July 12, 2004 | View Comments (27) | Category: Our Thoughts
Summary: More random stuff.
If anyone has any book reviews that they have written or would like to write then contact me. I am looking to add some content to the Roe and figured book reviews would be the best thing. The book can be in any subject and does not have to be limited to web design. The review can be posted on other sites already and in the future. I will include a small bio of yourself at the bottom.
Update: And if you have an Amazon affiliate link I will include your link to Amazon at the bottom of the review.
I would like to know what Webmaster/Developer type sites you visit (eg. Sitepoint) and if you think that there could be anything improved on them. Is there a web resource that is missing that you would like to see? You know something that you were looking for but couldn't find and thought that it would make a good website?
If you have any geek type articles feel free to submit them to Forever Geek for everyone's enjoyment.
Hope everyone had a good weekend and no one is having a case of the Mondays.
Trackback URL: http://9rules.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/279
Hmmmm, really no different than A List Apart that has an ad or DW. Some people like to get their names out and they could do so with a review. Not to be caustic back, but maybe you should go back and find out how much those other sites will pay you.
And I have to laugh at the FG thing. So lemme get this right, FG does what Slashdot, Boing Boing, OSNews, Gizmodo, Engadget and about a million other sites do.
The research I was just asking to ask since I have been looking at a lot of Web Resource sites lately and the majority have been designed back in the 90's.
If you want to write a review then write it. If you don't then don't. That's the beauty of the whole situation. I've had enough people emailing me and telling me how I "sold out" by putting some unobtrusive sponsor links on the Vault and now I get to hear you rip into this.
So yeah, maybe the reviews would help to sell a book here and there. You could do the same on your site. I asked for it on mine. Do I need it? No. Would it be cool to get some to see what others think and maybe start a whole new resource where people could discuss book titles? Yes.
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breathes
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Let's just leave it at this. If you wanna write something then write it. If you don't then don't. Hopefully you will still use all my sites. I understand how you are seeing it Adam, I just didn't like the way you approached it. But I can be a sarcastic motherfucker as well so it's cool.
Next time when I am trying to make millions off of other people's work I will definitely take a more subtle approach which no one will find out about till after I retire. Then I should be good.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
I don't think so. It's free exposure, and it's not like he's twisting anyone's arm to participate, or making big bucks off this.
Check the policies on sites like A List Apart and, to a lesser extent, Sitepoint itself. A lot of the articles moving around in this medium are written for no cash reward whatsoever.
And that's good.
Sergio (http://overcaffeinated.net)
That reply was directed to Adam's comment (damn you and your lightning fast comment skills scrivs!)
Sergio (http://overcaffeinated.net)
Paul, you haven't posted anything for two days. How dare you!
Matthew Oliphant (http://businesslogs.com)
Damned if you do, damned if you don't... might as well do.
Matthew Oliphant (http://businesslogs.com)
What are you trying to up your post count? Doesn't mean you can't post on BL now buddy.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
Alright post has been updated. If you have an Amazon affiliate link I will include it at the bottom of the review, that way I get good content and you get paid if someone clicks on your stuff.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
I noticed you just updated the post, so a lot of this is no longer valid criticism, but I'll post it anyway.
Slashdot and A List Apart are community-focused blogs in which the poster either gets a) gobs of traffic from a single link (a la Slashdot) or b) as 'published' as one can get in the Web design world without writing a book (a la A List Apart).
What tweaked me so much when I first read your post was the insinuation that a 'bio' would be full compensation. Let's be honest, your bookstore site wouldn't give the poster any 'street cred,' especially compared to A List Apart or Digital-Web. It also wouldn't give them any more traffic than posting a comment on someone's blog. Certainly not the kind of traffic a mention on Slashdot would. It's really all about giving your non-community focused bookstore searchable content that would lead to you selling more books.
I don't have any problem with your unobtrusive ads on the Vault - you are providing content and profiting from the traffic it produces. But you're not doing that with the bookstore - you are trying to glean content off of other people. That's the only problem I have with it.
And you're right, the last post could have done without the sarcasm. Sorry about that.
Adam Howell (http://www.weeklystandards.com)
Like I said before Adam I could definitely see where you were coming from and that is why the post had been adjusted. And hey it takes time for gobs and gobs of traffic to come anyways, but there is no such thing as bad traffic.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
I always hate to seem like one of the clueless, overly-dramatic "You're a sell-out!! Revolt!" crowd, and I usually choose to not say anything rather than say something pissy. I almost always feel stupid and overblown a few hours later.
But anyway, I think the Amazon link is a great compromise.
Adam Howell (http://www.weeklystandards.com)
3 people, 14 comments. Nicely done guys :-)
Well 15 comments now. Even though your feedback was not nicely worded :-P it helped. Thanks Adam.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
Scrivs, if any of the comments I posted here are of any use to you, then please feel free to use them.
I would be happy to submit book reviews (might have a couple on their way soon). Personally, I would appreciate the exposure.
Thanks for the opportunity Paul.
Jonathan Hollin (http://blog.urbanmainframe.com/)
Is that people-comment ratio count a dare, Scrivs? because if it is I might be tempted to make pointless posts just to up my post count too.
Pointless posts. Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike this one...
Sergio (http://overcaffeinated.net)
I dare you to write a comment that has meaning! Haha, ummm, dammit, that means I just post a meaningless post. A Catch-22 I suppose.
Jonathan: Thanks a lot. I will have a look at your site later tonight and contact you if I find some interesting stuff.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
Well, I wasn't going to post, but Scrivs somehow made me do it. I thought i'd balance out the ratio a bit.
I will submit glorious books reviews, providing you change the name of the site from "the roe" to "the rob".
Posting articles on Forever Rob.. I mean Forever Geek sounds interesting. Give slashdot a run for their money.
Robert Lofthouse (http://www.ghxdesign.com)
Bah, if I changed it to "the Rob" that means I would have to do another logo. And give Slashdot a run for their money? Not gonna happen this century. Gimme at least 2.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
Regarding the Web resource site: I wouldn't recommend doing one. You already have a site that caters to Web designers, and while you still have room to go until you've reached a saturation point (where it would be very difficult to attract new traffic that doesn't already know about you), Web design is a niche, picky, and outright limited market to cater to, not to mention one that is already crowded with Sitepoints and AListAparts. How about putting those usability, IA, business, and design skills to something with broader market appeal? That's what I hope to aim for with my next few sites at least; a designer talking to other designers can only go so far, at least in my experience.
Vinnie Garcia (http://blog.vinniegarcia.com/)
Vinnie, yeah I am trying to stay away from another Sitepoint and whatnot. I think 9rules will be something completely different, but not so different people are like WTF?! I was more curious about what people thought about those sites and how useful they find them.
The independent web provides most of my needs.
Scrivs (http://businesslogs.com)
I have a secret admiration for breadheads. It's their all-consuming passion for making a fast buck that permeates all their thinking once they've flipped into that mode. They're empire builders. Let there not be a site left on the web without Google ads or Amazon affiliate links. Let's set up another site, and another, and another, just for the Google ads and Amazon links. There's gold in them thar hills. Seriously, I'm impressed.
It's just that it's something some people find a bit tedious, that's all, that's why a guy like Adam took one look at this post and saw right through it and thought to himself: 'The bloody cheek of it!' Well I know what he means, frankly. But on the other hand I can see Paul's point of view too. Why does this kind of perpetual micro-marketing rub some people up the wrong way?
Joel (http://www.biroco.com/)
HAHAHAHA, this is hilarious. Go read Andrei's latest post at DxF all the way through. Lol.
Josh Bryant (http://www.thescenicroute.org/)
Geez, the nerve.
If he starts a Housewares and Jewelry stores as well, I'll be really upset.
; )
Mark (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
BTW Scrivs -
I have a review of Calphalon pots and pans that I'm dying to submit...
Mark (http://www.lightpierce.com/ltshdw)
Ha ha, jeez, housewares site, I missed that one, almost funny. Baking, real breadhead stuff. Maybe ole Scrivs is onto something, although I can't help thinking it's a bit like the old criticism of the stock market, adding value nowhere, but making money everywhere.
Joel (http://biroco.com/)
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#1
Paul, it kind of seems like the sole purpose of this post is to garner free content and research off your readers that you can then profit from - am I wrong?
Oh, wow, really? I think something a little more reasonable would be a portion of the revenue generated from that review.
And your profit.
I apologize, I'm not usually this caustic or dramatic, but this is just a little too blatant - you know?
Adam Howell (http://www.weeklystandards.com)