Here’s hoping you’ve fully recovered from the news that TTAG now has a new owner, Wide Open Media. As part of the process, we have some ideas about how to make the site even better while retaining the features (honest gun and gear reviews, timely news, trenchant political analysis, a tad of snark, etc.) that you’ve come to know and love.
TTAG’s intelligent, insightful and extremely vocal readership is the site’s life blood. So we’d like to hear from you in the form of a the 10-minute reader survey you can get to at this link. The survey has only four parts covering (1) some basic (anonymous) info about you, (2) advertising (we know…), (3) our content, and (4) an open suggestion box.
We will read ALL of the comments and suggestions that you take the time to submit.
Once again CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.
Thank you for your time!
Just keep up the good work and don’t throw your readers under the wheels. RF worked hard to get this audience – so long as you stay the course, keeping it shouldn’t be difficult.
🤠
What he said. Don’t fuck it up.
Too late. If they are doing a survey they are planning on fucking it up.
The reader survey has been at least an annual thing for as long as I can remember.
Amen. I know you have to censor some comments for slander or too-strenuous flaming or cursing, but don’t turn into censorious asshats. The dialog is what makes comments worthwhile.
Okay, but you may not like the answers.
Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuuuuun!
OK, how about less everyday pocket carry dumps and more REAL TIME news and information about state / Fed. Gun Grabber efforts.
Be a platform , a starting point for grassroots action , an information clearing house for state issues. —- a daily composite of alerts from GOA – NRA – 2 AF – …ect.
Here is a video of two citizens , FED UP … and giving lawmakers a well earned EARFUL !
……. from …. http://www.pafoa.com ……. Enjoy !
I just tried following your link and my web browser indicated that http://www.pafoa.com is not reachable. (My web browser could not find the web address of the server.)
It’s probably supposed to be pafoa.org
Keep it more or less as it is.
If you honestly want to make things better here. If the new owners have deeper pockets
Get rid of all these F^&%king pop up adds.
+1
I agree with everything Bloving said.
Low-snark answers submitted as requested.
While I fully intend to take the survey, I have a HUGE pearl of wisdom that I am graciously sharing with TTaG regarding advertising:
(1) Three or four unobstrusive advertisements on any given page are fine.
(2) Unobstrusive means:
— advertisements are less that 25% of the screen area.
— advertisements do NOT autoplay video and audio.
— advertisements do NOT use 99% of CPU power.
— advertisements do NOT install malware on your machine.
If sites adhered to that simple standard, I predict that they would actually INCREASE their advertising revenue because far fewer visitors would use adblocker applications and far more visitors would tolerate the website.
I say this because I cannot count how many websites I stopped visiting before I discovered adblocker applications. And I did not stop visiting because I hated advertisements: rather I stopped visiting because the advertisements would render my computer and the website basically unusable. If I actually managed to wait between 30 and 60 seconds for a website to appear on screen, I was then rewarded with a website that I could not navigate because the scroll bars basically did not work and content on the “next” screen (which should have appeared if the scrollbars were working) would take an additional 30 seconds to appear on screen.
Installing an adblocker application fixed that problem. (My adblocker application indicates as many as 70 blocked advertisements on the main landing page of a website.) Given the performance-crushing nature of those advertisements and the fact that many people have data limits means a lot of viewers are staying away from advertisement dominated sites. Don’t let that be TTaG!
Agreed wholeheartedly. I don’t mind ads, but ads that make the site/my computer unusable are to be avoided like the plague, which is almost how bad they are. A viral plague. A pox on all who visit such sites w/o their firewalls and/or ad blockers up. I make it a point to never visit such places.
Not including TTAG, which ad blocker works great on.
I forgot to mention: I’m mostly referring to sites that force you to pull down your firewall to access their site. I always bomb off such places immediately, and scan my HD for problems created by that contact right away. How they plan to make money by angering potential customers is beyond my ability to understand. Perhaps one needs to be a libtard to understand such illogic.
This. So much this.
That was my basic response to their “what else should we know” question.
I use noscript so I hardly see ads because all of them are so script (and resource) intensive. Simple image ads on the side show up and, of course, sponsored articles.
If you think the ads are bad in desktop OS browsers, they are much worse on mobile browsers.
And if in doubt, scan your PC with Malware Bytes anti-Malware program.
You’ve voiced the one MAJOR criticism of the site shared by a lot of visitors. It has been voiced before by me and other visitors, yet NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE to fix it. I don’t see the ads etc. because I use ABP and Ghostery. This site, way back in its infancy, was a major driving factor for me to install those apps.
Having ads that detract from the experience is idiotic and, IMHO, counter to good business practice. That’s why folks like me use ABP and Ghostery. Think about how you could bump up the ad revenue if you did away with the annoyance. I’d turn my ad blocker off if I wasn’t bombarded with annoyance and trackers…and don’t even THINK ABOUT putting up software that detects ad blockers and blocks back. That’ll be the death knell of TTAG.
New owners: read and heed.
In the irony department, actually targeted (sic) targeted ads would be a value-add (sic, again) to readers. The ad system ads that so annoy show exactly how much worse than worthless their tech is.
Worse, obtrusiveness as a substitute for quality doesn’t work. Skewed promotion of what the vendor thinks people should want, or not want is worse. I’m (not) looking at you Twit-Face-Tube-Zon.
BTW, a technology arms race — intrusion vs. ad-blocking, say — is likewise a bad plan. I you lose you lose. If you win, you also lose.
Where are we Israeli supermodel-wise? I’m asking for a friend.
I’m willing to be negotiable on the ‘israeli’ part.
How about passing on the fake news? Like the baseless and factually errant hit piece on OpticsPlanet.
It neglected to include critical information but it was not entirely baseless. I’d characterize it as a sloppy knee jerk reaction to a fragment of information.
It was still the sort of super sloppy journalism we see from leftists. Run with half truths and lies to rile people up and then never correct the record. TTAG should be better than that.
Fisk of the day? Fisks of the day, one by the editorial staff, the other by the commentariat?
Well, they didn’t waste any time getting down to the brass tacks.
How much are you willing to fork over to keep reading this page?
Asking for a rich lazy friend.
I would prefer standard citations (like where you hover over the supertext and see a link) as opposed to the current hypertexts that (at least for me) often go nowhere related to the subject.
YES! those brownells (seems like they are always to brownells) hidden link ads are the worst.
They give me trust issues with other links now.
I just took the survey, and I said that it’s good that TTAG doesn’t make people log in to Facebook etc. before commenting, but that an awful lot of TTAG’s commenters are pathetic losers.
And that means, if you’re reading these words, that you should ask yourself if you are a loser.
I say this to the majority of the readers of these words: Haul your behind out of that chair, get out of the house, and live real life.
If that means you don’t read my own comments, well, so what?
There’s no point in commenting on my comment, by the way. I won’t read anything anyone might write on the subject. I’m going to enjoy the rest of my lunch break with my buddies now instead of staring at a computer screen all by myself.
How ’bout you?
Heh. “Anyone who comments on here is a stupid pathetic loser. I mean, not me though. Sure I comment here all the time. But I’m not a loser. I totally have friends, lots of em. In fact I’m not going to read your replies because I’m going to be too busy doing really cool stuff with all my really cool friends. And then my supermodel girlfriend is gonna show up. And we’re gonna be riding jetskis, because I totally have some of those too. Yeah. Buncha losers commenting here…”
You crack me up man. And I know you’re NEVER going to read this (uh huh). I’m just making this comment for the benefit of anyone else.
Speak for yourself mate, but TTAG for me is viewed while I’m on the bus or waiting for a train in the morning and during my breaks at work (I have public transport access that many US cities would be envious of).
My weekends are spent with my son at his sport (soccer season just started), the range where while I shoot my son practices discus and shot put, back home for PC games and TV shows we both like, and finally a lap swimming session before he goes back home to his mum the next morning.
And I’m not posting this for you. I’m posting this for the other readers.
Bring back the weekly caption contest.
Done! Already had that one planned. Thanks!
OK I took it…fix commenting. Oh and how the he!! do you get a troll commenting here?!?
the trolls (serge, cisco, 2Asux, ect) make it more interesting sometimes.
Referring to the “Scotty Crawford” dude(duddette?). I’m cool with serge and Joe R.
My take on serge is that’s he’s either being paid to make 2A supporters look bad online, or that he’s a very lonely, angry troll. Suspect he uses multiple profiles here either way. Cisco is bottom shelf troll, don’t know who Scotty Crawford is?
I think that Serge, though a bit intense as he may be, is genuine article. If you experienced communism you would understand him better.
2Asux is just playing devil’s advocate to make us think and to help sharpen our arguments.
Cisco is just obnoxious fool.
If serge is a legitimate profile, he’s a walking contradiction. He claims to hate communism, yet begs for it with government controlled medical care. He uses the same anti agitprop when he makes his arguments supporting it. Maybe he’s just not very bright.
Funny, first question “Can we charge you money for this?” Writing is on the wall.
Online advertising is having some pretty huge issues with malware, fraud, and general obnoxiousness. Figuring out other ways to make money is a good thing, because the site isn’t a charity.
Neither are the bills I have to pay, so if I have to choose between paying for the news and paying my bills. Guess TTAG will have to go.
Rosignol,
“Online advertising is having some pretty huge issues with malware, fraud, and general obnoxiousness.”
This should be glaringly obvious: fix the online advertising. I was going to describe the fix and just realized that the fix should generate a multi-million dollar profit for whoever implements it — and I would like that to be me!
As a result, you all may not hear much from me in the next few months: I will (hopefully) be off generating the fix!
I’m afraid there’s prior art on “Send Vinnie and Guido to have a chat with the SOBs”.
Subscription based? No thanks. I’d rather spend discretionary income on guns and ammo. And bourbon.
TTAG has a big community. Transition to a subscription-based blog and it will all go way.
Every acquiring company figures that their people are geniuses and can do a much better job that the seller who built the business in the first place.
Hubris is a terrible thing. The acquirers are rarely, if ever, correct, and usually fvck up the whole damn thing.
The subscription would only be an option.
It’s never an “option” to skim off the cream and charge for it. And if the cream isn’t skimmed off the top, then why would people pay for it?
BTW, people should know that Dan was my editor on a bunch of TTAG articles over the years, and he never touched a single one of them without making them better.
I have total respect for Dan, but I wouldn’t know the new owners if I tripped over them. Thus, I remain a fan of the blog, but a skeptical one.
Thanks Ralph – your thoughts on the “subscription option” saved me from struggling through 500 words to express what you said in 50!
(Priorities! Guns / Ammo / Bourbon!)
Supermodels?
I love the patreon format, and suppport Forgotten Weapons, and InRangeTV through that platform currently. Is $5 a lot of money? No. But it’s not “nothing”. Having the option to donate $1 a month easily is something I’d seriously consider doing for TTAG. But $5 is a bit of a non-starter, even though it’s not a lot of money…
If you wanted $5/mo, I’d need comprehensive overhaul of the site. I’m talking about a full video catalog comparable to Full30, and a message board as intuitive, feature rich, and productive as Reddit that allows you to “vote” and prioritize good threads while allowing garbage to fall into the abyss. If you offered that (I’m non-negotiable on the message board format, it needs to be easy to up/downvote) I’d pay $5/mo for news and access to the rest of the platform. In order to be a large enough community, access would need to remain free, with the $5/mo subscription giving ad-free access, flair for your message board handle, etc.
Comment tracking would be nice though.
I wouldn’t mind logging in if I could bring up a dashboard of my comments and their replies.
+1
I said it in the survey:
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A SUBSCRIPTION BASE SERVICE!
Keep the $3,000 1911 reviews to a minimum. If I want to pay for an overpriced, limited capacity gun, I don’t need TTAG to tell me about!
I think I might like it better with RF gone.
Looks like Dean W got a promotion (or maybe its a demotion).
Make sure Jeremy gets to review lots of stuff.
Maybe add a reviewer who is not into tacticool stuff (you know – likes wood stocks, doesnt think everything has to be threaded, likes to shoot calibers that are not soul-stealing, anti-personnel rounds.) Guns are tools but they can be fun tools.
Not gonna pay for viewing. Move on.
Don’t ever let Firearm Concierge Post another thought….let alone article.
“Don’t ever let Firearm Concierge Post another thought….let alone article.”
+1000
So much this!
Oh hell yeah.
Nice to know it’s not just me. LMAO
No. Please let him “contribute” one article a month. I love reading his stuff. He shows us all what a POS he is. Just make him post his articles under his real name. Maybe get him in on the advertising. Yeah…..maybe not a monthly contribution after all. Doubt he or his business would last that long if people knew who that douche canoe really was.
Oh, c’mon, guys. I like FC’s posts because of the contrast with my (sort-of) LGS.
i just hope they dont go editorially left. or start censoring comments. even pwrserge.
I would like to see anti gun research taken on….It would also be nice to have actual research linked to the anti gun research so that we can use it in other places when we debate anti gunners or discuss gun issues with uninformed Americans, so we can show them where the information is.
I also would like to see more coverage of the increasing gun crime in Britain and Australia, I know, it is kinda odd…..but they are the go to countries for anti gun commenters…and right now gun crime is growing in both countries and highlighting this undermines the anti gunners….and drives them nuts……they hate it when I bring up shootings in Britain and their gun crime stats.
I come here for the comments.
#metoo I’ve learned a lot more from the comments than the articles over the years. If the new owners can preserve (or improve) the comments they’ll do alright.
Also: please hire a proofreader. I’m not a grammar nazi, but it gets distracting with some contributors and your credibility is affected.
Same here, very high (and, thankfully, low) level of commenter here. But they need something to comment ON, otherwise it’s just a forum.
As an Australian firearm owner who had spent time in multiple parts of the world I can assure there are plenty of places with less rights than USA or Australia. The occasional good story about the hunting or firearms made here would be nice.
As mentioned many times I don’t like our current laws having grown up when the only restriction was what can I afford. But the country is not gun free. I own more firearms now than 20 years ago but probably would have anyway.
1000 000 plus of us still shoot. A few try to keep politicians from taking all of our freedom. Media then tries to make us out as extremists.
Same here. 20 years ago this Aussie had 6 guns. Now I have more than double that.
If you have to do advertising – and I’m a guy who put up with the ads on network TV for more years than most of the “new guys” have been around – lets do something that’s relevant to our interest. I’d look at an ad from Ruger or Smith and Wesson – I might find something that I wanted to buy. Toenail fungus only makes me want to break out one of my several Rugers out and do something evil and antisocial.
I get tired of the trolls on Bloomberg’s payroll who cut and paste the same silly arguments time after time.
I’m okay with the politics but I ‘d like to see more reviews for firearms and gear that the average working guy can afford. $5000 1911s are cool and I’ll probably shop for one when I win the Powerball (good luck!). Right now my interest runs more toward stuff in sub $1000 range. That’s what I can sneak out of the mad money fund without Momma noticing or objecting to.
I’m a historian and enjoy articles on older military and civilian weapons. I have a good number of surplus military rifles in my collection and I’m always looking to add to the arsenal. Older sporting arms are great too – compare my 1968 production Remington 700 to the ones you can buy in Wally World today.
Would I pay for TTAG “premium” content? I’m fortunate to be in good shape after a lifetime of very hard work. I can afford a “reasonable” – to me that’s five or at most ten bucks a month – charge for very good content and some physical perks. I am easy but I’m not cheap.
Some great comments. I come here for the comments also, and the bigger political picture/landscape pieces are important, especially as the anti-liberty forces are ramping up their assault on the 2A. Northeastshooters.com recently updated their forums and they did a really nice job, they have a lot to offer people who don’t want to pay for subscription, but some nice extras for those who do. Maybe take a look.
I wouldn’t mind spending some money on the site, but you’d have to offer more than what’s here currently.
Moderated forums, sponsors and discounts, more content types, and so on.
Selling some TTAG products isn’t a bad idea either.
The comments here not being censored except in extreme cases is what keeps people coming back. TTAG has done an excellent job of letting people speak their minds, though you do have to put up with trolls at times. Moderated forums gets away from that, and people much less likely to speak their minds out of fear of being censored or kicked off.
One of the things I like about Disqus comments is that it gives readers control over who they block.
Just keep doing the awesome job you’re doing! ^0^
Forgot to add this Comment to Survey:
Value/Bargain based Articles
Not really a review but a recommendation or comparison of a Product or Products based on its Value versus its Price Point.
Ex. Bersa Thunder 380, SIG SP2022
What products are worth the price and when is it better to pay a little bit more. (Don’t cheap out on Self Defense Ammo!) Is it worth paying more for a more expensive holster? (Crossbreed)
Gonna have to agree. I should’ve put a comment akin to this on my survey response, so thanks for doing it for me.
Not everyone can afford a $1k+ weapon for self or home defense. Reviews and (especially) comparisons on less expensive pistols and rifles would be a great favor to a huge segment of the reading audience.
How about “Best CCW pistol for under $500 MSRP”? “Best entry-level AR platform”? “Best bargains in the used handgun market”?
Trust me, there’s a lot more readers who can afford a good Department-surplus Glock or SIG than there are who can afford a Wilson or Baer.
Greetings, many people that are into hunting, shooting and gun collecting also have an internet interest in topics related to those hobbies (Captain obvious). Many have disposable income. But much like myself, I will never, ever spend a penny with companies that inundate me with non-stop ad’s, no matter how good the product may be. It is insulting, and why would I do business with companies that do not respect my privacy and time. Most people, before buying a product want reviews by real people who actually own and use the product. The advertisement is secondary and only for information on where to buy the product. Gorilla marketing /advertising and lack of respect for the subscriber will be the end of TTAG.
I just hate the pocket dump.
Comments are closed.