support.html

---
layout: page
title : Support the blog
description: "Ploeh blog is free, and always has been. Keep it free."
header : Support
group: navigation
image: "/content/binary/jump.jpg"
---
{% assign article_count = site.posts.size %}
{% assign years_active = site.time | date: "%Y" | minus:2009 %}
{% include JB/setup %}

<p>
	<em>{{ page.description }}</em>
</p>
<h3 id="37a1d89424264960871eb17b30d55379">
	Keeping the blog free <a href="#37a1d89424264960871eb17b30d55379" title="permalink">#</a>
</h3>
<p>
	I'd like to keep the blog free. There are no ads on it. It has no sponsors who demand something in return.
</p>
<p>
	This enables me to write about what I care about, when I care about it. I don't have to write about something that doesn't interest me, just because someone might be paying me to do so. This means that what you read here represents the best of my efforts, and the most honest representation of my thoughts and ideas, at the time I wrote them down. I hope that you, as a reader, appreciate this.
</p>
<h3 id="97eec61c69f9439ea07ffbb52e14f6d9">
	Writing takes effort <a href="#97eec61c69f9439ea07ffbb52e14f6d9" title="permalink">#</a>
</h3>
<p>
	Writing the articles on this blog takes time. Not only does it take time to write the actual content of each article, but typically I've written much code to support an article. That code I often publish for free as well, on <a href="https://github.com/ploeh">my GitHub profile</a>. I use hours, and sometimes days, on a single blog post.
</p>
<p>
	Currently, there's {{ article_count }} articles in total, published over a period of {{ years_active }} years; that's {{ article_count | divided_by: years_active | divided_by: 12 }} articles per month, on average.
</p>
<p>
	The work that goes into this blog represents a significant fraction of my time.
</p>
<h3 id="e1e9791b6b104373af6365338bce764c">
	Giving <a href="#e1e9791b6b104373af6365338bce764c" title="permalink">#</a>
</h3>
<p>
	Ultimately, I write because I want to write; I <em>need</em> to write. I learn so many wonderful things that I want to share with the rest of the world. I've been blogging for at least {{ years_active | plus: 3 }} years, if you also count <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/ploeh">my old MSDN blog</a>.
</p>
<p>
	I don't mind giving of my knowledge; it does sometimes generate leads. Still, for the last couple of years, I've increasingly found myself contemplating whether I can keep it up when it doesn't generate any income.
</p>
<p>
	For years, you've been able to <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=NZEPYW8KVZ8WL">buy me a cup of coffee</a>, and over the years, a few kind people have done so. I'm always filled with gratitude when I receive such a donation, because that's a PayPal link, and I conjecture that most of the payments I receive are paid by readers personally.
</p>
<p>
	I'm touched when someone pays me with their personal money for something that I give for free. Particularly because there's strong indication that the real beneficiaries of this blog aren't only people, but corporations and other professional organisations.
</p>
<h3 id="8b2efb6d8d784713899bde2c6af94f33">
	Professional relationships <a href="#8b2efb6d8d784713899bde2c6af94f33" title="permalink">#</a>
</h3>
<p>
	Site analytics suggest that readers use this blog professionally. Most traffic happens during work days, with noticeable gaps every weekend:
</p>
<p>
	<img src="/content/binary/blog-analytics-snapshot.png" alt="Typical traffic snapshot for ploeh blog.">
</p>
<p>
	This strongly suggests to me that readers are using the contents while working. You, dear reader, may benefit from the blog, but your employer or workplace does, too.
</p>
<p>
	If you've found this blog valuable in a professional context, consider giving back. I'm not asking for your personal money, but if I've helped to make your development process more effective, then I'd consider it fair if your organisation would like to give back.
</p>
<p>
	Professional organisations aren't geared to donate small amounts via PayPal. Such organisations, however, routinely pay invoices as part of doing business.
</p>
<p>
	I'll be happy to send an invoice to your organisation.
</p>
<p>
	I'm self-employed, so invoicing is something I already do. I'm not an employee, so HR needn't be involved. I run a company in Denmark, so your organisation can view me as yet another supplier.
</p>
<p>
	I can send you a single invoice, or a recurring one, for any amount of your choice. I usually lose between 75 and 350 DKK in international bank transfer fees, but apart from that, I'll be grateful for any amount of support.
</p>
<p>
	If you'd like to professionally support this blog, then please <a href="/about#contact">contact me</a>.
</p>
<p>
	You can also <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/ploeh">sponsor me via GitHub</a>.
</p>
<p>
	Finally, if you can't convince your workplace to pay me directly, perhaps you have a book budget. Consider getting your workplace to buy one or more of <a href="/about/#print">my books</a>; I do get some royalties from those.
</p>