I've kept mum on the whole banner-ad controversy because I didn't want to offend anyone involved. Like the saying goes - as far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with everyone. Still, since everyone else has sounded off . . .
For those of you not on AOL, here's the problem: the powers-that-be have decided to add banner ads across the top of AOL Journals. This has caused a major upheal in J-Land, as journal after journal has defected to other services or screamed bloody murder over the deed.
My opinion? Really, I could care less.
If you hate the ads and feel it violates your personal 'space', I sympathize.
But I don't notice the ads any more than I notice those littering a hundred pages more interesting and well-known than mine across the web. I certainly don't assume the writer condones or promotes the advertisers. And while I think AOL could have come up with something prettier, it conveniently blends into the color scheme of my journal.
Let me hedge my bets by saying this: I am a bit of a writing whore, which is, I believe, the whole point of writing. What did Mark Twain say? Something about how only a fool writes for free. . .
Or maybe that was my wife . . .
Put it this way: If the Democratic National Committee - for me, a mere step below the Chicago Bears/Minnestota Vikings on the 'hate 'em' meter for this Wisconsinite - wants to throw me a thin dime in exchange for an ad on my page, I'll be happy to send them my paypal address.
To sum it up, I don't really feel offended/hurt/violated/annoyed/betrayed/happy/sad about this issue. I'll keep reading those folks who've migrated off to other lands, not because they're banner-free, but because they're worth reading.
Which is, I would assume, the main reason advertisers thought it was worth their $ to slap an ad on their page in the first place.
******
BTW - here's a shout out to Vortexgirl, who put together a nice little ditty that mentioned me back on the 14th. I'd like to add more url's to my favorites here, but it appears I've plum run out of room . . . maybe AOL can use some of that ad money to buy some more space for my favorite places :)
3 comments:
I must have known you were talking about me because my ears were ringing. lol
That is a good way of looking at those ads. However, anyone would be crazy to give me some money just to advertise on my site. Maybe when I get a little more traffic, then it would be worth it. I just keep wondering if I would have noticed them if there hadn't of been such an uproar. I go right for the meat.
BTW, I'm glad you found me. That way we have discovered each other.
Dianne
i think the ads was the last straw for a lot of journalers. i've started a blogger account. means nothing because i would still read everyone i've had before. this is cyberspace, everyone is only a click away.
sidenotescribbles.blogspot.com
Good entry. At first the banners really ticked me off because they are so ugly. But now, I guess I just don't see them.
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