While they don’t “force” you to accept ads, they have put in to place a couple of things which accomplish exactly the same end.

1. If you do not accept any ads, they will place your e-card at the very end of your category in campaign. This means that you will potentially get many fewer blogs to spend EC to appear on your widget. [UPDATE: I just checked again, and they may have changed this without noting it, because I can not find it at this point. If anyone has an answer, please post to comments. Thanks.]

2. If people do not agree to and accept ads, eventually, they will actually more or less force you to do so, as Phirate notes below:

“the "Community Support Rating", a collection of variables formed into a score which will selectively enable or disable particular features across Entrecard based on your involvement with the community (NOT just whether you accept paid ads).”

Please note that Phirate does not state what exactly the punishment would be, just that your refusal to accept ads, among other things, would result in “something”, presumably meant as a punishment.

Another issue was brought up in the forum by an EC member who stated the following:

“Lets say that two blogs A and B are in the same category, have the same popularity score and both sell for the same EC price.
Blogger A never accepts paid ads, so anyone buying a spot on their widget beginning today, gets full exposure. If this is a true economic market their EC buy rate will always be higher than
Blogger B, who accepts all paid ads, and anyone who purchases space on their widget only gets 50% exposure.
So blogger B, the good camper, earns less for each ad purchased on their blog.”

To which Phirate responded as follows:

“That said, it would be disingenuous to say it couldn't happen, so it's possible that EC advertisers who bought your spot in good faith will have their impressions cut in half. ”

So in other words, if you play along, and attempt to help EC earn some $ through the ads (which is fine, and I was willing to do this until I found out that my regular EC advertisers would now only receive 50% of the impressions that they expected and paid for), both you and your regular advertisers will be harmed. You will find your ad price falling, as well as receiving fewer clicks for the ads you place. Your advertisers (not the paid ads) will receive fewer clicks/less traffic from the ads they place with you.

I rarely whine without offering a solution of sorts, and thus I suggest that Entrecard consider offering their users a choice.

1. Allow users to choose whether to run the ads or pay a monthly fee to use EC.
2. Allow the ads to run on a separate widget, or alternatively, side by side in one widget so that ad impressions for EC blogs are not cut in half.

Dr. Cameron: “Men should grow up.”
Dr. House: “Yeah, and dogs should stop licking themselves. It's not going to happen.”

Image source Wikimedia Commons.

One of the things I see, and we're talkin' a lot of blogs on Entrecard now, is blogs with names that have absolutely no relationship to their content. None. Whatsoever. It is annoying, at the least, and damn inconsiderate at the worst. It is also freaking stupid.

I won't name names here, but will give a few imaginary examples. I bet that you too could name reams of these blogs.

A blog with a name like "Hot in Stilettos", that contains only pay per post stuff related to all and sundry, all of it completely unrelated to the title of the blog, is just nonsense. Really. Get a clue, if you recognize yourself. Unless you wish to be dropping entrecards for the rest of your pathetic blog's existence.

A blog with a name like "Sally Sue's Writing", again containing nothing but pay per post articles, sucks. If you give a blog a name that has "writing" in the title, we expect to see something other than badly written articles ads for various and sundry sponsors. You waste our time, and make us mad when you lie via your title about your content.

And really, need I tell you that a blog entitled "Tips for Romance" is not expected to be about how, where and why you are going to find your next sexual conquest. Nor is it expected to be about the display of your own immaturity and misogynistic attitude. Try a name like " The Misogynist". Need I say more?

So what's your opinion? Have you ever seethed re these mistitled blogs?

“No, there is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries posted every twenty feet between love and hate.”

Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, from the television series, "House"

Image source Wikimedia Commons.

New Year resolutions are said to be rarely kept. Something like 3% of them are actually ever acted upon according to a news report on network tv.

But, think about it. If we don't even bother to make these resolutions, how much less likely are we to act upon them? In my opinion, setting goals is always a good thing. And, so I am setting my goals for the new year.

The order isn't relevant, however, hopefully, the resolutions will be. I won't pinky swear though.

1. I am going to make a concerted effort to live more green.
Currently, I participate in the local recycling program, and have for at least 12 years. But, this really is a minor thing, and I believe that we all need to do more.
- I plan to cut out fast food completely. Our landfills, are overflowing with containers from McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc.. Enough already. If they can't be compelled to be more responsible in their packaging, then I will not buy from them.
- I will begin composting.
- I am going to buy organic as much as possible.
- I am buying an old-fashioned push mower.
- I will walk more, for example, to the drugstore, which is only a mile from my home.
- I am changing all of my bulbs to energy efficient bulbs.

2. I will forgive that group which brought our country to the brink of fascism, and economic annihilation. But, I will watch them. And, I will continue to speak out. I will never again retreat in to the comfort and complacency of my lifestyle. This matters.

3. I will spend more time on my art, and less time on things that shouldn't matter. For myself, for my family, for my own sanity.

4. I will strive to heal my family, which has been adrift since my Mother died in 2004. I will be more supportive to my brothers and my Father. They deserve it. They have dealt with my depression and resultant reclusiveness for four long years now. I will win my battle against depression in 2009.

5. I will do more to help others. I am going to:
- volunteer to once again teach art to children
- volunteer in nursing homes
- perform other charitable work as I see an opportunity.

6. I will be more patient with my son, who is struggling to find his own way. Nineteen is still a tender age, he is the love of my life, and he deserves only the best from me.

So, that's it for now. Did you make any resolutions for 2009? If so, share in a comment.

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.”

Anais Nin

Image from Wikimedia Commons.