I can do whatever I like. I can do whatever I like.
This post is more of a rant and a really pissed off one from people that ask me the silliest questions. I received an email from an Arab male, let’s call him Y.S. this morning asking me the following:
Y.S. emailed me saying,
I need to ask this, don’t mean anything wrong by my question though. Why has your blog turned from you sharing personal thoughts to this? Your blog posts now take up 20% of your main page and the rest is all advertisements. I’m not against the idea of you advertising but you now have a job, right? Do you still need to get that extra money out of blogging?
I wanted to point to his Wordpress blue default boring themed blog and start something nasty, but why should I direct it to him only? His observations are very lame, and he cannot calculate or understand or know anything about my life or my blog. Moreover, he was not the first person to ask me this question.
Why do I put advertisements on my site?
You see, I am not a business major, or know anything about marketing. I am a very simple person with computer and graphic skills. I majored at University in Computer Science. Yes, I have a University degree from an accredited Ivy League Institution. (Don’t get me started on that!) So, I am unemployed right now. However, I wanted to make something clear for those who do not know that, and have not been keeping up with my blog for at least the past year. Last August, I resigned from my old job, because it was pointless and I didn’t want to get a paycheque to browse the Internet, and sporadically take orders from a person who knows NOTHING. After a 6.5 year run, and sudden change in management, my patience became non-existent, and the only solution I found was to resign.
[source]
Back to advertisement on this blog. I had ads running on my site for over two years. If you have not noticed it, or never bothered, then that’s even better. I don’t want your experience on my blog to be that filled with advertisement about dating sites and cool summer refreshment drinks. God forbid! I don’t want that! Moreover, my latest blog design, that took me several hours to do and I am constantly maintaining it, I did for free. I did not hire someone to do it, because that would be stupid. Why would a web designer and graphic artist hire someone to design her blog since she is always on a tight budget and unemployed?
Therefore, the main home page is different then the rest of the site. Why? Because I didn’t want the sidebar to be filled with so many things. I also observe other top bloggers who are making 1000’s of dollars a month from their blogs, and how they designed their blogs. What do they represent first when a visitor is entering? You are lucky I have no pop-ups or anything, or you would have seriously complained and I wouldn’t hear the end of it.
My blog makes pocket change a month. Yet, I am offering monthly contests and giving back money to my visitors. Who in their right mind would do that?
You come to my site, I earn money from advertisements, and I am offering alternative ways (ie. Ramadan Contest) to get involved and earn some of that money as well. Wow! Isn’t that nice for a person that makes pocket change from her blog, she is unemployed, has some web skills, and a bit of business type skills that she learned off the net?
What is funny, and I think is totally funny, that over 75% of bloggers out there have some type of paid advertisement on their website. Yet, when a blogger like me, that has a pretty increasing and lovely audience that gets involved in daily commenting has advertisement, then she has completely committed a huge sin! An unearthly sin! A sin that is beyond any sin! A sin that is committed in cyberspace infront of the whole entire world! Her site is 80% advertisements and no more CONTENT! NO MORE THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT, AND THAT’S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE COMMENTING AND EVEN DOING THEIR OWN RESEARCH TO COMMENT BACK!
Wow! I think advertisement and making money off the internet, and being an Arab girl of course, really is looked down upon in my culture. Good thing I don’t ask anyone to click on my ads, then that would have seriously pushed it and I am no longer respected for the content on my site, and only trying to make money off people.
I am sorry people. I am sorry internet world. I am so sorry that I have advertisements on my site. Find me a full time job then in this city of mine that is not degrading and does not pay me in 1940’s currency value doing 2 or 3 people’s work, and take me out of my misery of having to sit at home all day trying to figure out ways to make pocket change from the internet.
Until then, and even after I get a job, I am going to have advertisements on this blog. If you like it or not, I don’t care. It’s pocket change, let me enjoy it and make contests on here to make people happy!
In conclusion, the advertisement will stay. You have no right to tell me why I have them since they are not harming you in any way. If you do not like coming to my site, or it is killing your internet bandwidth but still want to read it, then subscribe to my site via RSS.
PS. I am surprised that people don’t have the guts to go complain to websites such as Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, MySpace, etc that make billions of dollars from advertisements off you because you use their sites. Wow! It is always the small person that gets the hit eh?
Angry, Culture, Ranting as usual!, They said what?, Whatever!
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hmm….
well its only perception…..everybody understands different things differently…..it was him who thought it like that……it shouldn’t matter that much cause there are lot of people appreciating your work.
I like the layout and theme…..if it matters…….
woo hoo…….\,,,/
honey, dont bother yourself. It’s really silly criticisim from that person which is irrelevent . I think that making money from your website is good thing to do. you are helping yourself and nothing bad about it. this person is simply envying you lol.
With this blog I think you have made the point for filling up the entire home page with advertisements!!
Anyway, that won’t be a good idea.
That’s really very nice of you that you have thought of sharing your pocket money….there’s really no need for that….now it will make some of us feel guilty of taking away from an unemployed lady!
Don’t worry, there are people who are so stupid that we can’t possible deal with them! Last Jumuah(yesterday) a guest imam came to our local mosque and he was giving such an incredible speech….and out of the blue a guy just stood up and asked him to shorten his lecture. Everybody was shocked. Had not the imam been so kind, people would have nailed him in a box and drowned it in the Thames river!
يا عيني عليكي يا منى..هيك بدّي إياكي
Let ‘em have it Mona!
@Abdullah
You gotta be joking?! What’s wrong with some people?!
@Ahmed Masri
hehe….I wish I had been joking! But I’m not!
That’s what I was trying to explain to mona….that she will be struck with awe at the stupidity of people. And it is a fact. We got to learn to live with it!
@Abdullah
I know that many people are stupid. I really do. And I think if many people like me who can’t take it and are sick of it say something, then maybe less and less people will be stupid.
Btw.. you and Ahmed Masri need to subscribe to gravatar.com so you will have an avatar show up! It easier on my eyes.
I find it funny that the guy suffered from haemorrhage simply because of blog ads. I don’t understand why you felt the need to reply to a butt-hurt whiner. ‘Cause there are several other butt-hurts out there?
Ah, I’d like to earn some money blogging too. ;_;
@Mona
yes, sure…
@The Ruling Numerator
I felt like ranting and telling many others who have a problem with the ads to stop acting like children and grow up! This is the media world, accept it!
luckily you didn’t put up ads like “find your Russian bride”!!
There you go.. a G-rated gravatar.
Even if you did have a job, there’s nothing wrong with having something that gives you a little extra cash on the side. I’ve had side jobs in the past for extra cash even when I was making good money in my main job. Your site is popular enough that you can have a good advertisement section so you can have some kind of income, that’s a good thing. I wish I could do that. Don’t let somebody who has no idea what he’s talking about get to you.
@Ahmed Masri
Good!
@Desert Shark
Meh.. I just like to tell off people publicly sometimes.
Jesus Christ, you’re such a drama queen! Take a chill pill Miss Independent, damn.
You turned a simple query of why you have so many adds infesting your home page into this? I never asked if you got a Diploma or not and I can give 2 darns if you did or not, that wasn’t my question. I used to follow your blog all the time till you turned jobless and your posts started getting longer and more boring. My blog theme is simple because I recently changed my old one and haven’t had time to design something else. Maybe it’s because I don’t have an Ivy league college degree in graphic blah blah I can’t make one like yours.
@The Ruling Numerator : I never got a hemorrhage douche [learn how to spell first btw], I just asked a simple question.
@Abdullah : What the hell does me asking her about the increasing amount of advertisements with shortening a lecture? You people are clearly just rooting for the blogger. *Boo!*
@Shmal
Wow.. You are a very angry little man. You make it easy to root for the blogger.
@Ahmed Masri
First off, I’m not a “little” man. Secondly, your blogger is the angry one, I’m as cool as a cucumber my friend.
@Shmal
I guess you have missed the point that I have made earlier!
@Abdullah
Your point was irrelevant and you’re all just commenting and acting like immature people. I think Mona mentioned “being stupid” to the wrong person.
@Shmal
I do not know you, but so far, based on your public attempt to embarrass Mona, and your initial grumbling about advertisement on someone else’s site, I would say you are the one who is immature.
As for mona being angry… well, she IS a palestinian woman.
@Shmal
I was talking of a guy who was stupid in my local mosque! If mona had mentioned “being stupid” to the wrong person….that’s up to her. I have just put up an example on how people can be stupid. So why are you offended?
@Shmal
Wow. I was courteous and I didn’t mention your email or point to your site at all. So you come here and insult me and my site as a result?
I am pretty much ignoring everything you said and not going down to your level.
PS. Remember what Forrest Gump said? “Stupid is. Stupid does!”
@Ahmed Masri
I’m sorry, public attempt to embarrass Mona? I recall HER posting up MY question. I “grumbled” in absolute privacy that apparently isn’t offered by this lovely blogger.
Love the stereotype at the end man *claps frantically*.
@Abdullah
You mentioned an example of how people can be stupid means you thought I was stupid. Do you re-read your comments before you click that little grey button that says Submit Comment? God, Mona should post about idiotic commenters of your sort.
I always wondered actually why when I fight with Arab guys, the first thing they say that my site sucks and my writing sucks. However, they religiously have been following it before and are subscribed. I don’t get it. Can someone explain to me? No wonder I cannot understand Arab guys at all.
@Shmal
Hey now! YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE! NO ATTACKING EACH OTHER! Aa for Privacy, DID I MENTION YOUR NAME OR POINT TO YOUR SITE ALONG SIDE THAT SILLY EMAIL? NO? You embarrassed your self because you got angry in an instant. It could have been anyone’s email. I could have been lying and made it all up. How would anyone really know? What a way to justify everything. Try again!
@Mona
1st off I said your posts were getting long and boring, how did I insult your site? Where did I say that your site sucks! God, you people just love attacking people and putting stuff in their mouth don’t you? Now you just booed my opinion, I can’t have an opinion on your site? You don’t like that I said your posts were boring delete my comments and quit whining like a child.
Stop stereotyping arab guys. We’re completely normal, all I’m dong is expressing my honest opinion which you can’t handle apparently because everything has to think your site is awesome. I followed you because you were an interesting blogger, which is not my opinion anymore.
P.S. I never “religiously” followed your blog. Stop putting words in my mouth, Jesus Christ mish ma3goole inte!
@Mona
You called me an idiot, mnee7 I didn’t attack you!
I don’t give a rats ass if you put my email or my address, that’s the point of replying with my name. I didn’t get angry, you were the one who got angry from a “silly” email. You love drama way too much.
@Shmal
You are being so angry that you are thinking everything is said against you. I thought you were stupid? I don’t even knew you until you came up with the attacks.
I have just shared my experience with mona of meeting stupidity in people. I was interested in the subject and not in you. You are assuming too much here.
I’m idiot? You are being really stupid now!
@Shmal
My posts are getting long and boring?
I think writing more than 2 or 3 paragraphs is too much. I apologize for boring you. I will not delete your comments because it is your opinion. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t argue back. Deleting it would make things worse and you would call me closed minded. At least I am keeping what you say.
As for following my site religiously, sorry. I am just speaking in general about Arab guys that I dealt with in the past that acted exactly like you. Sorry I was generalizing. I need to encounter different Arab male mentalities from now on.
If I were you, I would end this argument, and maybe stop coming here. I tried to be as general as possible in the post and argue some points in your email since you were not aware of my current life situation.
By the way, you like my site, hate my site, hate my writing, hate my design. I honestly don’t care. What’s 1 in a 1000 going to matter?
@Shmal
La ilaha illa Allah.
Ramadan Kareem! Roo7 a7sanlak ya 3amy!
@Mona
I love how Arab girls always have to come out as the strongest, most stubborn females of all times and when they lose a fight they pull out the \I’m too good for you, go away\ card. \We’re always right whether you like it or not.\ Yeah, that’s a stereotype for you.
Ramdan Kareem siti.
P.S. I hate how people use that same statement in the most controversial way ever. \1 in 1000\. Sometimes it’s so significant, where one person does something, and then suddenly it doesn’t matter anymore. Yeah, I’m not talking about you, I’m just making a \general statement\.
@Shmal
I didn’t lose a fight. If you call this losing because I apologized then you must be kidden your self.
Oh well, whatever. I feel like I am talking to a wall and Arab guys like you cannot stand that an Arab girl is arguing back.
In conclusion, Ramadan Kareem.
@Mona
I never said I won, I said you lost. I can’t stand? I love arguing with Arab women, especially drama queens like yourself, bas fyi, you never argued back, you just scribbled a bunch of gibberish and a few stereotypes and said this :
“I am pretty much ignoring everything you said and not going down to your level.”
@Shmal
“I am pretty much ignoring everything you said and not going down to your level.”
I stand corrected. You are not giving up. Did I hurt your ego that much? Give it a rest and stop infesting my blog with your gibberish. If you want to argue all night, then go ahead. The more I earn out of this, and the less you are respected for arguing with a girl who scribbles a bunch of gibberish.
By the way, can you stop arguing? One more comment regarding this, and I am banning you completely. Tafashetny!
@Mona
You didn’t hurt crap I’m just tired of you nagging over people asking you harmless questions. I even stated in my question that I meant nothing wrong out of my question. Again with the stereotypes because I’m arguing a girl, quit it.
La2 mishan allah don’t ban me!
Gender politics apart, a blog is a reflection of a personal view on a variety of things from the secret of eternal life to the price of tea in china. So I agree with you Mona, its your blog and you can do whatever you want with it. And if someone does not enjoy or like this or any other blog or website they have the choice not to visit.
Good Luck
@Shmal
Bala maskhartak. People now saw what you replied to me on Twitter. I didn’t insult you. If calling you an idiot was bad, what would happen if I swore at you or called you names? Roo7 3anna ya.. shu hal araf.. you seriously make a bad name for Arabs. Wallah zay el nawar inta.
Maskhara.. wallah maskhara.
@Mona
There’s a “delete” button to twitter my friend, if it bothers you I’ll delete it.
Nothing would happen if you called me names cause I didn’t. You’d be the amazing female role model for arab women everywhere, just like you are now. Ha! A2l maskhara a2l..
@Shmal
I blocked and deleted you off Twitter. Ma besharefna heek eshkal. You are banned from my site as well.
Uff.. I banned him from my site. What a child. He wouldn’t give up.
Thank you…
He just won’t let go!
Happy Ramadan
Mona, you are entitled to exercise your right to freedom of speech and lightly clutter your blog with a few adverts. No they do not disrupt your blog and divert the attention from your posts. Your site is great… very user-friendly and your writing skills and graphics designs skills are awesome… If any immature, arrogant, stuck up, “know-it-all” man want to rant insults they can just make a statement by stopping all visits to your site. Carry on blogging
Keep your posts as long as you like… personally I like em long.
Peace
P/S. Don’t be sorry for your ads… after-all this is your place in the cyber-world n your blog is different because you are unique, creative with an open-minded ethnic-religious outlook needed to influence people in today’s modern era of ignorance.
Mona, Shmal, Just end it. THE BOTH OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY. It’s Mona’s blog and she made it totally general, she did not specify anything, like she previously mentioned, it could have been anyone. Shmal ALSO has a right to be upset because he never intentionally wanted to publically diss your site or you, whatever it was which is why he sent you a MESSAGE. I love Mona and her blogs, she’s awesome. I’m sick and tired of Arab men getting all pissy when arab girls FIANLLY want to speak out and argue back. We are not going to keep our mouth shut because GOD gave it to us for a reason. Shmal, you told Mona how you feel, and she had a right to share feelings also. 5alas, bikafi.
روّقوا يا جماعه ولا تأخذوا الأمور بحساسيه…صلوا على النبي عليه االصلاة والسلام، لسّا إحنا بأول رمضان… هادا كيف لو بآخرو؟؟؟
and yes, as an Arab guy I like this kind of argument
Everyone, the argument with Shmal has ended. Please stop arguing, and just talk about advertisements on blogs in general.
Thanks.
@Mary Barahmeh
Khalas don’t worry. I talked to Shmal via email and we resolved it. We are all Arabs here and love each other. Well, maybe all of us!
@Mona
!
!
no harm intended Mona, kolna 3arab bi ba3ad! Viva la Arab Women!
Yes, we all love each other
Now someone tell me how I can get some advertisements on my blog, I think I’m going to get a good number of hits from this fight, haha
See, I’m a peaceful guy I just like to “ankosh mo5″ a lot
@Shmal
Ma a7lak wa inta raye2..
Anyways, to get advertisements, well, try Google Adsense to start or Chikita or Adbrite or BlogHer. So many networks out there.. And yes, you most likely have gotten plenty of hits from this fight. lol
@Mona
!
Thank you Mona
Let’s start another subject, your Captcha phrases are kinda hard to read sometimes..except if my eye-sight is really THAT bad