Or more properly taking the .003% of the King’s Shilling!

As some of you have observed over the past 24 hours, this site is now taking advertising. I have hesitated on this issue for a long time, fully aware that in some quarters of the Blogosphere this is seen as ‘selling out’ – and indeed the first comment along those lines appeared within seconds of the first advert showing up. (I do know you were only teasing Caedmon, but I thought the subject deserved an answer from me!)

When I first set this site up, I was determined that it shouldn’t be a niche blog ‘preaching to the converted’ as it were. I didn’t want a group of ‘followers’ who thought the same way as I did – I wanted an open forum where divergent views could be expressed and arguments thrashed out in public. I was also keen that I shouldn’t be held hostage by Blogger should someone object to a view posted on here – they have a reputation for taking the site down and then asking questions.

That meant being hosted outside of Google’s network on an independent server, and also using software that could turn posts into keywords that Google’s search facility would serve up to the general public rather than merely appearing in their well hidden list of blogs. It was a way of reaching out to readers that were interested in a particular subject, rather than being followers of a particular blog.

It has been stunningly successful on that count, not so much successful in being a drive for ‘hits’, for hits themselves are meaningless except for one’s ego, but in bringing in readers and commentators who have specific knowledge and information on specific subjects.

My interest in the Court of Protection is well known, and when I started, if you Googled Court of Protection you could only find a list of Solicitors who would be pleased to take your money to further complicate your situation. Some of my old Court of Protection posts have now logged up many thousands of hits over the months, indeed, one recent blog entry clocked up 43,000 hits in a few days – and that was always my intention, that a broad spectrum of people should be able to access information, add their pennyworth to the pot, and go on their way better informed.

The hosting and the necessary domain name were not that expensive, but the SEO software was – and is. I need to renew it in a few weeks time.

Some of you finance blogs by asking for donations. That didn’t appeal to me for many reasons. Some of you finance blogs – or at least your Internet connection, for Blogger is free – by your day time occupation, which is undeclared and quite rightly private, but could be ‘full time abortionist’ for all I know. Some of you could even be Gigolo’s! Who knows where the money comes from that bought your broadband and your computer?

Taking advertising is a very public declaration as to where the money will be coming from to finance renewing our software – and the fact that I am using MessageSpace which is well known to be partly owned by Guido was always going to be open to comment.

MessageSpace specialises in advertising to the political spectrum, as opposed to GoogleAdsense, which picks up keywords in your copy – given the number of times I write about elderly or incapacitated adults, GoogleAdsense would have meant a blog that was covered in ads for walk in baths and stair lifts!

Over 50% of our readership comes from outside the UK, and also from outside the ‘Blogosphere’ – I want that to continue. Hopefully MessageSpace will prove to be the means by which we can continue to finance achieving that balance.

I am retired, and under the UK’s current economic regime, that means that inflation is (apparently purposefully!) decimating my income in order to pay for the excesses of the past Totalitarian regime. Taking advertising to compensate for this no more signals any change in editorial policy round here than whatever your means of financing your blogging does.

Guido’s pockets may be deep, or so the rumour goes, but I can assure you that they are not sufficiently capacious to accommodate this Raccoon…..besides, as a breed, we have some nasty surprises for those who seek to exercise control over us…..

Quent February 18, 2011 at 06:34

I hope the ads help you with your expenses. This is one of the best blogs
on either side of the Atlantic.

robbiethered
February 15, 2011 at 22:27

Seconding what Joe said.

FrankC February 15, 2011 at 21:40

Just turned off AdBlockPlus to see the ads and I now see an advert from
Amazon for something about Julian Bluddy Assange. AdBlockPlus now turned back
on.

Joe Public February 15, 2011 at 18:57

The great thing about advertisements, is that they may be ignored.

Go for it Anna.

Angry
Exile February 15, 2011 at 18:00

ClickToFlash here. Unless I click it I just get a little grey box with a
wheel in the middle. Do you get paid for hosting it or just for anyone who
clicks it? It’s not terribly intrusive so if you get something just for making
me look at it I’ll add it to the white list.

Eleanor February 15, 2011 at 17:38

I can’t see the adverts. I’m miffed.

rantinrab February 15, 2011 at 16:37

I detest messagespace ads. Glad I can’t see them on my phone, (i am
broadbandless at the moment, new house).

Livewire February 15, 2011 at 13:45

No worries about the ads, Anna, I’m surprised they weren’t already on the
site.
No Blogger account here – a dislike of the privacy policy of their
parent co.
And as for teasing bloghosts, never happens from here (claim it
was a sockpuppet, Caedmon, these lawyers will believe anything…).

Caedmon’s
Cat February 15, 2011 at 16:44

It was the cat wot did it, actually
My
master Caedmon is too much of a sobersides to engage in pub banter..

woodsy42 February 15, 2011 at 13:29

I’m afraid I hadn’t even noticed. I do all my browsing with Firefox and
have used adblock for years. Some web sites are an almost unuseable mess of
ads competing for one’s attention without it

Caedmon’s
Cat February 15, 2011 at 12:26

Yes, Anna, I was teasing; if I had the readership you have, I’d certainly
consider that option as well. If you’ve had to purchase your own domain, then
it would make sense.

PS I’m very glad the arthritis hasn’t get the better of your typing! Great
to see you posting once more.

Anna
Raccoon February 15, 2011 at
12:32

They’ll prise my arthritic old fingers off this keyboard one day – but
not yet!

ivan February 15, 2011 at 12:18

What ads? I haven’t seen any ads on web sites for years – ever since some
stupid popup kept popping up over what I was trying to read now adblock does
what I did without my intervention.

Sorry Anna but I won’t be helping to finance the software, much as I’d like
to, I just don’t like ads.

Another thing, you don’t have to explain yourself or what you do with the
site.

Talwin February 15, 2011 at 12:09

I sense you feel the need to explain and, if so, you shouldn’t. For me, the
only people who can turn down legal readies are the well-off or the barmy. I
guess you’re neither.

Anna
Raccoon February 15, 2011 at
12:12

They do say ‘never complain, never explain’ – but I like to keep my
readers in the loop, they do matter to me.

backwoodsman
February 15, 2011 at 12:08

Hello Anna, glad you are feeling well enough to write – how about some of
those lingerie ads Fawkes’ puts up for us window lickers at this time of year
?

Dominic Allkins
February 15, 2011 at 11:41

As an unashamed free marketer you’ll find no complaints from me about the
advertising. I hope it goes some way to re-filling the hole being left by the
Cameroons trying to inflate their way out our financial predicament.

JuliaM February
15, 2011 at 12:15

Me neither.

Timdog February 15, 2011 at 12:22

Ditto, only reason I don’t do it is I don’t have enough readers
!