Google Web Elements: news about forums? (your opinions)

[Christophe]

I am currently studying the possibility and the interest for you and visitors to integrate news from google news directly http://news.google.fr/ on forums.

There are several things to define:

a) the location of the news frame to know that there are only 2 possible formats for the moment, which strongly limits the choices:

- a large banner of 728 px wide which can be integrated into the upper part of the site (below the subject title?)
- a 300x250 px square that can be integrated into the subjects

Banner version:



b) Unfortunately the keywords are fixed and must be defined BEFORE (google does not automatically scan the page to adapt the news to the context as it does with adsense).

So you have to define the keywords relevant.

I have just made an integration test with the square and the keywords "Ecology energy", it is visible only for visitors (or non-housed member) it gives this:



If as a member you want to see it, just log out and it will appear after the 1st message on each topic.

There is a rotation of 8 news which are refreshed every X minutes (not found X yet I think it depends on the refresh of google news) ...

The banner under the title of the subject visible to all would be my preference (but it may increase the visibility of the subjects ... must be tested) ...

Otherwise there are other google tools that we can integrate on the sites: http://www.google.com/webelements if you see some that you like, say it and we discuss it here ...

And if you want other features, tell me and we see what is possible.

Here I await your opinions to see if it is relevant! Thank you !

[Philippe Schutt]

The large banner seems less intrusive to me, especially if it is placed above the subject title.
With the 16: 9 screens, an advertising column on the right would not interfere with the readability of the messages

[Christophe]

Ok for the banner, I think the same.

By cons not possible to put one or the other to the right or left because it would encroach on the visibility of messages for too many visitors.

Already with the framework "New files:" it had caused a little controversy among some regulars. It would be possible if Google had a narrow format of a hundred px wide but not possible at the moment.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Alain G]

Hey! I'm featured!


No problem for me, anyway it is the reality of the net today!

For the banner on the side, I don't see a problem in Firefox with which you can resize simply by pressing the "Control" key and using the mouse wheel!

[Christophe]

Uh, it's not commercial advertising in the literal sense but simply an additional info service for visitors to forums.

Good from what I saw the refresh is quite slow, at least with the 2 keywords of the test ... There has only been one addition since insertion ...

[Alain G]

It's not slower for me with my last little PC bomb but I presume that those who have older PCs will see a slowdown!


Besides, your site is very fast even here in Canada!

[Christophe]

No Alain, I was talking about the refresh of google news not the loading of pages of forum.

That is to say the posting of new news.

For the speed of the site, it's because we put the means into it

[Alain G]

OK!


I had the opportunity earlier to experience the addition and I did not see any slowdown either by clicking on the page scrolling!

Py try that the news goes through North America!

[Christophe]

A little Monday up!

I put the banner for all?

[Christophe]

Here is as no opinion, I decided for you and I put the banner of google news in place between the last new messages and the content of forums.

Visible to all: members and non-members.

I leave like that 48 hours ... or more while waiting for your reactions ...(I feel that it will yell among some regulars ...)