"Oh my God, There's an advertisement on my face!"

Dept. of Finances. We want to be the first to say it: it was a shock to come in this morning and see a new ad for Domino floating in the middle of the blog. We knew it was coming, but reality is always different than what one imagines. It also brought up a number of feelings that we felt it best to simply get out on the table.

We were very flattered that Domino approached us to buy some advertising. They were not the first ones. All this means that our grand plans for AT and all the things we want to do on this site may be realized. In short, we can continue to work on the blog, pay others and have less fear of mortgaging our future.

We believe that the reader's experience and the writing on this blog are the most important parts of this project...

Therefore we have and will continue to work hard to keep advertising in a supporting role, not a hit-you-over-the-head look-at-me! type of thing that displays misplaced values and a lack of good design sense.

For this very reason, we are trying very hard to keep all ads below what we consider the sacred space around the masthead and the upper left.

As for our very positive review of Domino - it has been entirely heartfelt and genuine, but we are hardly without skepticism. We will continue to view our opinions AND seek yours. No store or advertiser is sacred as far as our editorial goes. Whether Domino turns out to be a stinker or saviour, we'll say so and hope you will too.

Now, as we await a check in the mail.... onward and upward with the blogs! MGR

Comments (5)

Thanks for acknowledging this. You said it was coming but it was still a surprise to see it in the main section. It took me a second to figure out what was going on. But now that I realize it, I will go ahead and ignore it ;) Good luck with the new moola!

posted by michele on 2005-04-27 10:40:29

I think it is great that you accept online advertising. You should profit from all the hard work you put into this excellent site.

One quibble-- Domino makes it a bit difficult to enter the sweeps they are advertising without subscribing. They should be a bit more upfront that they are using the sweeps as a way to grab names to sell subscriptions to.

Still, I heard about Domino through AT. I have already subscribed and just got my first issue. I wish your site and this ad could somehow "get the credit" for my sign up.

Good luck with accepting online ads!

posted by Rare on 2005-04-27 10:41:34

Hey, whatever keeps the site going and growing. I'm all for!! And personally, I'd rather see "content related banners" like these than for something that may have no relevence to the audience whatsoever.

posted by patrick (the other one) on 2005-04-27 14:01:56

Great! income....

now buy some new servers! you'll be needing them soon.

posted by me of me inc. on 2005-04-27 16:53:05

I originally heard of this through a friend of mine who I know in actual person, and with whom I sometimes share e-mail, voicemail, facemail (speak in person), and in some cases sneakermail (here -- want this?) and I've obviously become addicted to it.

Besides being smart, it's also PRETTY! Even the typeface, etc., not just the apartments, etc. I hope that you'll get more online advertisers, but especially if it's very, very cool stuff that we need/want anyway, and please always require that their ads look as cool as the ones that are here now, OK?

Like, make Chelsea Mini Storage make their ads look better -- that one's not so purty.

- Curtis

posted by Curtis on 2005-04-28 18:51:52