Ed explains everything

Have you been wondering what the deal is with the advertising here? Ed Brayton summarizes the situation.

Also, several people have suggested putting up a PayPal donation button or something here. I’m a little reluctant: there has also been talk of using donations to replace the ads, and I don’t think that is easily done — let’s not add any headaches to the process by trying to get some kind of variable approach to ad revenues. I can’t say that you’d be able to donate and I’d make the ads magically disappear for you. Also, one of the ways that we’d like to get better, targeted ads that would benefit the whole of the network is to be able to use the overall traffic as a draw…and if the single biggest traffic generator finds a way to cut himself out of the ad cycle, that would hurt everyone else.

It’s weird. I’m taking a socialist perspective to advertising.

Please stop

Every day, I get a few dozen emails telling me that there are inappropriate ads splattered on the site: people love to send me screencaps of that “Christian singles” ad.

I know.

You can stop telling me now.

They’re bad ads, we all know. Setting up this network wasn’t cheap: it took investment in a server, and most of all, paying out money to people who knew what they were doing in order to set it up. We’re currently in a small financial hole and Ed Brayton is scrambling to get us out of it as quickly as possible, so we can be at least a little bit profitable. We got what we could to bring us some return, while Ed is off shopping the network as a platform for more appropriate advertising. We’ve only been live for a bit more than a month! Be patient. Tolerate (or better yet, ignore) the noise on the sidebar as we try to grow.

But you can stop telling me what I already know, OK?

Did you notice my new haircut?

Yes, I got one the other day, and several observant students noted that I was less shaggy and bear-like.

But did you notice the FtB site revamp? Various things got juggled around, partly in preparation for a new ad service that will be stepping in soon (hopefully, with more appropriate ads), but also to make everyone else’s site almost as pretty as mine. I’ll be tinkering further with the site appearance in the future, but it’s got to wait a while — I’m neck-deep in teaching and also a major grant proposal that has to be done before the end of the month.

Episode CCLII: No way

Rev. Big Dumb Chimp gets a big thumbs down from me for this one: he posted this video in a comment, and then once I started playing it I wasn’t able to turn it off because I was clinging white-knuckled to my chair and desk, and kind of moaning and gibbering. I managed to make it to the end without throwing up, but I think this would be my nightmare job.

(Last edition of TET)

Phase I of world conquest complete; initiating Phase II

Prepare yourselves, minions. Quake in terror, puny humans. The Plan progresses. Today we announce the appearance of the Second Wave of godless champions here at Freethought Blogs.

Alethian Worldview is a counter-apologetics blog formerly known elsewhere as Evangelical Realism. This blog will feature lots of critiques of Christian apologetic arguments.

Assassin Actual is the blog of an atheist Army officer stationed in Iraq. This blog will contain lots of first-person accounts of the war from a real life atheist in a foxhole.

Almost Diamonds is the new blog of Stephanie Zvan, who co-hosts the Atheists Talk radio show in Minnesota. She’ll be writing about science, sex, politics and whatever else she feels like talking about.

Blue Collar Atheist is the already well-established blog of Hank Fox, who moves to FTB to join the lineup.

Butterflies and Wheels is already a very well regarded website run by Free Inquiry columnist and author Ophelia Benson. Ophelia has long been a powerful voice for skepticism and science and we are very proud to have her joining FTB.

Camels with Hammers is the blog of philosopher Daniel Fincke, who teaches at Hofstra and CUNY. He’ll be focusing on the philosophical debates regarding atheism and religion.

Greta Christina brings her self-titled blog to FTB as well. Greta was one of the very first bloggers we thought of to invite to join the new network and we’re thrilled to have her on board. She blogs about atheism, sex and lots more.

Lousy Canuck brings our first non-American blogger to the network. Jason Thibeault is a skeptic and an atheist and his blog has now moved to FTB.

XBlog is the new blog of Greg Laden, a former colleague at ScienceBlogs who decided to throw his hat in with the new project as well. He also co-hosts the Atheists Talk radio show.

Bow down before them, or at least, pay a call on their blogs.

There are more changes coming, too. The ad network is going to get some revision, removing some of the more offensive ads; it looks like the annoying pop-ups will be getting the axe, too (and there was much rejoicing!). We have a web designer taking a look at patching the klunky look, because, you know, when you’re out to take over the world, you want to look pretty while you’re doing it.

And then there will be a Third Wave, and a Fourth, and many others. Victory is assured. You might as well never leave this domain.

Episode CCL: A brief musical interlude

One of the members of this band, Quiet Company, sent me a copy of their latest album, which he said was a personal concept record about his journey from belief to disbelief — I like the idea. And then I listened to it, and I liked the music, too! So here you go, a sample of one song from the album, and if you’re interested, you can look for more on their website.

(Last edition of TET)