Sophia had a little “discussion” with me this morning about my constant pooh-poohing of advertising, calling it immature. “We could always use another hundred dollars to help pay for something like our over-priced health insurance. It’s not like we’re wealthy people who would refuse money.” She made me feel a bit ashamed for being such a stickler, like I’m a pampered baby. I should talk to my therapist about this. I think this advertising issue reflects on other parts of my life where I fear “selling out,” — where I would rather feel good about my superiority than actually make good money for the family.
Does anyone really think less of Dooce for having ads? Of course, adding ads to blogs undercuts the whole equality of the blogosphere in my mind. But the box has already been open for a long time. And who really cares? Isn’t each of us here to grab as much as he can get for his family, so they can live the best possible life? Maybe the whole premise of this Great Interview Experiment is a farce. Maybe we’re not all somebodys. If I can make more money than the next guy, I can be a “bigger” somebody! Isn’t that how most of people think, anyway? There is always someone more of a somebody than me! I shouldn’t be saying we are all somebodies. Why create a myth? I should be telling you that I am BETTER than you. Then you will look towards me for advice, and maybe even pay me one day for the book I will write, giving you more advice. I should ask people to vote for me as the Best Blogitizer! I could promote myself and make more money on the blog. Is that what all these Problogger websites advise us to do? Isn’t Blogher partly about learning how to monetize your blog? I’m wondering if other bloggers will actually LIKE me and RESPECT me MORE if I told them that I just bought a new car off of the earnings from my blog? A hybrid, of course, just to impress the eco-babes.
Anyway, just rambling.
If I had the comments you do, sure I’d put up ads. I’m a blogger, but I’m also a person trying to pay for health insurance, car payments, and shoe addictions… As long as they aren’t overwhelming, I think it’s a non-issue. Blogging isn’t about any high moral ground…It’s entertainment and information. Since when is it a sacred art? It’s not as though you’re selling sex in the temple… I agree with Sophia. If you’re going to spend all this time writing, you should get something out of it that contributes to the general welfare of your household.
But I link to you and come over and enjoy reading you. I don’t link to the ‘famous’ because… well you know, it’s a whole blog post explanation but you’re still talking to ‘us’ and perhaps they’re not but anyway, suffice to say, I choose you over Dooce, good as she is because I find you better.
God love the free marketplace and the fact that bloggers like Dooce have found a way to make a living from their online activities, but every time she’s mentioned on your blog I go over to take a look and I just…don’t…get it. Her current post is about being nominated for SIX “Bloggie” awards, how many has she already won, a thousand? She says it’s crazy and then tells her readers how to vote for her. The next post is promoting her new book coming out in April.
Why does her blog annoy me so? Sour grapes? Probably. Jealous? Perhaps. But you know what, her ads DO bother me, I barely know where to look on the screen. And why are all the comments closed? That is not a blog…
Forget Dooce… she’s been the straw-women for me for too long now… I hear she is pretty nice. It’s time for someone new.
But if I were her, I would drop out of all those blog awards and let someone else have a chance. You can only be the President of the United States for two terms! But at least she writes well.
But Danny, you should read these post from a very popular “pro” blogger. If I had written them, you would say it was brilliant satire, but he is very serious.
http://www.johnchow.com/do-you-think-like-a-winner/
http://www.johnchow.com/blog-income-report-january-2008/
But on a more positive note, Danny, — Susan Wagner of Friday Playdate seems to have found cool ways to make money off of blogging. Her interview on ABC news on the subject (via Greeblemonkey)
One blogger I used to enjoy reading went to BlogHer. She came back and loaded up her site with ads and now it takes forever for her page to load. It’s just not worth the time and trouble to read her anymore. She also must have learned how Technorati works because she can’t post without linking to at least three other BlogHer blogs, no matter what the topic. If you can avoid the tedium, go ahead and ad-up.
I tinker with ads. Try them on for size and then, if they make money, leave them there. If they don’t, they are removed.
And that has nothing to do with your neurotic post, so I’ll shut up.
Oh wait, I have one more thing to say. There are so many issues to have in real life that I wouldn’t waste this much time trying to make this one.
No one will think less of your writing – not even when your penis talks.
If a blog is just a blog – who the freak cares if there are ads or if it is “pure” and there is a little owl in the sidebar that says, “Whooooooo doesn’t put ads on their blog? Whoo Whooo”
Neil; I’d have to agree with Avitable, who said that ads are not the reason people may or may not like Dooce. What keeps me out of Dooceville is the routinely closed comments, and the FAQ o’ hostility–it makes me feel like the whole blog is None of My Business. I don’t care for the look of ads on a site, but given the work you do and the obvious time and interest you show your readers, I have a hard time imagining anyone resenting you should you choose to have ads.
Can you arrange it so you specifically get ads your penis likes? That’s should be your deal breaker right there!
I’m thinking about the same thing though because I’ve been approached about this a few times, most recently last week. I’ve tended to say, “Nope, not for me.” But, after reading all these comments, I think I’m going to go for it.
And I’m not a Dooce fan. I just don’t “get” it.
i don’t get the fascination with dooce at all, i’m better than she is, but then again, i’m also better than you are.
i never look at ads on any of the blogs i frequent, i go there to read what the blogger has written. maybe you should encourage sophia and her vagina to start their own blog, loaded with ads, cuz you know everyone that reads you, is also going to visit her blog for her side of the story.
I say we should ask the presidental candidates to offer free health insurance to all bloggers!
I don’t have a problem with ads. It costs money to live. As long as they don’t interfere with my ability to read the blog, who cares.
“So, writing this made me feel like a dog pissing on a tree to make it his again.”
Which could be a pretty good clue as to why you eschew ads—would they make it less ‘yours’?
You are making something very simple very complicated. Making money from ads has nothing to do with proving you are a better blogger or whatever; making money from ads means you are making some money from ads. No more, no less. If you put ads on your blog and they don’t make money, take them off. If they do make money and you don’t want that money, send it to me!
I’m guessing you’re Jewish (I can say that, because I’m Jewish), because this whole post about your agonizing whether or not to put up ads sounds like that scene from Annie Hall where Alvie Singer’s parents are arguing about the cleaning lady. “Why did you fire the cleaning lady?” “She steals!” “So, who is she going to steal from if not from us?” Crazy, neurotic, guilt-ridden Jewish humor. I love it.
I’m a new reader, by the way. Nice to meet you.
Fight the greed! Your readers love you because you are simple. Ads make you more complex. Your writing skill could easily bring in extra income in other ways.
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