Genii Weblog

Commercial free zone

Tue 20 Jan 2004, 09:23 AM



by Ben Langhinrichs
Well, the trend is picking up.  First, Volker has added Google ads, and now Rocky has followed suit.  While everybody has to make their own decisions on how to make a buck, I pledge to keep this site commercial free [except of course for the commercials for the truly amazing and powerful Midas Rich Text LSX, and our astounding COEX! Links, and any other products we sell that are guaranteed to change your life].

Seriously, while I do understand that everybody has a right to their own way of handling their site, I also do have trouble with the insidious pervasiveness of advertising.  It is hard to turn around without seeing another way that advertising has managed to insert itself into our lives.  It used to be that public TV really didn't have ads, but now they have them as well, even if they are somewhat more classy and subtle.  The web is obviously filled with advertisements, but I am always turned off when I go to a site for a company and find ads for other products, etc.  Maybe others are simply more inured to the whole issue, since I watch very little television and avoid most radio stations to avoid the incessant advertising.  Thus far, books have mostly been immune, so I read a lot.  

Of course, aside from my personal dislike for ads, there is the additional issue of negative advertising.  If I am a potential client, might I assume that somebody who needs to put advertising on their site to pay for it must be pretty small potatoes in the business world.  It is not exactly expensive to run a website, and if a consultant can't pay for that without advertising, how good can they be?.  This may well not be accurate, as I know Rocky does quite well, for example, but that is an impression I could get as a client.  I would think that the positive advertising of selling LotusGeek t-shirts and Duffbert and Joe Litton's TeamTSG line of apparel (other than the thong) would be far more positive ways to generate income and good will than filling one's site with ads for other companies.  But what do I know?

Copyright © 2004 Genii Software Ltd.

What has been said:


95.1. Vince (01/20/2004 01:33 PM)

mmm... Not because of possible google ads promoting your competitors? ;)


95.2. Ben Langhinrichs (01/20/2004 01:51 PM)

LOL. Nope, although that is probably another good reason not to use the ads.


95.3. Bruce Elgort (01/20/2004 02:36 PM)

You can block ads that are from people/companies you designate via Adsense.

Bruce


95.4. Duffbert (01/20/2004 06:39 PM)

Hey! I'm sure the thong will become one of our biggest sellers! LOL!

For what it's worth, we're not even doing markup on the Team-TSG stuff. We're not doing it for the bucks (although maybe we should have). We thought the concept was funny, and the CafePress items are sold "at no markup". You pay what CafePress charges...


95.5. Joe Litton (01/20/2004 11:00 PM)

It used to be that one could listen to NPR with no commercials. I'd send a monthly contribution and felt good about it (although I would admitedly NOT listen during the pledge periods - BARF!). Now fairly regularly there are statements like, "Our listens support us and so do the folks at ABC Co, the people who bring you the alphabet..." ...and other SHORT but definite ads. <sigh>

C'mon, folks. Buy a Team-TSG thong and wear it in public. I guarantee that will take folks' minds off of the incessant ads.