I've only been coming on this board for about the past six months so I don't know what it was like before that.  But the reason I come here (and on the NJ and New England boards) is precisely because of the ads.  It's how I find out which of the girls I'm interested in are coming to town.  I also use the search function on P411 and DateCheck.  I'm not opposed to other subjects here, too, if they are relevant to hobbying in this area.  If you'd like to see more of that, just post your ideas.  I don't see why they wouldn't be welcomed.  As to shilling, I'll admit to having done it on a few occasions.  Just my way of saying "hello," and I've noticed others do it quite a bit but, hey, if you don't want to read those comments, just move on.  I'd say it doesn't really affect the board that much, certainly not as much as the lack of other content you'd prefer.  I would welcome that, so please give us some examples of what you mean.