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Whose blog is it? Google’s? Payperpost’s? Whose…?

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Whose blog is it? Whose?

These days bloggers increasingly kowtow to the likes of Google and whoever else seems to have their sticky paws in the honeypot of blogging… Why? To make a little dough, dosh, cash, readies, … whatever you wish to call it.

FAD: Fading or not?

While blogging is pretty much the fad of the decade, online journals preceded blogging by quite some time. I know because I was trying to do this in early 2000, but didn’t find any really good software to help me maintain the entries. I wrote them on my PDA of the day, a Palm Pilot IIIX (I think) back when Pilots were revolutionary, and WORKED! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any way to handle the HTML in an easy fashion, and no way to link the entire blog together properly. Of course, the blog hadn’t really been invented, though Blogger existed in late 1999 as did a few others!

I blogged on and off since about 2004 with the registration of my second or third domain here. Most of that blog is now located at Obblogatory, as this is InvestorBlogger II. As a writing teacher for more than five years, and having some ability with words (thanks to years of reading classical Greek translations written in the 19th Century) that developed over the years, the act of blogging has been something that has spurred me to write more and more online.

The Ups and Downs

And I enjoy blogging. I really do. I like the challenge of encapsulating thoughts, ideas and experiences into posts. I enjoy the thrill of getting comments from bloggers from all over the world. I feel that blogging has helped me to articulate ideas, develop my own writing skills, and stimulate my brain.

But recently I’ve been getting frustrated. Not with blogging, but with those largish conglomerates that are starting to populate the world of blogging, and which posture and huff’n’puff as if they really were something. Why does it piss me off? Because…

I’m Pissed Off

Because of stupid emails like the one I got below… despite having ads for months on my blogs.

Thanks for your post! Unfortunately, we cannot approve it at this time because it does not meet our <a href=http://www.payperpost.com/company/tos.html>Terms of Service</a> in regards to Inline Ads and Links.
According to our Terms, “There are to be no third party links, ads or other detractors located within the sponsored post.” Please remove all third party links and banners from in or around the post and re-submit the post to us. Also, According to our Terms, “PayPerPost bloggers must disclose to their readers that they receive compensation from PayPerPost advertisers. Disclosure may be in the form of a site wide disclosure link on all blog pages or on a per post basis. (Unless the advertiser requires otherwise) ” Visit <a href=http://disclosurepolicy.org/generator/generate_policy>Disclosure Policy.org</a> for further information. Thanks! John

Well, John. I don’t know how long you’ve been able to write or spell, but really… my blog has had a disclosure page (well, sorry you couldn’t find it!) for nearly 1.5 years now.

But what really bugs me is that I’m busy paying for the hosting for my blog out of my own pocket (which I don’t mind), and here comes a company that is acting as a middle-man (sorry for the sexist term) and tries to tell me how to maintain my blog. Eh, excuse me, but where was that check for my hosting bills, my electricity bills, my computer repair bills? Wasn’t it in the post? Oh, no…

Dear John,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, due to contractual reasons, I cannot remove the
advertising from that slot. The code is entered above the post. Also,
FYI, my blog has displayed a disclosure for over 18 months, I’m sorry
that you can’t find it… but if you looked you would know.

In common with many people, we have avoided using set terms and
phrases in our blogs to prevent Google from automatically deranking
our blogs. Again, if you have been working with bloggers for a while,
you should know this.

I’m removing the post, because I expect PPP to support us as we are
providing the means by which PPP advertisers reach out, esp. as Google
is making life difficult for us. While you may cite your TOS, it takes
more than just contracts to retain good relationships with your
bloggers.

Yours
Kenneth

Well in the five months since I did my last post for PayperPost (and the Google SmackDown!), I guess I’ve been paying for my blog and so have really appreciated advertisers coming on board and helping me defer the costs of blogging: currently running at about $1,000 per year all-told.

PayPerPost: Best of the Bunch?

But it seems to me that I’m mostly favorably inclined to PayPerPost. Not so some of the other intermediaries that try to get between the bloggers and the readers. Why? The fact is quite simple: without blogs, Payperpost could not/would not exist even though advertisers did. Blogs are to Payperpost what drivers are to cars. No drivers ergo no cars. No bloggers ergo no Payperpost.

And that goes for a number of other companies that are self-serving in a far more egregious way than Payperpost.

Top Leeches in the Blogging World

Here’s my hit list of such companies:

1. Google Search – for not running their Search Engine efficiently enough to tell what is a popular blog and what is a splog; for requiring bloggers and all websites to use rel=”nofollow” despite not being consistent in their own policies on their own websites or on their primary advertisers;

2. Google Adwords/Adsense- for getting greedy as it tried to make last quarter’s targets: cutting out referral bonuses (like they don’t need more advertisers or publishers – hello, China! Taiwan! Brazil! – I can hear 5 Billion People Out There! Why can’t you?), cutting payouts, providing free advertising on your Adsense, allowing bloggers to be paid the vast sum of 1c per click; for not being transparent enough in its Adsense payouts despite asking for transparency from its users;

3. Google Adsense – for creating additional requirements for websites and advertisers who want to participate in their program, despite the decreasing payouts, decreasing click throughs, etc.. I know it’s your program, and you’re entitled to set your own policies; but you need to remember – the bloggers who use Adsense are ALSO your customers. No bloggers ergo no Adsense. Wonder how that would increase your earnings…;

4. PayPost – for increasingly adopting policies as a tool for managing their bloggers. I know that there are over 100,000 bloggers on their network, and that many of their bloggers are really ‘below par’ in terms of quality. I’ll be detailing why shortly. So policies are a requisite: but my advertisers are currently helping to pay the bills for this blog, and PayPerPost is not. And its stupidly recalcitrant policies for zoning posties, insisting on PR as a factor in its system (even while publicly disavowing it! Good one!) are not helping. SocialSpark is anything but social. There are increasingly strict policies that are detailed in a number of places: TOS, Code of Ethics, FAQ, and BEST Practices! Wow! Blogging for $5 requires a lot of work these days.

5. Blogrush – for allowing itself to portray itself as great plugin with huge benefits for bloggers when in reality it simply sucks up bandwidth, and creates an unbalanced opportunity for bloggers. You advertise the widget with their company on your blog. On the widget are some stories that take readers away from your blog as well as advertising in the hope that on another site, you might (MIGHT!) just get some readers from them. In reality, it is just another blackhole for bloggers that sucks traffic, and returns very little. Even EntreCard is better than that.

Et al.

There are a number of other companies seeking to sponge off the work of bloggers, too: SponsoredReviews (what’s with their bidding? and for failing to take into account ‘nofollow’), Technorati (for adding an extra page between your post and their website – what a leech?), Adsense (oh, wait I already mentioned them), … I’m sure you can add your own…

And I’m mad as hell today.

So, yes, I’m mad today. Why? Because bloggers like myself work hard at our writing, trying to come up with original content (unlike the hundreds of make money blogs out there that simply copy each other!), yet we are being made to jump through all sorts of hoops for benefits that are hugely weighted in favor of the middle-man. Perhaps without such exploitation, these services would largely not exist. Am I right? So, bloggers, if you are trying to make money online, it’s time that you stop letting yourself be exploited by these guys. Stand up for your rights, stand up for your blogs.

Seinfeld Reruns: George Costanza’s Wallet!

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On StarWorld TV, we’re being treated to reruns of Seinfeld, a lot of which I have never seen. After publishing pictures of my wallet earlier, I was (not!) surprised to learn that George Costanza also has big wallet syndrome.

 

If you haven’t seen that episode, you really should. It’s hilarious. (Sorry, there’s no segment for the ‘wallet explosion’ at the end of the episode on YouTube!). Kyle MacDonald also has a great George-type wallet on his blog. It seems he left it behind with the words, “I left THIS wallet in El Segundo”. Wonder if he got it back!

Here’s one solution found by AskArora on YouTube. Enjoy his sensible advice! Of course, I’m trying to cram much more into my wallet, including a Cruzer stick, SD Cards, etc..

So how ratty is your wallet?

Four solid reasons to start a blog: audience, content, skill and a feel for business

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A couple of months ago I got together with Steve Sutherland, one of my friends in Taipei, who was wondering if he should start a blog or not. If you remember from earlier posts, he runs the Education Agents website, AgentsChat dot com. He was thinking about installing the WordPress software on a separate domain, and starting a blog about the World of Education Services. So should he run a blog? That got me to thinking: should he?

I can outline four reasons (and two caveats) why I think he should consider starting blogging:

1. He has an audience: His community already has 1500 members and it is growing constantly. In the forum, there are ample opportunities for writing post like articles, and in fact, Steve has already done some writing in the forums. It’s quite clear that while forums are good for chatting, longer articles are often the backbone of a good community as they allow writers the space to expand their ideas, develop their content, and write top quality articles. With an audience already present, he’s got an easy start, and by integrating SMF with WordPress, he’d be able to take advantage of the strengths of both applications.

2. He has something to say: As you’ve seen, Steve is already well capable of writing good pieces that his audience would enjoy reading. I’ve spoken to Steve on many occasions, and I think he has a lot of incredible ideas about his industry that would easily find an very specific niche. In fact, I have a strong sense that with his insight into his industry, his blog would quickly establish itself as a top blog because of its first-mover chance. I amn’t aware of any blogs that would be competing for his space.

3. He has the technical skill to manage a blog: Learning WordPress can be a little daunting at times for new users, but in general the principles of managing a blog are similar to, and easier than, managing an online forum. By fine tuning the operation of the blog, you can be left with the primary task of just focusing on writing. He’s also familiar with many of the Internet resources that he would need to develop a blog properly.

4. He has the business skill to run it well: Many bloggers (myself included) started blogging without much concern for the business side of it. For the most successful ones, monetization almost came as an afterthought to the blog itself. This isn’t necessarily the best way to build a business. Steve’s got a rich experience, and knowledge of, running businesses, advertising, marketing, etc., all of which would serve him well to get started. Combined with an established audience, advertisers, and networks, he’d likely have a solid foundation for the blog to be successful in the long term.

So I believe that these four “Winds of Blogging” are all blowing now and it could be the perfect opportunity for him to start. But I also know he has reservations about blogging, especially on the commitment side; and the confidence side.

So, let’s deal with the confidence issue first. Most people, when confronted with the idea of ‘having’ to write, react in a similar way – with HORROR! And, rightly so.

Your words, ideas and organization are all going to be read by dozens, possibly hundreds of readers, are you good enough? Is your writing good enough? Do you really have something to say? To which I have only one thing to say: blogging is pretty much an adventure… as such, you’re allowed the space to develop as a writer (hey, look at my posts a year ago, and you’ll see what I mean!).

Too often to new writers, the goal is to write the perfect piece of writing with the best organization and best content. Well, it isn’t going to happen any time soon. So quit worrying! Once you quite worrying about your writing, you’ll really begin to enjoy the process, the adventure of blogging.

To progress as a writer, and as a blogger, you DO have to make a commitment: with yourself, with your blog, and with your audience. What the nature of that commitment is can be totally up to you! If you want to post daily, then you can. If you want to post weekly, or even monthly, then you can. Obviously, you’ll experience different results whichever method you choose. But there’s no obligation to post on a daily basis. But like most skills, the more you practice, the better you will become.

So, in short, to people who are considering blogging, and can’t decide. Perhaps this post will help to clarify what it is that is holding you back. For me, though, it was a nexus of different things that helped to get me posting regularly: I already had a blog and a hankering to write something, I also had a strong motivation in my content area, then I discovered BlogDesk, and later Payperpost. Somehow all of this coalesced last year, when my daily posting schedule came about.

What helped you to get started blogging? When did it happen? Share with us in our comments section below.