KH: The Blog

Because I am slow, I just got around to this interesting rant from skippy the bush kangaroo about bloggers asking for donations and other financial contributions. I admit I flirted with the whole PayPal and Amazon tip jar thingee. I tried advertising too (and still do advertise some things I like just for fun). I will further admit that I didn’t make a cent out of the whole thing. Now perhaps this skews my views on the subject but I think “Skip” is right on in his critique:

so to us, it’s a bit like asking people to pay to watch our pick-up game of basket ball so we can buy better sneakers to play in.

if you want to write for a living, then do it the hard way…write and submit and get rejected and write some more and get rejected some more and keep writing because you have a burning desire to share your point of view until finally some schmuck with a checkbook likes what you do and then pays you for it. (ps, then you can write off your computer and monthly on-line browser fee on your taxes!) but don’t expect the world to support your own diary (which is, after all, what a blog is), no matter how pithy your prose. and if do wind up writing for a living, don’t ask people to donate money to you so you can keep on blogging . . .

The cold hard facts of my experience is that the writing here is not worth paying for! The only reason I put up my Amazon Wish List is because family and friends might want to use it and because it communicates something about my interests. I really don’t think blogging is ever going to be a large scale money maker. It really is a personal communication tool. If others can use blogs as a way to make money more power to them but I don’t see the average blog as anything but a useful and interesting hobby. I love it and use it but if push comes to shove I would likely stop reading rather than pay. Sad but true.