Given the traffic that has put WUWT in the top WordPress blogs on a semi-regular basis (see below) I have been given a unique opportunity by the kind people that run the WordPress.com free hosting service. This wasn’t just a standard offer, this came in a personal email from the VP of Automattic, Inc., the parent company of WordPress. This is a beta trial for them too.
They have invited me to participate in the Google adsense program, which they offer only to blogs on their VIP hosting service, some of which you see in the top 10 list above. So, effective immediately, you’ll see some of these ads. For example after you click the “read more” below.
These are purely on a trial basis (my decision) and if they get in the way, I may turn them off. For those of you that support the work here at WUWT, you can now support me by visiting the advertisers on this blog.
I can’t control the content of the ads, (though I can block them from sites I don’t want) so you may find yourself presented with contextual ads from Al Gore, political groups, or even Greenpeace at times. Worthy of note, they pay for clicks made.
There’s a division of ad revenue. The ads at the top under the post title are the ones that benefit WUWT, and the ones at the bottom go to WordPress.com
I hope it is not too obtrusive, I welcome feedback on this experiment.
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Like it did with TV, advertising is keeping the internet relatively inexpensive and allowing better (and itself expensive) content to be made available.
So, in my mind, it is saving me money and providing a better product. Its all good.
I learned as a child (from parental advice and practical experience) to ignore ads because they contain significant amounts of false claims. As long as they don’t overwhelm the blog, however, let the marketers do their work.
Otherwise, I’m more concerned that WUWT is behind blogs on failure, celebrity babies, and cat tricks. Hmm… although there are plenty of posts on failures (e.g., the Catlin Expedition), there might be some opportunity in the baby and cat areas to exploit. I’m just sayin’….
Go for it!!
No problem at all – thanks for the great work and also to Dr. Leif Svalgaard, E.M. Smith and the other ‘regulars’. WUWT is the first bookmark I hit in the morning.
Great way to cost Gore mony by tapping a key!
Anthony,
I am a daily visitor (actually multiple visits per day.)
I cannot express properly the gratitude I feel for the OPPORTUNITY to be able to visit. This blog keeps me informed on the latest developments in the areas in which your readers are interested. You have feedback and discussions from known scientists and from intelligent readers who have expertise in other fields. Your blog brings these people together and the resulting discussion may result in sudden insights which would never happen without the exchange of thoughts and theories.
We get all of this for FREE!
Great entertainment, mental exercises to keep our brains young, companionship of fellow bloggers who seem like friends by now, and all for FREE.
Being here is like being in an upscale gentleman’s club in Great Britain, without the cigars and booze and with the addition of some educated ladies.
AND IT’S STILL FREE!
Come on now, having these small unobtrusive ads helps assuage my guilt from enjoying so much for so little.
PLEASE put them in and get something back for all you do for all of us by maintaining this blog!
Just a PS to my layout suggstion above:
In the print media it’s generally pretty easy to keep advertising and editorial content separate, just by layout (different columns, boxes, etc.). If you can’t move the ‘Ads by Google’ off to a separate column, at please put a dark box around them.
As it is, right under the headline, “A note to WUWT readers; an experiment” we have “Help Solve Global Warming” and other misleading come-ons. They look to browser and casual visitor like they’re part of the site’s content. I don’t think you want that impression.
/Mr Lynn
Fine idea, as long as you don’t get steaming piles of ads for the wrinkle-blog or cash-blog scams. Or any of the scams with headlines that contain “rule” and “obey”. Know what I mean?
My first click on “Read the rest of the entry” got me a total freeze and a “not responding” after I hit Cntrl Alt Delete.
Ah, the wonders of being tracked for the benefits of advertisers.
You deserve to make something for your efforts. I’ve wondered that you’ve resisted for this long. I don’t have to like it.
I never see any ads, adblock does wonders for me. I just sent a small donation that probably more than pays for any lost revenue from random ads by one viewer. I love this site and the surface station project. I work with solar energy and am surrounded by Goreists. This is my sanity sanctuary. I am trying to keep an open mind and maintain a sound scientific approach to things, but it is difficult with so many “smart” people who don’t look at the facts.
Keep up the excellent work!
William W
Just count the money and EXPAND.
It’s a good idea. Any misplaced ads only add to the hilarity of the intentional stupidity which too often is the topic of an article. And I look forward to an increase in relevant ads as sanity increases, and as the ad technical staff improve their algorithms.
REPLY: I have complete control, I can turn it off at a moment’s notice. I would not have accepted it any other way. – Anthony
You misunderstand me. It is not a question of turning “on” or “off.” It is not a question of that kind of control. I am talking monetarily. Right now, as far as I understand things, this site and/or surfacestations.org depends on people buying weather gadgets or directly donating. If you are dependent upon ad revenue for your monetary base, people will be less likely to donate. That is my opinion. In order to get paid, you have to play by Google’s rules. Those rules may be innocuous for the moment. But if it comes to a point at any time for whatever reason that you want to turn it off, it would be wise to make sure you have a financial base settled so that this site and your other works can continue before this “gift” came along. If donations do decline as a source of support because people see you have ads to support you, like every other website, and you decide to turn the ads off for some ethical/moral/legal reason, then you should not be caught flat-footed financially. That is my concern. My vote is not one way or the other. Do what benefits you. But make sure you have a back-up plan so that you are not under anybody’s control. Money is power. And power is control.
@ur momisuglyThe D Man (06:44:28) :
Could you explain how these things can be obtained? How much do they cost? Do you experience delays in browser function?
On re-opening this site a second time today, all the businesses represented above and below the thread headline were suddenly from my home state. Oh, joy!
There was a T.V. show with an appropriate jingle: “I wanna go where everybody knows my name (… state… address…phone…i.d…. i.p…. u.r.l….)
@ur momisugly Anthony: I agree with the others’ effusive praise above. But, with regard to privacy issues, is this just the way the cookie crumbles?
I’m all for capitalism, even in the strange format of internet ads.
The only ads I have trouble with are the ones with flashing or moving bits. Static ads are fine. If the ads are busy then I have to copy the text of the post to Word to read it — the eyes have a tough enough time as is.
If you change the key words in the title of a post, will it change the ads that show?
I agree with those who feel that the ads detract from the site’s scientific cachet. I have donated in the past and I would be very willing to pay an annual fee for the privilege to comment. Of course, if we’re talking about a significant amount of revenue from the ads I do not want to suggest that WUWT doesn’t deserve to profit from its success as the leading sceptic’s blog. This fight is still far from over and anything that will enhance the value of WUWT in name of scientific sanity is to be embraced.
It is about time…
I think you might also consider Amazon links to relevant climate books, you know, the way http://www.Instapundit.com so shamelessly hawks Amazon’s wares. I don’t mind him making a living and monitizing his traffic. You should think about it too. You have enough traffic that you ought to be able to make a little money at this. You have a readership that actually buys books. You earned that readership.
The ads are fine and here is a tip for those who are annoyed: instead of immediately clicking the headline, read the story on the front page then click “read the rest of the story” and you will never see the ads.
For what its worth I only see text not a pictorial advert. They cause me no problem at all. I don’t know what other people are seeing though as some seem a little concerned.
Tonyb
I’m not a fan of the ads. At the very least I won’t be able to say this anymore, when sending your site to others: “The best part is, the guy running this site doesn’t do this for money…no ads!”
Do what you have to do. Heck, you can sell mugs, for all I care. Or those Denialist Decks I emailed you about, with Gore and Hansen as jokers.
Bobby Lane (09:11:10)
If I understand Bobby’s point, just don’t grow dependent on the ads. Consider them an extra and that way if you ever decide that there are any strings attached you can shut them off without making sacrifices.
Your old fans will probably just scrool over the ads, and go for the excellent content they know they will find below. But you might lose new readers, since they have to scroll to even see the first line of real content.
I would recommend putting a smaller add on top, so that the first paragraph of contents can be seen without scrolling. Or, unless the adds generate serious money, eliminate them altogether. People don’t come to this site to browse and click adds. They come to read some of the best science articles on the web.
It’s what makes the world go round. I hope you become a gazillionaire!!
Watch your KPIs for a drop in traffic in case it is driving the lurking majority away. They may add revenue, but they may not necessarily add value.
If you become a gazillionaire, remember us little folks and keep the site going. I learn too much hear to see it dropped.