How Many People Read This Blog And What Does It Take To Run It? – A Donation Request

May 31, 2018

As I ask you to donate for this blog I feel compelled to detail some numbers.

The system Moon of Alabama runs on does not store individual user data. It only delivers summary statistics. Here is the available overview.

Over the lifetime of this blog its pages have been viewed -in total- about 31,200,000 times. Some 7,000 posts were published here and the readers contributed about 350,000 comments (screenshot [link corrected] taken at 14:30 UTC today).

During the last few months page-views per day varied between 20,000 and 30,000. Each individual reader will view two to three pages per visit. The total average readership is thus up to 10,000 people per day.

Once a while some bigger blog or news site will link to Moon of Alabama. This creates peaks of 100,000 and more page-views per day.

Screenshot taken at 14:30 GMT/UTC today – bigger

The daily number depends on the season, day of the week and other such variables.

The most important factor though is the subject-matter and quality of what I write and post. The pieces about the recent Skripal affair were especially well received.

The average Moon of Alabama post is about 1,000 words long. The aim is to publish one of these per day.

Continuous research is the most time-consuming part of the work. It takes six to eight hours per day to stay current in the fields the blog seeks to cover. An average length piece takes between two and four hours to write and another one or two hours to edit. (Inevitably there will still be mistakes in it.) Reading and policing the 100+ reader comments per day takes another hour. Writing for and running Moon of Alabama is truly a full time job.

That is why your support is absolutely essential to continue this site. Your donations are the only income I have.

A big thank you to everyone who already contributed to the current Poor Poet campaign.

bigger

Those who have not done so can still chip in.

Each donation to this Poor Poet – be it $5, $50 or $500 – is equally welcome and needed.

Transaction costs are the smallest when you send cash or a check. You can also use a bank transfer (SEPA/IBAN). Send email to MoonofA @ aol.com (remove the spaces) for the necessary details. (They are the same as before.) You can use a credit card or other means when you donate through the PayPal button below. (The receiving account is in Euro – 1 Euro is about US$ 1.20)

Thank you very much!

Bernhard aka b.

Posted by b on May 31, 2018 at 17:27 UTC | Permalink

Comments

Wired a donation today. Straight reporting can be difficult to find on the topics this blog routinely covers.

Posted by: Dave | May 31 2018 17:41 utc | 1

Well, I have signed up to keep you floating, it is important what you do. You have convinced me to contribute.

Posted by: Den Lille Abe | May 31 2018 17:56 utc | 2

You’ve probably covered this, but why not run some non-intrusive ads? With your numbers they should provide a decent subsidy. Done right, context sensitive ads aren’t necessarily a detriment to readers.

Posted by: Jz | May 31 2018 18:21 utc | 3

b, you need to open a patreon page where we can become monthly members. That will benefit us all where the transactions will be done automatically.

Posted by: shoes | May 31 2018 18:22 utc | 4

@Jz – I had explained that before. All ads one can ‘book’ as such a tiny blog will want to install some data stealing scrips etc. It would not be my data but yours. I want to avoid that as much as possible.
What I would like to do is some arrangement with some book vendor (not Amazon) to sell books through this side with a tiny share for me. Billmon did such at the old Whiskey Bar.
@shoes – the PayPal button above leads to a page that allows for recurring monthly payments. Since Patreon raised its share of the take it is no longer a good alternative.

Posted by: b | May 31 2018 18:47 utc | 5

50 Euros via PayPal…..

Posted by: georgeg | May 31 2018 19:38 utc | 6

I made a small donation few days back, using Western Union service, that I use routinely. When sending money to a bank account it cost nothing, no fee. Western union apparently makes some money through currency exchanges. It’s different when the payment is in cash; then there is a small fee to pay, something around 10% of the money sent. But is an easy way, almost world-wide, without moving from one’s computer. For the stuff he writes, B should be sought-after by any of the honest news organizations; moreover, the way he writes show an overarching vein of human compassion,a search for and adherence to the objective economy of peace and respect for life; and more, He tries to steer clean of bias and prejudices, and let the facts judge the actors. On top of it, many of the posters here, along the years, have been a very good source of citizen journalism, all together for me has been and is very educational and a daily enlightenment. I miss the voices who have disappeared, even some of the trolls. It would be very sad if this site is silenced. I just hope to always have this source of real news.

Posted by: rr | May 31 2018 20:01 utc | 7

Just put a Paypal donate link on every page. You can also do a subscription, in fact, it’s the best way to guarantee a regular income. It needn’t be a lot as you have the ‘footfall’. And I’m surprised that companies haven’t contacted you with a deal of some kind, if you wanted to stick up some ‘ethical ads’ (or maybe some good ‘ol southern whisky?). You dont need Google or Amazon. When I first started up my original site in 2003, without trying, I got decent donations with a much lower ‘hit’ rate. Had I wanted to ‘formalize’ it, I think a modest income would have been more than realizable. Of course I don’t know how much it costs you to live…

Posted by: William Bowles | May 31 2018 20:01 utc | 8

jz
I agree ads is the only solution if you you want continuous flow of funding for a blog.

Posted by: Zanon | May 31 2018 20:17 utc | 9

cannot donate without a paypal account. Any other options?

Posted by: Krollchem | May 31 2018 20:48 utc | 10

@Krollchem
“Transaction costs are the smallest when you send cash or a check. You can also use a bank transfer (SEPA/IBAN). Send email to MoonofA @ aol.com (remove the spaces) for the necessary details. ”

Posted by: b | May 31 2018 20:56 utc | 11

I would very much like to donate to you as I have previously for other constructive pages and blogs as saker , co and consortium but since I am an expat in Russia I can only do so from my Russian account,
When I choose debet credit card and Russia I am being transferred to another page where I no longer can chose Russia..?

Posted by: Aka | May 31 2018 23:05 utc | 12

People – consider automatic monthly donations. I’ve done so for several months and it works fine.

Posted by: daffyDuct | May 31 2018 23:39 utc | 13

For me, Moon of Alabama is one of the two absolute “must-reads” I go to every morning first thing. I gave, and hope everyone else does too: We must keep this resource, folks! Truth is under attack, and there is none more truthful than MoA. If you haven’t donated, please do!

Posted by: Alan | May 31 2018 23:42 utc | 14

I got your back B, I finally sent my contribution to your wonderful site. Thank you.

Posted by: Fernando Arauxo | Jun 1 2018 1:52 utc | 15

A monthly $ donation is needed. Com’ on folks get busy. If this was a conservative site, it would be WELL funded.. Do it baby!!!

Posted by: ben | Jun 1 2018 3:15 utc | 16

I give up – I’ve tried three times to donate some money and paypal stops me every time.

Posted by: Brendan | Jun 1 2018 4:14 utc | 17

@ all: Use b’s advice @ 11.

Posted by: ben | Jun 1 2018 5:11 utc | 18

To make a bank transfer from a Russian account to a foreign account which is not your own is no simple task

Posted by: Aka | Jun 1 2018 5:21 utc | 19

Why not try some ads indirectly?
Create a youtube channel and place a sort neutral video on it. Give us the link and we just click it. Simple as that. If it works, you can do that regularly.
I don’t think any of us would mind running a video in the background while reading your texts.

Posted by: Erlindur | Jun 1 2018 6:00 utc | 20

Donated. Thank you b for your service to sanity for humanity.

Posted by: PP | Jun 1 2018 6:23 utc | 21

Could you provide a mailing address of some sort in the US? If so, I will send it through mail, not electronically.

Posted by: Rambly | Jun 1 2018 6:41 utc | 22

About data stealing 3rd party objects, it is hard to create a clean site these days.
uBlock tells me on this page are requests to google.com, typepad.com, yahooapis.com and paypalobjects.com. The first three also include some javascript and all of them know the IP address of your readers.
Here is the log: https://i.imgur.com/kIH92mV.png
In this log all 3rd party requests are blocked.
I appreciate you are not serving adds on this site, but would understand if you do. I would block them anyway though, without feeling guilty because I sent you 50 euro.

Posted by: Joost | Jun 1 2018 6:59 utc | 23

B, please, keep MofA ad-free and consider setting up a Patreon account!
To Joost @23 and all others concerned about personal internet privacy: there’s some very good browser extensions, like Ghostery, that block various 3rd party web-trackers spying on you.

Posted by: LXV | Jun 1 2018 7:30 utc | 24

@LXV #24
I know. I switched from Ghostery+AddblockPlus combination to uBlock Origin. It can do much more for the advanced user, but also works fine with default settings.

Posted by: Joost | Jun 1 2018 8:04 utc | 25

Joost, thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely look deeper into uBlock.

Posted by: LXV | Jun 1 2018 8:30 utc | 26

Bernard,
I implore you to watch this 3 min video from Brendan Eich https://vimeo.com/209336437. Mainstream Media outlets The Guardian, Wall Street Journal are adopting this new paradigm for generating revenue for original publishers. A recent partnership with the Dow Jones Media Group is further evidence of the projects professionalism.

Posted by: Patrick | Jun 1 2018 8:32 utc | 27

Been visiting this bar near daily since its early days. Strolled far and wide over the years, have yet to come across another place like it. The barkeep’s no nonsense approach to his work and the matter-of-fact reporting produced week after week make MoA a must read all by itself. Add the treasure trove of information and quality of discussions found in the comments section and you have a site so irreplaceable that its value is impossible to express in currency.
Take any event of geo-political significance in the last 14 years, chances are the Moon’s archive has posts and comments articulating a well researched and sane narrative. I used to make one-off contributions but changed this to a monthly amount from here on in.
Tausend Dank b for providing this oasis, a true gem.

Posted by: Juan Moment | Jun 1 2018 8:53 utc | 28

@Aka
What is the most convenient method to make a payment to Europe from your Russian account? For example, is there a particular payment solution that is popular in Russia that is accessible to Europeans too?

Posted by: Tom | Jun 1 2018 9:18 utc | 29

27
Guardian WSJ and Dow Jones is high praise indeed for the neo-con globalist zionist establishment. No doubt b will leap to it. not.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Jun 1 2018 10:24 utc | 30

Tom,
It would be most convenient if I could simply pay with my credit card on the provided link, but as I have written for some reason Russia is absent in the country list.
Since I am an expat an have a foreign citizen account my account is under currency control/restriction. Therefore I cannot send currency abroad without considerable paperwork, in my experience it is very difficult unless you are also the person receiving the money in the other end which would not help our poor poet, and if I transferred to my danish account the money would decrease both because of fees but also because the transaction would become RUB-DKK-EUR and losing on exchange rates three times.
I should probably just mail cash, but that seems risky?

Posted by: Aka | Jun 1 2018 12:40 utc | 31

Thanks b. I have often pondered on the amount of time you spend researching to write what you do. I have put in what I can. If a thousand readers put in the same it should keep you in coffee and accommodation for a month or two. Would like to chip in a bit more but same old same old – when unable to work and earn income, plenty of time to look up what is happening in the world. Your research and writing is much appreciated.

Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Jun 1 2018 13:11 utc | 32

About sending money from Russia: I think that it is possible in Russia to order goods from abroad, so MoA could have a mail order shop of MoA memorabilia with prices that would assure profit. The conditions of purchase could give some time to actually make the items.
It is important for the memorabilia to be allowed as order goods, this is the list to avoid when you ship to Russia:
The following items may be sent only when used for personal use subject to appropriate permission from the Russian national controlling authority:
Cryptographic devices and equipment with the cryptographic function.
Radioelectric devices and/or high-frequency civil devices, including built-ins or parts of other goods.
Bees, leeches, and silkworms accompanied by a veterinary certificate.
The following items are prohibited when sent to or from the address of private individuals for needs that are not related to company activities:
Scrap and waste from ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Nonmanufactured precious metals, precious metal scrap and waste, ores and concentrated precious metal products, and primary products containing precious metals.
Mineral substances (nonmanufactured natural stones).
Information about the Earth’s interior.
Technical devices designed for eavesdropping.
Human organs and/or tissues, and blood and its components.
Radioactive materials.
Cultural artifacts.
Plants of any kind and in any form, including seeds.
I though that a good item would be a tea/coffee cup with hand painted autograph and perhaps a picture of the moon, or a similarly decorated T-shirt, say, 100 euro a piece. Mind you, it should not be so pretty as to pass for a cultural artifact. In any case, once the payment is accepted and goods are shipped, MoA would not be making refunds in the case when they are confiscated by customs.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jun 1 2018 13:39 utc | 33

BTW, since I donated 100 Euros, I really feel that I deserve at least commemorative cup for “MoA, May 2018”, and the best way to eliminate shipping costs would be to post how to do it yourself. I have seen a marker to write on ceramics in a local store, so it is feasible!

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Jun 1 2018 13:47 utc | 34

Pay pal donation already sent, it is worth every cent

Posted by: Alexander Paulsen | Jun 1 2018 14:20 utc | 35

MoA is the best because it is human. I make a recurring monthly donation, which makes me feel as if I am contributing to global sanity. Thank you b.

Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jun 1 2018 16:40 utc | 36

@Rambly – @22
Sorry, I do not have a U.S. mailing address. Is there a problem with sending mail to Europe?
@aka – Russia
If its not possible to send a donation from Russia because of those nutty sanctions please give some money in MoA’s name to a local in need.
@all – thanks for your donations and kind words.
As said before, I do not want adds because of trackers and such stuff. They also do not bring in any reasonable amount of money unless one has 1 million page views per day.
A Guardian or WSJ sponsorship would be satire. No, I won’t work for those imperial neocon rags.
Patreon – expensive in that they take quite high share of donations. I don’t like how they operate and see no advantage in moving there.

Posted by: b | Jun 1 2018 19:13 utc | 37

Hey B, I made that a monthly now (slightly less than my last one). I remember when back in the day I had a print-paper newspaper subscription (Zeit). Media has changed so massively. In a way, it’s still possible to get to serious news and analysis, your site is probably the best for international news, but there are others as well.
Think about it for a minute, there’s a reason why many publications don’t go full “paywall”mode. You get that shit for free, OF COURSE you get it for free. Elite bullshit propaganda will never shut one out from their continuous stream of mass media “reality manufacturing”
@28 Juan Moment nailed it.

Posted by: radiator | Jun 1 2018 20:18 utc | 38

I would like to thank the author for an excellent blog that is highly informative, I visit I daily and read all posts with interest,
I must admit I am free riding and I apologize for that,
I still wonder though whether Russian issued credit cards are blocked because of PayPal or because the author is safeguarding himself from being accused of being Russian funded, which I would totally understand
Best regards

Posted by: Aka | Jun 2 2018 5:24 utc | 39

@AKA – 39
I repeat from my comment @37:
@aka – Russia
If its not possible to send a donation from Russia because of those nutty sanctions please give some money in MoA’s name to a local in need.

Posted by: b | Jun 2 2018 15:33 utc | 40

Your stats forced me to run some speculative numbers hope you don’t mind
20,000 to 30,000 users per day! wow! I made a small 2 digit donation. If half of the everyday users pay that amount you are into 6 figure income…that makes you a rich poet lol…good for you keep up the good work. I will keep donating when I can.

Posted by: RussianSoul | Jun 2 2018 21:12 utc | 41

Done today, Thanks so much for all the time you put into the site to bring the truth out into the light.

Posted by: jo6pac | Jun 3 2018 15:28 utc | 42

I agree just put a reminder for donations at the top of the page and ask us when ever you are in need.
No ads, please.

Posted by: jo6pac | Jun 3 2018 15:30 utc | 43

This and several other websites are my personal go to for the crux of a matter (and I like the style/environment).
Cross referencing from twitter feeds of the big news outlets, and the general bunfight that twitter is, MOA is that place that anchors a story or issue, which then gets fleshed out and dissected simultaneously by interesting and informed contributors (some less informed).
Thank you very much B! and all the wonderful contributors!

Posted by: Musasa | Jun 3 2018 17:44 utc | 44

Good man Bernhard
Your work is all killer no filler

Posted by: MadMax2 | Jun 3 2018 18:41 utc | 45

I feel too annoyed – by being prevented from contributing any money – to sing b’s praises, otherwise easily done about the sharpest, best informed political commentary I know on the internet or off it. (How is so much wide reading so quickly and thoroughly absorbed?) Credit/debit cards are apparently acceptable, but the form still insists I set up a PayPal account. Any good advice seriously welcome.

Posted by: Ju | Jun 5 2018 9:45 utc | 46

To influence a bank to exchange from a Russian record to a remote record which isn’t your own particular is no straightforward undertaking

Posted by: Alka Talwar | Jun 21 2018 11:42 utc | 47

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