My Site Will Remain Open for All to Read, Even as More Sites Put Up Paywalls.
By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET.
The latest example of a big website putting up a paywall is Reuters. Bloomberg did so some time ago. Business Insider put much of their content behind a paywall. Zero Hedge also put some content behind a paywall. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and myriad other sites have put their content behind paywalls. The reason is simple: it makes financial sense. And for many, it’s a matter of survival.
Running a website on advertising revenues alone – the model of the “free internet” – is becoming more and more precarious, thanks to the internet advertising industry that has inserted itself in dense and opaque layers between the advertiser and the publisher. Google is the top dog, and its far-reaching domination of internet advertising and the many billions of dollars it extracts every year from it have done more damage to publishers than just about anything else.
Yet, even behind the paywall, readers still encounter the darn ads. It’s not a subscription instead of ads; it’s a subscription plus ads.
Reuters, which is a division of Thomson Reuters, announced on Thursday that it would charge $34.99 a month for a subscription, same as Bloomberg, but lower than the Wall Street Journal. At the moment, Reuters is still free, and a date hasn’t been announced yet when the paywall will go up.
And then there are the ad-blocker blockers that an increasing number of sites use. If you use an ad blocker or a browser that is set to block ads, those sites will not work.
I totally get why readers block ads – they’re a big distraction. And I totally get why websites block readers that use ad blockers because sites cannot make any revenues when readers block the ads.
Let me reassure you, Dear Readers, that I will not hide any of my content behind a paywall, and that I will not use ad blocker blockers.
I’m just the little guy between the boots of giants, but I’m having a blast. From the outset, my site was designed to be free for everyone. I like it that way. It gives WOLF STREET much more traction. It widens the community of regular and not so regular readers and commenters. And it’s a lot more fun.
This is my last gig, and I’ll keep doing it until my brain freezes over because it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done professionally, and part of the excitement is having a site that is open to all.
Donations are crucial; WOLF STREET needs your support.
Donations are also special. They show me that what I’m doing matters to you. And I immensely appreciate each donation. And your donations are crucial in supporting WOLF STREET.
Many of you generously donate throughout the year by clicking on the little beer mug at the bottom of each article, and I thank you!!
Some readers use ad blockers. And I totally get it. But ad blockers block my site’s ad revenues. So, I appreciate it immensely if you want to support WOLF STREET with a donation.
The donate button takes you to WOLF STREET’s PayPal page where you can use your debit or credit card. No need to have a PayPal account. If you get where it asks you set up a PayPal account, back out.
Tip: On that initial PayPal page, enter the amount you wish to donate before clicking “Donate with a Debit or Credit Card”:
You can also mail a check to (very much appreciated):
Wolf Street Corp
1288 Columbus Ave. #196
San Francisco, CA 94133
Thank-you gesture: an infamous WOLF STREET glass-mug if you donate $100 or more.
I still have some of these “Nothing Goes to Heck in a Straight Line” 15-oz glass mugs at my media mogul empire headquarters. They sport a wrap-around design with a hilarious wolf on one side (that would be me), howling, “Nothing Goes to Heck in a Straight Line”:
If you donate a very generous $100 or more and would like a mug, please specifically email me because not everyone wants a mug, and I already sent mugs to people who didn’t want one.
In your email, please include:
- Your name
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- Your phone number (FedEx will not deliver without it).
Send the email to: howlatwolfstreet@gmail.com
Thank you, Dear Readers, for coming to WOLF STREET, and thank you for your support!!
Wolf
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I pay £34 pa for an ad blocker which covers numerous sites some of which have become ad blocker blockers. Problem is one has got used to skimming through many sites that are now income deficient. In the old days one bought a physical newspaper to read but this is now an archaic concept. One struggles with an ad blocker moral problem with no resolution. One can only be sympathetic to the dilemma.
For the sites where I block ads (I leave ads on for the sites I use frequently, like WS) the issue is less ad irritation than page load speed.
A lot of sites do not optimize their pages and go insanely overboard with ad space…all those sometime slow ad network calls can really, really hurt page load times.
I run an ad-blocking browser out of convenience, and I just made a $50 donation. I’m relatively new to the site, but I’ve learned a lot already and have forwarded several of your articles.
Keep up the good work!
I’m a $5 a month contributor, that allows a steady stream of income. I should and will increase it. Your writing is priceless.
I absolutely do not get the use of ad blockers.
They do not cover the content at all here.
I must have a very good ability to focus compared to many of you because they have zero effect on my concentration.
And sometimes I see things I’m curious about so I spend some time on yet another (often worthwhile) learning experience…maybe it’s because I’m immune to advertising (I only buy what I need, and it isn’t much) and many of you are not, which I find sad.
That said, I still send a $100 check once a year or so and skip the mug.
You are so bright, why not do an annual subscription for like $50-$100? I would certainly be willing to pay that for your very rich information content, or perhaps an annual contribution at some rate. You are much appreciated and a very smart guy. Are you perhaps an accountant /financial person by education? Always enjoy your many many articles. Thanks.
Steve L,
I’m not doing it for the reasons I explained in the article above. And I’ll repeat it here:
“I’m just the little buy between the boots of giants, but I’m having a blast. From the outset, my site was designed to be free for everyone. I like it that way. It gives WOLF STREET much more traction. It widens the community of regular and not so regular readers and commenters. And it’s a lot more fun.
“This is my last gig, and I’ll keep doing it until my brain freezes over because it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever done professionally, and part of the excitement is having a site that is open to all.”
Nice one Wolf, tried to send you 10 dollar which I know is only a begal and coffee these days but it didnt seem to go through. We’ll all be charitable soon
Reuters will soon cost $34.99 per month to access their data.
For many, if not all Reuters readers this will be a synch?.
It will become a tax deduction paid for by us, the common man & our Hard Earned Tax Dollars.
If a fair go for everyone & information is freedom & therefore .. was in play here .. the subscription fees would be income tested.
And being a suspicious old woman .. I assume that there is a little more than “Oh my God we at REUTERS are almost broke” in play here.
And it then comes to .. how many readers will we lose if we charge money.
If no one reader your stuff .. does it matter as long as you are out there ??
“We never look out the window anyway.”
And if this is the case .. are U .. REUTERS just another tax deduction & the who’s ??
????
Your comment reminds me of when I was at University of Florida and attending a football game in Auburn Alabama. We were hungover and before pre-gaming, wanted to get something to eat. We asked the guy at the hotel where there was a bagel shop in town. He said: “A Beaguhul? You mean one of them dogs with long ears?” Pre- internet of course…
Do the ad networks prohibit dedicated “ad pages”?
(I may have asked this before but I don’t recall an answer)
I know that “banner blindness” leads to low click thru for me, but that I would frequently review a dedicated “ad page” in support of sites WS.
That would mean more click thru and more revenue to you.
I’m sure your readers might have a lot more revenue ideas if you lay out the broad outlines of how your ad network partners operate (pay on view, click thru, or sale, any affiliate deals, etc.).
I think a big key is simply trying to integrate ad sales incentives to the furthest extent possible with the ongoing general, basic needs of your readership.
The ad networks tend to segment and deliver ads based on site topic and keywords…but financial decision making tends to be high dollar and more or less one off…things less likely to be influenced by a banner ad.
On the other hand…something like a streaming ticker of RetailMeNot-like promo codes (I don’t know if such things exist in ad network world) would be more likely to get click thru because they implicate frequent, low dollar purchases.
A dedicated page for relevant affiliate deals would also be beneficial…that way the same ads are continuously up in a single, known place for grateful WS readers to periodically review.
If nothing else, a page listing suggested books/DVDs routed through an Amazon affiliate account would be helpful.
Banner ads are too transient and easy to read right thru when focused on page content.
AdWords doesn’t allow that and it would be ineffective. Virtually nobody will visited a dedicated ad page. Amazon pays peanuts. Google AdWords is about as potent as it gets, unless you want to tack onto the footer 56 sleazy ads via Taboola or similar (and they’re picking ones to please).
It doesn’t get much better or easier than AdSense. It is a bit sad that though they are accepting less sites, revenue for publishers is still declining. Franky, though, it’s justified – because they do offer the best and easiest solution. A serious competing ad network is what is needed, but there are none.
Laser targeting high commission products via affiliate programs makes money, but it’s hard – and you need the right niche (of which maybe this isn’t) or sell something original to your audience. In this case that’d probably be a membership but Wolf is loathe to do that (bless his heart, so generous).
I’m sorry, Wolf. You deserve better and more from Google but they have the upper hand. It would appear that you can either do what you love and get the short end of the stick or setup a paywall compromise your mission. I hope a better way becomes apparent at some point.
By AdWords, I mean AdSense, of course (same creature, different part).
Quite glad I got out of monetizing with AdSense. I traded $4,000/mo revenue for $250,000 cold hard cash. Now Google is someone else’s thing to worry about (and Weimar Boy is mine).
Doesn’t matter, as soon those that control the all that is important to us will lockout, censor, Websites not in compliance with them and their edicts and propaganda. i.e. only the the tyranny’s view will be permitted.
They are to do this via SSL encryption certificates turned into de facto permits to publish. Those wishing to publish on the Internet, anything, will require a “valid” SSL certificate be obtained and maintained. Browsers will not be able to connect to sites without a valid certificate, or has had their certificate “revoked.” Chrome already has a beta like version of this “privacy feature.”
At some point, the Internet’s “plumbing” will not permit the transmission of non-SSL encrypted traffic.
Another method of censorship will probably come via locking out sites vie their Cloudflare “service.”
Watch for it.
Roy Mankin,
This site is encrypted and has a valid SSL certificate. It’s not a biggie. And there are lots of good reasons to do so.
I am an IT Architect. Wolf is right, SSL is not a right to publish, it is an identity verification tool.
Google ‘Let’s Encrypt’
It is a free open source to auto-magically update SSL certs, no big tech or government involved.
Websites choose to use a service like Cloudflare or not. They don’t have control over anybody who doesn’t give them control. Most never do and they can leave any time they want. It’s just a service; take it or leave it.
What you fear about SSL is technically possible, though outlandish. If your worst fears were realized, the open source community (of which there runs a libertarian streak) would fork Chromium and establish new certificate authorities like Let’s Encrypt (assuming they fell to the dark side).
I’ve been a full-time web developer for 20 years and I’m afraid you’e been listening to someone either uninformed or just a plain old fear monger. Generally speaking, the news people don’t know what they’re talking about and the government people don’t understand the Internet.
i wasn’t gonna bother to write in to show my support until you got barraged / i AGREE.
Wolf is the one who inspired me to go back online as a writer, using wordpress, and yeah– the Bartleby side of his Bartleby/James Bond persona gives great “tech support”/ i can attest that he is clearer than all the wordpress books or the forum where the answers make non tech people fret over ..well, go read the wordpress tech support forum to watch once eager website builders elegantly destroyed online because well, it’s like silence of the lambs… to understand your opponent you have to think like them and it can make you insane because it’s a bloodless way of thinking, to see in code. code may be poetry but …it’s also still cards with punches on ’em that made Jacquard weaves.
and yes, SSL is a nightmare, free or “included.” / you have to go back to school starting with kindergarten to get WHY SSLs and such. us people in the regular world know that you buy a computer program with more committment than is even possible in the romantic realm anymore, and you know you’re locked into the $ubscription for Life.
i quit back at CS2. i burnt out on keeping up and wasting my LIFE on reading soulless updates to justify the cost and i lost actual creativity the more i tried to model my entire creative MIND on some team in silicon valley.
point is i eventually resented being forced to think like the people who’d killed San Francisco. before covid. covid is just necrophilia playing out before our eyes. a snuff film where you eat whatever you shtupped at the very end because …where is there left to GO?
that’s what i rebelled against, for romance and the James Bond side of Wolf. that side’s been coming out more and more so i believe in Romance again after all.
i’m up two points while The Regular World / Normal People are at 0. they may have all the money but we artists actually will in the end control the STORY.
that is if we can remind you that you have genitals now that the state’s got everyone happy to cut ’em off.
so SSL’s ARE a big deal because it’s part of the nickle-and-diming of the middle men of silicon valley THINKING (armchair “give me that” living) that’s got you online publishers only successful if you’re a one-person enterprise (see substack etc).
Wolf, as well as the commenters here, gave me the inspiration to wade back into the online world and all the reading, thinking, questioning, calling of Wolf made me realize that I WAS TOO TIRED TO ACTUALLY THINK ANYTHING NEW OR EDIT DOWN WHATEVER EVENTUALLY CAME OUT.
i was living life online, losing time doing the messy art with brush and ink everywhere all over me.
life since the 1990s since i got my first apple powerbook 150, has been all to keep my devices up and running and i never learned all the crap they can do.
and it was doing the same to the WORLD.
so yeah. fuck SSL’s because if you don’t have ’em, google won’t LIST you in searches because you’re like a dirty hoe, untested.
what’s so great about tech when you spend more time trying to learn and spend and keep out all that you’re inviting in???
nah. i see what this type of thinking is doing to THE WORLD and i’m out. i quit.
i tend to my own website as often as gas stations clean their bathrooms around in back so that i can struggle to be the Eve to New Life in The Real.
so fuck SSL. and all the rest that comes with it. well, i’m doing the bare minimum because the internet IS a great fucking idea. IN ITS PLACE.
anyhow, i realized i want to court people who use duck duck go, anyhow. maybe i come up there. i don’t know or care anymore.
i’m finally back to the place where even i know i’m more interesting than ANYTHING you will find online or on your phone. in Real Life. and that’s the only thing i’ve got that will start a New World in Real Life. seeing me in person. daring to step up and say hello like Wolf did.
THAT alone let me know he was James Bond. no lie.
some of you here know what i’m talking about.
you usually have to come from Old New York or be Puerto Rican or have almost died or have been born before 1962 to see me as the fluffy fearless tribble that i truly am.
screw SSL’s. even James Bond would find them fussy.
anyhow, expensive paywalls further cordon off The Conversation so things are going to get Interesting.
that’s why i give up on the Internet and Its Dreams. / Our Nightmares.
i’m one woman. i don’t care about changing or saving a world that don’t wanna be saved no more. i care only about getting ready for my OWN pair of custom fitted SILVER leather pantalones.
fuck SSL over leather.
that’s why i’m going to leather. because i can get leather from america. as The Artist, i’m BACKING INTO what’s next. the more you take away, the more i decide i love new BOUNDARIES and challenges.
fuck saving The World: “how can I MYSELF go against what i am being incentivized to do???”
Unamused is alive and i’m shtupping his corpse in remembering his pillow talk advices: “ask the right QUESTIONS…”
how’s THAT for an exit? and all i’d do is think of leaving an earring on the nightstand to be called back later but i was always too VAIN to leave lopsided.
agree with Roy Mankin.
and it IS James Bond of Wolf to avoid being not only co-opted this long, but that he’s still RELEVANT is … well, it’s JAMES BONDIAN in itself.
gotta go. James back upstairs from working out on his way overpriced American weight set bought during the gym shutdowns. this is part of Real Life coming first. gotta go BE with my bestest friend EVER.
i’m SO lucky to have a Thames over SSL and all it’d offer me.
Thames is somehow what i call James. have NO idea how that happened.
x
I’ve become a regular reader here at Wolf Street. I bring it up every day, before hitting Naked Capitalism. I hope these sites can continue for years ahead. We need them; I need them. The primary reason I donate, and I’m not financially ‘set’ as others might be, is because they make my life better, and that’s what I need to do in order to square up with them and not feel that I’ve taken advantage of them.
The payment option is PayPal or credit card. When you choose CC, the url says:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/guest?token=H192YIjlj8AIS8-CSQAvAmsPrWUV7JEK9Sj1jsEVnxdVtjsi8UVg9t0VU32X_HeS9UPu-olZa-EMUBSz, i.e. still PayPal?
:)
Yes. I use PayPal only as a payment transaction platform so I don’t have to take your credit card number. PayPal does all that, and I never see any of your CC info, which is how I like it. So the whole transaction will be on the PayPal platform, and PayPal charges your credit card and then sends Wolf Street Corp the money — after deducting the fee.
Never really knew how Paypal worked/what its specific appeal was.
Is the primary benefit to sellers that,
1) They never hold CC info, so no possible breach/liability issues and
2) I imagine Paypal also offloads chargeback headaches for cancelled/rejected sales,
3) Anything else?
For buyers, the appeal is…
1) CC info disclosed to only one intermediary rather than an universe of sellers?
Is that pretty much it?
From such humble acorns, mighty oaks grow…
Cas127,
For me, the reason I use PayPal is your item #1.
Your item #2 doesn’t affect me. But my understanding is that PayPal does do charge-backs for certain things, disputes, etc., and that vendors are not protected from charge-backs.
Two decades or so ago, PayPal worked in conjunction with eBay, giving buyers and sellers a direct way to transact without having to go through cumbersome banking relationships or credit card setups at the time. PayPal instantly sends out an email to the seller when the payment is made, so the seller knows he got paid, and can then send the merchandise. It was a huge improvement over the legacy systems that weren’t at all set up to deal with ecommerce.
Today, there are many other modern payment systems, including one set up by a large number of US banks (Zelle) which works well and is free, but is not universal and cannot be used for transfers to accounts at non-participating banks, including foreign banks.
I was thinking of adding Zelle as a payment option (no fees!), but it just complicates things because not that many people know what it is, and then I end up having to answer a bunch of questions about it and do tech support :-]
Paypall effectively works like Greensill without selling the bills to yield hungry investors.
Had Paypall started in the era printing forever, and debt out the wazoo, it would have ended like Greensill. :)
Maximus Minumus,
Some confusion here. PayPal just processes payments between two parties, similar to Visa, but in a more convenient way and for about the same price. Like Visa, it doesn’t have credit risk and doesn’t lend money.
PayPal has recently established partnership with WebBank and offers WebBank loans to PayPal customers. WebBank is the lender and takes the credit risk on those loans.
Greensill was doing reverse factoring, meaning lending to the purchaser, based on payables invoices (“supply chain financing”) and was then selling those loans to investors.
What Greensill did has zero to do with what PayPal is doing.
What ever happened to that PayPal guy? Elon, or Ilon Something? He ever have any other ideas?
Good one. ;)
I think he tries to keep PayPal off his resume because, as revolutionary as it was in the beginning, today it’s a bag of vomit (and has been for more than 10 years).
The complex link is because paypal generates a hash for each individual click and following transaction. That specific link expires after a while.
I’ve ran into problems before when people try to share their links.
I’m thankful for what you do Wolf, and glad to contribute.
WOLF – The plea for $$$ is a necessity. I will send you $$$ in December, as I always do – best money I spend every year.
Thank you!!
Thanks Wolf your service and views are very welcome in my neck of the woods, would love to make a donation to your cause. I am very grateful for your efforts
Regards Peter Stefaniw
Wolf, have you considered getting micropayments through Brave?
I think what they are doing is an elegant way to solve the Ad mess
I looked into it. Under this program, Brave blocks my ads and then puts its own ads on my site, and collects money from its ads on my site, and then doesn’t even pay me with real money but some minuscule worthless tokens that readers might donate. I have no idea why any publisher would fall for this. This is even worse than what Google is doing.
How scummy of them. Never heard of the company, but I’ve heard enough.
As a user of the Brave Browser I have not seen a Brave ad come across other than the push notifications that seem to be on a timer regardless of what page I view.
Furthermore, since you requested AND your content is highly worthwhile, I have set the Brave AD-Block to allow for ads and the subsequent revenue to tally.
Using the browser, I have accumulated about 10 USD of their micropayment currency (BAT) and I second UBIK notion of ‘signing up’ to receive tip contributions. But I don’t know what is involved from the host/content provider, so if theres a deal with the devil in there, by all means don’t do it.
Still I have these silly tokens burning a hole in my pocket and I cant think of anyone who deserves them more, and you happened to post an article suggesting donations…
I’ll dig deep and get you some funds one way or another.
Thanks
Jao
Interesting that they control all your adds. Seems self defeating as a way to grow adoption.
I’m very surprised that sites like https://www.theguardian.com/uk are signed up.
They don’t control the ads. The browser has a built in ad blocker.
The user of the browser can choose to get unobtrusive ad notifications while browser, which earns them BAT. The user can choose to automatically auto donate the BAT each month or manually allocate to the publisher.
It is of particular value to websites that have been blocked by payment processors, which is some for not the reasons you may think.
I choose to donate BAT to some websites I enjoy each month.
1) SPX weekly, linear.
2) There is a RSI line connecting Feb 2018 low and Dec 17 2020 close.
This line go straight to Mar 2020 low.
3) Let’s call Feb low A and Mar 2020 low B.
4) There is a RSI line between Mar 2020 low and Oct 26 close.
5) This line go straight to Apr 12 2021 high. Let’s call last Fri high C.
6) A-B-C is a triangle. Split it in the middle, with a 90 degrees vertical to Mar 2020 low. Now we have two triangles.
7) Jan 2018 to Mar 2020 is a megaphone pattern.
8) The megaphone half line is Jan 29/ Feb 5 2918 gap at about 2,750.
9) There are two Harami’ candles that will provide support in the future :
Feb 10/ 18 2020 and Feb 24/ Mar 2 2020.
10) SPX might osc mostly between 4,200 and 2,750 forming an inverse H&S with Mar 2020 low, pumping muscles for several years, probably for a about decade.
11) Thank u Wolf.
Why do they do this to themselves ??
“You want my readership ??”
“Let us assume .. that you want my readership”
“And now .. you want me to jump through hoops like a trained dog.”
“All this for you .. because ??”
Do they want our readership ??
Maybe not.
Maybe it’s way too much of a hassle ?
Come on now .. weather we read or not .. WGAShite
Weather we read or not is really of no cocequence to them.
A loss is tax deductible ..
They are subsidises by patrons who want the scheme of thing to remain as secure as they are.
To recite the rules of their game to us over & over ..
“DON”T ROCK THE BOAT”
“DON”T ROCK THE BOAT”
“DON”T ROCK THE BOAT”
Has it occurred to us that maybe they really can’t be bothered.
And / Or .. that they see themselves as an exclusive entity that needs to keep lowlife away.
Lowlife .. who they talkin’ about man ??
US ??
Hypothetical.
Let us walk on the wild side for a bit ..
Billy Hwang is a real dude in the money world.
..’reckless dude’
.. what ?? ?
.. ‘a reckless dude’
.. how do you figure that ?? ?
?
Based on $500 million security held in a tax exempt .. not for profit charity.
Banks threw money at him, hand over fist, in a frenzied gambling spree.
Money to the tune of One Hundred Billion Dollars / $100,000,000,000.
.. “Insanity” ?
.. “Sheer insanity, pure & simple”?
.. Yep !!
Then Billy Hwang lost it all.
Okay .. there was more .. there was some mucking around & Billy Hwang lost it all.
JINX Billy Hwang ever more.
The $100 billion is has now been distributed to ‘several’.
So ..
Ha ha ha ha ha !!
They all got fitly rich / some entities got rich.
But is that what happened ??
Maybe the $100 billion was to replace the stuff that got swept under the carpet to be forgotten .. remember.
And the new money is not making anyone rich .. but funding the endless game .. as the drinks keep coming.
I think so
And also
The Piper Must Be Paid
I was watching a movie where a high rolling guy at a casino ..
Who was refused an extension of credit ..
Even though he was good for it ..
& believing he had an unbeatable hand ..
Bet .. THE ROOF OVER HIS HEAD .. his house.
Needless to say ..
HE WAS SET UP TO LOSE BY THE CASINO ..
Yep .. he was taken for a ride.
Were Billy & his banker mates also taken ??
Or were they the casino ??
Wow man !!
Billy lost $100 billion & he is not a JINX
You hold up the cross & speak the words ..
“Stay away from me man.”
For the cheapskates that still want to read behind the paywalls:
https://github.com/iamadamdev/bypass-paywalls-chrome
Just make sure you whitelist Wolf.
Wolf,
You should try amending your subscribe notice at the bottom of each article to include a request to donate as little as $1 if you like the article. This request to donate a small amount might encourage more smaller donations. Some people can’t donate a lot but can donate a little.
Sometimes, the gift cards I receive have some small residual amount left on them and I use these few dollars to subscribe to promotional deals for content around the web. Maybe you can attract some of this money without people feeling their donation is too small.
I set up a monthly donation. It’s not much, but I want to support what you do here. Keep up the good work!
P.S.
Typo in paragraph 8: “I’m just the little buy”
Extreamly valuable information to anyone that cares to know
WSJ never lied, there was always clues to truth to be gleened. One pluse one never lies. Wonderful service you provide.
Rockefeller never tipped more then a dime it’s said… Working class are always generous tippers. You are worthy of a working class tip. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Hi Wolf.
Keep up the good/great work.
and, “Illigitimus non carborundum”.
I’ll send another ‘beer’ soon.
Cheers,
B
Thanks for all of your work Wolf. You’re a breath of fresh air in the smog of mis- and dis-information.
I use my beer mug everyday! And I just sent a small donation — a fraction of what your work is worth, but the most I can manage.
Keep it up! I’ll send more when I can.
Done!
You really do have the best site Wolf. I read it every day and have learned a lot, also have learned from the commentariat, although I’m still puzzling over Micheal Engel…. I’ll jet you another check as soon as I get out of quarantine. Admirable integrity is what you have – but that’s the true sports car ethos…maximum velocity with maximum safety = poetry in motion. It all goes silent and there’s just the perfect line. Sigh. I think I’ve been confined for too long.
Yeah, I have my cognitive dissonance cloaking device fully engaged when it comes to money. I dropped out of being fully cloaked last night when my “Heck Mug” got filled and I read your post with the request. My puny S-Corp can stand another donation. You do productive work that is worth reading and thinking about. Plus there is domestic household value. I get to flap my beak in the comment section and my wife does not have to listen to it. I like the mail option also.
Wolf, if you would give us an idea of what the transaction fees are I would add them to my donations. I would like you to receive what I intend. Not what’s left after a haircut. ;-) Besides, round numbers are more comforting.
2.9% for US transactions, plus a fixed fee of $0.30. If you are going to donate a breathtakingly generous amount, please do so by check :-]
In for the Mug :)
Thank you for being a moderate voice between Cult45 and Marxists.
-WyleeEconomist
Wylie-check.
may we all find a better day.
Would gladly pay a monthly if you throw in a few hot stock tips. :)
NO NO NO on the stock tips AB,,, and certainly lack thereof is one of the very good reasons, inter alia, why Wolf is SO readable/reliable.
And to be sure, I (we) will continue to send at least one type of money in the form of ”money orders.”
Should not be traceable under normal circumstances,,, or at least were not traceable when paid for with cash,,, etc..
NOT that I ever had any reason to send or receive ”money” that was not traceable,,, LOL…
VVNV-…and double-check.
may we all find a better day.
AB is completely kidding….if anything he is just commenting on Wolf’s past training and present ability to talk finance very well.
If I’m wrong shoot me for not having anything at all to do with the stock market since ’08 (unlike most everyone else here)…..and never will…..I’m more interested in learning than making money, but at bottom more interested in my body than my mind (which is just filled with cultural horse shit right down to the language I’m using).
Nonetheless I most of my time is spent on reading Biological subjects, but I take nobody’s word on any of it….not since it moved into money/profitland.
But there are still nuggets of truth to be found and I seek them….I’m here to learn some financial stuff, which always bored the living shit out of me but are tolerable here.
My old eyes read the headline as “between the boobs of giants”, which is a pretty good place to have a blast.
You got the donation. (Actually for the GRAPHS as usual.)
Wolf, please consider installing a plugin to let commenters check boxes for notification of replies to their comments or new comments. Sometimes I comment and wonder if anyone replied to me. This is really handy functionality and can increase engagement (which could translate to just a bit more ad revenue). Do it once, reap the benefits indefinitely.
Turtle,
I turned off that feature because it led to endless arguments among some commenters that rendered the rest of the comments impossible to read. Sorry.
Some people use the search function in their browsers and search for their screen names, which brings up all your comments and allows you to check all the replies. “Ctr F” brings up the browser search box without having to go to the menu. It works pretty well.
Hah, and here I thought we were all civilized. ;)
Thanks for that Wolf, I’ve been wondering if I could do that somehow with a memory like mine.
You’ve probably guessed that I am in Scotland but I think your site and commenters are great(mainly). Your enthusiasm for your subject shows and it would be great if you had a UK subsidiary of your greatest little co. It’s great for me learning about USA. and I tell people to check out your site rather than mainstream media.
I can give you advice about that brain freezing over thing. Been there, done that.
Don’t lose heart, all the Parliaments over here are up in arms about Facebook/Google monopoly over advertising revenue. If you can stand the usual snail’s pace I think you might see legislation to divi up the spoils more fairly over here but I get it that your Govt is in their pocket.
I would think you could sell advertising then incorporate ‘integrated ads” into the Html. Even for a novice website designer it would be pretty easy to do. Think of one of your typical posts, but with an ad instead. These could not be blocked unless the whole site is blocked.
Quite frankly I think you’re missing out on a whole lot of merchandising opportunities. For example a T-shirt line saying things like “The economy crashed and all I got was this lousy T-shirt ” or “Got Fed?” with a big picture of Powel’s head drinking a glass of milk through a straw. Or a sexy T-shirt with a model saying “I like volatility”
P.S- Your ads are some pretty weird products. But you tell us not to click them!
Reuters? Someone is going to pay that money for Reuters? Their news feed is repeated by hundreds of web sites, so why?
Can I pay by Dogecoin?
Wolfcoin ?
Paywall for a subscription would be fine with me. WS is worth it. NY Times, etc…. not so much.
Done, I’m down with 5.00.
Question about google ads; are you paid if they are viewed, when they are clicked on, or both?
Kenn,
Many of the ads you see on my site are not Google ads, and I’m paid for most of them when you see them, not when you click on them.
The Google ads that I have pay when you click on them. But please do NOT click on them to help me out. Google’s algos can see that, and then they penalize me harshly. If you find something interesting in an ad, by all means, check it out. But please do not click on it just to help me out. Thanks!
Wolf, your unbridled thoughts are a great asset to all of us who found your site, one way or another. And then amplified several times over by great commentary it attracts.
Keep it up please for as long as it makes you smile.
I’ve just popped in another PayPal powered drink, long overdue after the previous ones.
Thank you!
Hey Wolf. You fund my business and I’ll fund your business.
Good job for asking for donations. You got my Formerly Great, Then Eventually Adequate, But Now Mostly Mediocre and Virtue-Signaling Wall Street Journal money for this month. I miss them, but they kinda suck now.
Auto prices rising because millennials like to spend more than previous generations, I think. They’ve never experienced hardship or an economy where the government let’s the chips fall.
As most of my comments are blocked because they’re not liberal enough or fake news based …..I’ll pass.
My revenge will be to read for free and without ads.
cresus,
I generally block most partisan comments, regardless of what stripe they are, and when I can catch them, I block Trump bashing, of which there was a huge amount in recent years, Obama bashing, Biden bashing etc. I don’t want to run a comment section that is a putrid political morass. There are plenty of places where people can get into that stuff. Not here.
Enjoy your free lunch :-]
Thank you I will.
I don’t care about Trump bashing. I own houses in Manhattan, and have enough of those neighbor types around. Those with 2 masks, gloves, and a face shield ready to attack you if your nose sticks out.
They are just dumb and dumber though usually educated.
I just ignore the crazies.
You systematically promote lockdowns and shamefully supress Covid science and treatments. Now if you require peer reviewed articles for each statement, I can do that. I’m an MD and PhD.
But because your sources of info are strictly corporate you are clueless about covid reality. And censor as a result.
Particularly regarding overseas travel and flying. Which is my passion.
But fine, enjoy yourself and your delusions.
But not my money (of which I have so much I would gladly give you a few thous).
cresus- you really should try enjoying yourself and your own delusions more, because it doesn’t sound like it…
may we all find a better day.
Ha Ha……thanks for the laugh christus and pass the bleach jug and a maybe just a fangless serpent…..the coral snake looks good.
Hi 91B20, hope your day is good….for some reason I’m in a great mood today, but as usual too far back to be noticed…..but I don’t give a rusty.
NBay, I noticed :-]
Yeah, but you are like the Trainman in the Matrix. You are God here. But sure a huge improvement on that musty old desert one.
As I’ve said before, I sure wouldn’t want your “job” but am damn glad you do it.
Thanks
Wolf,
I read your blog, more often then not, since a couple of Sol turns before you jettisoned Testosterone Pit. Can’t remember from whence I link-jumped so as to check out your particular pov. While I do enjoy your’s … as well as a handful of others – that’s now ONE hand , considering progressively worse the Economy has gotten combined with how the Net experience has become soon crapified lately (mid Obama – Post Trump!) – I’m in no way able to contribute as I’d like to, due to the gradual .. and incessent subduction down into the NeoLibraCon Trench … Truly!
I’m in no way an investor, except now where home and hearth are concerned, as I’ve been since not long after tGFC of 2008-10. Perhaps after after this Lowlymokestani becomes ‘flush from having finally received his meeger.gov ‘retirement’ stipend – assuming the
Medicare $$$ tethers aren’t too onerous, some recompense may perhaps drop in your mug … maybe even buy a pair too .. but ‘May the God’s strike those lording over us!’ for having screwed us plebs to near .. if not over into full-on desperation .. and deprivation. There are a few other really outstanding blogs that I cherish, but can’t for now, afford to give what I’d like to.
I didn’t sign up for the turning we’re about to plunge head-on into . It’s gonna hurt Bigtime, for the million of us in the now non-invested in lower classes!
-polecat
polecat,
Since Testosterone Pit? Oh my, how time flies. Thank you for sticking around so long. And thank you for sharing some insights into your situation. And hang in there. All the best!!
‘sooo’ crapified
I donated $25. I read your site every day, never really comment. I enjoy reading the discussions in the comments almost as much as each post (unless they go off the rails). Not really into the stock market, other than my 401K.
100 dollar bill in an envelope… no fuss no muss,,, no record!!!!
Have you considered registering for Brave rewards? I have $70+ in BAT (basic attention token) saved up that I’m happy to dontate to Wolfstreet along. with the $5-$10 worth of BAT that I generate each month. Is there a catch to this? Is it very compicated to set up? I kind of like the concept that brave is experimenting with. It isn’t super new either, been around for a year or two and plenty of sites accept BAT donations.
I’ve whitelisted your site & will donate.
I didn’t even know there were ads.
You’re doing an amazing job, keep it on!
I’ll donate in bitcoin haha
Hey Wolf,
I’m a full-time website publisher earning a very good living with ad-supported content. I’m surprised you have to ask for donations. I don’t know how much traffic you get but based on the number of comments you get it has to be sizeable, and you’re in a very lucrative niche.
There is no reason you should need to consider a paywall or ask for donations. What you need is a far better ad network than AdSense. I started with AdSense years ago but switched and more than quadrupled ad revenue. Seriously, look into good ad networks and all your financial problems will be resolved.
JD Stacks,
I don’t “have to” do anything. I “want to,” and Wolf Street donors “want to.” That’s the wonderful thing about it.
Everyone blocks your stupid ads. Do your advertisers know that?
just sent $10 via paypal. please keep up with the great articles
?
?\?
Donate alms? Wolf, I would not degrade you to the level of the homeless (but you do live in SF so I guess it could go either way) by giving you filthy lucre like on the street in India.
But I will buy another mug, even though they are so small.
Thank you!
Wolf I saw no mention of Patreon here, but younger readers like myself treat it like the google of giving money. ie. It’s as popular as it is maligned. It is also the reason Paypal implemented recurrent donations.
Since I am the one in a hundred mentioning it here, the demographics for Patreon may not be in your audience; but imo, anything that reduces the number of public calls for donation/subscription is good for the writer and reader alike. It saves those announcements for when big pushes are needed to either expand or cover some emergency situation.
Anyway I chipped in a few Canadian pesos for you Wolfie. Gambaru.
Wolf
That (control F) thing works great and transforms navigation of your site. Saves hours of scrolling.
Thanks again for that.
Wolf, what you share with us is invaluable. Thank you for all the efforts you make to write and prepare these wonderful articles,
I sent you a tip from my Web browser (Brave web browser; tip is in BAT units), but your website is not set up to receive tips from the Brave web browser.
Thank you for your efforts. You can send me real money via the donation button on my site. There is no reason to go anywhere else. It’s quick and easy and works. Cheers!