I have been waiting for some sort of News post or other staff-posted mention of the new set of ads that show up in the gallery pages of free users but it doesn't look like anything is coming so I guess we are supposed to just accept the new ads and get on with our lives.

That said, I think it's worth pointing out that I personally think they cross a line and turn the site from an art website that supports itself with ads to something that visually resembles the cluttered mess of MySpace and other junky websites.

I also think it's interesting that this new series of ads came about just around the same time as the new front page system of FairExposure came up. It's merely a cynical idea, but I think the timing of the two is a lucky break for DevArt, if not outright planned, because so many artists seem way more interested in FairExposure and I've seen plenty of journals on the subject. Comparatively, there have only been one or two journals about the new ads, none of which really brought up much interest or discussion.

Of course, for some, there is the mentality of "You are getting free website space so suck it up" which I believe is a gross simplification of the situation. Let me address some of the specifics that come to mind:

Ads Already In Place. There are already no less than two Ads By Google on the Messages page, the Notes page and the Community watch page. There is a banner ad above every account page, not to mention the full-page ads that show up for users who have no DevArt account. Given the traffic of this site, I find it incredibly difficult to beleive that all those ads are not generating enough money to cover whatever costs they are meant to cover. I am actually not convinced that DevArt makes more money from subscriptions than it does from ad revenue for those with free accounts or no accounts at all.


The Carrot, Not the Stick. Another theory is that adding more ads is supposed to encourage free users to upgrade to a paid account, which I think is an unwise method if true. Firstly, people generally react badly to the sensation of being trapped between a rock and a hard place. Secondly, I think a better way to convince people to pay you for their service is not to make your free service so crappy it is unpalatable. Why should anyone think paid service is worthwhile if it's biggest selling point is "It gets rid of ads!" above anything else? DevArt is damning itself with faint praise here.


Community Spirit. Devart promotes itself heavily as a community rather than a business venture (whatever the truth may be) and to oversaturate the site with ads doesn't really sell that image to people. Too many flashing, noisy, just plain ugly advertisements and you end up with a site that looks disposable and cheap. It does not project an image of respectability and dignity. It is not a place that makes me feel good to host my artwork on. There has to be something about this site VISUALLY that separates it from the Photobuckets of the Internet.


Just Plain Misleading. In the Ad forum, where people have been making complaints about the new ads, a common comment is that their very placement within the thumbnail space of the gallery pages creats confusion as to whether the ads thumbnails are a) another artwork in the gallery and b) created by the artist whose gallery they appear in. These ads make a mess of what was previously a pretty understandable and tidy layout.


I know my journal isn't read by many but I feel better for having verbalized my issues with the new ad system and I wish I felt there was some sort of dialogue possible with the staff to even entertain the suggestion that maybe we could get the ads removed. I do know that if they stay in place, they will definitely change how I feel about DevArt and while it will probably not mean that I won't post here anymore, I don't think I will be using it anymore as one of my primary methods of showcasing my art. And I'm not going to pay for a subscription when I already own my own domain that allows me complete control over how my art is showcased. I post here because I enjoy interacting with other artists, that part won't change. It's just a shame to realize I won't feel proud of my account in the same way with these new ads cluttering it up.

~Sunhawk


's fanart is |here| and |here|


my IRL friends

clubs are fun yay!

Right now, I am working as a freelance graphic designer, artist and jewelry-maker. My overarcing artistic goal at the moment is aimed towards creating a variety of really cool things to sell at AnimeNorth 2007 but I am open to commissions at any time.

If you want to commission me, leave me a note here or email me at hawklion at hotmail dot com. Casual projects, serious projects, I am your man...woman...flamesprite? No project is too small!

I'm hoping that some of the projects that I've been working on that I can't post here will soon become available to the public, specifically the TTC merchadise I've done so far - some nifty t-shirts and buttons ^_^

I recently added two fabulous artists to my domain, hosting their art in websites I designed for them, please check them out because they are also my friends and awesome people!

The Art of Jessica Vellenga

Deep Feltings: The Art of Chelsea Treahy

The rest of my domain www.sunhawk.ca is full of lots of cool stuff, including some projects I did with other people that I love and the best of the bunch has to be:

Raptor Rapture - an interactive website that teaches kids about birds of prey ^_^

Also, don't forget to check out my portfolio and my store! I just added some new jewelry and some really cute fantasy magnets which are featured here. I also have an Esty store where you can more easily buy most of my jewelry


~Sunhawk
Feathered graduate of McMaster University
still proud of her Combined Honours in Fine Art and Multimedia ^_^

's fanart is |here| and |here|


my IRL friends

clubs are fun yay!

Hey everyone! I'm officially a McMaster Graduate with a Combined Honours in Fine Art and Multimedia! Ain't that a mouthful?

I also just finished a really awesome summer gig with the Toronto Transit Commission, making maps for them. Sadly that's ended now but I am now free to take on any commissions, if there be anyone wanting to get some art from me ha ha ha *g*

Also! My domain [link] (sunhawk.ca) has gotten a new layout and it's darn pretty if i do say myself! GO CHECK IT OUT!

Those of you wanting to purchase art that you see here, i've now got an "art store" for you to check out here: [link]

Thanks for all the views and comments, yer all awesome!

~Sunhawk


's fanart is |here|


my IRL friends

clubs are fun yay!

So my Novita Plushy is currently in the [link] < Hamilton Artists Inc for a month long show called Young Emerging Artists of Hamilton (YEAH!) and last Friday was the opening for the show. I attended and the craziest thing happened - my Novita won "Best in Show"!!! XD XD

It's been a good term so far for art! Faaaantastic!

And i FINALLY got my dragon mask done, it's gotten really good reception, very rewarding since it took me a month to make XD

~Sunhawk


's fanart is |here|


my IRL friends

clubs are fun yay!

The show poster is here and why doesn't the image tag work?? LOL

Please, if you live in the Hamilton area, feel free to come and check out my stuff along with the two other artists i'm with, it's going to be an awesome show!

~Sunhawk


's fanart is |here|


my IRL friends

clubs are fun yay!