EntreCard: I was deadly wrong with the sponsored ads!

Hiding in one of the last comments on the EntreCard blog, Cindy announced the 50$ are not for each account (including all your linked blogs). NO! EntreCard wants now 50$ for each blog.
Here is a quote of her comment:

Entrecard will remain free for all users because it will be funded by the sponsors, not the users. The $50 per blog fee is just another option for users that wants to opt out of the sponsor ads program completely. It’s an option, not mandatory.

Good luck, EntreCard without any benefits for your members no one with more than ONE BLOG will pay you so much just for an ad-free EC-widget!

This is the only sunshine from her comment:

We know users fear that that ads served might conflict with their blog. Because of this, we will give users an option to opt out of the ads that you do not find appropriate on your blog. This is also free.

By the way, Cindy, did you think that the members are happy when you announce that they have to pay 50$ for each of their registered blogs? NO WAY, you thought they will stay calm and accept when you make your announcement?

6 hours after she published her comment on the EntreCard blog, you are no more allowed to post comments on the EntreCard Blog.

Her statement:

Because of our recent change of service, we have a small group of users that are extremely angry and using the blog comments to get other members to rebel against Entrecard. Due to this reason alone, we have decided to disable comments and will be restored in the near future.
However, if anyone still have questions about our services, please email support@entrecard.com. All emails will be answered within 24 hours. Thank you so much!

You might wonder why i don't link anymore to the EntreCard blog directly. Therefore i want you to read from my Weekly Wednesday Worth readings for this week (sorry, no time for it yesterday):

Jamie from comatised wrote Yet another EntreCard post.
There she points the light to areas which have been not yet highlighted in other blogs (PageRank and about Graham Longdon) + her second post about it Digging Up Bones is also worth reading!

Another post about how EntreCard users are utilizing the EntreCard service on our blogs, especially focusing the time we have to spent for dropping cards, on the duration of the visits and the bounce rate was made by Antique and Vintage Button Jewelry, it's called EC Free Ads...Is it worth it?

The third post is from Eli's Business Sphere. He named his post Quo vadis, EntreCard? Can it still survive this time around?
He looks at it from the view as lawyer and points out interesting facts about your Online property - your blog/website. The comments are also worth a look!

Weekly Wednesday Worth Readings: EntreCard

Every Wednesday i publish now posts which i found worth reading and of interest for everyone.

This week i will begin with EntreCard and their on-going developments which shall make them a member-rich and profitable company.

As a round-up of the events last week within EntreCard the following developments have been published in the blog

• on 17th September -> EntreCard launched a referral program
• on 22nd September -> EntreCard announced 15% sponsored ads throughout its network (starting from 28th September on)

In my opinion a referral program was not necessary for EntreCard. It will only cause that there will be more ECs in their economy and when we look at the incentive it's just 30 cents for one referral (taking the old CashOut rate).
It can be abused, too, as it's not clearly written how active a new member should be (1 click daily or 1 click within the 14 day period) and when you don't link your own blogs together but make separate accounts for it under your referral link (and many more ways)!

If EntreCard wants active members they should charge us monthly a membership fee with 10 ECs/day (would be deducted at the end of the month) and new members get 300 ECs as a incentive in the beginning.
In this case every member should drop 300 cards throughout the month (10 cards daily). At the moment there are too many blogs in EntreCard registered as "Just here for the view".


This week's choice for EntreCard's Referral Program!

An interesting article to this topic can be found on the blog of Entrepod.

It's called Hey Carders, let's play Tricknology and definitely worth reading for every EntreCard member.


The second big topic in the last week was mentioned by Laane and then Queen Katherine.

It's about the issue that Virus and Trojans are spreading from several EntreCard Blogs. Me, myself got two times a message to download a "fake" Adobe Flash player update in the previous week.
I recommend everyone NOT to install or download any program which is NOT from the official Website and just POP-UPs while visiting a blog + install a actual virus, malware and spyware scanner!


In a response to this article again have a look at the second article of Entrepod

Isn’t it time We Started Dropping Smarter instead of being Baited Harder

In this article you can find useful information how to get rid of these virus and trojans which might already take control of your computer.

Now to the third topic which will cause again new confusion and dispute in the EntreCard world as it's now a forced paid ad campaign which will be running in 15% of our daily ad campaigns (and bring EntreCards some $$ so that it can stay FREE FOR ALL OF US).

This new SPONSORED Ad program will start from 28th September on and you will have a choice to reject some of the offered sponsored ads.

Cindy Ung announced that

"the ads will be ALL Family-oriented and will not promote nudity, violence or anything illegal."

For this Sponsored Ad topic i found two actual posts:

One is again from Entrepod

Junk Mail PSA: How to Milk The EntreCOW


and the other article is from Reality Talk which is called

Why Entrecard
(an excellent summary of the events that happened since the Paid ads started in April 2009 until now and a future outlook!)

If you care about the EntreCard community i would like you to visit these links as they provide you very good information about the stuff that's going on within EntreCard and on our blogs!

What do you think about the on-going changes in EntreCard? Will we get more quality members or will you quit sooner or later?