How our rotator system works

This section describes a bit about the options and uses of our rotators.

The goal: your convenience

The rotator acts as a single URL that represents many sites of yours to traffic exchanges. Instead of putting all your sites in each exchange (and making each webmaster review the site), you put them here, and WE check them. Then you just put the rotator URL in the traffic exchange, and let the traffic fly. Your sites will be shown the way you want, and if you need to add/remove/change a site, you do it here.

As an added bonus, you get hit-tracking data here, so you know which exchanges are performing, and which are not.

Types of rotation

• In order, unweighted: Each site is shown 1 time, in the order you have them in the rotator. Simple basic rotation.
• In order, weighted: Each site is assigned a 'weight'. The sites are shown in order, but each site is shown 'weight' number of times. (Note: there is no difference between 0 and 1 as a weight).
  • If a page has a weight of 0 or 1, it is shown 1 time
  • If a page has a weight of 2, it is shown twice before the next page is shown
• Random, unweighted: One of the sites is chosen by us, at random, to be shown. All sites are eligible, but the randomizer may pick one site more than others.
• Random, weighted: Each site is assigned a 'weight' before the random selection is made. This will keep things random, but allow you to 'load the dice' to favor a particular page, or de-emphasize another page
• Least hits: If you are changing sites in a rotator, or have to pause/unpause a lot, or you are running a 'split test', this will help keep all sites at about the same level of viewing.
  • Whichever site has the least hits will be selected.
  • If 2 sites are tied for 'least', they will be shown in id order
  • This devolves to "in order, unweighted" after a while, once all the sites have the same number of hits.

Page pausing

Say one of your sites goes down for maintenance... you can pause the page, and it won't show on the rotators until it is un-paused.

Setting up your Castle Surf rotator

Step 1: Log in

Once you have confirmed your email address, you can then log in to our members' area.  You can put your email, handle, or ID number in the first field, and your password in the second field.

If you wish, check the checkbox below the fields, and a copy of your user id and password will be stored on a cookie on your browser.  This way, you don't have to remember your password every time you log on.

Step 2: Define a rotator

Once you're logged in, go to the Manage ads/Rotator page.

• Click the 'add new rotator' link
• Add a description for the rotator
• Enter a sub-id number (so we can keep the rotators straight)
• Decide how you want pages rotated (don't worry... you can change this at any time)
• Indicate what edge to put the credit line on. Keep in mind that top and bottom edges are less obtrusive.
• Click the button that says "add rotator", and you have a rotator defined.
• If you already have pages approved, edit the rotator, and add pages using the form at the bottom. Otherwise, see step 3, below.

Step 3: Add your sites for the rotator

Once you're logged in, go to the Members/Manage Ads/Sites page, and scroll to the bottom of that page.  You will find a form there to enter new sites.

• Just put in a description, and a URL, and hit 'add this site'
• The site will show up as 'pending', until we've checked it for pop-ups, viruses, and content
• We will send you and approval email for each site... if we must reject a site, you will get a note explaining why we couldn't approve that page

Any page that is approved can be added to any of your rotators (and even more than one of your rotators).

Step 4: Use your rotator

On the 'edit rotator' page, you will see two links... you can use either one, and it will show a 'rotation' of all pages you have added to the rotator... hit refresh to see the next page.

Use this link on your traffic exchange sites, and start enjoying the central control!

Step 5: Getting your hit-tracking data

Once you've used your rotator for a while, log in, and go back to the Manage ads/Rotator page.

The link on the right edge of each rotator that is marked 'history' will give you lists of data about the visitors and referrers to the rotator.

Want to see by rotator-page? Edit the rotator (click on the "RID" column), and you will see a 'history' link next to each page.

There is also be a 'fulldata' link, where you can download a hit-by-hit data set, for either a rotator or an individual page.