“We Still Don’t Run Display Ads” Fundraiser

“We Still Don’t Run Display Ads” Fundraiser

Nine months ago we stopped display ads to improve the reader experience. That has been a huge quality success but came at a price – loss of revenue. Please DONATE to support this effort.

In November 2025, I asked a simple question: Have you noticed?

What you should have noticed was that over a month prior, 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, and they track users with cookies and feed you ads based on your browsing history.

I explained that we 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.

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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. It sometimes felt that we were at war with the readers and vice versa.

Fortunately, because the Legal Insurrection Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3), it provides a financial alternative not dependent on traffic and ads – donations to us are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.  See also our state-specific notices.

For almost nine months we have been free of display ads. We are an entirely donor-supported model for all of LIF, including this blog, CriticalRace.org, and EqualProtect.org.

The events that caused us to pull the trigger were malicious ads fed into the server systems that feed the display ads, despite our best attempts at filtering, including ones that 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 was enough. I didn’t have the time to deal with those issues. 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” and equal 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 did mean a loss of funds, for nine months and counting, creating a hole in our budget.

Many of you stepped up to the plate to donate, including monthly donations. Thank you.

Now that we are at month nine, we’re bringing this to the readership’s attention again — please consider a donation. Monthly donations are particularly important and appreciated – even if a few dollars a month.

DONATE HERE

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.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.