I vote no for donations, only because I know I wouldn’t donate. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love your blog, or that others wouldn’t donate.

Where’d you find that money clip?

just two notes on the above post to keep the discussion moving.

1. yes blogs are optional, but what if a “real website” had daily content- would that mean you don’t have to pay for it because it’s become blog like? cause a blog IS a website, just with frequently updated (albeit informal) content. for example- what’s the difference between a blog like josh rubin’s cool hunting that’s free and a website that provides a cool hunting service that you have to pay for? the quality of information or the eye that you’re paying for isn’t any different.

2. blogs aren’t entirely free. not everyone uses blogspot and the cost of running a blog (depending on subject) is far from free. using myself as an example: i have to pay for the cost of monthly internet services for research, posting, etc, a phone bill to make resarch calls, interviews, etc and the cost of travelling and photography, etc for the things i write about. (i’m not complaining and i gladly do it for free everyday obviously, but i’m just wanted to clear it up that blogs aren’t free necessarily).

just wanted to put that out there. i really appreciate your thoughts (both times).

anyway, food for thought- thanks so much for posting.

please keep it going!

xoxo
d*s

ps: this doesn’t mean im asking for donations. i wouldnt do that, i feel too weird about it. and i agree, i doubt anyone would do it. i mean, i wouldn’t do it. ;)

d*s

Some of the beauty of a site like yours is that feels organic and joyous- it lifts my spirits to see the beautiful things you write about, and it inspires me. But I’d feel very differently about a site I had to pay for- some of the happiness, some of the feeling that people, strangers, can connect over the love of beauty and art and design, would disappear if this were a site for which I paid a certain amount to get a shopping recommendation. [But I also think it's not right that you expend money. Aren't there some other revenue sources we could dream up? Maybe recommendation packages, where a reader could pay a certain amount and get a group of suggestions, postings, links, opinions on a specific object or room or philosophy? Just thinking.]

isn’t that what advertising is for? i don’t pay for the NYT online or CNN, why would i pay for a blog. i think porn and dating are still the only services making money online. that said, go ahead and ask for donations.

lol. well, maybe i could learn something from porn. ;)

that said, this discussion isn’t about me- im not going to be asking for donations EVER. don’t worry. i said above i don’t feel comfortable with it.

but that said- just so you know- i advertise as much as blogger lets me and it brings in a whopping 13 bucks a month, max.

free blogs don’t let you make banner ad space (or at least they wouldn’t tell me how when i asked for help on blogger) so until then, ads aren’t an option for covering expenses…

(but, like i said before, this isn’t about d*s…)

d*s

do what you want. it’s like a tip jar.

obviously, forcing people to pay for a blog with a staff on one won’t work. The WSJ can do it b/c it has all those people.

but a donation link isn’t objecitonable. People will either A) pay a little or B) think you have their eyeballs (which you could sell) already so why pay more.

I don’t think asking for donations is immoral. Donators do it out of their own will. Asking for it doesn’t mean you’ll always get it. If readers feel that there’s a value in your blog, they will contribute.

I thought the Google ads on your page were not so well-targeted (the ones I see right now are ads for blogging). Wouldn’t they do better if they were a) about design and b) a little higher up on the page? Is there any way to get Google to give you more appropriate ads?

That said, I really enjoy reading your blog and appreciate the daily postings.

p.s. I clicked on one of the ads, so you should be getting some extra money this month. Just my two cents.

lol. dc you are the best. literally, your two cents. i love it.

sadly, i can’t control the google ads at all. they kinda suck anyway. banner ads are always better but you know, im all icked out with money talk so i’m done.

ick. money. i mean, i like having it, but i hate talking about it.

yuck ;)

d*s

It’s a debate many websites, including bloggers are dealing with.
The post and NYT are afraid to be the first to have paid for content, afraid it will drive people away…
That being said, I think you should totally put one up, for god’s sake, your not asking for people to pay to view your blog, its optional.
People get really touchy about paying for internet content.
But you are providing a service, not charging for it, and merely asking for donations. Running it is not free.
Your probably not going to get a lot of donations though :/
Money is a bitch, I hate it.
Go for the tip jar- your not forcing anyone to pay, just asking.
Maybe you could sell some diffrent advertizing- like to specific designers instead of google ads?
Dunno- wish I could help more.
Your site is wonderful, and so are you.
Do it.

First off, I just wanted to thank you for your amazing site. I’m a former design magazine editor, and I can appreciate all the effort it takes on your part to weed out all the junk out there to come up with the fun and inspiring pieces you write about.

About donations, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with it. It’s optional for your readers and it’s like giving a little back for all the hard work you do in addition to your regular day job! Lots of people are getting story ideas from you, inspiration etc…The whole issue of blogs being optional therefore they should’nt ask for money makes no sense. Everything in life is optional. To me that has no relevance on the value of something. Optional doesn’t mean free. Blogs are still a new venue with much to explore. And asking for donations does not equal begging in my book.

Keep up the great work!!

First off, I just wanted to thank you for your amazing site. I’m a former design magazine editor, and I can appreciate all the effort it takes on your part to weed out all the junk out there to come up with the fun and inspiring pieces you write about.

About donations, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with it. It’s optional for your readers and it’s like giving a little back for all the hard work you do in addition to your regular day job! Lots of people are getting story ideas from you, inspiration etc…The whole issue of blogs being optional therefore they should’nt ask for money makes no sense. Everything in life is optional. To me that has no relevance on the value of something. Optional doesn’t mean free. Blogs are still a new venue with much to explore. And asking for donations does not equal begging in my book.

Keep up the great work!!

Your site is wonderful. What you choose to do with it, whether to have it free, by subscription, or with a tip jar or donation is totally up to you. Whether or not it is a website or a blog doesn’t even really matter. The lines between these things are blurring all the time, and in a few years, people will ask “What’s a blog?” because every website will be dynamic and database driven like blogs are now.
Giving a reader the opportunity to donate IS NOT obnoxious at all, nor is it begging. That’s silly.
Whether you’ve got a staff of 1 or of 20, it is still hard work to update, maintain, research.
The questions you’re asking now, independent software developers have been dealing with for years. Some enforce payment after some period of use, some ask for donations, and some ask that you only send a postcard if you use the software and like it. It’s your oyster, you make up the rules.
That being said, I would rather donate and pay to use a site I like rather than be pestered with ads.
-jeremy

I think journalists (are bloggers journalists??) asking for donations is a bit unethical. Much better to make money on a volume basis – I would trust a review written by a journalist who makes a living at 50 cents/copy (and thus has a stake in appearing to be unbiased and critical to the greatest number of people) before I trusted one who might be tempted to give a positive review to a generous donor (one whose welfare depends on that donor continuing to donate).

Remember, politicians receive donations. How many of them do you believe?

ps: donations on those aforementioned blogs are anonymous and journalists do work for organizations that have sponsors- hence the fact that some journalists, tv stations and magazines are known to give bias towards parent orgs.

Blogs are sometimes considered part of the opensource community. People post to their blog because they enjoy it and they think it is good for the readers. Most open source projects ask for money. some more upfront than others. I am a fan of a paypal link and have donated a few bucks to the cause. A friend runs a blog with a 1000+ hits a day and he mostly gets donations in the form of Amazon gift certificates or the like. Usually a small amount but at least something. Bandwidth is cheap these days so blogging is a fairly cheap hobby considering they number of hours put into it.

thumbing through various blogs on the internets, i have to say that i’m not offended by a “tip jar” of some kind (usually paypal) sitting off to the side. i think it’s a great, non-confrontational way to solicit from those who feel generous. i’m not huge on the donations, cause i’m not rolling in it. but that’s not to say others aren’t.

and while i’m not a fan of the occasional plea for funding (it smells funny, and i feel like a jerk for not giving), i am warm to the idea of “emergency” pleas. like a post from an internet cafe soliciting loose change from readers because your laptop crapped out or something.

i say that becuase last i heard, yours was a little iffy. i’d keep the option open…

take care, and my best on the home hunt

d

I appreciate the opportunity to donate to bloggers who brighten up my day. When I read a blog regularly, I am getting a direct benefit from someone else’s hard work, and personally I think it is fair to pay a little bit in support.

I would HATE to lose you d*s – so if it ever gets too overwhelming, let us chip in!

thanks so much to everyone for their thoughtful comments. i was really intrigued by everyone’s ideas.

don’t worry i doubt i’ll ever ask for contributions- i just feel too weird about it.

and thanks for the plug d- my laptop is shot, so someday i may be in the market for a new one. and esp since ac’s ipod just died, we’re one mac short of a meltdown.

ps: no luck on the house hunt yet, but i’m hoping to see a place on carroll and president today! fingers crossed….

xoxo
d*s

I don’t really know what it costs to put together Wired Magazine each month and send it to my door. A lot, I think. So when I slap plastic for that subscription fee, I figure that money’s actually going to putting those pretty pictures in my mailbox.

With blogs, I don’t think it’s this cut and dried. Certainly they take time to create and money to maintain, but they’re voluntary, right? Most blogs, as far as I know, start because a person or group of people is excited to talk about a topic (or maybe just themselves). Not surprising that, after a while, they’d feel expectations from their readers. That’s where individuals need to decide what they’re blogging for and where to set, you know, boundaries and that sort of relational stuff.

In the meantime, if I put cash in the tip jar, can I necessarily expect it will keep the posts coming, like my $10 a year keeps Wired coming? Maybe it will go towards bandwidth. Maybe it will go to a pizza, and then at the end of the month M. Blogger realizes the hosting bill is due and posts a plea to the site. I know the accountability between me and Wired is somewhat imaginary, but it pretty well disappears when it’s with some blog that may close tomorrow.

Blogs are sure useful. I sure enjoy reading d*s, even though I’m not sure what direct benefits it’s necessarily brought. Being able toss in a few cents here and there would be an easy way to give the thumbs up to helpful posts (maybe more encouraging than comments, even). Logging in to PayPal to send someone…a dollar? still seems pretty weird. What’s an appropriate donation, anyway?

Scattered and probably unhelpful, but them’s my thoughts.

I really like the idea of a tip jar, as mentioned in an earlier comment. I think that most closely paralels the “real” world. People stop by and look, and if they like, and they are inclined to, they can tip. I don’t think there is anything unethical about a tip jar.

Money can be boring, but things bought with money can be fun. So what about posting a link to an Amazon wish list?

Go for the tip jar!!!Those who want to donate may do so; those who don’t can bypass it guilt-free.

If I get something out of a site, whether a blog, or news, I like having the option of making a donation if the content is of value to *me*. There are a few tip jars I’ve made use of. I don’t care how recipients spend the money; I figure it would go to good use. And if ‘good use’ to you happens to be a pizza, then by all means order a damn pizza already. :)

I wouldn’t ask a barista or cocktail waitress what THEY were spending the money on, and to me the online tip jar operates on the same principle.

Using a tip jar is just a token of appreciation with no strings/ribbons attached.

Amazon Wishlist? Okay, that’s where it gets tricky for me. I may not be able to afford a whole book or CD off an Amazon wishlist, but I’m more than happy to donate the amount of my choice.

To me, including a link to an Amazon wishlist is a bit like overtly asking for money (Here! Buy me a present! Here’s what I want!) because the individual items cost more. The PayPal tip jar transaction doesn’t cost the sender any extra in that there’s no processing/handling/shipping fee. And the link from the recipient’s blog or site is discreet in and of itself.

everything everyone’s said has been so interesting- thanks guys!

interesting thoughts all around….

d*s