Ravenwood - 06/08/04 07:15 AM
Back when I first started making this a regular thing, I had this to say about solicitations:
While I have no plans to quit publishing and maintaining my weblog, I want the freedom to just say "screw it" one day and chuck the whole thing. Had I accepted $20, $10, $5 or even $1 donations from readers, I would feel ever so guilty about packing it in one day. I'd feel as though I were somehow indebted to those loyal readers. Second, I feel this would also obligate me to be entertaining. While I try to be somewhat amusing, (sometimes with miserable results) I don't want anyone paying me any money, and not feeling they got value for what they paid for. So, by refusing donations I have the freedom to be both boring, and lazy.Now it looks like Spoons is justifying my remarks.
I have other reasons for not using blogads or having a tipjar.
Being a non-profit political commentary site allows me a much broader interpretation of "fair use," so I can quote in whole from a lot of sources with much less fear of, shall we say, "legal entanglements."
Plus I can chuck it whenever I feel like it.
Posted by: Kevin Baker at June 8, 2004 8:43 AMI'm well aware of those benefits as well. You could probably argue that you are a non profit if you tie your expenses closely to your revenue. But then again, if you start taking in too much money, you need to declare it to Uncle Sam or face an altogether different beast.
Posted by: Ravenwood at June 8, 2004 9:16 AMYup. So far The Smallest Minority has cost me $50 for a decent photo hosting site. Blogger is still free (and works quite well these last few months.)
Posted by: Kevin Baker at June 8, 2004 11:52 AMGet a tip jar. Tip money is given for the value already provided, not for future service. Anyone who gives you money is doing it because of what you've already written, not because of what you might write sometime soon. You stop writing, they'll stop tipping.
After all - how many people tip a waitress before they order, just because she was so efficient last time?
You are providing for free a service (your writing and your thinking). Anyone who tips you does so for what you've done, not for what you might do. This is a much better arrangement than paying for a play, movie, or art show without knowing beforehand if it's going to be interesting, enlightening, or just a bunch of crap.
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