2.01.2009


we're in a situation


i get tons of emails
from advertisers offering
pay for ad space on this blog


i delete them.


i milk the cows instead


should i keep
doing that?



i try to keep
this place away
from it all



for you and me



top: arthur elgort - oct 08 vogue

28 comments:

amy turn sharp said...

unless yr wealthy and don't need the money- why bother with being so right? People will still come and enjoy yr lovely space and you have good taste and won't put insane sparkly flashing nightmares around-
go for it. Nothing really is sacred- it's just a hoax. I say go for it. kiss kiss :)

evencleveland said...

I know what you are saying. I think ads would put an obligation on me as a blogger I don't know if I want - obligations to keep traffic up, etc. instead of just follow my own whims, traffic be damned.

It's a tough call.

LaurenC said...

You bring up a really interesting point. With magazines dissapearing by the week (i.e. Domino), we will depend on blogs for our dose of creativity and design inspiration. I know that I will support you with or without ads. You consistently come up with incredible posts, day after day, and that shouldn't be free. We all have suppport one another...gotta keep pitching in to help people do what they do. Thank you always for bringing bits of light to my day.

La

Jeremiah said...

I'm guessing you aren't doing this for money, so unless you really need the money I would tell the advertisers to take a hike. Why ruin such a good thing by smearing it with ads that is so forced on us all everywhere else anyway? That's just my two cents... I'll still check the blog out either way, because it is awesome... Awesome!

nikkole! said...

whatever you decide
just remember to be true to yourself.

Kate said...

I don't go for 'em either.

Anonymous said...

Put em at the bottom. Or way down at the side. I'd be down for that. It says you have style, but you have to eat too.

Plus I'd hope they'd be pretty tasteful. Prolly AA right? Just make it as non-ahole-ish as possible and you'll pull it off. Either way keep it up.

jorge said...

goosh

stay real

Anonymous said...

i like to visit, as if i'm hiding out.

i'm glad it's empty of ads.

miss milki said...

I'll always visit either way. You have an amazing blog and I'm sorry that I so rarely comment because you're one of my favourites.
but milking the cows is so much more poetic...would you want the hassle of ads and answering to companies? I think its a very personal thing whatever you decide I'll keep visiting because whatever you do you'll do it well.

Matthew said...

Merlin Mann over at 43 Folders has an excellent post on the perils of a successful blog. Perhaps you will find it informative.

"I heard somebody say, “Marketing is the tax you pay for being unremarkable,” and I dreamed of having that phrase printed on a giant hammer."

Matthew said...

If you do take ads, you might consider using The Deck.

I like it better without.

Anonymous said...

Lee, is it? Is your qualm derived from some purity of ethic, a desire to avoid commercialization of your site? You have mentioned salable items before, and designers and shops et al. So providing that you get to choose which advertisers you display--and presumably get paid--is there a difference of the type of "plug" for this that t'other? Likely with your blooming eye for aesthetics you can keep the ads to minimal intrusion, to discrete placement that won't disturb the pleasure that your readers enjoy from your blog.

Anonymous said...

i think it is kinda great that you ignore and delete them..but with that said...do what your heart tells you to do...and then you can never go wrong... ;)
nancy

Gretchen said...

yay you!

Gretchen said...

yay you! (either way)

Anonymous said...

hum. i think you should let the ads come in if they are really nice and they pay you loads. cause whats the point of making publicity of something unappealing and that pays you a mediocre ammount of money?

i would recommend to go for it if its really really worth it, in all of the senses.
practicality is one of the main aims of good design, right?

and we all know in here that you are the one who chooses wisely...



either way, we will support you!

Anonymous said...

Keep it without! Clean, well-stacked entries.

Anonymous said...

The way you write, and the images you offer always make me feel like we are alone. Like its just you and me. Unless you need the money -- why ruin that intimacy?

said...

I'd read with or without! Maybe you could try it for a little while? To see how it affects things. Just a small experiment?

Erica Kelly said...

i like you and me.

Wandering FOX said...

I've been a lurker for a while now... can't remember how i stumbled across your space. BUT, thank you for keeping it free from the commercial madness. I say, ***IF THEY WANT YOUR SPACE, THEY SHOULD PAY YOU TO INHABIT THEIRS*** On the other hand we are in a recession and I'm sure the $$ would be nice- do what you like, I'll still read.

olla said...

Tough decision! I love the crisp and clean look of your blog. On the other hand you make a lot of effort to keep the blog at high level, so why not be rewarded for that?
I personally would read with or without.

Zero Killed said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Zero Killed said...

Your blog is a great delight. I understand the conflict. Ads seems evil. However they are a source of revenue and i would rather have the opportunity to read your blog with ads then no blog at all. I am confident that you will come up with a tasteful way to display ads if you choose. Thank you for your blog.

design nomad said...

Your blog is wonderful and I am sure you can figure out a way to display ads in the well-designed atmosphere you have already created. We all need income, it’s a fact. Go for it!

Anonymous said...

thank you for keeping it this way

Evelyn said...

I agree with anonymous . . . thank you for keeping your site as it is. As it is is beautiful.