Google Ads

[i edited this post because a few words attracted spam on a weekly basis. the rest is below]

2. Google Ads
Email from _____ "Andrew, I hope the googles ads are making you some bucks, but how can you really?

Obivously they aren’t inherently evil, but isn’t the constant stream of advertising and selling a part of what makes us shallow?
I am not, in any way, saying that you are shallow, but am a bit suprised. It reminds me of Rush Limbaugh endorsing mattresses or Phil Henry endorsing the one pill that has helped him to lose 40 lbs in 2 weeks. Do you really want to represent and perpetuate the things that are coming on Adsense: The Minnestoa Phone Directory?
In no way do you owe me any explanation…or anything at all. But I had to say it…It makes your blog less enjoyable.
As a brother I love you and expect no change as a result of me. Just want to be honest.
(name withheld by TSk)

How much am i making? Not enough to recompense losing friends and appearing shallow – the ads are outta here. I had them for nearly a week, and it was a good experience to run them and make a few bucks (hardly anything, to be honest). But i did feel shallow and i dont think i will put them back on this site.
But in the future, i may do some commercial sites that will utilize ads, and now i know how.

One more from the man who has no secrets – Jordon Cooper

. . . I was reading your blog today and I had to laugh at the Google ad promising free online ordinations and degrees from these guys – http://trinity-edu.com/
I was almost tempted to get a Doctor of Divinity from them as well – http://www.trinity-edu.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=8
Pax,
Jordon

Thanks everyone for being honest with me.

I love you (Michael Jackson voice, blowing kisses and waving white gloved hand) I really love you!

Andrew

Andrew Jones launched his first internet space in 1997 and has been teaching on digital things ever since. He founded The Boaz Project in 2000 and the virtual Suddenly Seminary in 2004.

21 Comments

  • Isaac says:

    Good call…I think that the idea of commercail sites would be good.
    I thought about adsense once before…I said no because 20 people a day hit my blog…
    Harldy worth it.
    🙂

  • fernando says:

    it might be interesting to keep the conversation going about adspaces and revenue through blogging. it is not something I need personally, but I can imagine for some blogger/practical ministers, the revenue could be a help in supporting their real world work. it also raises interesting issues for supporting works in poorer countries.

  • joeturner says:

    I’m sorry man. I thought it was quite a good idea, although I thought the [random] choice of google ads was quite amusing at times.
    I still think the way forward is to advertise companies you (ie the blogger) are in favour of.
    J

  • andrew jones says:

    yeah joe
    i was also tinkering with the idea of bloggers “tithing” a 10% patch of space for God’s stuff – where there is no return at all – could be a mission group, a project, a book – giving those pixels over to God for what He wants to promote. we could call them . . .
    Goooooooooodly ads

  • A says:

    I wouldn’t have ever said anything if you hadn’t brought it up, and I would have still read your blog as usual, as what you write is valuable to me–maybe I shoule keep quiet now, after all, you don’t know me and I have no currency to say anything to you really–but if you want honesty, I was disappointed that you went to the ads. My thoughts were and are very similar to the second “name witheld” above….
    Hey Andrew, I in fact love you too man, though I really don’t know you except for this blog and a few e-mails. I am very thankful for what you do. Prayers and Peace to you brother.

  • daverudd says:

    i wonder what paul would have said? something like, “don’t we have the right to make a living off our blogs like the other apostles…but i worked hard so i’d never be a burden to you”.
    thanks for your spirit Andrew, though i imagine every cent is nice, i think you’ve conceded your own self to the greater good of the body…
    but i did get a kick out of some of the ads.

  • Hey Andrew it was a good try at making some bucks… too bad some people want to advertise crap…

  • Steve says:

    I said before I thought it was a “good move.” I check in here for the content and I’ve learned to ignore most advertising anyway. I just want to affirm your power to choose. Maybe I’m missing something but it’s not like you’re picking my pocket. If you’re writing generates attention then you shouldn’t be prohibited from finding ways to use it to provide income for the sake of your family and the ministry God has called you to. With or without ads, I’ll keep checking in.

  • Larry says:

    If you go back to doing ads, Hugh Hewitt suggests a revenue sharing plan, and has a Buy.com ad that changes daily. He also has a reputation to maintain, so what he tries is probably well researched.

  • Charlie Wear says:

    What was wrong with the advertising again? It made you shallow? huh? From what mountaintop are the complainers writing? Are they on the internet? Do they use Google, or Yahoo, or MSN for that matter? All sites that are full of ads? Have they never clicked on an ad, just to check out the item? Have they never purchased anything over the internet? I mean, I am all for being pure as the driven snow, but say, why don’t we all demonstrate how “deep” we are by foregoing our Starbucks coffee and forwarding all of that money to support the ministries of folks like you, Andrew?

  • Charlie Wear says:

    Sorry, ran out of space before I could put the obligatory smiley 🙂 to soften my tone…I just wonder when it became popular to be anti-advertising. Are we all cancelling subscriptions to Christianity Today and the local newspaper, and turning off the commercial radio and television…Media supports itself by its advertisers…I know you are a missionary Andrew, I just wonder why you have to be totally nonprofit…:)

  • I wondered how long it would take- even purely from a financial perspective- the ads provded a few laughs but I doubted you would get alot of return from them. I run 5 commercial blogs with Google ads apart from my Rivertribe Village blog, so i decided to run an experiment on the Village page and run ads for a week to see what came up. It’s been 5 days and I have had zero income and a bunch of very wierd ads. I must admit I was amused to see ads for Muslim Education come up next to comments by a fundy spammer! Right now there’s an ad for Hens nights out in Sydney..go figure.
    Anyway, two days left of the experiment. The ads won’t be staying. The biggest hassle for me is they take up too much valuable sidebar space.

  • andrew jones says:

    thanks mike
    this was a good experiment.
    I should really say exactly how much money i got.
    Out of 12,000 hits last week, my total return from Google ads was $2.47 – its just not worth it!

  • rudy says:

    well, since you’ve decided to take the ads off your site, i guess it’s a waste of time to inform you that there are ways to, uh, hmm – how shall i put it – direct the Google API so that it delivers the ad content you desire / doesn’t offend your readers or you.

  • andrew jones says:

    thanks rudy – i realize i could have been smarter, but its more a matter of honoring my readers at the moment. thanks.

  • Thank You, Daddy Googlebucks!

    Well, it took me a year (and three blogs) to accrue over $100 in GoogleBucks (which is how much you have to earn before they cut you a check), but whoomp—there it is! A big fat check for $102.42…

  • Thank You, Daddy Googlebucks!

    Well, it took me a year (and three blogs) to accrue over $100 in GoogleBucks (which is how much you have to earn before they cut you a check), but whoomp—there it is! A big fat check for $102.42…

  • iggy says:

    Great, now where am i gonna go for soft porn from a link on an emergent website…
    just kidding…
    iggy

  • iggy says:

    Great, now where am i gonna go for soft porn from a link on an emergent website…
    just kidding…
    iggy

  • iggy says:

    You ever make a joke you wish you could take back? Mine is posted twice….
    iggy