a general Harry Potter or Pokemon site, and I'm sure their owners are appalled that these links are now going to be popping up right next to them.

This is a serious issue, it will result in anrgy parents and I'm sure in the closing of otherwise responsibly un-kid-friendly adult fansites.

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 4:54 PM EDT

Starting today, I haven't been able to view my high school tennis team web page on juno premium (speed band). I get redirected to a full-screen blog sidebar with some innapropriate listings (for instance - Claudia Schiffer naked, because I have a player named Claudia!). But when I click on the sidebar link to my page, I get a message that I've reached a defunct angelfire account. However, I can access the web shell, so I know the site is still intact. Is there anything I can do?

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 5:30 PM EDT

Would this problem go away if I upgrade to angelfire neon, or is it simply a compatibility issue with Juno? If so, when do anticipate this problem being rectified?

Odd, isn't it, that you would kick off this sidebar program without knowing it was compatible with browsers?

Thursday, 3 June 2004 - 8:52 PM EDT

This sidebar is the last straw. People can't see my page and now pornographic links are popping up. Even when you close it, it just pops back up when you go to another page. Visitors are telling me they used to enjoy my site before this happened. Ads I can understand, they generate revenue. What purpose does this sidebar serve? I was considering upgrading to a pay service, but now I will be taking my business elsewhere. I don't want to move everything, but I guess I have no choice. Angelfire, if you really care about getting and keeping customers, read these blog entries and remove this highly annoying, unpopular, and useless feature. Thank you.

Friday, 4 June 2004 - 5:11 AM EDT

This sidebar thing is IRRITATING! It will be horrible for my visitors, because I have a lot of pages on my site for my stories, and so everytime they exit the sidebar, they will just have to do it again when they go to another story page. So, I've already started moving to Geocities...

Monday, 7 June 2004 - 3:41 PM EDT

JP - you seem to know what this sidebar is all about. I have a red flame symbol by my site in the sidebar and can't get in. can you tell me what this indicates? can you give me a number to call Angelfire? I can't find a customer service number.

Tuesday, 8 June 2004 - 10:50 AM EDT

This new side bar "feature" is horrible. Now my visitors have to put up with SEVERAL pop up and pop under windows as well as a banner on top of the page that contains content that we feel is not appropriate.
Right now we have 2 pop up windows, a banner on top AND THE BOTTOM and NOW this SIDEBAR? Ugh!

THIS IS TOO MUCH!!!!!!!

Tuesday, 8 June 2004 - 11:05 PM EDT

if you have any problems with your site post here, eh?

well, my problem is I or my clients can't get into the site. you click on the sidebar address and it just bounces right back to sidebar. sure sneaky way to rob folk. Angelfire already got paid by banners and popups that my people had to put up with. Free is no longer free and I consider it false advertisement.

Thursday, 24 June 2004 - 6:17 AM EDT

Thanks very much for ruining my site, with your ugly, intrusive sidebar 'improvement'. I shall be moving to another host because what you have done is immoral and tantamount to blackmail. You know, I was seriously considering upgrading to a paid hosting through you guys but your attitude stinks. I will now find my hosting elsewhere, yours sincerely, someone who doesn't want their whole layout ruined by an ugly piece of sh*t.

Wednesday, 4 August 2004 - 9:14 AM EDT

You've ruined my website. Your "Similar Sites" Sidebar links my FAMILY ORIENTED site to PORNOGRAPHY SITES.

Angelfire/Tripod/Lycos PROMOTES PORN.

Not only does it PROMOTE PORN, it links my site to other ?Similar? websites. Why would I want my visitors to go somewhere else after I have spent 5 years building a relationship with them so that they come to my site and STAY faithful to my site?

I have an idea, instead of my visitors going to other sites because of the stupid Sidebar, I WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

JP, you seem to be the one talking with everyone, telling everyone how wonderful this stupid Sidebar is; here's some of the links that are now associated with my FAMILY ORIENTED website, go ahead and go to them and then post them on the home page for angelfire.com because that's what you've done to me.

And don't delete this message; these links are on MY WEBSITE!

Here are some BREAST shots for you, or girls in lingerie, or short shorts or short skirts:

http://mada_band.tripod.com/index.html

http://www.oliversgalleries.com/tgp/alisyn/0/307550/index.html


?Imagine a beautiful girl saying hi in the morning...VirtuaGirls?

http://mada_band.tripod.com/grid2.html

(Copied and pasted as written on the website)

Christina Ricci
(Seethrough Dress.)
Holly Valance
(Nipples Showiing.)
Kristin Kreuk
(Stripping in Superman)
Kate Richie
(Very Very Naked.)
Lisa Scott Lee
(Busting Out.)
Posh Spice
(Grabbing Her Assets.)
Xenia Seeburg.
(Lexx babe Splitting the Difference.)

http://madpad1.tripod.com/whatsnew.html

PURE NUDISM (Also called NOT PORNOGRAPHY)

http://www.purenudism.net/index2.htmlenter=Enter+PureNudism.com

Notice the words LICK IT UP CLEAN

http://lt.angelfire.com/tr/sidepane/_h_/lickitupclean.tripod.com/motleycrue/pictures/nikki/nikkipics.html