Let’s face it: advertising is everywhere. And the internet has made it more everywhere. (Is “everywhere-er” a word?) It seems like everyone has a website or blog with some form of advertising in the margins (or even smack dab in the center, or in every patch of white space on the screen). And I get it. People want to (or even need to) make a living from their sites. Or at least earn some supplemental income. To be honest, I dream of doing that down the line. (More on that later.)
But after a while, I find all the ads on all of the sites I look at get overwhelming. When every square inch of space is covered with ads, I tend to tune out. Especially when the ads have nothing to do with the site’s content. I’m kind of sort of OK with a few ads here and there, but when I see too many, I not only ignore the ads but the content as well.
And if I feel this way towards ad-infested sites, I have to expect that others will feel the same way. So with this blog and my other two (www.flexibleplanetblog.com and www.daveprine.com) as well as most other blogs I might come up with in the foreseeable future, I’m going to refrain from the usual format of here-an-ad, there-an-ad. So you’ll notice these blogs might have a little more white space in the margins. I hope that pleases you.
And to take it a step further, I’ve decided to avoid affiliate links of any sort for the time being. I’ve been told it’s better to use them from the beginning, but I’m a rebel. I do what I want. You’re not my real mom! But for now, I just want to provide content. Down the line I might slowly incorporate affiliate links, but if and when I do, they will not affect the content of the site, nor will they affect your ability to click through to a site or make a purchase.
Also, everything I review is for the benefit of the site, and I do not provide positive reviews for any type of compensation. In fact, my reviews will be more descriptive than critical, but I will still offer my unbiased opinion (my favorite oxymoron). I will gladly accept free review materials (and I’ll eventually make that announcement more public) but that won't guarantee a review, positive or otherwise.
And eventually I’d love to have my own products to sell. If and when that happens, I promise to make that as painless of a promotion as possible. Positively, perpetually, and perspicaciously! (Apparently that last one is a real word. Go figure.)
So in an act of full disclosure, here are the things I promise on Polyglots Anonymous:
- All posts will be as honest and factual as possible without a hidden agenda
- All positive (and negative) reviews will be based on my honest experience, evaluation, or interpretation of the book, site, app, event, etc. and will not be for sale in any way
- Review materials and suggestions are gladly accepted but will not guarantee a positive review, nor can I guarantee a product will be reviewed at all
- Any affiliate links provided will be fully disclosed by a note, icon, arrow, animated gif of a duck dancing with a mop, or other indication that is clear and obvious to the reader (or involves a duck)
- If/when ads are introduced to the site, it will be a slow and gradual process, and will only incorporate ads for products and services that I endorse and are relevant to languages, linguistics, language learning, multilingualism, polyglottery, etc. That means no ads for dating sites, cell service providers, office furniture, etc.; no ads based on your personal web searches and viewing history (I really hate those. Don’t you? They make me feel so....violated!); no ads generated automatically based on the text of any posts; and no video ads that pop up out of the blue at random and start automatically with sound and force you to sit through 30 seconds of sheer irrelevance
- No languages were harmed during the making of this blog
Anyway, I hope that the omission of ads makes this blog and my others more enjoyable for you. Feel free to leave a comment if you have something to say on the matter. I look forward to your feedback.
~dave
Last updated 4/19/16
