Google tests replacing
web ads with contributions
SAN FRANCISCO: Google
on Thursday began rolling out a way for people to support websites they
frequent and, in return, be rewarded with ad-free pages.
A "Google
Contributor" experiment was introduced with a handful of partners
including tech news website Mashable and The Onion, which is known for clever
satires.
Google described the
effort as an "experiment in additional ways to fund the web."
"When you visit a
participating website, part of your contribution goes to the creators of that
site," Google said at a page launched for those interested in taking part.
"As a reminder of
your support, you'll see a thank you message -- often accompanied by a pixel
pattern -- where you might normally see an ad."
Contributors are asked
to set a monthly donation amount ranging from one to three dollars, and in
exchange wipe out the ads that some surfers see as a nuisance.
Donated money is doled
out based on which websites contributors visit, with Google keeping an
unspecified portion.
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