Adapt code for navigation bar for advertisements

[unmowngrass]

Title
Adapt code for navigation bar for advertisements

Short, concise description of the idea
Use the navigation bar as an example of how to design ads, as an alternative to the current layout.

Full description of the idea
People who hate ads on LJ, from my observations, tend to fall into one of 3 categories:
* People who hate ads completely and do not ever think that LJ should have them
* People who hate the ads because they mess with journal layouts, maybe ones they put a lot of effort into. Especially because currently the exact placement of the ad is not viewable to users creating styles.
* People who hate the content of ads

This suggestion will help those in the second group.

The brilliant thing about the navigation bar is that it is always at the top --- always in a fixed position.
Regardless of the journal changes underneath it, no matter what.

So, if a similar thing is created for the adverts, then users can design their own customisations as much as they like, without having to continually accept the changes, view the journal, go back and continue editing, etc. Personally I would have it at the top or bottom or left or right, as users chose, but even if it was immediately under or above the actual navigation bar I think it would be better.

Just to be clear, I suggest this as an alternative, rather than an addition.
An ordered list of benefits

• Some users will be less annoyed about the ads
• Nav. bar already exists so adapting the code will not be as difficult
• Ads do not ruin someone's much loved layout
• User knows exactly where ads will be and hence can design around it accordingly - a current problem, but this is not as much fixed as superceeded
• The ad placement is not dependant upon the resolution a user uses. As someone who uses a low resolution, sometimes ads seem to take over the entire page
• Works for communities too
• The ad-bar could even vary in thickness depending upon the advertisers' needs (priced accordingly?). Or, there could be two, thus generating more income for LJ.
• This is the best part: for paid and permanent users, just don't show that section! (I am imagining it plugging together like lego). The user gets a nice layout that works for all account levels.
• This is the other best part: paid and perm users don't have to worry about their layout designs either. Their pretty designs don't get trampled over by ads when a sponsored user sees them either!
• People are still seeing ads, possibly in a bit more of a prominent position than they were before
• Some people stop hating ads (this is worth saying twice)
• Users realise LJ is willing to compromise (and indeed, vice versa), so that future discussions, especially over this most contentious of topics, will not be forever fraught but more likely to be reasonable all the way through.

An ordered list of problems/issues involved

• Code will need reworking. I don't know how much this will take.
• As far as some people are concerned, it may still be too little, too late.
• Contracts with current advertisiers may need to be renegotiated for the new ad layouts/someone needs to draw up new contracts for future advertising contracts
• Users will want to be able to customise colour of ad-bar as they do with nav-bar, although this is probably not practical, especially if they want to choose content of ads as well. (IMO the latter is more important.)
• Users will object if the ad-bar gets too wide, and/or some may not like having two. (I don't think it should be more than two..). Being reasonable is the key here, please don't take over half of the page just for ads.