Blogging for profit or virtue

I'm a conservative. I wholeheartedly support free market capitalism. I not only support it, but in my own small way, outside of my day job, I try to partake of the opportunity with my limited available bandwidth.  As of this month, I've finally generated enough revenue from ads on my blog to merit a check from Google (I use AdSense). Yay me.  It took just under 3 years; I'm not exactly a blog advertising powerhouse.  But it does provide me with a sense of accomplishment and motivation.

My blog has provided me primarily an outlet for my thoughts on politics, economics, liberty, American exceptionalism and the future.  I blog mainly out of a sense of wanting to share what I believe is right for America and her future.  That's I guess, blogging for virtue.  You can argue whether I'm right or wrong, but the reason I do it is for a noble purpose.  But I've also 'allowed' ads on my blog.  Some might see that as not so virtuous.  I don't see that as selling out in any way.  

I view it as a free market exchange between myself and a myriad of unknown vendors who view my blog as a potential place to advertise.  There's also a third party in that transaction - blog readers.  Readers can choose to ignore the ads, in fact, many might not even notice them.  Alternately they can choose to not only read the ads but click on them if they are of interest.  That is their choice.  There is no downside to advertising on a blog if the ads do not become too intrusive. 

Ad revenue is not my primary motivation - getting people interested in political, social and economic discussions and getting people to look at things from different angles is my motivation.  But the ad revenue is not only a financial incentive to continue (albeit a small one), it's one more way to gauge the success of my blog.  Daily visits is one measure, comments is another, an so is ad revenue.  I'm not doing as well by the last measure as compared to the first or second measure.  But at least I'm on the scoreboard.

One last point, profit is not something to be ashamed about.  Profit motivation is what will ultimately pull the United states out of the economic malaise it now faces or ever will face.  If you tamp down the motivation for profit you are nailing shut the coffin on America's future.