Demonetising the blog

As I have previously alluded to, I have had ads on the blog to offset costs involved in running it. This past week, I turned them off. I have considered doing so for some time, and well, it felt like it was time to do so. There are a few reasons why I took this step, and I would like to take a moment to address some of them:

• When I chose the theme the blog is currently uses, one of my stated goals was to have a theme which had a good mix of white space and text, and which served the content first and foremost. I have come to feel that the ads detract from this.
• As I noted in my 2017 roundup-article, I have seen a decrease in readership on the blog. While there may be a number of reasons for this trend, I think it is worth looking into any possible cause for this.
• I have previously commented on the inherent question of what the product of this blog might be. I stand by my assessment that the product are the posts, and not you, as a reader. Still, I would like to remove any doubt about that question, and am putting my blog where my mouth is.
• The ads carry with them an implied question of editorial bias. While I have never changed what I write to curry favor with advertisers, I still feel that the fact that I can eradicate that question is a good argument in favor of doing so.

So, there you have it. As of this past week, I have turned off any and all ads on the blog. I think it’s a worthwhile step to take, and look forward to another ten years of the blog.