Ad-Activism: Support something good by clicking those social ads

Lately I’ve been approached by a folks who were interested in advertising on this blog. Although the blogger in me was flattered, I wasn’t so sure I even wanted any ads here. (I have Google Ads in the individual posts, but nowhere else, and that’s more for experiments and experience than for revenue.)

So I talked it over with a few friends, and that’s where the really good ideas come from. Sven (thanks!) proposed that if there should be any ads, then why not do it for a good, or interesting, cause?

The new plan is this: I’ll reserve some ad space on the front page of this blog. (Advertisers, feel free to contact me about this.) I won’t keep any of the revenue, but instead I will donate it to a worthy cause.

Let’s start right here. Click the ad to donate a few cents to a good cause:

About once a month (a week? We’ll see.) I’ll set another recipient. Suggestions are highly welcome. We could also think about a readers’ vote. Let me know what you guys prefer. Spontaneously, I’d say it should be either a classic good cause (think charity), or some kind of project that’s worth supporting (creative, artsy, or anything else). The first round will go to something education-related, details to be announced.

Let’s be clear here: It won’t be a lot of money. But hey, just click the ads a few more time, and your eyeballs will support something cool. (If it turns out to be a non-clicker in the below $1 range it doesn’t seem to be worth the effort. So click away!) I’d click myself, but I think that’d be a breach of contract. So I’ll click your social ads once you have them online.

Deal?

Update: The first day, you clicked for $4.10. Let’s see if we can get some more by just a few more clicks. (Each click is pretty valuable here.) By the end of the month, donations will go to… Right now I’m thinking an organization fighting for free speech (Electronic Frontier Foundation? Reporters Without Borders?) or battling the digital divide. What do you think? Please share your proposals in the comments. (And thanks a lot for your click!)

1 Comment

I was just about to write: “Hey, what ads? I don’t see any.” Then I realized Adblock Plus was blocking them. What a great plugin.

Interesting idea about ad revenue going to support good causes. The site betterplace might have some suggestions about where to send your extra $0.01. It’s a cool platform that brings together the folks who’d like to give with innovative projects that need support. Very web 2.0-tastic.

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