Blog Financial Update: Two Milestones Achieved!

In one of my first entries, I promised to provide updates when I reached certain financial milestones, and I am pleased to announced that I have surpassed the first two milestones on my 9-part plan of earning $1 million:

$1 - Exceeded!

$5 - Exceeded!

$25

$100

$500

$1000

$50,000

$250,000

$1,000,000

 To date, the site has generated $8.48 in its first month.

Google AdSense lists "5 Steps To Getting Paid" on its Payments Guide. Briefly, they are, with my commentary:

1.) Check your address

No problem.

2.) Provide your tax information

Oh oh, I didn't realize that the feds were going to get involved. That may complicate things s;ightly.

3.) Select your form of payment

"Cash" or "Under the Table" would be preferable, but I did not see either one of these as an available option.

4.) Enter your PIN

OK, sounds easy.

5.) Generate $100 in earnings

Milestone #4 just became significantly more important. At my current rate, I would receive payment in approximately March, 2009. Fortunately, the site is improving with new features and contributors, and I really feel that it's just about ready to take off.

A New Author For The Blog

Much of blogging is the act of recreating one's own day with the intention of stupefying readers with such a deep level of boredom that they can no longer find the energy to change the web address and are therefore trapped in a downward spiral of lethargy and mental atrophy. This blog is not one of those. As Franz has repeatedly pointed out (if not repeatedly to you in tbe blog, at least to me outside of it), this is one of the most interesting and useful web pages that exist. My intention in writing in this blog is, quite honestly, selfish. Franz has stated a desire to someday support himself financially through the act of blogging (and his wife's income) alone. Frankly, it just isn't happening quickly enough. Therefore I will be adding some blogs to help cover a wider range of topics in an effort to inspire readers to visit our page and click on the ads. After awhile you won't bother reading what I write- it probably isn't good anyway. The ads on the other hand are awe inspiring and will bring joy into your life when you click on them- really.

Please Welcome Alaina Paulson

I have fielded numerous requests to provide more features and content that my readers crave, and I am happy to introduce Alaina Paulson (the fake?) as a new contributor to the blog. Alaina will bring new topics and perspectives that I feel will complement this site's agenda quite well. Welcome, Alaina!

As an aside, we're always looking for new contributors, and I hope to be adding more in the near future--let me know if you feel that you are up to the challenge! In the meantime, please keep your comments and recommendations rolling in! My goal is for this to be the first site that you check every time you get on the Internet.

Loans Among Friends

Here's an interesting idea: loans among friends bypassing the bank (aka, "the man"). Traditionally, these have been informal and fairly difficult to enforce, so I could only really recommend them for the recipient unless the lender had close associates with names like Bruno and Guido. Well, Virgin Money has a solution to formalize this process.

Only downside for the lender: the usury limit in Illinois is a mere 9%. Still, you loan sharks out there could still come out ahead.

AdSense Update

I promised to let everyone know when I reached certain financial milestone goals pertaining to my AdSense displays. Unfortunately, I am still working on clearing that first $1. It has been said that the first $1 million is the hardest to make, and I have to presume that this amount scales downward as well, so the first $1 must be very difficult to make.

I would like to thank everyone who has clicked on the ads--you know who you are even if I don't. But I do know a lot of information regarding my site traffic and how my ads are doing, and I must say that I'm disappointed. How difficult is it to click on a few ads in the spirit of American capitalism when visiting what is, in my humble opinion, the most informative and entertaining website on the Internet? I'm not going to encourage or ask you, my dear users, to click on any of the Google ads. It's not because I am above such groveling, however. I simply want to remain compliant with the Google AdSense Program Policies, which include:

Encouraging clicks

In order to ensure a good experience for users and advertisers, publishers may not request that users click the ads on their sites or rely on deceptive implementation methods to obtain clicks. Publishers participating in the AdSense program:

• May not encourage users to click the Google ads by using phrases such as "click the ads," "support us," "visit these links," or other similar language
• May not direct user attention to the ads via arrows or other graphical gimmicks
• May not place misleading images alongside individual ads
• May not promote sites displaying ads through unsolicited mass emails or unwanted advertisements on third-party websites
• May not compensate users for viewing ads or performing searches, or promise compensation to a third party for such behavior
• May not place misleading labels above Google ad units - for instance, ads may be labeled "Sponsored Links" but not "Favorite Sites"

Interesting, these prohibitions do not include "soft persuasions" such as attempting to guilt visitors into clicking on ads due to the idea of maintaining a civil responsibility in line with our American ideals of capitalism and the concept that superior website content should be financially awarded. You may be familiar with this type of guilt if you have ever had to sit through a PBS pledge drive--although, in such a case, I must be quick to point out, they are actively asking you for "support" or "money", which I will never do. Theoretically speaking, however, I would not actively discourage any sort of support even though I may not specifically ask for it.

Perhaps even more interesting is that Google's prohibitions do not include "hard persuasions", which would include such techniques as personal threats (as long as they are not actually placed on the blogsite, which I think could logically be construed as "encouraging users" via phrases, and, hence, a violation of the first rule) or the use or practice of such controversial techniques as waterboarding. [Legal disclaimer: Please check with your laws before engaging in such "hard persuasions" activities as you may be subject to jurisdiction governing, restricting, or prohibiting their use.]

New Google Search Bar!

There's an exciting update to the site! It now includes a Google Search bar for all of your search engine needs. There are a few other search engines out there, but I believe that only one has entered the lexicon as a verb, as in "Google it". It's my engine of choice, and now you can use it directly from my site. There are two distinct bonuses to doing it this way:

1.) The primary reason is that you get to visit my site for exciting updates. My goal is to be your Internet portal.

2.) There could potentially be some financial benefits for me. In the spirit of full disclosure, the AdSense site reads, "Offer your users web search while earning revenue for ads relevant to their search items." So, if you use the search bar on my site to look for information, goods, or services, and then click on one of the paid advertisers relevant to your search, I will receive some compensation.

Everyone wins!