Some long-time members may notice the appearance of ads within the forum topics. They've always been shown for guests, but now they're also shown to members. As a recognition of those who contribute to the forums, a "opt out" profile option is available ("Allow ads: Yes | No"). The criteria may be tweaked a bit, but initially 'contributor' is defined as a member who has been registered for 90 days or more and posted 15 or more times.
Sponsors contribute to events like the HB Wish List Gifts because they want to promote awareness of their products, but also because they want to support HB's online espresso community. Although you can opt out of these low-impact ads, I hope most members will choose to support the HB sponsors that make this site possible.
