[theforum] Donation Wall - last chance to comment

[Sabrina Dent, Apperception]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: theforum-bounces at lists.evolt.org 
> [mailto:theforum-bounces at lists.evolt.org] On Behalf Of Isaac Forman
> Sent: 15 August 2003 01:11
> To: theforum at lists.evolt.org
> Subject: RE: [theforum] Donation Wall - last chance to comment
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > And I would *very* much doubt that we'll get many USD$100
> > donations in 
> > cash (and certainly not regular ones).
> 
> I would rather be rewarded with text-ads than something on a 
> donation wall that many people may never see.

While I completely understand this POV, I think the
text-ads-in-recognition-of-donation thing is tricky and complex. First
of all, this comes very close to *selling text ads* which is a whole
'nother discussion -- but I thought (though I am cloudy on this and may
well be wrong) that concensus had been reached a long time ago that
selling ads on evolt.org was not something we wanted to be doing.

Second of all, both "quality" and "reward" are very subjective things.
If Big Acme Hosting wants to donate loadsofbandwidth, currently we can
take it, even if their support is non-existant or their billing is
shite. If we have to give them text ads in exchange, and we carry Big
Acme Hosting ads *even though we know* their support and billing is
shite, that's just... I don't think we want to be going there. Quality
issue.

Or, if I donate and meet whatever criteria for a text ad at evolt.org, I
wouldn't know what to do with it. I'm in paid employment, I don't really
do freelance gigs, and the only thing I *do* make money on the web with
is selling sex toys. *I* don't think that's distasteful, as it's all
very nicely presented, but I bet that ad would be rejected. Reward
issue.

Personally, if we're going to touch text ads with anything shorter than
a ten-foot pole, I'd rather just sell them to whomever wants to buy
them. I think the market will be bigger, it can raise £$£$ for
evolt.org, there's no understanding of a special relationship or
endorsement, and we can pull offensive ads with impunity.

I like this model:

http://www.threewayaction.com/textads/ 

At those prices, even though I'm a paid subscriber there, I have spent
additional funds purchasing text ads. I've bought them to advertise
products, but I've also bought them to wish people happy birthday. It's
a nice thing to be able to do.

And when you have no paid ads, you can run ads for evolters.org and for
donations -- again, fundraising ++.

If we're back to text ads, that's the way I would prefer to do it. From
my POV, it's less messy and potentially profitable.  

--Bri
--------------
Sabrina Dent
http://www.darlingbri.co.uk 

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