“We Dropped Display Ads” Fundraiser
I feel good about it. But it does mean a loss of funds. So we’re asking the readership — please consider a donation. Monthly donations are particularly important and appreciated.
Have you noticed?
Over a month ago we dropped “display advertising” – the ads fed through ad servers (mostly Google) that would display each time a user visited the site. We got paid based on page views and clicks on ads.
We’ve never liked such advertising, so we tried to keep it to a minimum compared to other websites. There are so many websites, particularly in conservative world, where it’s a fight just to get to the substantive articles, and even then it’s just one pop-up after another, one auto-play video after another.
Feeding these ads slowed down the website, and caused readers (here and everywhere) to deploy ad and cookie blockers. Websites had various ways (none of which we used) of defeating adblockers, in case you were wondering.
Fortunately, creating the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), allowed us a financial alternative not dependent on traffic and ads – donations to us are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
We have now switched to an entirely donor-supported model for all of LIF, including this blog, CriticalRace.org, and EqualProtect.org.
This is something we’ve considered for years, but recent events caused us to pull the trigger.
We’ve received a lot of complaints from readers lately about malicious ads fed into the server systems that feed the display ads, such at this one which would take over your phone (this screenshot was from my phone, so I was not immune).
We’d solve the problem, then after a few weeks it would come back. And we’d solve it again. But enough is enough. You know what? I don’t have time dealing with these issues. We have so much going on beyond the blog, such as CriticalRace.org and EqualProtect.org.
I also didn’t like the alternatives to generate income, such as creating “premium” access and or charging people not to be served ads. We’re just an old-school blog, and just like back in the day I’m a huge fan of “free” access. But there is no such thing as free access – someone is paying for it.
So I finally decided to drop the display advertising. And I feel good about it.
But it does mean a loss of funds. Ad revenue was “do nothing” money – we didn’t have to do anything for it. Dropping display advertising creates a hole in our budget.
So we’re asking the readership — please consider a donation. Monthly donations are particularly important and appreciated – even if a few dollars a month.
Donations, including monthly subscription donations, are tax deductible. If you wish to make a one-time donation by check, our mailing address is: 18 Maple Ave 280, Barrington, RI 02806.
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Thank you, Professor. If I never see a diseased toenail or a slimy handful of “stomach parasites” again, it’ll be too soon.
Done.
C’mon you cheapskates! Stop being freeloaders. This is a great site, and well worth supporting!
I use an ad blocker not so much to block ads but to keep as much unknown software from running on my computer as possible. You don’t know what ad scripts do.
I’ve been using the Brave browser for viewing LI.
Same here
Done. Step up if you can at all, folks!
Just sent a donation. Thanks for all you’re doing.
I’ve been donating for years. Happy to do so.
Thanks, I’m one of the adblocker users. I do not need malicious ads or inappropriate ads popping up on my computer. So I didn’t notice the change, but I appreciate the respectful request for support. This is a website I visit just about every day. Thanks for the insightful news commentary and analysis and the valuable work of the Equal Protection Project.
I thought you just moved them to Power Line.
Done. Thank you for a great site.
I have been donating for years and I appreciate that you have ceased the ad stream. Keep up the good work! It’s my go to sight every morning.
Done!
Monthly donation and covering processing fees.
This site is exceptional, the writers are brilliant, and the commenters are informative,
“This site is exceptional, the writers are brilliant, and the commenters are informative,”
100% agree. I have been a donor for years as well but I do it through my IRA, since I have an RMD anyway and to donate from my IRA counts as part of my RMD and yet there is no tax to pay on the distribution. I highly recommend it.
Done
Done!
incoming.
For fun you need to do a meet up and host a telethon mocking NPR / PBS.
Seriously though. It’s time for some merch. The LI logo would look really good on a ball cap (think of the CAT hats).
Duck Duck Go says 503 website not found
…and now it works! How odd.
Thanks for dropping the ads.
May I suggest that you look into having people voluntarily donate compute power in lieu of display ads? This way, people’s computers are used for to compute some small percentage (a reasonable number that they can okay) for something like crypto mining instead of subjecting them to annoying and dangerous display ads. It pays off for both parties and is a reasonable way to monetize web pages.
I think this is worth looking into as a third option to display ads or fundraising requests.
I let SETI use my computer back in the 90’s. Forgot all about it til now.
Thanks for the little jog there!
Yeah. During early COVID, I wasted a bunch of my own CPU power on Folding@Home. Good times.