DRM - Daniel’s Random Mutterings

It appears that XING (formerly openBC), a German business-oriented social networking site has just started running ads on their site. Only, they’re going about it the wrong way (or perhaps are just being too greedy).
According to a discussion thread on the site, the logic is that ‘premium’ (i.e. paying) members don’t get to see ads. Only non-paying members see the ads. That’s quiet a sensible approach in principle. But the non-paying members are also shown ads on the paying members’ personal profile pages.

These profile pages are what XING members use to list their business contact information, their interests, their business focus, etc. Many of these profile pages are also found via Google when searching for a person, they are added to email signatures, etc. In essence, your XING-based business calling card.

And now XING is embedding ads (of the animated, Flash, annoying type) into the individuals’ profile pages.

This is just plainly a dumb idea! XING is effectively fleecing paying members (of which I am one) twice. Not only do these users pay to use the ‘premium’ services of the platform, now they also generate income for XING from their profile page. And to add insult to injury, the model of not showing ads to premium members ensures that premium members have no way of actually checking which kind of ads are shown on their individual profile page. XING members are using the forum to express their anger at their discovery (aided by other, non-premium, users) that their business profile pages are adorned with images of underwear-clad models advertising DSL services, etc. One XING member, working for a large environmental organization, has expressed her upset at her personal profile page being used as a billboard for cheap airplane tickets.