Advertising-free Zone

Well, it seems which a server pierce has upheld off relatively well, as good as nonetheless there might have been a integrate of hitches along a way, Im now happily lodged upon a brand new wind-powered server (I fondly imagine a server with a tiny windmill adhering out of a top; though reality its probably not similar to this which upon thoughtfulness is probably a great thing). And Ive also come to a end of a busy integrate of weeks of stuffing in assorted intriguing grant bids a singular of which we might write about here upon thinkBuddha if it turns out to be successful so Ive got a bit of time to get behind to a commercial operation of essentially writing stuff. Which is a great thing.

A integrate of weeks ago, we was asked to fill in a questionnaire about my blogging practice, in connection with a little PhD research. And it was great to have a chance to step behind as good as simulate upon what it is which we do here upon thinkBuddha, as good as because we do it particularly as Ive been blogging here now for over 5 years, as good as over which period quite a lot has changed. But, anyway, a singular of a questions which was put to me was this: because dont we lift promotion upon this blog (other than a occasional plug for my own books, of for alternative things we think have been interesting)?

There are, perhaps, several reasons. The initial is which Im almost certain which it would not be value a trouble. Given a kind of trade we get at thinkBuddha respectable enough, no doubt, though this is frequency a hub of a giant media empire a returns would be vanishingly small. The second reason is which we have no thought what we would advertise. Perhaps we could plug Buddhist pack similar to imagining cushions as good as singing bowls. Or iPad Buddhist apps of a meditation-timer, Dhammapada-verse-a-day variety. Or expensive five-star Caribbean cruises in a company of a important Lama Dorje Logjam (high powered Tantric initiations thrown in free of charge). None of a above, however, fe! els as i f it unequivocally reflects what we do upon this blog or what my readership essentially is. But a there is a third reason which is more principled in nature. And which is which we think which a omnipresence of promotion is something which should be resisted. One of a things we hope to do with this blog is to foster a certain kind of reflection; as good as we find which we cant unequivocally simulate really good if Im thinking about what tasty breakfast cereals CocoNuts or Corn-ios are.

The final integrate of decades have seen an augmenting starry-eyed mania with a universe of business. These days, a commercial operation universe is deliberate bizarrely to be something which is innately good; as good as along with this has been an augmenting privatisation of a open sphere. This has meant an augmenting infiltration of promotion in to each dilemma of a lives. Schools as good as universities have deals with IT companies which engage a splashing of logos here as good as there. So-called free applications for mobile devices tide continual click-through advertisements. Film-makers lift collateral by shamelessly putting bottles of Dud beer, or whoever a sponsor happens to be, in each singular shot. And people afterwards pay for a privilege of saying this stuff. This is, we think, a really bad thing. Psychologist Tim Kasser, in his book The High Price of Materialism, a survey of a harms of a common mania with getting as good as spending, suggests which we should acknowledgement advertising-free zones as good as suggests which promotion should be deliberate a form of pollution, upon a drift which a justification seems to suggest (and Kasser surveys a lot of this evidence) which promotion is bad for a health.

So which is because thinkBuddha is an advertising-free section (with a exception of a big, large book cover, as good as a ensign which says Buy my book hey, nobodys perfect). Advertising might have a place, though a omnipresence of promotion as good as its penetration in to each dilemma of a li! ves clog s up a imagination as good as stifles a possibility of genuine reflection.

Anyway, we fancy a play of CocoNuts. They have been apparently both tasty as good as nutritious. And most in foster amongst a beautiful people. At least, thats what a advertisements told me