For small and medium sized sites, even in Web 2.0, I think Tip Jars and direct contributions are the only option for making money. The overhead is near 0 and the annoyance factor of the ads are gone (Dunno about you, but I have never seen an ad on PJmedia… I block all ads.) Also, it allows the consumer to determine the value of the product and contribute accordingly… which provides good feedback to the content owners.

The only other option is paid subscriptions for access to private content and services (maybe forums or chat etc). I dunno if this path would work for PJMedia though, since it seems more focused on accessible communication.

I hope your contributors recoginize the constraints of the medium.

I make a distinction between people trying to figure out how to make a buck via “new media” on their own, compared to what Roger and Charles cobbled together as a business venture/paying hobby.

Dennis the Peasant has a tendentious, but accurate, summation of how PJM ignored the signs and threw itself onto the shoals.

Also, there’s a difference between “not knowing” and disregarding. Roger disregarded.

Fwiw, my starting point is this: PJM blew through $900,000 – in an online world where the storage is cheap, the overhead can be low, and talent available.

… and the answer to your question is that Rush (go figure) went into the web business only after he figured out how he could make money doing it.

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I sit in the bleachers, not on the field…so, I can’t claim to play any significant role in how the game is played.

I have not the faintest clue as to how to take this medium and make it profitable.

All I know, what I fervently believe…is that there are voices that need to be heard. When the information stream is kidnapped and and gangraped somebody must form the resistance and fight for its honor.

Warehousing a place for the common good, a safe haven and a welcoming port of entry is a brilliant concept that should be kept alive. Nobody alone should shoulder that burden, not if it is indeed a place for common advancement of honorable ideals.

Internal squabbling and finger pointing leaves the antagonist assholes above smirking in delight as they relish their stolen sophistry.

Jeff and Dan have value, Bob Owens has value, Ed and Hot Air have value, Glenn has value, Ace has value, the Anchoress has value, Bill Whittle has value etc. And Roger along with PJM itself …they have value.

It would seem to me that finding a way to achieve common goals is of universal benefit to this overall movement to restore the stolen honor and integrity of our kidnapped and gang raped informaton stream.

But again, I don’t have a name on my uniform, I don’t even have a uniform and haven’t grabbed a bat to take my swings. I’m just sitting in the bleachers making notes in my scorecard. For what it was worth…I have loved and treasured all of you. You are the heroes on the field. I just don’t want to watch you fight with each other in the dugout. I am but one fan, lost in a sea of of anonymous faces…that you don’t hear applauding loud enough, often enough. Set your ears to the wind, you can still hear us cheering and I will be standing in ovation, out in your centerfield bleachers. Play on. The game has not ended. Play on. For those of us that you inspire, play on.

Together, somehow…play on.

Yes, I understand capitalism. I’ve been unemployed before…and I’m sure that the blogs are not the only means of support for those that are affected. I just seems like parties on both sides were not talking and planning for instances like this. I just don’t want to see good people have to give up something they enjoy doing. Some will fade away, and some will suspend blogging until things get better for themselves…It just seems like this could have been handled better…