Wired called me the other day and asked me a few questions about Calacanis' comments regarding an ad representative selling links. I gave no descriptive comment because I'm not in the habit of airing difficulties that I have with individuals. I don't call people out on their mistakes in front of others to shame them.

We're working on a disclosure document to clarify our policy on this issue. For instance, we're going to disclose that we occasionally run contests or offer prizes in conjunction with advertising campaigns. We're also taking a serious look at selling boobies links to avoid the bait-and-switch problems we've been having lately, where we link a boobies article only to find out as soon as half an hour later that the site's changed from what we originally linked to one full of popups, virii, trojans, and worse. With any luck it will help us ensure the quality while helping out with our war chest at the same time.

If the same material -- e.g. clip, news story -- is available in several locations, we may enter into a commercial agreement to prefer one host site over the another.

We will also link stuff that I just happen to like, expect to see Homestar Runner and Red Vs Blue from now til the end of time.

Anyhow we're working on it. In the meantime feel free to discuss this issue but only in this thread. Fark has a policy against threadjacking, and this includes off-topic posts in other threads. It's not a censorship issue, it's a readability issue.

We apologize for not being clearer about what we do and don't do. In the meantime please enjoy Nick Denton's short piece on media whores.

I hate Burger King.

Way to go, Drew. *applauds*

bah, drew's the man. make your money, it's all good.

Oh nooee1!!1!! FArk hasea solde outse!!!!

/die!


Heh.

Bah, I would think you were a bunch of morans if you weren't making money any way that you can without killing users with a million pop-ups. This site is awesome and, in my opinion, very affordable to join.

Keep up the good work.

oh, and Bush said something incorrectly, America knows.

nice headline and article Drew.
*moves on*

kick ass!

Outstanding.

Who the hell greenlighted this?? Oh...

So, there you go. Nyah!

I submitted this article earlier with a better subject.

oh wait...

yes.

There, now. Not such a big deal anymore, is it?

Thank you.

Excellent and thanks, Drew!

Thanks for sorting that out, Drew! You are and still remain THE man.

Is that $26.41 Canadian, or real money?

Thanks for the great site! I'm pretty sure my employer hates you.

You know what does well with Burger King? A cool, refreshing, delicious Dr Pepper!



/now accepting comment sponsors

doublesecret: try Farkback.

Hell yeah Drew! Well done on the headline also.

I admit that I have seen a few too many AskMen and IFilm links on fark, but it's Drew's site to run as he wants, overall the links are good, and if he makes some money off it, good for him.

I'd like to disclose that I click on everything anyway.

So those links I saw for sale on eBay aren't for real?

Damn!

* hurries to withdrawal bid *

Anyone else who picks this story up damn well better reference this comments thread... Wired is making a mountain out of a molehill.

Personally, I didn't have a problem even if you were. You have to make money somehow.

Question for you, though: Preferring one host site for a news article over others...doesn't that take away from the fun and spontaneity (i.e., different slants, different headlines, etc.) that makes Fark a destination of choice for a lot of us?

I think by now Drew knows how to make a buck without compromising his baby... let's give him the benefit of the doubt, for Chrissakes.

Drew:

Feel free to make as much money as you can offering paid links to whatever you want. We're behind you all the way. Anything that keeps pop-ups and interstitials away from Fark is okay by me.

Wow, a rational explanation! What a shock!

Bravo, Drew!

btw, great "blog" site...

Lets all villify Drew for trying to keep his baby fed and in diapers, while offering us a product for free that we enjoy!

super.

Way to go Drew!

Should have briefly mentioned that you have fired the guy that said Fark does this all the time when referring to selling links.

That's not the Burger King in Deltona, is it? Cause I think it's closed today.

Drew Rocks!

/the preceding message brought to you by Heineken and a bong bowl

As a farklighter I wondered about,
the links that made it..
But now as a TFette,I see the hugh task that they have.
In choosing links and headlines.
And I must say,it seems to me,
they really do go for "The Funny".
I'm glad to pay,to help the servers
keep going,spilt beer "sounds like Danger!"
I've really enjoyed this place....
and will continue to do so...I hope.
Non submitter..I'll let you folks,
take care of all that work!!!
But, I do have a question,so maybe I'll
submit in the future....


/just my 0.03 cents

doccm9
Should have briefly mentioned that you have fired the guy that said Fark does this all the time when referring to selling links.


"I gave no descriptive comment because I'm not in the habit of airing difficulties that I have with individuals. I don't call people out on their mistakes in front of others to shame them."

:)

I posted this earlier with a more lucrative sponsorship package.

I for one would like to pledge allegiance to the Banner Ads of the United Nations of Farkistan.

So... yeah... isn't today the Montreal Fark Party? And wasn't Drew enroute on the plane earlier today? The man has a real job and family in addition to Fark, and yet still makes time to smooth our ruffled feathers.

Next time you're in Detroit, Drew, I will be more than glad to buy you a beer at the casino of your choice!

Drew never charged me for my green-lighted submission.

I guess that makes me one of his favorites.

damn, I leave for 5 months, and this is what I get back to? damn you Drew, and where the hell's ma dinner?

/kiddin

Newmoonpuppyhead:

Preferring one host site for a news article over others...doesn't that take away from the fun and spontaneity (i.e., different slants, different headlines, etc.) that makes Fark a destination of choice for a lot of us?

What I'm referring to there is stuff like AP and reuters, which every newspaper carries, and to a certain extent Knight Ridder. The idea would be keep the tagline, change the target site but keep the same article. If that makes sense.

We're also looking to add multiple-headline voting contests. That's a whole other thing though

I'm gonna start selling ad space in my photoshops!

Allow me to repost me thoughts on this from two days ago:

1. Quit yer biatchin.
2. STFU
3. It's a private site - you have no say in how it's run. Nor should you.
4. STFU
5. I would like to see more people run their sites on the Internet with the respect for their readers that Drew has shown. Do you have to register to read Fark? Are there pop-ups? Do you have to take a survey to post comments? Is there spyware? Do you have a strong urge to drink Dr. Pepper? If you said "no", then read #6.
6. STFU

Go Drew!

/screw the media

My head hurts

you can't become a millionare by letting your website run wild west (read: no rules)
good on ya... you wild haired internet something or other.