Yes, buy me a coffee

Do note that this is a slightly sarcastic post, there is alot of sarcasm on the internet at the moment. Take a moment to reflect if you want to expose yourself to more sarcasm. There are plenty of staid and somewhat boring posts out there as well…

Isn’t it odd how people see things a certain way —a way that maybe says something about their own view of the world (?)— whilst you see them an entirely different way? Yeah, I know, it’s not odd at all, it’s just the way the world is yet, knowing that (I am old, I am wise… ish) I still find myself irked reading some posts online.

These were my thoughts when I started reading No, I won’t buy you a coffee.

Firstly, I should point that I agree with one statement made:

“Blogging should be free”.

To be fair, the author does posit that their post is a negative one but even then I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable reading something that, to my view of the world is entirely at odds with the thing being described. Anyway, these are my quick thoughts in response:

• Asking is not selling, you can read my content for free without question. A coffee link is passive (mostly), it’s more like a tip jar sat alongside the till, feel free to ignore it.
• Hobbies do cost money, but suggesting someone could buy me a coffee doesn’t transform my hobby into a business. There is no “rampant capitalization” (sic) here.
• The value isn’t really the point either, it’s a symbol. A sign that someone cared enough about something I wrote to offer me something. A gesture that says ‘thanks’, and it’s the kind of patronage that’s been on the go since… well, since forever.

In the past I did have ads on my blog, I had an Amazon affiliate link, and yes I even got a couple of freebies. The ads garnered me around £20 over about 6 years, the Amazon affiliate link all of £4, and the freebies were a promo of a weird mobile phone (O2 Cocoon) and a pack of (then new) chunky Kit Kats. I’ve been blogging for 27 years so, well you can do the maths, this site sure ain’t about the money!

I do have a coffee link, I don’t push it in anyone’s face, and I’m not saying you have to even click that link because I don’t need you to, I am not reliant on the coffees that have been bought.

And that’s ok.

UPDATE: I previously stated I was not reliant on the 0 coffees bought. I have since been the lucky recipient of a coffee! WOO HOOOO.

I guess my issue with the article was that it seems to presume that anyone asking for a tip/coffee/beer is trying to monetise their blog in a way to earn money and get on that money train, chooo choooooo!

As they then rightly point out, unless you are hugely popular then it’s unlikely that you’ll make much money this way anyway —there are only a few Kottkes or Grubers in the world for good reason— but the thinking seems to be that we are leaping aboard that gravy train by asking for a random, occasional, coffee (hmmmmm, should we be asking for a gravy instead??).

It’s a weird extrapolation if you ask me, and irked me enough to write this response.

This blog is free to read, and always will be.

FYI: I wrote this post whilst drinking my own coffee