If you're planning a new forum or opening up one do you think it is smart to already place banners on it? Perhaps it is smart to only add banners when they generate actual reneveu and there's enough content for the members to post and not get annoyed by only seeing the banners each time?

What are your thoughts?

content before advertising, i have seeing more banners than threads :P

When a forum is new, chances are you'll be making dirt from advertising anyway so I think it's kinda useless to litter the place with ads if you're only making $.50 a week ;)

I don't... I think it turns new users away if they join a new site and the first thing they see is ads.

I agree with waiting. You have to be pretty big (like ezboard) before you can get people to pay you to be ad-free ;-)

I think one can afford to wait before putting up banners. When a site becomes extremely popular, ramp up with small obscure and not obstrusive ads. Then ramp to more frequently appearing ads.

personally, I'm anti-advertising as well. but when it comes to a new site and advertising, I would recommend that you wait until you have some actual content on the forums and you got a pretty good group returning to the forums every now and then..

I've had a relatively new forum up since January and while I was anti advert I had to install them, but not too many. Only in the navbar and just above the start of a thread.

I'm against it in between posts.

I have one ad on my forums that I think blends with the site very well. My forums are still pretty new, but I don't think it has turned anyone away. (At least I hope it hasn't.)

I don't think I have ever made anything on them, but I did not put them on the site to make money. I put them there in case I make money from them, I can put the money back into the site.

I just checked, and I have made 0.00 from my ads. :P I have a bunch of page impressions though. I wish we got paid for those instead of clicks.

I've had a relatively new forum up since January and while I was anti advert I had to install them, but not too many. Only in the navbar and just above the start of a thread.

I'm against it in between posts.

I hate when it's between posts. That is just too intrusive. People look at threads for the content, not ads. It's a turn off for me! :p

I don't... I think it turns new users away if they join a new site and the first thing they see is ads.

I agree. I hesitate before joining a forum that has a lot of ads.

content before advertising, i have seeing more banners than threads :P

Ain't that the truth. Content is more important than making money off of a site IMHO.

If you are getting paid just for them being there even if they are not viewed, then not really any harm in it, but otherwise leave them alone till you are getting enough page views to make it worth while.

Personally I'm anti-ads but still if they are not intrusive and that I dotn have a problem with them on other peoples sites.

Ads, don't bother me... until there are too many.