[ladyinweighting]

At the top of the page is an ad that comes and goes. It is a Wal-Mart ad advertising Doritos, Chex-mix, Cheez-its. I find it REALLY offensive. I am surprised that 3FC is allowing this ad on their website.

I cannot imagine any type of weight loss program that would benefit by eating these products.

Lynn

[BlueToBlue]

My understanding is that the ads are automatically generated by a third-party provider and 3FC doesn't have the opportunity to select which ads are displayed or to even approve the ads in advance, so sometimes ads that seem a little off for a diet forum do show up.

I think 3FC can ask the ad provider to remove ads from the rotation, so if you find an ad offensive, like this one, you could use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page to ask that 3FC ask the ad provider to remove it.

I also highly recommend the ad-free subscription to the forum. I purchased the 6 month subscription and it is worth every penny of the $15 (that's a mere $2.50 per month) that I paid for it. No more banner ads or pop-ups!

[meowee]

Oh LYNN . . . thanks for the comments. I will pass them along on your behalf.

As I'm sure you realize, there are costs to running a site like this (that is free to the members) and advertising revenue is definitely needed to help pay the bills. Having said that, however, I also know that our Administrators try their hardest to ensure that the advertising is as germane as possible to the purpose of our site. Sometimes they just can't control everything as well as they might like, despite their constant vigilance.

BTW, are you aware that you can subscribe to the site AD FREE for a reasonable cost? Have a look at this option . . . http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/payments.php . . . which is located under "Miscellaneous" near the bottom of the list found in the "User CP" tab.

[meowee]

Thanks very much to you for your comments too Barbara. You definitely hit the nail right on the head there, Chickie.

[ladyinweighting]

There are many members who cannot afford to purchase an "ad-free" version. They should still be protected from companies selling products that are antithetical to the goals of the members.

We are on this board because we trust in the owners to protect us. Just as recently, they posted information about a diet scam.

If they are unaware of the content of this ad, we need to make them aware. I would also suggest to them that in their contracts with their vendors, they need to have a clause or two indicating the types of products that may not be advertised on this site.

Lynn

[meowee]

I definitely hear you, Lynn, and I'm very sorry that you feel that way about the ad. Although I might personally agree that it is not in the best interest of all the members, we must remember that certain plans such as Weight Watchers and just plain Calorie-Counting do not exclude any particular foods. Those snack items are certainly not being promoted by Walmart, or the manufacturers, as diet plans or diet aids.

Walmart is a major advertiser and promotes lots of different products on this site They make a significant contribution to the monies needed to keep 3FC viable. It is impossible to exclude any one of their promotions without excluding them all. IMHO, it's better to have a free site with an occasional 'less-than-perfect-for-everyone' ad, than a site that is no longer free to anyone.

Although you and I might object to ads for snack items; others on the site (low-carbers, for example) might feel that ads promoting whole grain bread are objectionable. Still others (non-Christians, perhaps) might be less than thrilled to see Christmas promotions.

It is not possible to please everyone all the time. Hopefully, 3FC does manage to remain a great place for most of us, most of the time."