Yes, I was kind of fascinated with this idea when I read this interesting New Yorker piece about Ree Drummond, who blogs as the Pioneer Woman. It has become a seriously heavy-duty moneymaking business for her, and when you read the detail of everything she does to keep up the fantasy aspect of this online, it's most definitely a real job. She has not only advertising, but licensing, endorsements, and more. For a while after reading it I wondered what kind of blog I could set up to make me a bundle.

As for the SugarLaws site, I don't think I would read it evern if I were interested in the content, because the ad placement dominates the content to such a huge extent.

interesting, Miko. that blog reminds me dooce.com, which I used to glance at when I was 17 and had almost convinced me that pregnancy is the worst thing on the planet, lol (just cause she was dramatic about writing the physical inconveniences pre-birth and then post-partum depression is a very specific personal thing)

One thing that motivates me is not just money or the initial desire to be publishing something online but also influence, you know, and not in the huge crass way that TechCrunch or gawker would gain influence by throwing loads and loads of news/gossip/snark out there all the time. And it's tempting to think that you can gain a voice just from a very, well, lithe presence in the field that's strongly tied to individual taste and a point of view. I guess the same way my business philosophy is to stay small and find a niche my influence philosophy is the same way, 'don't go big, go specific'. As the article points out though it's just as much of a professional stance to adopt--they says she doesn't talk about marital trouble or do any cultural criticism etc and that's as much a persona as someone rushing out the gate every day to talk about how the latest movie's portrayal of XYZ offended their political senses, you just pick what part of your thinking to engage and broadcast

As for the SugarLaws site, I don't think I would read it evern if I were interested in the content, because the ad placement dominates the content to such a huge extent.

This.
Frankly, I couldn't tell where the ads left off and actual content began. The thing struck me as one enormous ad. Not something I would ever read much beyond the first couple of sentences.

it's not like you need to scroll through the front page like that, you would probably subscribe to the feed or twitter or something like that and go to the actual articles. that's just the design of the front