I’ve noticed a trend in blogging over the last 2 years: the desire to make money.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money off of blogging. It started as an interest, grew to a hobby and wanting your hobby to become a profession (or at least a paying hobby) is a natural progression. It happens.
People like Darren quite succesfully blog on how to make money with blogging. So, I have nothing against the practice.
Recently I’ve had some difficulties. Financial ones. We seem to be past them (though you never really know). A few friends sent some money, which I dearly and truly appreciate (more than you’ll ever know). But, even in the midst of it, I never asked for cash or put up a “donate now” button. Nor did I adopt Jason’s “micropatron” model. Nor did I pre-sell signed copies of my book (which I seriously considered doing, but Tris talked me out of it).
So, why don’t I have a donate button?
Because: my users already donate to my well being by simply reading this blog and clicking on various ads. I already trade against my reader’s goodwill by displaying ads. To me, having a donate button on top of that is very … ucky. I’m already making money off of your attention, so making money off of your goodwill seems to be “double dipping” to me.
Sure, there are ads here. Depending on the week there can be a fair number of them. That’s mainly because I’m trying to find out what’s the best mix of ad space for cash return. Once I find that balance, it’ll tone down. But the fact remains that every visitor to Ensight gets ads of some sort. You choose to live with the ads, which I’m grateful for. You choose to click on them, which I’m even more grateful for.
So, no, I don’t believe I’ll ever ask for donations (for myself) here at Ensight. Nor do I believe I’ll ever adopt a “micropatron” type of model – unless I remove the ads. I trade against your goodwill by putting the ads up. I don’t think I could face myself if I did it again by asking for cash.
Thankfully, finances are good now, so this isn’t some covert attempt to actually ask for cash without asking for cash. Lots of other folk around can use help these days much more than I can.
This was just me responding to a number of emails and queries as to why I don’t have a donate button.
The above was the long answer. The short answer is: because asking for donations and having paying ads on the same page seems to be unethical to me. I don’t know why, it just doesn’t sit well with me. On my blog or on anyone else’s.
Maybe it’s because I view donations and ads as filling two different voids: ads are meant to pay your hobby. Donations are meant to support you in times of need. Maybe that’s why.
Yes, I’m rambling. Yes, I’ll hit “publish” and stop the bleeding 
April 19th, 2005 at 8:49 am
May I suggest another reason? Because it’s not *professional.* Having a “donate” button makes it seem like you are struggling, which — even if you are — is not the impression you want to give. It’s less an issue of ethics than it is pride.
I’m only guessing here, and I could be way off. But the fact that your post on this subject *wasn’t* succinct and clear leads me to believe that there is perhaps a deeper issue you don’t yet realize.
Incidentally, I don’t mean pride in the “biblical sin” sense. I mean it in the honest, down-to-earth, “If I don’t have pride in what I do, how can I continue doing it?” sense. There isn’t anything wrong with that.
For what it’s worth, you are one of the top blogs I look forward to reading every day. Keep up the good work, and fight the good fight.
April 19th, 2005 at 8:53 am
Dan, this is definitely a spot on “something deeper” kind of rambling. I have no intent of adding a donation button. I have every intent on figuring out what the best ad mix is (so I’m not double dipping on good will). I have no intent of starting micropatronage.
But, no I don’t know what the underlying issues are.
April 19th, 2005 at 11:41 am
One underlying issue has to do with values. You are suggesting that money is something you value, but not so much that it pre-empts other things that you value. You seem to feel that having a donate button would express to your readers a level of importance to finances that you yourself do not assign to that area of your life. So you seek to put yourself forward to your friends and readers in a way that is consistant with who you think you are. It reaches further than finances. You apologize publicly when you embarass someone, because you want people to know that trust and humilty are things that you value. You don’t use offensive language (despite the fact that you probably often want to) because you value civility and professionalism. So what if your friends and readers provide you with some income from ads? So what if they click people’s donate buttons, and give them a little extra? It’s their choice and their responsibility to do what they think is right. But for you, Mr. Jeremy, it would seem as though an emphasis was being put on dollars and cents that is not consistant with your lifestyle and values. That’s my two cents, free of charge.
April 19th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
I’ve always thought donate buttons look slightly… silly. I’d always be curious as to how many people would actually donate, but I can’t the numbers being huge. I think it loses respect to put up a “I need money” sign, but that’s just me.
April 19th, 2005 at 10:21 pm
Hello Jeremy,
I wonder how of your loyal readers would donate. (% wise) Your quality of content is monitored by many that do want to monetize via blogging.
Bottomline, content attracts a crowd, which in return will click here and there. It’s still a numbers game. More visits, more clicks. GG
April 20th, 2005 at 6:05 am
Sounds to me like Jeremy is trying to gently remind us that there are clickable ads on the page which will support him and the site in lieu of a donate button, in such a way as to not violate the Adsense TOS…
April 20th, 2005 at 8:27 am
…or he’s trying to create worthwhile, interesting content in an attempt to garner more readers who could possibly click on those ads and obviate the need for a “donate” button…
Not everything’s a conspiracy, you know.
April 20th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
Adv. banners and donate button
Today, after reading Shi’s post about ads on blog and Jeremy Wright’s old post, I got my opinions about these things. I actually wanted to post about this already, but I was thinking twice. Now, Adv. banners, and donate button; what do you think abou…
April 30th, 2005 at 12:49 pm
What if I don’t have the Google ads and I just want to put up a donation button? Then is it less tacky?
May 3rd, 2005 at 6:29 am
Ridiculoso!
Forgive my possibly brash style in advance. I assure you, I care about people so I try not to coddle or kid-glove them as much as possible, but I get right to the point instead.
I smell self-righteousness which is not just a word, but a very painful psychlogical condition. It’s a pair of handcuffs on one’s ability to receive. I don’t want to do business with someone who is too proud to accept donations because unbeknownst to the casual viewer, the difficulty in receiving goes hand-in-hand with the difficulty in giving.
Again, the casual viewer will look around the blog and insist that Jeremy is, in fact, quite the opposite. When it comes to information, he’s a very giving kind of guy, but giving info is EASY. Many who give it were born with a natural ability to do so. It’s in other areas where the giving is arrested. Areas that the casual reader doesn’t even know about, and probably never will.
My therapeutic recommendation:
Put up a donation button, and suffer.
LET YOUR READERS DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN AN AD CLICK YOU MISERLY B*****D.
Bottom line:
It may seem to some as if Jeremy is attempting to be an ethical guy. That’s the easy conclusion. But, in fact, he’s arrogantly determining his own worth, and denying others to express their appreciation to the full extent that they might wish. The fact that this self-limitation is being expressed as a matter of ethics is just plain sinful.
Come see my donation buttons
http://www.sam-freedom.com/sharingthelove.htm
Sincerely,
Sam
P.S. I hope this post is allowed to stay. I’m often under the impression that blogs, at their best, allow a free exchange of ideas and opinions, but more often than not, they’re just platforms for monologues. I’m all ears to rebuttals.
May 3rd, 2005 at 6:58 am
Sam,
Thanks for the interesting perspective. The great thing about it is that it IS easier to give than to receive. I have no problem giving, in monetary terms, time, advice, silence or any other measure to friends, families or strangers.
Thankfully I don’t need to defend this, but I just want to put your mind at ease that what you’re describing isn’t me. Not wanting to receive is also a cultural thing, as my family is East Indian (on my dad’s side), where giving is natural, but so is putting up a fight at someone wanting to give to you
May 3rd, 2005 at 5:34 pm
Jeremy,
Thank you for not taking my comments personally. They’re meant to stimulate discussion. And thanks for sharing about your culture and how it affects you.
Have you thought beyond the obviousness of my comments as to there being some other area where giving is a difficulty. The reason I ask is because there’s something unnatural about a man waging war on “donate button” which is, despite appearances, actually, an act of generosity. It invites people who can give, and are moved to, the opportunity to express their generosity.
Try it for a while. I personally guarantee you will neither go to hell nor receive hate mail.
Sincerely,
Now you don’t want me spending all my time doing that whn I could have just as easily sent you a dollar, do you?
Sam
ps as for their click on an advertisement being a donation – that’s more like a lottery. There’s no choice in that. They see something they want, or that interests them, they go there without any thought towards paying you. So it’s not a conscious choice, or generosity, no matter how you spin it. Put the donate button up, man, or I’ll click on your ads for the next hour.
May 4th, 2005 at 6:44 am
Sam, there’s no war happening here. I realize this post has gone fairly far and wide, but I have nothing against anyone who uses donations, who uses advertising or who uses both…
But, there was a reason I don’t like putting the donation button on my blog, and this post was the best I could do to articulate that
If you do want to donate, PayPal’s always an option, and my PayPal address is the same as my real email (which is advertised on every page of this site).
It’s not likely I’m hiding from folk giving (a fair number have), I just don’t feel it’s right to ask, given how much I’ve received from the blogosphere – and given that there are already ads all over this site
May 4th, 2005 at 9:15 am
Hi Jeremy,
Well, it’s fair to say you’re going to do whatever you want to do. I’ve been saying that it’s an act of generosity to allow others to show their appreciation and support in a way they’re familiar with, and you keep making it out to be a personal moral decision based on how well you’re already doing. That still spells miserly.
Sam