Rabbits, Blinkity

Here's another thing that confuses me: apparently android users would rather look at ads all day than spend $0.99.

So I've got this app, Typing Keyboard. It is, as the name may suggest, a keyboard. It costs $0.99. About a month after I released said keyboard, I decided to release a free version with ads. The free version now has around 100 times more users. And based on the ad impressions, they're actually using it quite a bit. This confuses me to no end: the ad-supported version is really, really annoying. It pops an ad up right above the keyboard, sometimes right where you're typing (this wasn't intentional, but the keyboard system is a bit weird on android and it sometimes just happens). $0.99 isn't even enough to buy a candy bar in most places now. Why would you even consider the ad version if you liked it.

It doesn't really bother me, I suppose—I'll probably get paid more per-user with the ad-supported version anyway—but still, really, people, really?

Ridiculous.

So look, I like this site Design Sponge, and think the author usually comes up with some really neat stuff, but some things, like the linked piece, just confuse me. What is it about perfectly decent wooden furniture that makes people want to paint it? Not just on Design Sponge, either, but almost everywhere. Paint paint paint.

Not that there's anything wrong with that particular piece, specifically. It's just, look:

• Paint looks good for a bit, but it wears, especially the cute little patterns. Wood lasts nearly forever.
• Wood is complex, and beautiful. Paint is boring and simple.
• Paint feels weird. Both finished and unfinished wood feel neat.
• Wood just looks nicer—save the paint for salvaging really beat-up wooden pieces.

I mean, look at this cabinet I have. Yes, I wish it was a bit darker. And I might strip and re-stain it darker if I have time. But paint it? That's just ridiculous.
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Like I said in my post on not being obsessed with privacy, it's rarely worth it to try and stay anonymous online. But sometimes it's necessary. So, here's some advice for different situations.
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Let me let you in on a little secret: nothing in life is free. And that includes charitable giving. This post was inspired by this commentor, who kindly informed everybody that all the blogging in the world was worth less than giving $2000 to the Against Malaria Foundation, because $2000 dollars to the AMF will keep a child in Africa from dying from malaria. Clearly, we should spend all of our spare time working for minimum wage jobs and giving the proceeds to charity,* and forget all about silly things like "reading" and "writing."
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