Ironically, did the Jockstraps.com ad always say "Life's Too Serious" at the top? wink

From Bryan: Bryan, that's not the case in the least. These pictures in the right contest could conote sexual harrassment. I know that is silly, but, have you ever been involved with an harrassment or EECO complaint? People can bring them over the silliest of things; like bareassed men on someone's computer screen. Whether or not they were offended, or you just pissed them off for not having their work done and they want to retaliate. It doesn't take much and you've just spent $10k in not to mention having the feds in questioning you. Plus, in most places, you can't afford sexual harrassment coverage on your G/L so you're on your own. So, you say, then don't visit the board. Well, then either you visit or you don't.

Why is it so hard for some of y'all to realize that not everyone lives in NYC/LA where anything and everything goes?

You are right Aubie...About 10 yrs ago, a guy a worked with in one department moved on to another job within the company. He was friendly with one of the women in the department, they would tell each other dirty jokes, call each other names, and be raunchy....but only with each other, because it was ok. Well, one day he was telling his friend a dirty joke, some older woman (bitch) walked by...not even involved in the conversation, heard the joke, reported him to HR, and he was fired.

Listen kids,

Since the ads are stayin no matter what…. And based on my hot babe not likin um… or the dollar beer aubster also agree’in..

I just find it quite entertaining that after 2 years now I’ve read articles about….

How Gay was a bad word for the NFL and jerseys..

Athletes using gay/girl/pink as a slide that all gay people are girls or weak.

Then the apology/non apology and how it’s not right if they don’t mean it.

Everyone should like and support the WNBA cause it’s a gay cause, not doing so makes you a woman hater.

Jay Mohr is a boob because he thinks the WNBA has bulldykes.

TO is bad because he called Garthiasssssss gay (stereotype)

ETC ETC ETC

I can’t tell you how freaking funny it is to read one of these as I see the “Jock for Fetish” ads sitting right by it. Just talking about consistency…

But ya gotta get dat bling baby!

HOLLA!

You need to order the air brush at the same time as you order the product. wink

Now Swiminbuff, that one was funny!

Order some athletic socks at the same time as you order the underwear/swimwear/jockstraps and of course, the air brush. That should take care of all your needs.

[ December 14, 2005, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: swiminbuff ]

I was surprised to see Keith Olberman's face amid the half-naked bodies in the Outsports ads. I guess "Countdown with Keith Olberman" on MSNBC is courting the gay audience.

I just hope we don't see Olbermann as one of the half-naked bodies! The horror!! wink

~Adam

Well for whatever it's worth, I see Keith walking around Chelsea quite often. And from his newscasts, he is quite gay-friendly.

Keith visits those same alleys you do?

Tally HO!!

Yeah. You remember the ones you showed me last time you were here. You wouldn't like them as much anymore though. They got rid of the visor-wearing trannies.

Holla!

[ December 15, 2005, 09:11 PM: Message edited by: FireMikeTiceNow ]

Keith an I had a somewhat unpleasant e-mail exchange when I criticized him over the whole "is Sandy Koufax gay?" story a couple of years ago. But I do enjoy his MSNBC show.

Yes and no. It's at least the third MSNBC ad we've seen (after the "Elvis pumping gas" and the infamous "Porn Valley" ads), but it's not just here. I've seen them on at least one other website. It seems MSNBC has increased their online advertising.

You can also get MSNBC on your XM. Maybe that's the target audience they are going for on the ads here. You knows us gays, we gots to have all of our toys.

The ads are a big pain in the ass at work, trying to hit the damn minimize button before anyone sees but the worst is that current dropped underwear ad that looks like the guy has baby pants around his feet. WTF?

gobar, this is what I do....when no one is around, open the forum. Minimize it to a good size where you can read the forums, and not have the no brained, abercrombie and fitch type boys sprawled on the screen. It will remain that size. then next time you open the site, it may be the same small size, but if it opens Maximized, have you mouse ready in the top blue border bar and double click it before the page loads. Double clicking is the same is minimizing it.

LOL! And to think these advertisers are paying good money to have folks avoid their ads like the plague. This is ironic, and very funny.

Merloni, Thanks that is working perfectly.

the half-naked clone ads annoy me as much as anyone else, and i would never click through any of them, but stronger than my disdain for these ads (and the oddly anti-user responses the outcry about them has elicited) is my love for the outsports site and outsports community.

i fear that lost in the uproar, however, has been the effort to place non-sexual ads. my ad banner now contains one for countdown with keith olberman, rosie o'donnell's store, and gaywheels.com. these are the types of ads i welcome, and if you do, too, then don't banish them, click through them!

vote with your mouse. don't just complain about the ads you don't want to see, but also click the ones you do want to see. this supports outsports, gives feedback as to what would be acceptable advertising, and provides the basis for a sales pitch to other non-clone ads.

if some of these non-objectionable ads gain traction, that will open opportunities to solicit other such advertisers, as the founders will be able to tout the click through rate of these ads. this might allow the displacement of some of the sexier ads, opening even further the possibility for other advertising. i'm certain there are advertisers out there who wouldn't even consider placing an ad if it were to appear next to one of the existing ads. but if it were to be sandwiched comfortably between rosie and keith olberman, then they might be willing.

Ummmmmmmmm... I don't get it. There is a simple solution. Don't surf the internet while you are supposed to be working. I don't know how in the hell productivity can be going up in the US when half the country appears to be surfing the internet instead of working at their desks.

Is it acceptable to read a novel, or even a newspaper at your desk instead of working? Is it acceptable to make personal phone calls from your desk instead of working? If not, then why is it acceptable to read and post on internet boards while you're at work? You wouldn't have to worry about what people see on your computer screen if there was work on your computer screen. Maybe I'm just too old fashioned... LOL

Ah, a fellow Nittany Lion speaks!

Oh Penn State, don't act so naive. People at work do have lunch breaks, coffee breaks, etc. where they can read the paper, check e-mail, or surf the net. Just because someone is at work does not mean they are slaving away for 8 straight hours of active/manual labor. My company doesn't really care what I do during the day, as long as my work gets done. A good portion of my job entails setting up and running long automated computer processes. I may have two or three running at the same time, but once they are running, I'm here just to monitor them. Instead of just sitting here staring at the computer for an hour at a time, I find ways to keep myself occupied--and some of that might be posting on Outsports.

Hotlanta....nice points. Penn State is VERY naive to think that there are times at work that people can NEVER be on the internet.?!

Now this is almost as bad as Elvis pumping gas...

And isn't that what we all look for in a good concert?

Sounds like he makes Cher and Elton John seem downright subdued.

I agree... I handled the biggest caseload for the City of Alexandria Dept. of Social Services and was the hardest worker in my unit. I made sure that I was always ahead in my work and that the citizens were served before I ever got on the internet. If I had a unusually killer week or month, I would obviously be on the internet less. But, if you are able to multi-task (God, I hate that buzz word of the 2000's), you should be able to implement various things going on at once anyway. Unless I worked outdoors, I would hate to work for some company that is so clueless about me (a very productive American worker) that it would think that my surfing on OutSports or any sports or news site would actually affect my work.

I think when it comes down to it, it's all about choice. Cyd and Jim have to choose what's best for them and this wonderful site that they provide. For everyone who chooses to visit this site, they do so based on what service the site provides and how convenient it is to access the site.

I realize and respect the fact that Jim and Cyd do what they have to in order to provide this service to us. I would guess that the choices they make are based on what their goal is regarding Outsports, the finances needed to keep the site up and running and what the customer wants.

It also seems very clear that most people who visit Outsports do so while at work. Wether it is allowed or not, the fact of the matter is most people visit Outsports while at work.

Jim and Cyd have chosen to place these ads on the website in order to contribute to the success of Outsports. I personally do not judge them for their choice. They've probably looked at all of their options and taken into consideration all of the pros and cons with regards to the ads.

I think it's great that the customers of Outsports are able to voice their opinions and that Jim and Cyd listen/respond to them accordingly.

I too am one of those people that view Outsports from work. Fortunately, my work allows it's employees to surf the web within reason. The first thing I do five days a week is log onto Outsports to check in on what's happening. I've met some great people and have taken part in some great discussions here.

I regret to say that I too will have to step away from Outsports for a while. I've attmepted to modify my screen and it just can't be done. It has become too difficult to be constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure no one is seeing my screen. I am totally out at work. In fact, the company I work for is very supportive of LGBT community. I work in a highly visible space and the ads are just not acceptable at my workplace. It wouldn't matter if they were female or male, they are just not appropriate for where I work.

The work I do has me on the computer all day. The last thing I want to do is log on the computer at home. Constantly looking over my shoulder has made me feel like I'm hiding something or doing something wrong. My manager saw me visiting Outsports and called me into her office. She thought I was looking at a porn site. I actually logged onto Outsports, using her computer to show her it was a sports site. She is very familiar with Outsports, as I have shared some of the topics with her. (she's a Mariners fan) She thinks it's a great site but as I said earlier, the ads are not appropriate for my workplace.

I wish Jim and Cyd much success with Outsports and everyone here a very happy holiday season. Take care. - Jorel

[ December 20, 2005, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Jorel ]

On my laptop I noticed that while reading the posts pages for threads the ads are cut in the middle, oh yeah, I also having my 'favorites' on the side. Maybe this is another way to circumvent the exposure to the ads.

I've been a long time lurker here, probably three or more years. Just recently signed up to post.

That being said, I don't care much for underwear and jock ads, mostly because they aren't safe for work. Anything that shows someone's bare ass is definitely not safe for work. It's not really about us being repressed, it's about other people being repressed, and prudish.

For example, look at the posting guidlines from Fark.com

Nudity, partial nudity, or adult content: Naked people just aren't safe for work. Exposed breasts, nipples (including ones visible through material), weeners and beavers, and asses aren't allowable. It doesn't have to be complete nudity for it to be out of place at the office - a good example reference point is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. It's not nudity, but most workplaces would frown on looking at it on company time - so anything you see in there shouldn't be posted here. Same for Page 3 girls, for you British lot. A more general reference point would be to think about what you wouldn't want your boss to find in your browser cache. Dildos, vibrators, butt plugs, Ben-Wa balls, masturbation sleeves, inflatable dolls, RealDolls™, and any other sex toys or devices used to penetrate or be penetrated are definitely not acceptable.


Still, I don't begruge Jim and Cyd for the ads. I know Bandwidth is expensive, and they need to pay the bills somehow.

That being said, I like the Rosie O store, the Gaywheels and Amazon ads that are cropping up. Much better than the porn lite ones.

I'd like to issue a challenge for the people who are saying "You shouldn't be surfing the internet at work and blah blah blah"

....Let me examine every single email you have sent or received from your work email, and every single website you have visited while at work.

If I don't find one single personal email sent or received, or not one single website that was visited for "non-business purposes"....then, AND ONLY then, you can preach to us.

And if you do say you've never ever done it....I'll tell you you're fibbing.

If one doesn't surf the web, play solitaire, send e-mails, and chat at work, what is one supposed to do there? WORK??!!?? You must be crazy. wink

~Adam

I just get the feeling that most (please note most, not all) people that are complaining about the ads would not want any of their co-workers to see that they were on this site even without the ads. It's justa bit more difficult to hide what type of site you are on with the ads as prominent as they are. I guess my point is that alot of these folks are not out at work and wish to stay that way. They would probably not want their co-workers to see them on PlanetOut.com, Advocate.com or any other mainstream gay website.

The ads are a bit salacious for some I suppose, but I've seen magazine covers (Vanity Fair, FHM, Maxim for example) with naked women (with nipples and private parts discreetly covered) on the cover and I doubt anyone is shielding them from the eyes of co-workers. Tim Dwight posed for that picture (I think it was an ad) in ESPN the Magazine and I doubt anyone was throwing that in their desk drawer if a co-worker stopped by. Why? Because it is not a gay magazine. I just think that the fact that they might be "found out" is a much bigger concern than upsetting a co-worker.

You could do just like I did and download the free copy of Post-it Notes Lite and placed a note on your screen to the right and pull the right bottom corner of the note down to make it the length of the page covering the ads. If you right click on the note header area you can make Post-It Notes Lite "always on top". Just Google Post-It Notes Lite and you can find it easy.

I still click through the ads to give Cyd and Jim good CTR.

I'll do that as well, just from home though

i do that as well 'cuz i always appreciate when people patronize the sponsors on my sites.

shameless plug: big east basketball blog at

http://bigeastball.blogspot.com

I'm not saying one should never surf the internet at work. As someone pointed out, there are breaks, lunch, etc. I myself check my email and a couple of news sites at work during lunch, and occasionally during the day to take a quick break. But you are at work, and if there is a site you are not comfortable looking at while at work (for whatever reason), wait until you get home, don't complain about the content. There's a time and place for everything. I've seen people job hunting online while they are supposed to be working.

As for my previous comments about the amount of work getting done... I stand by those. Prior to having internet connections at your desk (if you can remember back that far--LOL), did you sit around reading the newspaper, books, magazines, and calling all your friends on the phone, or did you actually sit and work most of the day? If you did and got paid, more power to you, I guess. Maybe I'm jealous I've never had one of those jobs. LOL

[ December 24, 2005, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: Penn State ]

When did we not have email? LOL

I still have the same job I've had for 13 yrs, and in the beginning, we didn't have desks, and it was 12 hours of non stop running around craziness. But like all jobs, things got more organized and concise, the work dwindled a bit, but there was still alot, and there was an easier/non-complicated way of doing it. At the same time, we got PC's and had the ability to use them, but stilla at time (peak processing times) we still run around like headliess chickens with hardly a pee break, but I have more time that I can take it easy and "surf"

Cool to see a Nike Soccer ad... on the Johnny Weir poetry page, interestingly.

--------

Nike Soccer banner ad now appearing on a rugby page.

[ May 27, 2006, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: canmark ]

Barely related topic. I recently changed my MySpace profile to include my orientation, and suddenly, EVERY single ad that comes up is for "meet hot guys in your area". Apparently, the filter notices the "orientation: gay" portion of my profile, but not the "in a relationship" part. That, or it assumes that all gay relationships are only permanent until someone hotter comes along...

LXN

I have the same problem. I thought it was just me...

As for the ads, I wish they could be moved to the top and bottom of the page instead of the side. I was attempting to make a post in the World Cup thread when my little cousins walked in- and noticed the ad for talldates.com featuring two guys making out. Just wonderful. If the ads were at the top and bottom, one could conceivably be able to scroll them off the page, which makes for fewer awkward moments.