Contributor is Google's experiment aiming to reduce the amount of ads a user is subjected to without compromising the financial benefits of a website. It was announced Thursday when a website for the service went live.
For a payment of $1 to $3 a month from the people of the Internet, Contributor makes it possible for websites to thrive without relying so much on the ads that many visitors, frankly, don't like. But because a site has to make money, it cannot do away with ads, its main source of revenue. With Contributor, Google strikes a compromise between site visitors and the sites themselves, giving everyone a piece of what they want.
Google has so far signed up 10 websites to participate in the experiment but the service, when proven to be successful, is open to all. At the moment, interested websites can sign up through the Contributor website to become a part of the waiting list. Some of the websites participating in the experiment include: Mashable, Imgur, The Onion, and Urban Dictionary.
"When you visit a participating website, part of your contribution goes to the creators of that site. As a reminder of your support, you'll see a thank you message -- often accompanied by a pixel pattern -- where you might normally see an ad. The more you contribute, the more you support the websites you visit," explains the Contributor website.
But just how much of the contributions will go to participating websites?
Exact rates have not been established, but the amount that websites receive should be similar to what they are already receiving for having ad spaces. The amount of money a participating website makes will not be affected much, but as users realize benefits to seeing more thank-you messages than ads, there will be more contributions to Contributor accounts.
"I think the bigger narrative is publishers are the lifeblood of the Web, and to have a healthy Web, you need to have publishers that are able to thrive and fund their content," said a Google spokesperson, adding that the company has always made it a priority to offer different ways for websites to thrive online.
Earlier in June, Google introduced a similar service for YouTube called Fan Funding which works like a digital tip jar, allowing fans to donate to their favorite channels. Another initiative that lets content creators bring in revenue is Google Consumer Surveys.
