For a long while, I ran this blog as a labor of love and degeneracy, and absorbed the costs myself.
Then, I had enough traffic to qualify for ads. I had ads. Then more ads. Then even more ads.
It didn't help that the Google AdSense program at the time shoved ads anywhere they wanted, in any quantity.
Ads are annoying. Costs are inevitable. I tried to find a better balance and reduced the ads when the AdSense platform evolved.
I added a donation program, which seemed like a much less intrusive way of covering costs. And I was pleasantly surprised that people would actually spring for the cost of a cup of coffee or two (or 99!!! in one case) to reward my hard work over the last ten or more years, and help keep things going.
With the advent of COVID-19, I marked the site as 'Ad Free for the Duration'. I knew there wouldn't be any new trip posts, and I thought the least I could do was to provide some entertainment for free for everyone who was all locked down, shut in, and quarantined.
As far as I'm concerned, the worst of 'the Duration' is over.
But I'm staying ad free.
No more ads.
From now on, I'll rely on your kind, thoughtful, intelligent, helpful, and degenerate donations.
These monies - (I love how in financial documents they call dough 'monies') - will go towards things like the fees to keep the blog URLs registered and maintained, software, wifi costs if needed, bits of equipment to keep Jimmy Poon happy, and coffee.
I've also hooked my PayPal up to Uber and Lyft, so those costs will potentially be offset somewhat.
I don't want to take money for gambling, but a few people have specified that they want a donation to be played in xyz way, so if that's your choice, I'll be happy to honor it.
But what I really appreciate is that odd cup of coffee (or Maker's) here and there - it lets me know that you value the time I put into the blog.
Onwards! And Ad Free!
I would like my donation gambled as 1 .25 credit at a time on a 100 play penny VP of TDB short pay.
ReplyDeleteYou've got it, Funkhouser. And you have to watch all of it.
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