Tue. Jun 17, 2003
Weblog Pledge Drives: Good, Bad, or Ugly?
Weblog Pledge Drives: Good, Bad, or Ugly? – A couple of years ago, if someone had suggested you’d be able to raise $80,000 in a week for the sake of your continuing weblog, you’d have been laughed off the web. But that’s just what Andrew Sullivan did 6 months ago.
When he had another pledge drive last week, he caught some flack from people who wondered just how much he needed to support his weblog efforts, as they could blog for a couple of years on $80,000. Personally, I didn’t give Andrew money, as I don’t read him. But if his regular readers are willing to pony up that kind of dough, that is their freely made choice. And if he can manage to pull down six figures a year for blogging, more power to him (I’d bet you would, too, if you could).
Now, we get a pledge drive of a slightly different color, as it comes from an entity incorporated with the intention of profit. From the National Review, via The Corner: “So, today begins NROs first fundraising drive in earnest. Though we might look like copycats—Andrew Sullivan had a pledge week last week—I swear it was a long time planned [...] As Jonah tells you in his piece today ... we are a money-losing venture.”
Again, it is certainly their right to ask for money, and I’m sure many will contribute. But I can’t help but note in this case we have an entity that should have been designed to at least be self-sustaining, if not profitable. NRO admits they knew they’d be operating in the red from Day One, and four years have proven them correct. It was a choice they made, nonetheless. And Jonah Goldberg also admits, “Things aren’t dire, but they are definitely difficult—and direness is certainly a possibility in these next few years”
And thus, this pledge drive.
Maybe I need to have Print Drive. At least you’d get something tangible for your money. But frankly, I’ve personally always been a bit uncomfortable with this whole PayPal-Tip-Jar Blogging-as-Busking concept. At least for me. So I’m curious what others think of this type of fund raising activity, whether from an individual like Andrew, or an entity like the NRO.
Does it bother you? Are you OK with it … but wouldn’t give? Do you prefer the growing number of weblogs that feature ads as a way to make a buck? Does a site virgin of such money making efforts make a different impact on you? Have you left money in a blogger’s tip jar before? Would you like to buy a print?
Published 10:04AM, Tue, Jun 17 2003
Category: Weblogs
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Peanut Gallery
A tip jar button doesn't bother me, but constantly asking for money in the posts does. I have Paypal and Amazon buttons on my blog as well and have mentioned them twice. I am unlikely to give money however unless I think a blogger really deserves it. That is probably a function of me being a poor student (albeit with a rich wife :-) ) I am definitely much more likely to buy a print. Acutally I'll go over to your print store right now and note down print I would like for the next time I feel like I have spare cash.
I don't object to a blogger having a tip jar or wish list, but in general, I won't contribute. If s/he makes strenuous pleas for money, I would just stop reading that blog, so as not to further drive up their bandwith costs or feel guilty for not donating. To me, blogging (and reading blogs) is so much fun because it's a hobby. If I want to pay for information, I'll just purchase a newspaper. I'm also not crazy about the present mania for ranking blogs and obsessing about readership; people should write because they enjoy doing it, and stop if they aren't. I think the blogosphere's real value and uniqueness lies in the fact that most bloggers are hobbyists rather than professionals. On the other hand, when I have the extra funds, I will buy one of your prints. But because you're a great photographer, not necessarily to support your blog (although I enjoy reading it very much!).
I'm joining the crowd. I've never given money to a blog, and don't plan to (but I won't say never). I do my blogs for fun: I thought everybody did. Generally, the more people mention their tip jar, the less likely I am to read their blog, let alone use the jar. That said, there are Amazon and PayPal tip jars on "Dreaded Purple Master": I think the Amazon jar has been used exactly once. (I may take the Amazon link down: They want too big a cut.) They are there for the same reason I buy the occasional lottery ticket. If Bill Gates were to read my blog and be momentarily amused by it, I want him to have a way to send me what five minutes of his time are worth. :)
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I used to give to anyone I read when asked, but I quickly grew tired of the constant begging for funds. I held contests on my blog to give away money in my own type of protest against the way blogging seemed to be headed. Anyone is free to ask for money, but if your website is a professional enterprise, then it should be run like any other business with a charge for those using the service, rather than begging for donations, IMHO. Most bloggers know that people won't continue to pay for the privilege of reading their blog because the content isn't compelling or consistant enough to make it worth the money. There are only a few bloggers that write well and often enough to do it professionally, and most of them are already professional writers. If a site is a business, charge me a subscription fee, sell me a product/service (such as your prints) or show ads. I'll pay the price for reading if I think that it's worth it. Begging for "donations" just drives me away.