General Discussion

I was browsing the fine content of your website today, always happy to be accurately informed as to what is going on in the mmo world. And Just as I was about to log off, I saw a banner ad which really upset me.
The banner ad in question

Since when does Mmorpg.com take ad money from people who are destroying mmorpgs?
These companies provide services that directly violate the end user liscense agreement of every major mmorpg on the market today.

I took a moment to take a look at their site, and their official services include:

"Power Leveling": We advance your character to the target level
(or the equivalent for the game in question) selected by you.
Trade skill advancement: We improve a trade skill such as blacksmithing, alchemy, etc. to the goal you choose.
Player-vs,-Player rank advancement
Quest completion
In-game item acquisition / "Instance Farming"
In-game currency acquisition

So, i'm wondering good mmorpg.com staff why would you let these people advertise here?
I really am outraged that you would allow this kind of "cheating" to be advertised on your page.
However, it may just be myself, the staff of PCGAMER magasine, and every major mmorpg company who think this way. I think you need to rethink your advertising.
Read for yourself what they do.
"Our mission is to make MMORPG.COM a site designed to meet the needs of the online gaming community. Let us know what you are looking for!"
I really don't think that supporting destruction of the requirement to play a game to be high level / have good gear is really meeting the needs of your online gaming community. And I am looking for a mmorpg information site that doesn't advocate cheating.

Now, I know this isn't exactly a nice post to read, but its how I feel and i'm letting you know it. I wasn't sure if this belongs here in site suggestions or in the general pub, so I will post it in both, feel free to lock/delete one but I would appreciate letting this issue at least be heard.

Thank you.

Good post and point. Never noticed it tho...
Theres an add for currency sale too. Last place I thought I would see such adds.

With the quality of this site in mind I can only think of one possibility of mmorpg.com advertising for this: the paycheck is needed to keep mmorpg.com alive. Other adds might not pay off as good.
If this is the case I suggest a donate option.

Don't be such an uptight whiney noob. You don't have to buy their services, you don't have to click the ad. You get to use this site for free. MMORPG.com has to pay for all their bandwith somehow.

There should be a donation or premium plan. I think they lost their programmer though. There hasn't been much major work done in 2 years from what I can tell.

Wonder how much profit mmorpg.com would make replacing those adds with say.. A full screen Logitech add.

I think I'd rather stick with a small that is easily ignored.

I'm going to agree with Jaguar, noone is forcing you to click that link, and if it pays for me to be able to use this site then it really makes no difference to me.

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Originally posted by Patriarch

I was browsing the fine content of your website today, always happy to be accurately informed as to what is going on in the mmo world. And Just as I was about to log off, I saw a banner ad which really upset me.
The banner ad in question

Since when does Mmorpg.com take ad money from people who are destroying mmorpgs?
These companies provide services that directly violate the end user liscense agreement of every major mmorpg on the market today.

I took a moment to take a look at their site, and their official services include:

"Power Leveling": We advance your character to the target level
(or the equivalent for the game in question) selected by you.
Trade skill advancement: We improve a trade skill such as blacksmithing, alchemy, etc. to the goal you choose.
Player-vs,-Player rank advancement
Quest completion
In-game item acquisition / "Instance Farming"
In-game currency acquisition

So, i'm wondering good mmorpg.com staff why would you let these people advertise here?
I really am outraged that you would allow this kind of "cheating" to be advertised on your page.
However, it may just be myself, the staff of PCGAMER magasine, and every major mmorpg company who think this way. I think you need to rethink your advertising.
Read for yourself what they do.
"Our mission is to make MMORPG.COM a site designed to meet the needs of the online gaming community. Let us know what you are looking for!"
I really don't think that supporting destruction of the requirement to play a game to be high level / have good gear is really meeting the needs of your online gaming community. And I am looking for a mmorpg information site that doesn't advocate cheating.

Now, I know this isn't exactly a nice post to read, but its how I feel and i'm letting you know it. I wasn't sure if this belongs here in site suggestions or in the general pub, so I will post it in both, feel free to lock/delete one but I would appreciate letting this issue at least be heard.

Thank you.

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Before posting a topic such as this and to continue beating a dead horse, please use the search button in the upper right corner and search for the multiple number of topics relating to this.  I am not the one to necessarily address this issue as I have nothing to do with the business side of this website, however, I must ask this question. 

With a member base of over 300,000, how would you consider paying for bandwith cost?  I am very curious because the ones who contest these advertisements never provide an alternate means.  The ad space you have seen is very small.  Is it that difficult to ignore?  There are no pop-ups or extra means to draw your attention to these ads.  As another poster said, no one is forcing you to click it.  If you don't like it, then refresh your browser and more than likely you will recieve a different ad.

Forgive me for being so short about this topic, but it is one that is very annoying when it has been discussed numerous other times.

edit: And to add, how does this ruin a game?  This is not purchasing of in game items/currecny etc.  It is a power-leveling service.  PCGamer downed farmers and the sellers of in-game items.  This site offers to level your character and obtain items through normal means.  The only difference is someone else is doing it for you.  It's like say, letting your friend play your character and you decide to lend him some money.

Patriarch: Although just like Dekron said, this subject has been beaten to death over and over again, I do have to say that your post is certainly well written and well thought out and that is certainly nice to see, regardless of the fact that I don't agree with you.

The simple fact is that although your post and your point of view are very well writen, probably much better then I could have come up with, does not change the fact that that's exactly what it is, your point of view. It's an important one of course, your a member of the community just like the many others, many of which will agree with you, many of which will not... so who's right and who's wrong ?

Further more, how does mmorpg.com choose between the two, many upon many people do not feel that these farming and leveling services are all that bad, some people could care less, and so as a neutral news service (which has to financially support itself by limited means) by which standard should mmorpg.com limit itself too.

And please try to remember that there is a substantial cost factor to a smaller company/site like this one, it has a heavy traffic number, offers an amazing service (arguably the best around) and charges nothing for this. In exchange all you have to do is simply decide not to pay attention to those adds which you do not agree with and enjoy the one's that you do. Is that not a fair trade off ?