What does "non-commercial site" mean?

 

Update: I decided to go ahead and try Google Adsense adds (as mentioned below) to cover site costs, instruments, books, ...
 

The fact that I don't have a clue what Google is going to put in these add spaces seems to eliminate any chance of favoring a supplier's products because they advertise on BIS.

 

Gary  Aug 31, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It means I don't make any money on this site.

I don't sell anything.

There are no adds.

The total income this site has produced for all time is zero.

 

If you find something for sale here, you have followed a link off the site.

 

I do link to some commercial sites that offer products or information that looks like it might help people complete DIY solar projects (e.g. plans, components, installation manuals, or reference material).  I have no financial or other agreements with these sites -- I'm sure that most of them are not even aware I have a link to them.  

 

The income/expense statement for this site is the same each month:

 

           Expenses:              GoDaddy.com (my ISP)                          -$10

            Income:                  None                                                            $0

            -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

           Total                                                                                           -$10 per month

 

 

I have no plans to change this mode of operation.   It is simple, cheap, and avoids any perception of favoring certain products because they are paying me.  If the site becomes very, very popular (not a problem as yet :-) ), and the bandwidth charges go over $20 or so a month, I would consider doing something like the Google click through adds to pay for the bandwidth.   If I did this, any excess money would go into solar projects or instrumentation.   I am guessing this is a long, long way off.

                   

I have included the this page because I keep getting asked how much money I make on BuildItSolar, and get sort of disbelieving responses when I say none.  I don't know how to state it any more clearly:  This site generates zero income, and I have no plans to change that.

 

Note that I am not at all anti commercial sites -- some of them are great, and there would not be much of a solar industry without them.

 

   

 

Gary