The begging model definitely does not work, and it is a disservice to yourself and any other stakeholders in your site. It annoys users and produces minuscule

The begging model definitely does not work, and it is a disservice to yourself and any other stakeholders in your site. It annoys users and produces minuscule revenue compared to advertising. While some will disagree with me, a perfect example of this is Wikipedia. They could implement ads without any of the nonsensical negative consequences they claim to be afraid of and generate billions of dollars in the process. That money could go to improving and supporting the site, and since they don't seem to want profits, to massive donations to causes important to Wikipedia and its users. Unfortunately, they have chosen to annoy users and deprive important causes of billions of dollars. Just say no to begging.