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Target category problem

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Target category problem
I am using Webadverts and tried the webadvert targetting mod that is in the resource center.
It doesn't work. After spending hours reading the forum I end up with no solution.

Anybody able to use the webadvert mod that could give me a hint? I also read somewhere about using headers and footers to call webadvert zone as external file to target categories but I can't find any details about that.

Any help appreciated! Thanks.

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
I found a solution that is probably not perfect but easy.

In the administrative section, when I create a category: in the "header" field I enter my path to Webadverts:

<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_topcar.pl"-->


and I do the same in the "footer" field
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_botcar.pl"-->


This way when I load the category "cars" my specific banners show up on this page.
Of course don't forget to define zones precisely in WebAdvert and exclude banners you don't want in each zone.

If somebody has another (better?) way to do it, let me know.

Thanks


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Taking into account that I'm a newbie at this and am totally illiterate about scripting/programing I'm resigned to ask for some help...

I'm having a helluva time trying to figure out a targeting solution for my site using Webadverts... I've got the banner ads working in one location of a page, but I would also like it to work in a separate button section on the same page...

Can anybody advise me how to accomplish this please...

I also need to know how to set up "configuration files" as the WebAdverts manual suggests...



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Re: Target category problem In reply to
To display ads on add+search pages I used the MOD posted by Christian here:

http://gossamer-threads.com/perl/forum/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=L2Cust&Number=49474&page=&view=&sb=&vc=1#Post49474

and it really works fine. Also at the top of every template file I deleted the "strict html" bla bla that is printed at the top of every page to keep only <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN">
.

Your pages have to be .shtml to do that, in your file links.cfg you need to have:

# The extension to use for non index files:
$build_extension = ".shtml";

then on your pages where you want your web advert ad to show up you type:

<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_cine.pl"-->

assuming "cine" is a zone already defined in Webadvert.

Hope that help.


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Wirefram... Thankyou for your quick response but you are way beyond me...

I'm trying to get this thing to work on basic pages ...

ie: http://www.9o9o.com/index1.htm

...throughout my site before I even attempt to try and make it work on LinksSQL and G-Mail that I recently purchased...

I've got a feeling that it has something to to with "zones" and I haven't got a clue as to how to activate them...

The code that Webadverts produces even if I enter a zone into an account is identical to to the one that is in the top table and I need it to work in the "Featured Sites" table (on the right of the page) also, using buttons only and not full sized banners...

It took me 3 hours yesterday just to make this thing work in Netscrape and I've probably got another 8 hours into it, to trying to make this thingy do what I want it to do...

I want to learn this programming stuff and will be starting school in Feb/01 (even at 49 some of us still want to learn, but don't tell my teens that...:)...)...

I'm at wits end on this WebAdverts thingy and it's holding me up as the above page is a template for about 275 pages that are ready to get online...:(

...Ed

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
I don't use links SQL so I can't' help you with.

Webadvert is easy. You have to create zone(s). In your webadvert folder there is a file called "ads.pl", open this file and customize it with the rigth paths. If you want to create an ad called "weather" that will display weather related banners/buttons, you duplicate your ads.pl and call it "ads_weather.pl" in this file at:
$advertzone = "";

you enter
$advertzone = "weather";

in your webadvert you create the account of the site you advertise for, in the site url you enter the url of this site, in the banner url you enter the url of the related banners and in the zone(s) area you enter "weather". That's it.

Then when you want the ad to show up on your link pages you just call it with
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_weather.pl"-->

but your pages have to end with .shtml, index.shtml not index.html.

If you create a zone called "ads_cars.pl" to display cars related banners, you have to create a zone as explained above. In the account you just created you can call two zones in the zone(s) area:

weather cars

all the banners you entered in the banners url for this account will show up where you call

<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_weather.pl"-->
AND
<!--#exec cgi="/cgi-bin/advert/ads_cars.pl"-->

you can create as many zone as you want.




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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Wirefram... Quick ?...

How do I set up a configuration file for example "zone_A.pl" using WSftp

...ed

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
I don't understand your question, what Wsftp has to do with "zone_A.pl"?


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
According to Webadverts instructions:

Assume, for example, that you want to treat your main page as one "zone," and all your other pages as a second zone, since you plan to charge advertisers more to appear on your main page than to appear on your other pages.

You could do so by setting up two configuration files, "zone_A.pl" and "zone_B.pl."

This is what I'm trying to do because I'm assuming that I can make the different ads apper on the same page in different locations...

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
That's what I explained in my previous message with the example of "weather" and "cars".

You create 2 zones by duplicating your file ads.pl and renaming with the name of your zone. For example If you want ads on your index page you can create a zone called "ads_indextop.pl" and call it at the top of your index page and another zone called "ads_indexbottom.pl" that you call at the bottom of the index page, so long and so forth, you can create zone "ads_indexmiddle.pl" "ads_indexmiddle2.pl" etc.

you stick that on your index page where you want banners to show up by using the exec function on your index page assuming this index page is called index.shtml not index.html





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Re: Target category problem In reply to
I hope u pardon my total ignorance....

Right now my ads.pl file contains this in it:

$advertzone = "";

1)Are u saying that I have to duplicate the existing ads.pl file and then insert this in the new file:

$advertzone = "a"; instead of this $advertzone = "";

2)...or do I just add this piece of code $advertzone= "a"; into the existing ads.pl file under $advertzone = ""; ...

If I have to do number (1) can u please explain how I do it... I'm totally new at this and have never duplicated files... Hell I've never even loaded programs or scripts on to my server yet....(Other people have done it for me), but I'm learning...:-)
...Ed

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
May be You should start reading WebAdverts installation file....

I try to make myself clearer.

Let say you want ads to display at the top of your page 1. You open your file "ads.pl" and you save it as "ads_top1.pl" in this file "ads_top1.pl" at: $advertzone=""; you enter "top1" so you have" $advertzone="top1"; for this specific file.

Now if you named your zone "a" you have to duplicate you file "ads.pl", rename the duplicated file "ads_a.pl" enter "a" in $advertzone="a"; and upload "ads_a.pl" on your server and call "ads_a.pl" with exec where you want on your pages.

In the specific file "ads.pl" under $advertzone=""; you enter nothing, you keep it like it is.

top1 is your zone for ads that will show up on top of your page 1. In webadvert under "Zone(s)" you enter "top1" (or "a") and banners will show up where you call ads_top1.pl with the exec function on your page.
On your server you will have to upload "ads.pl" AND "ads_top1.pl" AND all other duplicates of ads.pl that you will create (e.g.: ads_bottom1.pl, ads_top2.pl etc) in your folder webadvert.




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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Ok... So on my server I know have 3 new files in addition to the ads.pl file...

I now have the following...

ads_a.pl with this inserted $advertzone = "a"; instead of $advertzone = "";
ads_b.pl with this inserted $advertzone = "b"; instead of $advertzone = "";
ads_c.pl with this inserted $advertzone = "c"; instead of $advertzone = "";

Am I on the right track???

...ed


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Almost. in ads_c.pl you need to have "c" instead of "b"



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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Sorry... Type o...LOL (I'm good at those)...

What's my next step in the ads_admi.pl file, please...

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
In the ads_admi.pl you have to define the locations of your files (as explained in the doc) if you are using SSI you skip everything called "nonssi".
That's it, just configure this file with your paths according to where your files are located on your server.



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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Wirefram... Sorry I didn't get back to u sooner...

Did everything that according to hoyle but the program still spits out the same code even when you submit the banner into a different zone..

Almost there:

http://www.9o9o.com/index1.htm

...with this piece of code...

<A HREF="http://9o9o.com/cgi-bin/adverts/ads_c.pl?member=talkstox;banner=NonSSI;"><IMG SRC="http://9o9o.com/cgi-bin/adverts/ads_c.pl?member=talkstox;page=01" WIDTH=90 HEIGHT=30 ALT="Click Here To Go There!" BORDER=0></A>


...in the table I reguire it to be in, but I just can't seem to make the gif appear..


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
I can't go through the setting of your site, this forum is for links2, you are having specific problems with Webadverts so I suggest you go to the Webadvert's forum, they got a good forum with help.


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Re: Target category problem In reply to
You should really spend some time over at the board where you purchased the program. But the reason your getting the same banner to appear is because you are calling an account ---- member=talkstox. You need to remove that from your code you posted above.....for different zones just call the different .pl files you have defined.

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Also, I'm assuming that you mean by "spitting out" that after you add an account the code that is generated? If that is the case.....it is because you are inputting a # in this field: Display Ratio this is only used when running a banner exchange. Just add the code that you posted above (remove the member=talkstox), to the pages where you wish your banner to appear and your ready to go. For further support on installation, I would recommend visiting the authors page who created the banner program.

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Re: Target category problem In reply to
Thanks for all your help fellas...

Problems have been rectified....

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas...

...Ed