Why I don't have outside banner ads

Although CashDuck has the capability of running banner ads, and there is software in place to allow people to automatically buy banner ads, I've taken it out. You can still run a banner ad, but it has to go through me first, and I won't put it up if it's for another CashDuck-like site. I'm all for people using banner ads to promote their own home businesses or what not, but I just think it's in poor taste to display ads for competitors on your own site. For simplicity's sake, I ask that if you want to run an ad, that you are already a CashDuck member and have earned some money so I can just deduct the $5 from your account. It makes it a lot simpler for my records - plus there have been a few instances of people from other sites who sign up just to run ads, and then leave, which I think is odd.

I have a few reasons really why I don't want to put up banner ads:

1. Most of them aren't very pretty. I have a certain style I like to keep, and most of the banner ads for other sites are in line with that site's style - which is guaranteed to be louder and brighter than mine. So it's visually jarring.

2. I like to use the banner ads as a way to communicate with my ducklings. Not everybody reads the forum, so it's a good way to get information to everybody in a fairly unobtrusive way.

3. I just don't need the five bucks bad enough to overlook reasons 1 or 2. The usual banner ad price is $5 for 10,000 impressions - I currently have $5 for 5,000 impressions simply because the site has only recorded a bit over 50,000 impressions and I don't want people to see the same damn ad for three months. Once the site gets more traffic, I'll up the number.

So if you've got a business you would like to promote (like design, or crafts, or whatever) then let me know and we can set it up!