Showing advertising banners on their websites is the only way some of the content creators to generate revenues. Banner ads are of many forms – some intrusive, others more discreet – but they are omnipresent. This week Google has launched an alternative source of revenue that publishers and content creators can choose – it is called Contributor, and it is an experiment based on the willingness of readers to pay small contributions every month to enjoy quality content without being distracted by Google ads.
Google considers Contributors an experiment “in additional ways to fund the web”. Those willing to participate in the program will be required to “contribute” a small monthly fee, and when visiting participating websites they will not see Google ads anymore. The space previously occupied by the ads will contain a “Thank You” message, not advertising. This way the content creators and publishers will be paid for their effort to create enjoyable content, and the ads also disappear. The new program is in its experimental stage, with only 10 partners currently involved, including publications like The Onion, WikiHow, Mashable, imgur, Science Daily and The Urban Dictionary.
Users can contribute small amounts – between $1 and $3 – every month to enjoy their ad-free browsing experience. The more the users contribute, the more they support the efforts of the participating websites to create the content they are looking for. When visiting a participating website on a desktop browser, the ads will be replaced by a pixel pattern with a “Thank You” message. On mobile, the ads may disappear altogether. Contributor is currently only available based on an invitation. If the experiment proves to be successful, the search giant will most likely expand it to more participating websites and to all users of its services.
Although it appeared just recently, Contributor has already received its share of criticism. Some users consider it an unnecessary service, that is doomed to fail – there are several browser extensions and apps that block all ads on the websites people visit, and these are most of the times free of charge.