Something I don't understand about DU...

[WillieDee]

If this is a donation-type site, why are there still ads all over the place? The flaming shopping cart ad is killing my poor dial-up connection.

Logically, donations would negate the need for ads -- or vice versa.

I guess I'm just frustrated because I've donated twice recently, only to see the ads become more outrageous and ubiquitous since then.

[ps1074]

1. I think you can turn ads off

I am not sure though, since I dont have a star next to my name.

[Nickster]

2. Go into the options tab and edit your preferences. There you can turn off

the googles ads as long as you're a donor.

[meganmonkey]

3. Go to Options and then Preferences

and scroll down to where you can turn off Google Ads.

They drive me crazy too.

The other ads on the Greatest page and homepage stay, but the google ads go away.

[tanyev]

4. I finally turned my ads off when the Jesus Camp ads appeared.

Those were too much to tune out.

[shugh514]

5. The Google ads don't negate the need for donations

they are a supplement. I donate and I keep the ads turned on. I want DU to get all the funds it deserves.

[goddess40]

6. Does turning off the ads really change DU's income?

I order through the amazon link - when I remember.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

8. Yeah, because DU gets money when those ads are clicked on.

If they're not there to click on, then DU doesn't get anything from them.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. According To Skinner, Yes

Back when the option became active for donors to turn them off, he posted that it did affect income.
The Professor

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

7. Two things...

1. You can turn the google ads off since you're a donor.

2. There are extensions available for some browsers that will allow you to block ads on any website. If you use Safari (what I have), you can download the SafariBlock extension. And for Firefox and Flock, there is also an extension that will block ads, which is simply called AdBlock.

[liberal N proud]

10. It is a supplemental thing

Welcome to DU Willie.
The adds were added several months ago as a supplement to the donations. It will keep the cost down to the donors.

[displacedtexan]

11. The great thing about DU...

... is that you don't have to donate to enjoy the site.

If you can afford even a few bucks, though, you can turn off
the ads.

Unlike that other site (which shall remain nameless), DU is
above board about its finances.

[Double T]

12. It costs a big boat load of cash to run an operation like DU..........

donations ALONE can not support the operations or the cause. Thankfully DU has both loyal contributors and paying sponsors!!!!

[sonroadera]

13. This is a huge website though

so it probably takes a lot of money to keep afloat.

[Brazenly Liberal]

14. You can't imagine the costs associated with a site like this one.

They are enormous. Neither donations nor ads negate the need for the other. The ads here - which are nowhere near "outrageous" or "ubiquitous" - are not the type that generate big $$, certainly no more than a fraction of what's needed. Donations are a very dicey way to finance these things. A lot of the costs have to be paid in advance, before the donations come in and before you can have any idea how much in donations will come in.

By the way, I'm on a very slow dialup connection and the ads don't have any real impact on my DU viewing experience.

[lectrobyte]

15. I don't really notice the ads. You've donated, turn them off. I

pay for a few sites, and this one definitely has the highest signal/noise ratio, and is very professionally run. I can only assume they don't get enough in donations to cover everything, hence the need for ads. Likewise for lots of things in life, Cable TV, newspapers, magazines, etc.