Actually it's a combination of both, the discussions of which you were a part of and really kicked off here
http://www.nudecelebforum.com/showpost.php?p=901543&postcount=121
The ads and scripts crashing computers and phones on occasion was highlighted here
http://www.nudecelebforum.com/showpost.php?p=904610&postcount=146
Such incidences was why I began taking more direct action when I encountered such them and what really brough me to the anti Imagetwist movement.
The overly aggressive ad scripts were something the chap from imagetwist conceded was happening (eventually) and now all of those problems have been resolved and I haven't had one single problem with anything I have opened while moderating since that point.
From a personal perspective I can deal with the social media vomitorium but not if I have to deal with malware while doing so. All forums have people that post crap or floodpost because they have found a way to make money or they get off on "rep". You dump it or deal with it as it arises and it will arise. Paid hosts are just one trigger for the symptom. You can't eradicate the cause. It's the internet.
However, as I recently told yakovitch, this hasn't been a poor outcome. It's the least offensive compromise that keeps the most people happy. Admin keep their forum traffic from a paid host, serious posters keep their click through pennies,albeit at a lower rate, moderators and members get less hassle because the aggressive ad policy is curtailed. Win/win/win. in fact I think some of the cash-whores will vanish because decreased ad revenues will mean smaller payouts. To counter that and maintain their revenues they'd either have to flood post, which we'd eventually legislate against, or find another method. Another win for us.
All in all I think this is the best result we could have hoped for.
I am completely sanguine about either outcome. My only reservation about replacing Imagetwist with another paid host at this juncture as you previously advocated to keep up traffic levels would be that at some point we'd be facing exactly the same problems and forced to start again.
In either case I'm done with this subject. The whole thing has been a knackering and stressful experience with nothing to come from it but hassle. Put bluntly, I did my best in a situation I didn't ask for or look for but I've had enough. Someone else can figure out what's next and move on from there.
BOC
