Newsbites

For small bits of news, quotations, odd videos, and flimflam.

Get in on the "next” Wave: Would you like a ‘free invite’ to Google Wave?

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Google Wave is a new phenomenon from Google that aims to supplement other modes of synchronous/non-synchronous discussion such as chat or forums.

This is what Wikipedia says: “Google Wave is designed as a new Internet communications platform. It is written in Java using OpenJDK and its web interface uses the Google Web Toolkit. Google Wave works like previous messaging systems such as email and Usenet, but instead of sending a message along with its entire thread of previous messages, or requiring all responses to be stored in each user’s inbox for context, message documents (referred to as waves) that contain complete threads of multimedia messages (blips) are perpetually stored on a central server. Waves are shared with collaborators who can be added to or removed from the wave at any point during a wave’s existence.” Wikipedia.

I’ve been trying it out for a couple of weeks, and and am still feeling my way around the system. However, if you are interested in trying it out, you need an invitation since the system is still in ‘private beta’.

Good news: I have about 15 to give away. All you have to do is just sign up for my feed via email. And I’ll speed the invite on its way to you.

google wave invites

Waving you a happy day!

Buying a site: Some tips on assessing its fundamental value

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I was discussing buying a site tips on one of the SiteBuildIt boards, when I came across this posting "Should You Buy an Established Website?" by Zac Johnson. It’s a good read, and he provides some good tips. Go here to read it, but do come back!

Over the years I’ve had my fair share of web site purchases. Some were good, and some were bad. Search any website forum or auction site and you are sure to find a handful of web sites that wet your appetite. Buying an established web site is a great way to expand your business outside of continually adding more ad campaigns, and can continue to generate revenue over a long period of time. Before you place that bid and jump into buying an established website, you should ask yourself a few questions. Just because it looks like a good deal, it might not be right for you.

While most of the rest of the discussion on the website is fairly mundane, I did think of a few comments that I would like to share with you about somethings that seem to be overlooked. So here goes:

If someone claims that "I cannot offer income statements, nor any guarantees of income", the only way that you can make sense of the value of the site is by assuming that the site makes no income, all.

Now, the siteowner may protest this, but then the siteowner would have to make clear what revenue the site actually generated, in doing so. A siteowner can’t simultaneously or reasonably claim a site has income but refuse to reveal how much. (Well, s/he can… but… it makes no difference).

The only way as a potential purchaser is to assume that, in the absence of any information to the contrary (assertions do not count), the site generates no revenue at all.

Then ask yourself: is the site actually worth the $3,900 it is being sold for.

Check the stats; check the google Index; check the traffic; check … and then assess for yourself, is the site worth what is being asked, in terms of what is being sold or included in the site.

Then ask yourself: do you have the knowledge or skill or relationships to build the site into a viable business that can generate reliable income?

Once you’ve done all that, then it’s time to set a price. Of course, … you may decide the site is only worth $390 or $39,000… but realize that what you are buying is the potential for you to build upon the current work.

BTW, don’t forget to check the site’s keywords in BrainstormIt, especially the primary ones on the main page. You’ll get a good idea about the actual viability of the niche. One thing I’ve noted in the sites on sale is that often the keyword selection is weak… so do your research! For those of you with SBI membership, you can login to the fuller discussion here.

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The final straw: tired of Adsense Ads

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I’m tired of seeing adsense ads like this one… from TruthAboutAbs. Why? Because not only do I not care about Abs, I don’t know where they are (are they fitted in my car under the seat or under the steering wheel?)… I see the ads on the most inappropriate websites next to the most inappropriate stories.

So today I complained to Google. If I don’t see an improvement in ads, I will just simply block all Adsense Ads when I’m browsing. I’ll be using a simple blocking program to do that on Firefox called AdBlock plus. I don’t support ad blocking in general, but when I find the ads distasteful and inappropriate… Google leaves me little other choice. I did try to reset the cookie preferences but it made almost no difference. I’m still seeing the ads.

Google, isn’t it time you set an ad optout form on each ad so users can click which ads they NEVER want to see again?

Some samples:

distasetful ads  and distastetful ads 2

and the worst offender, in my opinion….

distasteful ads 3

This really annoys me … does it bother you? As someone who is over weight, it’s not helpful to get these kind of images reminding me of the fact! Nor is it helpful to have that candybar wrapper on my desk from last night… (thanks, Rittersport!).