interestingly: you have many ads on your site. but they're for your books and your articles and, whether intentional or not, ultimately, this site is an ad for your beautiful art. i'm sure more than a few art directors have contacted you through this site.

so - you're not against advertising. just external advertising. or corporations.

anyway, i put google ads on my site two weeks ago. and i know i'll probably never make $20 from them. i just did it because i was lazy. i could create something and try to sell it. a t-shirt. another book. and advertise that.

the google ads are coming down. i'm not lazy.

thanks for raising this debate. whichever opinion you hold, you should agree the discussion is worthwhile.

Hi Keri,
I'm a big fan and agree with you about advertising on blogs. I'm more reluctant to read a blog if they have numerous ads, and I also become very skeptical about their content as well. Reminds me of people who are paid to "Buzz" new products to their friends and family...becomes pretty ugly when you don't know if they are being paid for their opinion. What I would suggest to the blog author is to set up a subscription to their blog. I contribute to public radio, public television, Radio Paradise, and would subscribe to your blog if it meant supporting you and keeping ads out of the picture. In the meantime, keep your head up and keep truckin'. And please don't be afraid to bring up more topics that you feel strongly about. This is what life is about. :)

You aren't alone and you are such an inspiration. I love reading your thoughts. Keep them coming! :)

Keri,

I heart (some) television and I like ads too.

I have been reluctant to comment here because the majority of people agree with you and have been extremely supportive of your point of view. I am a regular reader of your blog, but I don’t share your opinions. That doesn’t mean I will stop reading your blog, I just thought I should also speak up for those individuals who might think like me. I like television. It is implied by you and others who have commented that somehow watching television is “Bad”. (I know you don’t say this directly, but that is my perception.) There is a ton of junk food television, but there is also wonderful, inspiring, life altering shows. (i.e. 30 Days by Morgan Spurlock) I know your husband made a documentary film, if offered would he turn down the opportunity for it to be broadcast on television? I also think it is amazing; amazing that Dooce can support herself with her blog. I am a stay at home mom. My dream is for my husband to quit his job as a retail manager so he can stay home to watch our children while I support us with my writing and art (writing and art that I hope will inspire women to actualize their potential). I could go on, but this is your blog. If you don’t want ads on your blog, don’t put any up and if you don’t like television, don’t watch any. It is important for us to speak our minds and hearts; continue to stand by what you believe in and I will do the same. For more on this topic visit me at www.bealivebelievebeyou.com
-Melba

My first visit to your blog. If I had kept up my yoga I would kick myself in the butt for not having found your sooner. I love "ideas" - thank you for that gift and I look forward to reading you often.

Richard

I remember when the Internet was new. Everytime I heard the modem connect chills would run down my spine out of cheer excitement. This was a time when the Net was used mainly by free agents doing their own thing. If you made a serch for something you usually hit a page created by a person passionate about the subject, it was intimate, it was somehow real. These days when you do a search for something you ususally end up with the first three hundred hits from some company wanting to sell you something. The Internet lost a bit of its soul. With the relatively new phenomenon of Blogging I felt that true creativity had once again claimed its own space. Maybe in the not too far distant future it will be difficult to find truly personal blogs with free spirited content because the blogs sponsored by advertising will have the money to pay for good rankings on the serch engines and these bloggers will be careful not to bite the hand that feeds them.
I don't have a problem with people making money, it's the abuse of power that big corporations are often guilty of that offends me. There has to be a counterbalance, an ongoing grassroot revolution, guerilla warfare in defence of humanity, for the sake of us all.

"You had no alternative your Imminence. We must work in the world. The world is thus." "No, Señor Hontar, thus have we made the world. Thus have I made it." ... From 'The Mission'

You either do art or you don't. If you want to sell products AND be an artist you've compromised yourself and you can fuck off. I frankly don't believe there is a middle ground. Maybe there was once but in our ad-crazy world it seems an impossibility. If your spouse's job isn't working and you're not making it as an artist and the $ is important to you, go get a job. If you've prostituted your art out to the corporate world then you're no longer an artist anyway; instead you're an ad executive.

CK

P.S. Love you K.

Your blog, your feelings: no justification needed. If people don't like what they read - that's their problem. No one forces them to open your blog each day. They have the freedom to express their points of view by writing what they feel on their own blogs. I applaude your courage to write what you feel in your heart Keri. I choose not to read Dooce simply because her style doesn't appeal to me. My choice: no big deal. I choose to read you because I feel an affinity in what you say. Keep it up. In admiration...

I have been keeping relatively up to date on the current discussion going on in your blog. I stopped reading the comments after a while because I felt them too be overwhelming in their numbers. So, if my sentiments have already been said, I apologize.

I just want to tell you that I definitely support you in questioning the effect the media has on our lives. I refrained from commenting earlier because I completely disagree with the comments that we can just ignore the media and that it doesn't have to effect us negatively. I didn't know how to respond to such comments without being inconsiderate, as I simply disagree with them. Taking into account that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I will just say that I do agree with you.

I have often wondered how much the media is a reflection of our lives, or how much it simply tries to dictate our lives. I ask this because of the TV shows that we know are fictious, but whose values people seem to think we should emulate. The globalization of the world and the far spreading effects of many different kinds of media has most certainly molded and shaped our society not only here in the United States but across the globe, and will continue to do so.

It is very valid and necessary to question the effects of the media. Count me in on the revolution.

There's nothing admirable, courageous, nor humanitarian about being "thick skinned" or insensitive.
In my experience, thick-skinned, is a myth pushed by people who would be unkind to someone, and want them to accept it without complaint. The same people who claim to be thick-skinned when they upset someone else, are the same people, I've noticed, who get the most acerbic & defensive when someone takes a jab at them. ;)
So I don't buy into that nonsense.

That said, just because someone disagrees with me, even if it's many someones... doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Stay true, Keri. It comes down to staying true no matter your choice. Being or doing DIFFERENT is not easy. We all say we want to be "different", unique and special...but saying "different" and doing "different" are not the same. Doing "different" takes work; mental work, internal work. And the work may be uncomfortable and worse yet, lonely. But tell me, how lonely are we if we don't stay true to what we believe in?

My blog is my external "home"...a place for my art and my thoughts, a place for displaying the pieces of my heart and soul. I put thought and meaning into my posts and the people/blogs that I refer to are ones that I hold in high regard and add a special something to my life in their own unique way. So while I have absolutely no problem with blogs that have advertising, it's just not right for me in my "home".

stayin' true...
kelly angard

"You've got to go out on a limb sometimes, because that is where the fruit is..." -Wil Rogers

Personally, I don't have a side, I guess... To each their own. What I do want to share is what I posted on my own blog recently when my sharing made others mad: "Some get mad and ugly with me. And I think, if what I wrote about ME and how I personally feel makes YOU mad, perhaps it’s hitting a little closer to home than you’re willing to admit." Take your stand and don't back down. It doesn't matter if I or the next person stands beside you - it only matters how YOU feel.

i think it's interesting how people seem to think ads don't affect them and aren't a big deal. they really get under my skin (no pun intended re: the tattoo girl) and make me feel like i'm not *insert word here* enough even though i try to ignore them. maybe some folks' blinders are more opaque than mine. i do prefer ad-free blogs and can barely read dooce's site anymore since the ads seem to be bigger than the blog text.

i, too, am quite sensitive and know how words can hurt. hugs to you for fighting the good fight...thanks for the discussion, Keri.

What an amazing thing you do, Keri--for is discussion and arguing and anger even not a part of the fabric of community? Take heart when the nasty comments come your way--you have made people FEEL, be empassioned, respond. You have started a conversation on so many different levels in this interesting online world--and this crosses over, eventually, into the actual physical world. Look at all the comments that you recieved that are satturated with quotes, deep thoughts, kind words. The Sun IS such an antedote too. This month, you simply must read "Secrets of Paranoia: How the World Is conspiring to Shower You With Blessings" by Rob Brezsny. Even with those angry threads, the fabric overall is strong, deep and good. Thank you for making us thing, for making us care enough to respond.

I want to applaud Keri for initiating such a lively debate. In my opinion, anything that gets this many people talking about such an important subject is a good thing.

Here's some great music:
http://www.hyperlaunch.com/nickdrake/nme/
The only thing they want to know is which brand cell phone you use, and then you can listen to whole albums.

Adbusters is seriously amazing ...isn't it!

You go girl!

It's not easy...we all struggle with it.
It has morphed into serious visual abuse...
...as we all walk around in some kind of ADD -drug induced state..not sure where to look next or if we should even look at all...

i just want to say thank you for saying what you feel. thats all. i dont know what there is to be so mean about this issue except either you can tolerate ads and or you dont want them in your life. in my own life i know its been harder to not go totally commercial (i used to be a editorial photographer) but after a major life changing illness i know that i have to do what i feel is true. By drastically changing my work to stay away from the world of the Machine, is more a means of staying alive mentally. which to me (and not everyone in the world) is more valueable than cash. i personally think that your blog is one of the truest heartfelt blogs ive ever read that inspires me to keep on trying to keep it real. thank you. :)

oxj

i think we should all be concerned about the control the "media" has in our society. geeze, we can't even name stadiums after teams anymore, now they go to the highest corporate donor! and not just on a national level, it is in our high schools, our small local fields. everywhere we go we are bombarded with "their" messages.

i say, kudos to you.

in this cable age, we can now pick and choose who we listen to. and most of us do. we choose CNN, NPR, or FOX depending on our political leanings, we tend to only read and listen to people who SUPPORT OUR CURRENT VIEWPOINT.

shame on us.

you obviously challenged people. and they in turn challenged you, accept this as a good thing. debate. dialogue. we need more of it.

hang in there!

Hello Keri,

I am late coming into this discussion and I haven't read all the comments. My impression is that of someone who is going through the labour and pains of giving birth. Therefore stay with it, for what will come out is an even more beautiful person, one who - in my opinion - has admirable integrity and courage to live an authentic life.

Take care, Kerstin

Keri,

I am so sorry that you've been hurt by the discussion and that some people have taken it as an opportunity to be nasty. I honestly can't imagine why it would evoke such a response! I guess others are much more passionate about the topic than I am.

At any rate, good for you for having the ability to evoke such a response! It may not be easy, but it shows that your thoughts and words are more than most of the fluff on our blogs. Most of us continue to sit on the sidelines being quiet about things that matter to us. You should be extremely proud of yourself for pushing beyond your comfort zone in that regard!

As for letting their comments hurt you... please always try to remember that the things people say to be nasty are always a reflection of them and have nothing to do with you!

Thank you again for sharing so much of yourself, and I am sorry for the hurt this sharing has caused you over the last couple of days.

All the best,

Amy

Oh yes, the quiet girl in the corner. I relate to being that person who doesn't want to make waves. But inside I always am excited that someone has the courage to speak their truth. And amazed (over and over again) that some feel the need to criticize the person instead of disagreeing with the idea (and sometimes they don't even disagree, they just want to criticize). When I started reading blogs a few months ago, I realized that this was a world where I could find other people like me. Like me!!!! And when I started my own blog, my husband was worried that I might experience moments of pain because a reader disagreed with me. But that is why it takes courage to speak your truth. And don't try to grow that thick skin, because the not feeling it all would be a lot worse. The feelings are what make us who we are. Thank you for helping me to know that I am not alone Keri.

Keri - your discussion has gone far and wide beyond your site, like ripples in a pool. I've seen comments go back and forth in other comments pages here and elsewhere - some of them considered and considerate, some less so - most of them passionate.

Don't wish for thick skin - sure it makes life easier to bear sometimes - but it usually grows as a response to hurt and blunts life considerably.

Be proud of the discussion you provoked, the revolutions you start (and make a button of the ad-free illu you posted :))

Best

E

some of the nastier comments have been deleted. Those of you with blogs may know that when it's a couple it is easier to fluff it off. But when you get around ten and over, it creeps into your psyche, and no matter how hard you try you start to doubt yourself. That is my experience. And yes, I am a sensitive person, it is who I am and I don't know if that will ever change. It is both a strength and a weakness.

The most frustrating part of this is that many people seem to be misconstruing my words, and reading only what they want to read in it. Many times I want to say, could you go back and read what I wrote again?

I find it rather amazing that people have gotten so heated up about me questioning, of all things ads. It actually makes me laugh. I am learning that this is much bigger than I thought, and hits on some huge topics at a deeper level.

The sadness is an important part of the process, but I am not ready to back down on the issue. Even given that I have my own grey areas. Someone wrote me a beautiful letter saying that it is impossible to be free of hypocrisy, it is a natural part of being human, we all learn along the way and change our thoughts and opinions as we go. Hearing that gave me permission to not have it all figured out in the present.

Thanks for this discussion Keri. I don't have a lot to add at this time. These are questions I've been asking myself and conversations I've been having in my own head but it's a tricky topic as I can see multiple sides despite the fact that I personally do not appreciate being bombarded with advertising. For example, I love living in the city but am constantly overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of billboards and constant reminders to consume. I agree that we can put on blinders and ignore but I'm not certain to what extent that is possible regardless of how media savy or intelligent we are... little nuggets always get through.

I love signs. Sometimes I think I live for them. Whenever I come here and find such honesty and bravery, I think, *It's a sign.* Thanks for being here.

Keri, As someone who has worked first-hand in the world of Internet Advertising, I applaud your position. Consumers should not have to adapt to advertising...advertisers need to start listening to, and adapting to the voice of the consumer!
Cheers!

darling, you are being authentic, and that is brave for lots of us women to do. we were not taught that it is ok to say how we really feel, we were taught to support whatever the mean popular kids were saying, whatever the cute boys were saying, whatever was easy...but that is not real intimacy. and that is not being truly authentic or truly yourself. i want you to know that as a girl raised in the south, told nearly every single day of my life by my father to "shut your mouth...no man wants to hear what you think.", that i really identify with the struggle to say what you really feel and risk being punished/attacked/ridiculed for it by those with snootier vocabularies or more predatoial arguing skills...but in the end, i still think being real and being authentic win out. i saw a sticker on a car today that said "it is better to be hated for who you really are, than to be loved for who you are NOT." very smart thought there. remember that there are people who do not ever say how they really think, and who are never opening themselves up for atack...but they are also never opening themselves up for learning, growth, connection, or challenging themselves. i am proud of you, i love your writing, i love your opinions and i love you for being real. be yourself, don't somatize the attacks in your body, ok? you are worth a lot. i appreciate you and we have never even met, and you make my life more sweet somehow. lots of love to you.

Keri:

Just a shout out to say you are definitely not alone, and I completely identify with the thin-skinned girl in the corner. It is oh so hard to break with that character, to stand up for onesself without feeling either guilty or attacked.

Love your work, keep it up.

the inevitable conflict in human relationships...
it gets me down too, Keri.
i applaud your willingness to put yourself out there
thick skin or no.
you've made us think and that's a very good thing!

thank you and please know that there is a very large community that values you greatly.

I'm not sure I understand why you are so upset. I don't think anyone who has commented in the past few days has said anything really unkind.

If you want to "start your own revolution", which means expressing opinions about a possibly touchy subject, you are going to have to expect that some people are going to disagree with you, especially if you bring into the topic of discussion a very popular blog like Dooce.

If people feel that they have to tiptoe around a controversial subject for fear of huring your feelings, then you are not going to get a truly honest, interesting dialogue.

oy . . . those posts where you actually lay something real out, something that is moving Through you and not just something that has moved Past you already . . . those seem to be the bog ones, the ones where you really grow . . . I'm dang grateful you posted and for the discussion between your readers because it was like getting the opportunity to see my howling, mewling, judging voices outside of me and on a page :) I hope that my own words didn't wound, I hope that my confusion stayed focused on me and didn't move into blame . . . you *are* brave . . . this is a crazily loaded subject, this money and art stuff. And an old one don't you think? And I'm so glad you took this new form of it on to allow us to take a deeper look . . . :)

I don't think anyone in your commentbox said anything really hurtful. But maybe you try to be so over-conscientious about things that -as I said before- it is impossible for you to be consistent. And that makes you sensitive, I understand that. Anyone who looks at your client list will wonder about what you state about corporations. Now I don't mind at all that you do commercial work, I do the exact same thing. And I try to be a good person too. But I am no saint and neither are you. And nobody minds. Let's party.

Keri
I too used to be the quiet one who sat in the corner looking at my shoes when voices were raised. I too have changed. Your husband is right .. you are not alone! You provoke people to consider issues and challenge beliefs and to look at themselves. Do not allow those who attack you rather than the opinions voiced to deter you. As many before have said you are an inspiration not just in respect of what you say but the fact that you are brave enough to put yourself on the line. Continue to believe in yourself!

Try not to get upset when others don't see things the way you do. You can't make everyone happy, only yourself.

Don't be sad! Be proud to have stimulated discussion and made people think. Even if they disagree with you, it's great to have got people to consider advertising and formulate an opinion, rather than just accepting it as a fixed part of daily life.

Don't be sad.
Your writing is wonderfull,and I love it when I get into work and I can read a bit of your text. It set my morgning of well balanced.

/maria

Everything is here for you. Patiently waiting.

I know you weren't asking for sympathy (it also seems sort of sad that we have to include disclaimers like that to avoid people jumping at us) and I don't want to give you any. I want to not be the quiet one in corner when someone does something I think is courageous and admirable. You are definitly not alone and I agree with you on everything you've said. I love it that your blog is ad-free and I think you're part of the revolution. Don't ever let them make you keep quiet. (Tell it like it is as Tracy Chapman sings in the song with the same name.)

Kind regards
Cam from Sweden

Keri, your site is always inspirational and uplifting. I hope that what you give out to so many you can also give to yourself.

I loved this quote. Definitely stand up for what is important to you. Do what feels right. To me, the issue of ads or not is a non-issue right now. My house is still half destroyed thanks to Katrina and I'm just trying to recover. I'm having to take some non-traditional actions to get my life back in order. That quote really spoke to me but in a much different way than it spoke to you I suppose. Regardless.... keep your chin up and do what's right for you. Love your life. :-)

Keri,
Thank you for your courage, your honesty, and your voice.....

You are making a difference.....

And thank you for adding more beauty into this world.... ......
there is a kind of purity and clearness in the ad free land of blogs..
thank you for that gift....

Tricia

Keri,
Your post made me cry too. Regardless of opinions, your extraordinary vision, optimism or commitment despite all the darkness, put me deeply back in touch with the part of myself that wants to give up sometimes on the things and issues most dear to my own heart and soul. You're truly amazing-don't let this get you down. You're fighting the good fight. I wanted to share one of my favorite poems with you. Hope it is meaningful to you at this time- Its by William Stafford-
If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.

And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,
but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider--
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give--yes or no, or maybe--
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

you are awesome. and necessary. :)

Dear Keri,
I read your post and wanted to give you this quote:

"Who has the courage to be one of the drops of water that will eventually wear away the rock?"
-unknown-

I wrote that in my journal a couple months ago when I was trying to figure out the next step in this journey, I still don't know what it is- but it reminded me that I can take another path- a path that people probably won't understand. But will be exactly right for me.

ah, chin up and all that. You're doing the right thing.

keri -i visit your blog ever so often to be reminded that there are people who will stand up for their ideals. and i am in a screamy-pms-give-up-revolution-why-bother-this-world-poops mood but your post just gave me a tiny lift in the spirit. thank you for sharing your creativity and life lessons

Keri:
I love seeing your art online, and I love how you openly share the things that intrigue you and questions & issues that you struggle with.
Please don't let some harsh words stop you from promoting discussion -- mabye you just need to *explicitly* set some ground rules of civility. I, for one, am inspired -- I'm puzzling right along with you.
Bea

Keri:

You are a hero! I swear. You inspire.
(from a girl with ads on her site that generate nil and now she is seriously considering removing them because Keri inspires her.

From third person girl.