As an intensely struggling college student I find that the presumption of websites and blogs, especially blogs, that not only ask but expect you to “donate” money simply because you happen to stumble across their incessant whoring, frustrating. Let me say first that there are a certain number of sites that I would consider donating to, because the author puts a lot of time into the blog and because the blog is informative, reaches new heights in criticism and catalyzes thought. These blogs have the class to have their donation button demurely off to the side, humbly but respectfully suggesting a donation. However, sites that are merely the often amusing and occasionally witty diarrhea of a pseudo writer so self assured in his or her own crapping abilities that they demand money and draw attention to their glaringly obvious Amazon donate button. Their sense of entitlement is overwhelming as they sit there typing away on their PC’s or Mac’s paying for a .com or Blogger Pro, sipping coffee, buying the Matrix on DVD and expecting me to donate even a dollar for their usually overrated tripe because they claim to be "struggling”. As I so obnoxiously posted to Jimtreacher.com, “If you are so strapped for cash go back to the ghetto of the poor middle class suppression of free blogspot hosting.” …
Article comments
26 - Phillip Winn
See, now I have to stick up for Lyz. I like her blog, MsThink (#25). She may not know the difference between communism and capitalism (hence my original interest in this post), but she knows books and has an opinion.
Keep it up, Lyz, good work!
27 - MsThink
Phillip,
Your blog is also ZZZzzz... Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
You and Lyz make a fine pair. :)
28 - Jim Treacher
Yikes! I appreciate people sticking up for me, but let's try to be nice.
29 - mike
Ms. Think: Could I bother you for a donation?
30 - Lyz
Ad hominems aside, thanks for disagreeing, I am glad people do. I think we can all agree the world would be a terrible place if we all thought like me. Also thanks to the people we are agreeing,I appreciate it. Now everyone go comment somewhere else. This is not worth it.
31 - Lyz
PS I will be getting a new medication in about another month, so watch out!
32 - Al Barger
I demand that everyone GO HERE right now and buy me stuff. NOW!
33 - andy
Sorry, Al, but I really have to wonder about the guy who wants us to buy him a Clay Aiken disc AND "Hulk Hands with Electronic Sounds."
On the other hand, feel free to stop by The World Wide Rant and donate some money via our cute PayPal button.
I won't even operate under the false pretense that I'm in dire need of a cash infusion - I, quite simply, like money (nay - love it - and that makes me the root of all evil, a job I happily accept). Give, give, give until it hurts, hurt, hurts.
From a broader point of view, I'll care passionately about what Lyz has to say about wanting donations when Big Brother forces us to read blogs. Until then, run your blog how you like - I don't have to visit.
But, hurry, give to The World Wide Rant - this offer won't last for long - operators are standing by. Hmmm, maybe I'll write a rant about people who shamelessly pimp their own sites in the comments.
34 - Eric Olsen
This is interesting. I don't think it's fair to relegate soliciting for donations to the "highest echelon" whatever that is - are we measuring by traffic, links, Blogshares, Google search returns? It's a subjective assessment - most bloggers spend a lot of time and energy if not money on their sites and I see nothing whatsoever wrong with them making it clear donations are appreciated. That is capitalism is its most blunt form.
I get a queasy about "pledge drives" like the dreaded Andrew Sullivan going for the fucking gold, and I am happy we found a way to generate some income via Amazon here, which gives the buyer something for his support besides good will.
Ironically, I know Jim was very reluctant to put up any kind of donation option and was online a long time before he did so. Also, a lot of people find him hilarious.
Temple asks if I work harder on MSNBC stuff: harder and longer than most posts here, but certainly not all. i often sit down to tackle a big or "important" topic and spend hours on it, for the blog. Most of us post different types of posts: from short and sweet links, to magnum opuses, and everything in between.
Bloggers deserve to be paid for their efforts just like anyone else, but it's up to the readers to determine who gets what when.
35 - Mitch
Time out, folks. This practice of asking for donations predates blogging and goes back to the emergence of shareware. How many of you sent in your $10 to Phil Katz for your copy of PKZIP for DOS? Enough people actually did.
Besides, the payment is truly voluntary. I'll listen to an argument about the quality of the blog itself, or to one about the taste of asking for donations, but I prefer to save this level of invective for matters of morality or actual harm.
36 - Jim Treacher
Thanks, Eric. I'm trying to have a sense of humor about it, at least. The whole situation kind of makes the veins in my neck do a festive dance. And then dealing with hecklers, which I guess are inevitable. But I'm trying to keep my sense of humor.
37 - andy
Hmmm, reading through my comment again, it could be read as if I were against what Treacher did - not in the least. If people want to donate to him, more power to him and to his wallet.
38 - george w bush
Please click here to donate to my Iraq Reconstruction Fund. I'm too cheap to spend what it takes to rebuild the country, especially since I just blew the paycheck on tax cuts. Every time I see one of those emaciated Iraqi children on CNN and CBS [as if!--mike], I thank God for the media consolidation that will wipe out these two bastions of leftism.
Our new press guy, Rupert Murdoch, says that when he takes these networks, he'll just do 24 hour non-stop programming of an old movie called "Triumph of the Will." He says it's from the thirties, but that it's message is "100% GOP." Sounds great!
And thank God also for Clear Channel. Not only do they do anything we tell them, they also voice-track all their radio stations from their San Antonio headquarters in Texas, my home state! By an interesting coincidence, they just happen to share offices with the local Republican Town Committee. When I'm in town, they're always giving me suitcases full of cash to bring back to Karl R. What a generous bunch of guys!
39 - Kevin Parrott
Cool, I was starting to get the Internet DT's. I get those when I read a single paragraph or comments section which doesn't mention politics or take a shot at Bush. He stole the election, you know.
40 - Al Barger
Screw Iraq. GO HERE and buy me stuff NOW. Is someone going to cough up for the Grandpa Jones box set, or am I going to have to start tracing IP addresses and showing up on peoples' doorsteps? You OWE ME! Yes, you do.
Hey, this IS fun. Maybe I should become a democrat.
41 - mike
Here you go, Al. I've hundred a few hundred copies in bulk for you and your friends.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400050383/qid=1055169401/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/002-7297102-8720814
42 - Fran
Jim Treacher: you seem like a good sport. Good for you. This comment thread has interestingly walked the line between funny sniping and pointless hostility - entertaining reading, in my opinion!
43 - Ren
Money-schmoney!! Who needs it?!
Go to my site and donate some oral sex! Go on! There's a button for that! Truly.
On a serious note, Lyzzie, dear, get a life. If people WANT to donate for the "whoring tripe" they read on their favourite blogs, then so be it - they will make a donation and feel happy in the knowledge that they might have helped to pay a bill. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE. It's not like the writers are saying if "you don't donate, you can't read it". Sheez.
Guess what? My space online is borrowed. My domain was bought FOR me. Without the generosity of a few very decent people, I would not be here because I CAN'T afford it, I barely make the payments for the 'net as is (it was either 'Net or Cable - and net was the cheaper option and something I considered far more important for communication anyway).
44 - Ren
Money-schmoney!! Who needs it?!
Go to my site and donate some oral sex! Go on! There's a button for that! Truly.
On a serious note, Lyzzie, dear, get a life. If people WANT to donate for the "whoring tripe" they read on their favourite blogs, then so be it - they will make a donation and feel happy in the knowledge that they might have helped to pay a bill. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE. It's not like the writers are saying if "you don't donate, you can't read it". Sheez.
Guess what? My space online is borrowed. My domain was bought FOR me. Without the generosity of a few very decent people, I would not be here because I CAN'T afford it, I barely make the payments for the 'net as is (it was either 'Net or Cable - and net was the cheaper option and something I considered far more important for communication anyway).
45 - Dawn
I imagine if Lyz dealt with the paypal/donation issue, like I will do with her, then it wouldn't ever be an issue.
It's funny how ignoring someone or something that you really think sucks fat donkey ass makes you feel less angry and more balanced as a human.
PS. This post is totally crappy for two reasons A.)It's just crappy and dumb and B.) Picking on bloggers on Blogcritics, is like pointing at the handicap and laughing. No sensible or humane person does such lowly things.
Shame on you for being so inhuman.