Nerd Church - I Quit Google AdSense

I’ve been using Google AdSense here on Dora Reads for quite some time — at least two years, but honestly, I lose track.

It’s probably more like 5 or 6 years at this point. (I am nothing if not persistent.)

In that time, I earned about £7  — which I couldn’t get to, because the minimum payout threshold is £60.

So, now I’ve decided to quit AdSense.

What changed? Well, they wanted ID verification — and, not only do I have some security and privacy issues with giving Google a shiny picture of my ID, but also it turned out at some point my account had been wrongly classified.

Which meant that they also wanted documentation for the incorporation of a company that doesn’t exist beyond my status as a sole trader (which is how I’m classified for UK tax, on account of it just being me on my self-employed lonesome.)

So I figured — that’s fine, I’ll just change the account classification from ‘Organization’ to ‘Individual.’ Easy, right?

…Right?

…Right?!

No. Turns out the only way to do that is to close the Organization account and open a brand new Individual account.

To get the money you’ve already earned, you need a minimum of £10, otherwise it’s all forfeit. Yay.

So I did close the account, forfeiting my £7, and I did open a new, individual, one — which I closed almost immediately.

Why? Because I can reactivate it at any time.

So if, in the future, I’m getting enough traffic to earn considerably more than £7 in 2–6 years — enough, basically, to justify giving freaking Google a nice shot of my ID — then I can reinstate it.

But for now? It’s just not worth it.

You’ve got to pivot constantly when you write on the Internet — because the house always freaking wins.

Previously published on Medium

So - what does this mean for Dora Reads?

Not much, to be honest. Things will click along here much as they have been.

You might notice a little more cross-posting from Medium - but honestly, I've been cross-posting between there and here, and here and there, for a while now, so you might not notice the difference

(Running multiple content streams is hard and I need to battle against my over-working tendencies as much as possible, OK?)

BUT there will always, always, always be original content on here, OK? 

If I go too long without posting original content here, feel free to remind me. 😅

Other than that - you won't be seeing any ads, and I might push my ko-fi (digital tip-jar) a little bit more.

...Not too much more, I promise. 

And feel free to tell me (nicely, please and thank you,) if you think I'm being annoying with it. 😅

So... thoughts?

Talk to me! 😊💬

You can follow me on Twitter @CeeDoraReads, on Pinterest, and on Dora Reads @ BlogLovin. For more ways to support me, check out the Support Me page

Previous Nerd Church Posts:

• Nerd Church - Things Happen When They Happen

• Nerd Church - What Does 'Enough' Even Mean?

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