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SPECIAL FEATURE REVIEW
This Special Feature Review covers one of the most eagerly awaited launches in the Traffic Exchange arena aptly titled - Gladiator Hits

Surfing Analysis

• Please note that your line connection speed has an impact on how fast you are able to surf if you are using a standard dial-up 56 modem your surfing experience will be slower.

• For these tests a broadband connection speed is used for with a speed of 7.6Mbps.

• Other factors also contribute towards the speed that you are able to surf e.g. hosting server, region and time zone.

• Although many Traffic Exchange scripts originate from the same source if they are hosted at different locations an impact on the speed with which they transmit can be detected.

• These tests were carried out in the United Kingdom during GMT daylight hours.

• A single PC was used for the purposes of consistency. The PC is an Advent T9304 equipped with a Pentium (R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz, 2.00GB of RAM. The operating system is Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition version 2002 SP2.

• Four browsers are used (i.e. Internet Explorer 7, Crazy Browser, Mozilla Firefox and Opera 9.27). two for each test in two separate sessions in order to produce the best surf times detailed in tests.

Test Analysis

• For both the surfer and advertiser the way a Traffic Exchange surf browser system behaves is of fundamental importance.

• There's absolutely no point an advertiser promoting at a Traffic Exchange that doesn't display its content adequately.

• Equally a surfer needs a sufficiently healthy surf mechanism for them to be prepared to commit time and effort. Loading delays, poor scripts, server hosting and a gamut  of other issues can lead to surfer's deserting an exchange.

• RPOD reviews Traffic Exchanges through the eyes of a surfer, because these are the most important human ingredient. However we also highlight aspects appropriate to that of the advertiser.

• Additionally Traffic Exchange management is obviously significant and although these tests do not focus at any length on this aspect we do touch on it, especially where enthusiastic owners are obviously working to enhance the environment of their site for the benefit of their members.

   Gladiator Hits    

SURFING EXPERIENCE
With a standard 3 frame designed script that heavily utilises a theme in order that it remains individually distinctive, it was unlikely that the surf arena at Gladiator Hits had been built for speed or even if it had, would be able to compete with the fastest surf arena's that we've currently tested such as found at Blue Surf. But then that would be missing the point, which is that Gladiator Hits is taking Traffic Exchanges  towards new goals. Traffic Exchanges need to develop their entertainment value and Gladiator Hits already possesses solid foundations for that feature.

Winning bonus credits whilst surfing can happen in two ways, either you receive a bonus by having surfed a set number of pages (15-17) - and be careful not to miss the text alert that tells you you've won, or else complete Gladiator words in red for example: ENTER THE COLOSSEUM.

The three frame browsing script works well with minimal delays. However we encountered several pages with pop ups that either triggered our anti-virus software or simply increased the page loading. This did not appear to impact on the timer in most instances. It has to be said though that pop-ups were an annoying distraction.

A clever text ad is displayed on the frame bar inside an oblong button that appears in either the top or bottom frames. It's clever because you can't stop yourself reading each ad as it changes whenever you click for a new content page.

Summary

We decided to review Gladiator Hits as a special feature because it attracted lots of attention from within the surfing community. As a consequence its membership swelled in days to what other Traffic Exchanges hope for over several months.

Strongly themed is one way of describing Gladiator Hits. It is without doubt the first of a new breed of Traffic Exchanges designed around a powerful theme that is both publicly recognizable as well as being one that conjures easily with the imagination. Surprisingly, and perhaps for some a relief, no Gladiator theme music is present when you first arrive. Chances are it was considered and thought too gimmicky but hey, it would have raised a smile from most.

Gladiator Hits has not simply been thrown together, there is evidence of painstaking effort to ensure that site construction truly reflects an appropriate atmosphere throughout. OK the surf script is ostensibly a standard mechanism found at other Exchanges but that is all, for its design and make no mistake, this is what makes Gladiator Hits a new breed that separates it from its rivals, will be the potential for Gladiator Hits to develop in ways other Exchanges will find hard to mimic. For example imagine how the designers can develop potential games for either cash or credits that revolve solely around this specific theme.

It would be easy to allow imagination to run amok and suspect that the Caesar's at Gladiator Hits intend to overwhelm their rivals with some clever strategy and ultimately create a Traffic Exchange Empire second to none! Hail Caesar!

Gladiator Hits around since 2008

A Few of the Site Features

• Categories to view - Significantly this is considered a major feature because access to it has been placed high up on the long button menu. Many Traffic Exchanges already offer this preference for their members, but only a few, Traffic G is a good example, make such a point.

• Surf Centre - surprisingly not more Traffic Exchanges offer such step by step advice for new or veteran surfers to follow.

2008 Changes/Updates

• Too New.

Wow look at that banner.