It would be nothing more than adsense and maybe some affiliate links.

I am looking at a benefit to doing it now - New people see the ads already when they show up, and wont be surprised and complaining if they are added later

Drawback - Links attract the visitors eye, I make .25 cents and potential member doesn't click back.

If I wait until I have an established member base, then I risk the complaints of people being offended by the ads.

I am leaning toward putting the ads up, but would like to hear everyone's thoughts.

This is a sports related website catering to a local area. Ads would be adsense and maybe ticket sales affiliate links (text links).

I'm a listener of Won Li Do Sho and I think he mentions that you shouldn't try to monetize a brand new forum right away. Once you have grown larger in size is when you can start introducing ads slowly into the forums.

As for my personal view on this, I would add those ticket sales affiliate links right at the start. Those aren't really intrusive or anything like that and it could be beneficial to the members.

AdSense isn't so bad either and I don't think your members would mind. I'm sure that if quality content is there, members will be able to find their way back once they get linked out of the site.

if you wanna build a solid and active forum.. you can not put ads at the begin... the hardcore users don't wanna feel like you are making money off them... once you have a user base and can afford that some of your most active members will get pissed, then start to monetize it... based on my own experience

I personally say keep out the ads until you can make money from them - they might turn away potential members.

It's really a personal choice. I don't think it hurts or helps as long as it's done tastefully.

I think you'll have hard time building a forum, forums are very hard to build. Most forums go nowhere because there aren't enough members. Don't worry about monetization quite yet.

I believe that in order to get a forum off tis feet you have to work with it a little bit. I don't necessarily think any forum can be "banging" after 1-3 days of work :\

If you are careful with your ad integration further down the track, you will have little to no resistance from members.