🔆 Hello Similar Worlds! ☺ We have new changes to announce.
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[big]• New and Improved Navigation[/big] Similar Worlds should now be easier and quicker to navigate, especially for Mobile users with our secondary navigation bar. New Icons and improved design. You should notice new icons implemented across the site in the coming days.
[b]Soon[/b] the navigation bar will also have a [b]Search Box[/b] which allows you to find much more on this site than just groups.
Also, a [b]Drop-menu[/b] will be installed soon, helping you to access important pages more quickly.
[c=#666666][Mobile Preview][/c]
[c=#666666][Desktop Preview][/c]
[big]• Online Status and Notifications[/big] Improvements have been made to these features. Added new settings, better synchronization, other fixes.
[big]• Advertisements[/big] Advertisements are now visible on Similar Worlds. We understand that the vast majority of users may not be happy to see Ads on this site. However, this is a necessary element for any Free membership site's survival. This is a good step forward, as it will help to keep this site sustainable in the long run, helping us to continue serving you. [c=#666666][i](More information on Advertisements below)[/i][/c]
[big]• Coming Soon - VIP[/big] VIP Membership will be available for purchase very soon on Similar Worlds. We are right now in the final stages of having it ready for availability.
Features: [c=#BF6900][b]Remove Ads • VIP Badge • See Profile Visitors • See all post/comment Hearts • Seen Message Indicator • Invisible Mode • Boost in Photo Limit • Boost in Block Limit •[/b][/c] and more to come!
[c=#666666][i](Several VIP options like "VIP Badge", are optional and can be disabled or enabled at any time.)[/i][/c]
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[big]• Why do we have Ads?[/big] As mentioned above, mostly all online communities need some form of monetization in order to remain operational.
We saw what happened with Experience Project; it is quite possible that their business was no longer profitable (even though they served lots of ads on their website), which was a major factor leading to their closure.
It is understood that many users may opt to instead Block the ads on this site via various tools. However, please keep in mind that this only reduces this site's ability to maintain/fund itself.
We do not want to harm our member's experience on this site, so we have done our best to stay away from using any very obstructive ad types, such as those which existed on EP.
Some have suggested that we should only have ads in very discreet areas, such as in the sidebar alone. However, having ads in only limited placements significantly reduce revenue causing us uncertain sustainability of this community.
Facebook, for example (which keeps most of their Ads to the sidebar), is a very large corporation that has many other ways of monetizing themselves, as well as much more targeted ads, served from their own massive Ad platform.
We have put ads on Similar Worlds this late because we wanted to focus on first making this community safe and very functional for all our members.
Our site is otherwise Free to use, and will continue to be Free always. Most features (many of which were not available on EP) are free to all our members.
We will continue to listen to all member's feedback, and if there are any significant problems for members in these latest changes or any others to come in the future, we are willing to improve these issues as best as we can.
Personally, I have already gotten accustomed to the Ads myself and barely notice them. 🙂 I believe the same will hopefully apply to most members who aren't very happy with their appearance.
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Thanks for your support! ❤ [c=#005E2F]- The SW Team[/c]
The ads can be a nuisance, but they're a positive sign that your site is doing well enough to attract advertisers. I would once again like to take the opportunity to thank you for all you are doing to help make this site a home for so many of us.
Andrew, you and Nuno have done a great job with this site, and of course you deserve to be compensated for your efforts. As do Gentle and Jessa for what they do as well. It would be absurd for any of us to expect you to pay for computer servers and costs out of your own pockets. Likewise, for the long term survivability of Similar Worlds money has to come into the site. So I certainly understand. Do what you need to do so that you can keep SW operating for all of us to use and enjoy.
Thank you Andrew. For me, this has been the best experience I've had online ever. Excellent and exciting people and information.
The honesty here is awesome! I look forward to being on this site for a long time. Thinking very seriously on becoming a paying member, if it's within my budget. :)
Many thanks to all of you who keep working on this site and improving it always. You are geniuses! 😍
Thank you yet once again gentlemen for all your continued effort & work. :-)
I was wondering if we will have more privacy options for our profile/stories and content with the VIP membership? Allowing us to decide what others can or can't see.
@MaliaAgain: That depends on your browser and the ad blocker you use, so that's difficult to answer. When you hover over the icons in the top right, next to your browser's address/search bar, does any of them mention blocking ads?
Cool.. I don't mind the ads.. I just wish I could block more people.. I used to have stalkers so I'm parinoid and block a lot more than normal people do.. It's aggravating to have to unblock people that I don't wish to unblock just to block other people who are also aggravating people :/ it annoys me just to see some of them in my block list (while having to sort the list) I'd rather never even see it/them ever again (certain people that I've blocked).. Not to mention people who are on there (my poor blocklist) twice or more. Who are obviously the same user :/ with more than one profile :/ ugh
@MrsGearhead4: Boosting the block limit is one of the VIP features, so you'll be able to do that very soon.
@Narelle: There already are many social media platforms where you can limit your interaction to people you know and give explicit permission to read your content. SW aims to be different and focuses on bringing like-minded strangers together instead. Hiding your stories from strangers goes against this concept and is therefore unlikely to be added.
Yes, advertising will help support this site for all of us. Bear in mind that the ads here are nowhere nearly as pervasive as they are elsewhere, i.e., radio and TV. It is rather easy to get used to them and just look past them. The new features are welcome. Thank you for all of your work.
Andrew, thanks for all this. However, ads on PMs is too much, even EP let us have some sacred space without disturbance. Trying to read a message when an ad is flashing or moving (or even static) spoils the experience. Please consider removing them from PMs.
Thank you for the improvements, I like them so far. I personally don't mind the ads but where they're located may be an issue. The ad on the top of the page bothers me a lot, I'd be very glad if it was placed somewhere else.
