[JDEV] Advertising Namespace

[Thomas Parslow (PatRat)]

>     Ok.  First of all let me start off by saying I find banner ads on my IM
> clients annoying and invasive.
>  
>     I know this.
>  
>     However,  for some shareware/freeware developers, the only way they can
> see any cost justification is by the selling of
>     ad space on thier web sites and through some of their client software.
> One of the coolest news readers I've ever seen has
>     a banner ad at the bottom.  I respect the developer for going this route
> and not charging me for using his tool, as I now have 
>     this fantastic reader for free.
>  
>     Other developers may want this ability.  Others will not.  By providing
> a namespace for this, clients can exclude this, regardless if its sent or
> not, or
>     if they wish, utilize the namespace to help offset the development
> costs.
>  
>     I'd guess it would be something like:        
>         
>         jabber:x:advertisement
>  
>     <x xmlns="jabber:x:advertisement">
>         <url>http://www.mysoftware.com/bannerads/buy.jpg</url>
>         <tracking_no>AE9323DEFGH123</tracking_no>
>     </x>
>  
>     This is not an email to instigate a full-fledge flame war against me or
> my value system.
>  
>     Thoughts?
>  
>     - Duncan

I think that's a very good idea, having the protocol used to deliver
the adds opensource and plain text would make users much more inclined
to trust the system.
I also dislike ads, but I do respect authors rights to use that
revenue source if they wish (excluding ICQ, they already had a large
trapped audience when they introduced there ads, it's very difficult
for a user to changed there IM system, thank god for jabber :)

Thomas Parslow (PatRat) ICQ #:26359483
Rat Software
http://www.rat-software.com/
Please leave quoted text in place when replying