Wisdom:

The Ask Nicely Theory

I've had this idea for a long time, but the way my mind works, I've never thought about putting it in print.  My mind has some low self esteem issues, and another symptom I'm learning, is that we don't like to ask for things, and we don't like to inconvenience people.  Anything we can do to not cause a fuss, or a potential disturbance is the norm for the low self esteem mine.

In part, Frogstar doesn't have ads because I want you to like me, and because I don't like ads, I figure I shouldn't give you anything I wouldn't want myself. 

I hate the fact that EVIL WINS.

We see it on all levels, from actual crime, down to everyday things.  People drive faster than the posted speed limit every day, and don't think of themselves as criminals.  In that case, it pays to break the rules.  Sadly, the Internet version of evil seems to have gotten out of hand.  Spam, viruses and advertisements.  Evil that somehow, is still worth it for those involved.

On the Internet, Evil wins all the time.  We see ads for scams, and contests and spyware and illegal substances popping up.  And it obviously works.  People keep running ads.  Evil ads.

One of the other symptoms of having low self esteem, is that you think about how life would be, if you were not. I get angry when I see the evil winning.  The bad guys doing better than the good guys.  At times, I can feel like an idiot doing the right thing, while nobody else seems to be.  When I buy a CD, and pay full price in a retail store, I feel a little bit like an idiot.

Likewise, on the Internet, I see web sites with ads all over the place.  Pop ups and banners, and often for bad and harmful terrible products, or naked women.  Bad ads.  Not just regular ads.  I see these, and I think it's sad that somewhere, somebody, probably 10 or 15 people along the chain of profit...are making enough money to be mean.

And I'm not.

I'm not rich, because I don't want to be a bother.  I don't want to ask, and I don't want to pester, and I don't want to irritate... I want to be nice.  I want to be liked.  I am poor for it.

Not really poor, but certainly far from rich.

And the evil people -- the ones that don't care about you - own all the gadgets, and drive nicer cars than me.

I think about the so-called; "in a perfect world" we mention now and then when we need an example of how a nice world would be. I think about how nice it would be if the Internet was still something people did with the end user in mind, rather than profit and power.  It started out that way, but those days are only a faint memory in Google's cache - if you know where to look.

Today, the Internet doesn't care about us.  The Internet buys and sells us like pork bellies.  Not only does it pay to be mean, and irritate the users, it doesn't seem to pay at all, to NOT do these things.

I have an idea.  A theory.  A test.  If I appeal to those among us that agree, but seem helpless to make a change, and ask for a reward... or perhaps a tip is a better word.  $2 is such a small amount of money, less than almost any food or treat or anything we spend money on each day.  I know you've enjoyed Frogstar, and probably enjoyed not seeing pop ups, or ads.

How about sending me a dollar or two.  I pay over $500 a month of personal money to maintain Frogstar.