Happy weekend, kittens! Apologize for all the soppy posts lately, but I promise I’ve got something mind-numbingly idiotic to post for Monday. Prepare your most condescnding pity-moues, loves, ’cause I did something absolutely imbecilic. ’til then, though, two serious questions and a few silly answers.
1) As you may have noticed, after ten ad-free months, I’ve started sporting a BlogHer sidebar on the left. This is part of a meek attempt to monetize my site enough to pay for itself. But level with me, loves: do the ads bug you? You guys are the lifeblood for the project, and if you find the addition of advertising to the site offensive, let me know and I’ll do away with it at once.
Full disclosure: I first posted the ad code on Wednesday morning and, since then, have made approximately $7.50. By my extremely advanced calculations, this suggests I’ll be earning around $75.00 a month which, while indentured servitude wages for the amount of tie I spend writing this thing, is actually a pretty huge chunk of change to yours truly. That said, if it pains you, I’ll call off the code instantly. So let me know! (And, if there aren’t complaints, please don’t be alarmed or disheartened if you note some changes in my sidebars over the next few days: I want to play around with different ad systems to see how I can most efficiently earn a little $$$. But after experimenting, I promise to settle on no more than one sidebar ad situation, and a non-evil one, at that.)
2) As you really may have noticed: THE PROJECT IS ALMOST DONE! Currently I’ve got a double handful of NTKOGs left — just enough to fill up my blog ’til the deadline of August 23. That said, my parents happen to be in town the weekend before my deadline, and I was planning on having a little party with them to celebrate the best year of my life.
If I were to, theoretically, open the party up to my readers — nothing fancy, just drinks and apps at one of my favorite local bars — might you be interested in attending? Let us say the evening of Saturday, August 21. Somewhere in Boston or Brookline. I’m just looking to gauge interest to see what venue would be appropriate for this small but heartfelt affair.
Let me know your thoughts, guys! Yes, this is absolutely me giving you homework. Smooches!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Just found your site through You Are Remarkable and I’m so glad I did! Love it! It’s great that you’ve set a deadline of August 23rd — my birthday! :) Looking forward to continuing to read your site. You can find me over at PositivelyPresent.com.
Make money! Do it! Writing is hard, blogging is hard, and being THAT kind of a girl is hard. As long as you promise to spend those $75 monthly dollars on something super fun. I love your blog; I hope you keep writing after August! xoxoxo.
The ads don’t bother me at all, especially since yours are in soothing colors that match your blog theme. I didn’t even notice. And I think you should move the party south to NYC and host it at a gay karaoke bar. Just sayin.’
I didn’t even notice the ads (largely thanks to Google Reader, I suspect, and generally only clicking through to read the tags.)
Living in Australia & also being under bar-entering age, I suspect the second half of this post is pretty much irrelevant to me, but it sounds fun anyway? XD
Have a magical birthday! I was only just the other day working out what I was going to do for mine…and wishing I had your brain. (Hmmmmm…if I were NTKOG I would have some killer ideas, I just know it!)
I didn’t notice the ads until you pointed them out, actually – they’re not at all frying-pan-meets-head obnoxious. And sadly, even though I am very close to Boston and would love to join your birthday bonanza, I am, like Kaitlin, under the bar-entering age and therefore can’t. Oh, woe is me. Have a fantabulous birthday!
Normally I don’t like ads on a blog, but yours are definitely unobtrusive. I don’t really mind.
I really don’t mind the one on the sidebar, but what was that ad that appeared along the bottom of my screen and forced me to click the X before I could see all of your site? I could live without that. I hate the pop-up ones.
Dude, Kara, thanks for the heads-up! I thought I’d disabled all pop-up ads, but it looks like I forgot to click one box! My sincere apologies, and I promise it won’t happen again. :-)
The ads don’t bother me at all, I’m here mostly through Google Reader and then straight to comments. Do as you please, and if you can make some cash while doing it, awesome!
Opening up the party to readers sounds awesome! If you had made the trip in reverse, I would totally be there. But I live in Sacramento. Also, the 21st is my birthday, so I must insist that you have a drink for me. If you’re into sweet drinks, I say try my favorite. A Dirty Shirley with Peach Vodka in it!
I’d be down for a fete!
I’m okay with ads, as long as you don’t change it to really obnoxious ones. I don’t see why you shouldn’t make some money for great writing.
1) No.
2) Yes, yes, a million times yes.
I hope this bar allows people below 21! If so, I’m in. Though I’m only 18, I really enjoy your blog and would love to meet you :)
I really hope you’re planning on another project, or at least another blog!
And if I can get the night off, I’ll definitely come!
Shit, make the money if you can. We’re so as-saturated in our culture anyway I daresay it shouldn’t bother anyone.
And if I lived anywhere near you, (and wasn’t on a pregnancy-induced sobriety kick) I’d totally show up. I’ll be there in spirit though.
And that should be AD-saturated obviously.
I would come out – I even watched you win the dance off at the BU hockey game. Of course, I didn’t know it was you until you made the post about it.
You were forced to watch me dance?! Dude, I owe you a drink just to make up for the psychological trauma.
earn away, I daresay it doesn’t change anyone’s experience of the site. I don’t even notice, my attention goes to the writing in the middle anyway.
What are you going to do post NTKOG?
But more importantly, what are WE all going to do? I’m going to have painful withdrawal symptoms, let me tell you.
Not looking forward to it at all!
Don’t worry about post-NTKOG! I have so many ideas I’ll have to start fifteen new blogs to handle ‘em. (Well, not quite, but I’ll certainly be keeping this blog up and kicking with all kinds of new content.)
To be honest, I didn’t even notice that there were ads on here anyway. So, I’d definately say keep them, especially if the revenue from them is helping you. It’s worth it, and I think your readers aren’t gonna be turned away by them because your writing is so goshdarn awesome! So keep it up; you’re one of my favorite blogs, and one of the only ones where I read EVERY word. :)
sosurrealchristine.blogspot.com
As long as there’s no pop-ups, I don’t really care about blog ads. You deserve to make a little, you’ve put a lot into this site.
As with seemingly everyone else, I’m fine with the ads, good for you for making a little cash monay from all this work.
I would be abso-freakin’-lutely interested in a get-together that weekend.
The ads are fine–totally go for it.
I would absolutely come to a party, if only to see your mom in person.
haha, an excellent reason!
Dear, BC and I have NOT planned our schedule. We have to be in NYC on August 22. Better give me a call tomorrow. Dears, I am just a normal mom,
but thank you.
The ads are fine. You deserve the cash. And I’d love to come see you but I don’t live in the country.
Pop-ups annoy me, but I didn’t notice the BlogHer sidebar until you pointed it up either.
I’m afraid I’m another one who’s going to say “too far to travel” :-(
Make that money guuurl.
no seriously.
I so wish I could go to your party but I live in Australia. I guess that’s cool for you, international fans, my friend and I love your blog:) The ads are no problem
ads are no problem – do you get money for clickthroughs? Because I’ll totally click the ad if it makes you 3 cents.
Dude, Muscles, you’re the best. I totally do get a few cents for clickthroughs. Not that I’d ever advocate click fraud… ;-)
1 – Keep the ads, you totally deserve what little cash they might generate.
2 – If only Boston was on the West Coast…
Oh man, on your second point — I think that every. single. day.
I have no problem with the ads. You’ve been working hard on this blog, doing ludicrous things for our entertainment and then writing about them, I think you deserve to be paid for itQ
As for the party, I’d love to come but I’m not even in the same continent. I’m sure it’ll be a great success and I look forward to reading about it. I’ll miss reading you when you finish!
Hearts and rainbows of awesomeness! Make the moneyz!
Also, I would love to meet the girl behind the blog!
Eh. It does not bother me if you have ads. It DOES bother me that it will be neigh impossible for me to be in Boston for your shindig. SAD FACE x 1000.