I have been approached by a site, which “specializes in services to physicians”, and from a peek at their site seems to be at least legit, though I have no way to know one way or another if their services are actually worthwhile.
And, my first inclination is to just formalize what my current policy has been: no advertising here. Yes, I do link to two commercial sites in the sidebar, but they’re sites I like (or at least don’t dislike), and I get no money from them.
The actual cost of running this blog every month is less than $20, so it’s not a huge financial burden, therefore, money isn’t really necessary. So, I don’t need the money.
I find the BlogAds (a different proposition, to be sure) to be distracting when reading others’ sites, and thank Firefox for giving me the ability to blot them out entirely. I want to read what there is to read, not an ad. (For the record, I still go back to those sites, and have clicked through a blog-ad or two, though I haven’t bought anything that way).
Now, I’m a “medical blogger” though I blog less about medicine than most others in the subgenre, and it’s a medically related ad, but…but. I feel like I’d be selling out.
I’d be interested to know what you readers think about sidebar ads in general, and on this blog in particular. I’d also like to hear from someone who has sidebar ads, to know how they feel about it.
Ads across the top and ads on the sidebar do not bother me in the least. They are just there and available if someone wants to view them or can be easily ignored. Pop-up ads are a complete nuisance!
pop up ad= NO NO NO!!!
The other kinds of ads don’t bother me, unless they require me to scroll through them to get to the actual writing, as in those huge banner ads.
I recommend http://www.endpopups.com highly. It’s freeware that works spectacularly well.
My personal take is that the world has too many corporate intrusions into public space. I plan to keep my blog ad free if ever given the choice… that being said if I were offerred a significant amount of money I might sell out.
It pisses me off that there are only two football stadiums in America that aren’t Corporate Billboards.
No ads, please! Any type tend to annoy me.
As long as they are not too obtrusive, they’re fine.
I have one google ad on my site, but it’s alllllllllllll the way down at the bottom and I’m guessing it has never been clicked on. It was really more of an experiment.
I have no problems with ads on the side that the blogger sees as worthy. Example: a book you want people to buy b/c you like it or a group that’s worth supporting etc. I’m likely to click on those.
If you’re selling shoes and curling irons–keep it small and out of my way!
I’m sure having ad’s on your sideboard could not be a negative thing…Glen Reynolds has alot of sidebar ad’s, I don’t see many folks that seem offened by them. Certainly, people don’t stay away from his site because of the ad’s..I say…”GO FOR IT!
Just say no!
It is great the way it is.
5 for, 3 against, and one ad for a popup-blocker.
Dr. Charles:
Wrigley Field has been a “Corporate Billboard” for over a century. What’s wrong with that? We are not in Soviet Union after all…
I’m the web designer for the physician services site; I’ve thrown together a very rough mockup of how Gruntdoc could look with the advertisement. (We haven’t finished designing ads, so I’ve just used the company logo, with identifying information removed.)
Here.
(I doubt Allen would want the ad that close to the top of the page; it could be positioned anywhere.)