You are probably wondering why I choose this topic and how I came to this conclusion, but that too is very simple, I will explain it to you on the example my own websites.

A few years ago, when I started with only a small section of my websites (Kenja's Desktop Themes), it was just a mere hobby. However over the years as the website became larger, the cost of running several domains, the work that goes into constantly producing new and high quality content, and/or services come with a high price of not only being monetary, but also that of the time invested.

Large websites, such as my own are setting off the minimum running costs of a few hundred dollars annually (costs include such things as domain names, hosting of web space and bandwidth, advertising, buying programs to produce content, equipment, etc.) by running banner ads on all of their web pages. At first it was fairly simple to find these banner ad companies, as long as you could show a certain amount of traffic. This made things simple for all involved.... the big companies had many banner advertising companies to choose from and they in turn offered many high content (mostly free sites) to their customers to run their ads and we as webmasters of large websites got paid enough to make it all worth while offering you our "free" content of desktop enhancements, graphics, stationery, tutorials, etc.

During the last 2 or 3 years, all sorts of programs were being developed and sold that would sift out the banner ads (you could literally turn them off and not look at them) and, during the last year less people would even bother to click on the banners of our websites. This not only effected us as website owners but also the banner ad companies. Another movement started where large websites would grab up the smaller (successful) ones and merge them into the large company websites. Prime examples are AOL buying the ICQ program, Microsoft merging with MSN and finally with Hotmail, Excite merging with WebShots and Blue Mountain Cards and of course, the big merger more noticeable to the regular Internet user was between Yahoo and Geocities and then finally with the WebRing.

These now huge merged websites and/or companies would also offer the large independent companies advertising space. Though for less money and making competition for the banner ad companies that we as webmasters relied on to off-set our own costs of running and providing our services to you for 'free'. Banner Ad companies are no longer interested in giving website owners of high traffic and free content websites any money making opportunities by way of the banner ads.

Let me also clarify at this point that, we do not make all kinds of money with these banner ads... unless you own a website that produces over 1 million visitors a month. It is the hardest earned money because, we only get paid by the number of unique clicks (one click from your IP address or computer in a 24 hour time span at a pay ranging between 1 to 5 cents average per click) or we get a very small percentage if you purchase something (only applies if you buy and come directly from our banner on our website and not for repeat business you give them by going back after bookmarking their site). For example if out of 10.000 (ten thousand) visitors 0.07% (this is about the average click through rate) click on the banner and I get paid 5 cents per unique click, then I only made about 35 cents and that is on the assumption that all of those clicks were indeed unique clicks (one per IP/computer per 24 hour period).

The new trend on the Internet will be (or already is) that, you see a lot of high quality/free content websites closing their doors to the public due to the high cost of maintaining such sites. The costs of bandwidth (people committing thoughtless theft by linking to other websites for programs, themes or graphic files, etc.), the up keep for the domain names, web hosting, etc., is making it almost impossible to maintain unless you are either independently wealthy, or people are forced to pay by becoming members to these websites and/or selling the wares offered (i.e. programs, desktop enhancements, tutorials, etc.).

Smaller websites are also being forced to reconsider offering free software from their websites, because it seems as though that large websites (companies) hire scouts to locate popular program files to link to illegally or worse yet, upload them to their own servers. These files are then being used to boost their traffic, which in turn increases their revenues. Once they have been uploaded, they will in most cases end up for sale on a CD ROM with other like software. This shows a total disregard for people like myself (creators of Desktop Themes, graphics, screensavers, tutorials etc.), and our hard work. CD ROMs with illegally acquired software are not only being sold by large companies, but also by individuals with CD ROM burners, who then in turn offer them at places like Ebay or other auction websites. All this is done without so much as asking us for permission, not to mention of even offering us compensation. And no... compensation does not equal placing a link within your CD and/or on your website back to my website.

Many websites have recently closed their doors to the public to include Desktop Themes, Fonts, and/or even stationery. Other sites will change their services from free to a pay service. The most recent ones that are changing from free to pay service include such sites as TheCounter (up until now a free counter service with full web based stats and email notifications) offering their "new" services for a price of $9.95 annually per account and Listbot (used as a mailing list provider) is changing to a paid service of $149.- annually. Other services and sites (these will probably include web based email services, web space, software sites, etc.) are sure to follow suit within the next few months.

By my calculations, by the early part of next year or no later than this time next year, most sites offering high quality free content and/or newsletters will have found a way to charge for their services and/or content, or simply closed down.

As other websites are scrambling and re-thinking their options on how to off-set the costs of running a free content website(s) and/or domains, so am I. My hobby turned into a business about 2 years ago, but yet people are still treating it as though they are entitled to services and/or advise for free. Please don't get me wrong, I enjoy helping people, but there are limits to my time and patients, especially when said services are free.

The maintenance of my three domains and the web hosting alone runs in excess of $600.- annually, and this is not counting the endless hours of producing new themes, skins, screensavers, stationery, other web content such as tutorials, newsletter and/or all the help and advise I give to people day in and day out. The specified amount above does not even include the cost of software and/or equipment needed to create all this "free" content.

Up until now my mailing list was maintained at Listbot, but I am unable to afford the additional costs of $149.- annually. I had looked into other list services, however they too are not free and come with a price (they rent the mailing list to other companies and you would probably end up with more junk mail). I am therefore maintaining my own list from now on. However this too puts me at a higher risk of being turned in for spam, even though this is a opt-in mailing list (meaning you will have to sign up and answer the confirmation mail to be added to the list), and that does not constitute of spam mail.

My only option at this point is to ask for donations to keep the websites with all it's downloads, content and the newsletter free. If this too does not work out within the next few months, than I will be forced to start closing down section by section and to eventually do away with most of the free services including the newsletter and various other free content and/or services of the following domains: kenja.com, kenja.net and also pastlivesrevealed.com.