Dear Patheos Reader: If You Are Running an “Ad Block” While Reading This You Are Stealing From Writers Like Me

Last updated on: March 12, 2015 at 5:34 pm by Frank Schaeffer

Dear Patheos Reader: If You Are Running an “Ad Block” While Reading This You Are Stealing From Writers Like Me 2015-03-12T17:34:53-06:00 Frank Schaeffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Once upon a time people who read books and articles and listened to music and watched movies paid for their entertainment and learning experiences. Then they–we–got used to free art, writing, music and films. The Internet made this “free” stuff possible. I like the Internet. But thieving is uncool. Mea Culpa! I’ve done my share on online thieving. But that was before I thought about it.

No, I’m not talking morality here. I’m talking selfish interest. See, I want there to be new music, books and movies. And if everyone is a rip off artist art will die.

The problem is that things are complicated now and so I’m not just talking about run of the mill stealing here. I’m talking about something I’ll bet you may never have thought about. I didn’t until recently.

I’m talking about the “Ad Block” rip off.

I’ll explain, but first let me get personal for a moment. I’m a writer. All I have to live on is what my books make for me either in sales on paper or online. These days lots of those sales depend on my blogging platform.

Blogging is a way to say what I think needs saying and also to keep my name in front of readers. And without that platform, places like Patheos, Salon and Huffington Post I can’t earn a living. Nor can any other writers except for a few big name celebrities.

So when readers use Ad Block programs to read my material without the ads I understand the aesthetic impulse but I wonder how they think that platforms that allow writers who are just working stiffs like me to exist at all will stay in business. You are already reading the work for free. Do you really want to harm the site by blocking the last and only revenue source?

You see running a site like Patheos.com (that gives me the freedom to write) and that provides me and hundreds of other writers, with a platform isn’t free.

The people who advertise count the number of times a page is opened with their ad on it. They discount page views where the Ad Block is used. In other words you block the ad and by doing harm the lifeblood of the site.

So those using Ad Block aren’t just reading for free, they’re more or less shop lifting too.

They are taking away the base that means people like me get to write. No platforms in this new writers online market equals no writers–eventually. Do you really want only the vast media based sites to survive? Don’t you want indy and feisty voices like Patheos out there?

So please think about it before you not only read for free but use a program–that if everyone used it–would shut down this “bookstore” the same way so many bricks and mortar stores are closed. I happen to know that there are so many readers using Ad Block already who are Patheos readers that they have managed to hurt this site. If that’s you, did you mean to do that? I’ll bet you did not.

Thank you! Please just put up with a little intrusion and keep reading.

Frank Schaeffer is a writer. His latest book —WHY I AM AN ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES IN GOD: How to give love, create beauty and find peace

Available now on Amazon

Follow Frank on Twitter www.twitter.com/frank_schaefferSee Frank’s paintings http://www.frankschaefferart.com/Follow Frank on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16Contact Frank at http://www.frankschaeffer.com/

Previous Post

February 10, 2015

What Prayer Means to Me

Next Post

February 11, 2015 Breaking NEWS: Bill Maher, Dawkins Fan 'New Atheist' Charged with Shooting Three Arab Students Execution Style-- Hicks Loved Guns and Richard Dawkins

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art children Christmas family parenting political humor politics religion sex Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz