I agree. I love design and good design in advertising, but sometimes it is too much. Some things need to be free of advertising, especially personal sketch blogs, or personal blogs. I am not a friend of huge billboards either. I think they clutter up the environment. I do love advertising in magazines, as I look for great design in them, but some magazines could also do without advertising. Hmmm...I guess it all depends on the individual. I won't fault someone for placing advertising on their page. I won't fault someone who decides not to place advertising on their page. Personal decision.

This is what I've said all along... Everything's about boundaries & limits & appropriateness. And it's always a personal decision regarding those. And if you look around, most people can't agree on much. heh.

If you follow anything to its extreme, you're likely into trouble.
"Extremist" doesn't generally carry a positive connotation, after all!! haha.
(And with good reason.)

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
-Elie Wiesel

. . . just stopped by again to see how the comments were treating you . . . looks like you created a hotspot here . . . glad the seed pods have come flowing into the vortex :)

Wow. Angela's thoughts definitely clarified a lot of issues beyond this question of advertising's role in my life. Thank you for sharing her thoughts, and yours too. Makes me think of relationships in a more general sense, and the concept of needing clearly established boundaries for healthy happy relationships, but, until now, I never really considered that you could extend the idea of relationships and boundaries to corporations or media or ideas, for that matter. I think we almost need to start thinking this way if we're ever to have a respectful dialogue leading to mutual understanding and quality of life. Cutting ourselves off from what hurts or bothers us feels too much like defeat, unless, there is no other choice. But I think we all have choices on this question of advertising. Thanks again!

Hi Keri...

I came across your blog a few weeks ago. We actually met eons ago at a OCA bookartsfair, we where table neigbhours. I had only about a year ago found your newsletter again that you had handed out. I was so impressed by it. So when I came across your blog, I was excited to see that you had followed your dreams, been published, worked as an illustrator and made these fabulous daily collages. I read some of your archives to "catch up with you" and feel very proud to have met you "way back when....."... I somewhat doubt that you would have a memory of me... (such is live)...

I am still living in Toronto, with my husband who is a graphic designer and my 17 month old son. I'm working as a visual artist and make all my living from it.

Your recent few posts got some interesting discussions happening around our house. My husband is currently much more involved in news and media than I (being a mother and artists, still breastfeeding and tending to a fully vegetarian family does take time... grin)...

Anyway, one of the interesting things that my hubby pointed out is that 1 in 4 teenagers in the US has a blog, so it is very much a "thing" that is "so like, like cool, like..." but it also indicates that most likely not every body will continue with the blogging and in a few years it is predicted that only about 1 in 400 will continue. Why is that relevant to the discussion? I guess because it will indicate that there can money be made right now through corporations advertising, but in the future it will be questionable.

Personally, we have not had a TV hooked up as we are renovating, so I have found myself sitting in front of the 'puter and reading blogs for anywhere between one to two hours a day and I have to say, it is the ultimate in reality shows... Hey... we get to read other peoples diaries (no more keys to keep them locked) who knows what is really real anymore? I had never heard about this dooce women you had mentioned, but did go to her site out of curiosity, and you know what? I don't get why I should read her stuff... I got reading the story of her birth, but at a certain point, I found it all so contrived that I just stopped.

It then occured to me Keri, that your site has a relevance in that it is linked directly to your book and is the living proof that "living out loud" can be done and your blog keeps the teachings current. Also, it occured to me, that you have an actual product with your name on it, and even when blogs become less popular, your book will still grace shelves in libraries, peoples homes, and live on, many other bloggers simply have their daily lives to rant and rave about, and I feel that interest in them will wean when we are tired of them.

Many of the blogs that I have been reading involve yarn and knitting (a passion of mine, but one that I can't fully engage in because of a wrist problem), hence reading the blogs does connect me with that world. The doula at my birth actually has a blog (www.yarnharlot.com) and she also writes books with knitting stories (she's now writing book number 3 in 2 years)... and there I also see the relevance to blogging.

Another thing my husband pointed out was that one of the really troublesome things in regards to the corporation running our lives was not if ads where places in blogs, but the fact that in Washington, lobbyists are now writing laws and often these writen laws is what is voted on! Now there is where the corporation really gets into everybodys lives! Scarry, eh....

anyway... sorry to keep rambling like this... I love your blog and am always happy to see your morning collages and your free sharing of ideas, please also remember though, it is okay to make money from our art (contrary to what they teach us at art school) (I struggle with that two, as my work is rather comercially successfull....

Monika

Keri,
Thanks for those last few posts - I'm not sure that there were many people who did not refer the the Dooce advrtising gig lately, but definitly none of them wrote about it as clearly and as thought-provokingly as you have.

Keep it real :)

Keri, you might be interested to know that since pondering these posts and comments I have taken google ads off my blog

Dear KERI

A STANDING O for you and your guts to speak your truth regardless of the backlash!!!!!
You are not at all alone in your struggle for purity and clarity in your own domain of creativity.

It is the valiant Spirit who chooses the "ROAD LESS TRAVELED", and remains there despite the loneliness that can occur.

Corporate America lives and breathes the illusion of Totalitarian Power, then Bullies any person, group or agency that dares not follow the endless line of sheep headed into the "I wont think for myself and live by my own truths CORAL.

"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth, more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. ~Bertrand Russell

"I've always thought anyone can make money. Making a life worth living, that's the real test."

BE strong and Loyal to your Truth KERI.

N a m a s t e,
MaryBEth

Keri,

I've loved all of these last few posts.... I think it's great that you speak your mind and your opinion. I think more of us need to be honest, stand up for what we think and stop going with the crowd.

Yeah for you.

Jenn

Don't let the haters get you down. You have made some extremely valid points and given a lot of food for thought. I have waffled between ads and no ads. I can honestly say that the ads did not change my content, although they easily could have if I weren't me, so I wasn't compromised in that way, but I don't like hitting my readers with ads for cashmere sweaters. In the end, I have decided to pull them. I could find no good arguments for them except money, and that can't be a deciding factor for me while I can still put food on the table. My end decision came as a direct result of your recent entries. Not everyone has to agree, and I still read weblogs that have ads, but I don't want to be another place for my readers that has so many messages coming at them while they try to focus on the content.

I wonder if one were to allow advertising on one's site, their writing would be affected.

Think about it, if you have advertising on your site that is your sole "bread and butter", then you would probably make sure that you don't offend your advertisers.

It doesn't bother me either way. I typically ignore 99% of the advertising anyway because it's so abundant. Kind of like cursing. At one time, cursing had some shock value and got people's attention. Now that some seem to have only a vocabulary of cuss words, it no longer draws attention to the point your making.

The only thing that I can't stand are pop-ups. Especially ones that bypass my pop-up blocker (some do) and I usually avoid those sites if I can help it (although some happen to be excellent news sources so I end up, reluctantly, going back).

I personally have a page dedicated to a few affiliations that I belong to - as well a cafepress store, but had decided to not put any ads on any of my blogs. Personal choice, of course, but I don't solely rely on it. It's not a good idea to soley rely on one source of income anyway - just in case.

Keri,

I am glad that you have taken the time to articulate more clearly your position. I was having a hard time exactly understanding where you were coming from and even though I am still unsure where I stand, thank you for bringing these questions to the forefront. My husband and I have spent the last few nights really hammering out every side and really debating (in a healthy way )our views on this subject.

And take the time to stop and be grateful for the ground beneath your feet. :-)

There is nothing wrong with keeping your personal space sacred.

Eliane,
I just wanted to clarify that my opinion has not changed, I've only articulated better what I felt previously.
k.

"Which is ridiculous, if you follow to it's extreme you will not be able to walk down the sidewalk." Good for you, that is exactly what I said all along. Being flexible, compromising if you will, is a sign of intelligence. It is absurd to be all black and white.