The Article Writer

Yes it is the end of yet another month and to parrot a well worn cliche, “where did the time go?” Time, limited as it is, is also fleeting. So, without further adieu the following articles or sites have caught my attention during the merry month of May:

The Top 10 Underrated Web 2.0 Sites

What makes a site underrated? Why do some sites seem to sit below the radar while others seem to get all of the attention? This list of The Top 10 Underrated Web 2.0 Sites is, of course, centered on social networking communities. Some are well known, while a few I never heard of previously. Given my adversion to memes, I’ll avoid the Blogmemes.com site at all costs!

Plagiarism vs. Copyright Infringement: Do You Know the Difference?

For those of us who do any type of “writing for hire” Kristen King’s, “Plagiarism
vs. Copyright Infringement: Do You Know the Difference?” article is worth reading. Admittedly, I hadn’t considered that there was much of a difference between the two. Nevertheless, what Kristen shares about this topic can help you avoid trouble down the road as well as expect to find some of your work quoted elsewhere, perhaps without your knowledge or your approval.

Fear of Blogging, or What Bloggers Can Learn From Shakespeare

I’ve talked with wannabe bloggers who desire to enter the blogosphere, but hold back for one reason: fear of how others will interpret what they have to say. Granted, the “fear of man” is a problem that many people do battle with, but it is something we should learn to handle when blogging.

Chris Garrett in his, “Fear of Blogging, or What Bloggers Can Learn From Shakespeare” article simply reassures bloggers to write from their heart, not to worry about personal attacks, and to be honest. Yes, sounds like Common Sense 101, but I am saving his article to fire off to the next prospective blogger who has cold feet and as a reminder to myself in case my thinking changes.

Miss Snark, The Literary Agent

Speaking about developing a complex, if you ever needed to have the wind taken out of your sails, then a visit to Miss Snark is in order. Unfortunately, Miss Snark has called it quits, effective May 20, 2007, her blog has gone dark. Still, if you are an aspiring writer and think that your book will automatically appear on The New York Times Best Seller’s list, think again — Miss Snark has some words of advice for you, words that can mash deep down into your soul thanks to her pointy T.Rexual stilleto shoes.

Yes, her Crapometer has detected many a pointless novel, works fit for neither man nor for her beloved pooch Killer Yap. No, you cannot have your latest work put through the Crapometer, but you can vicariously do it by reading through the critiques still found on her site. Anytime that I think that I have even a hint of novel writing expertise dwelling within I head over to Miss Snark’s blog for a reality check. Soon enough I leave whimpering with my tail fixed firmly between hind legs returning to the void of my little world.

Speed Stumbling

I know that I beat this drum frequently, but stumbling via StumbleUpon is truly awesome.

Baron VC wrote an article back in March that I only found today which is already impacting the way that I use StumbleUpon. Titled, “Speed Stumbling,” Baron discusses ways you can hasten the stumbling process. One method mentioned that I just discovered thanks to Baron was the “stumble after rating” feature where you can rate a site and automatically move on to the next page. Without this box being checked you have to manually stumble the next page, a step that simply slows down the stumbling process. As most stumblers will tell you: the faster your stumbling the better.

Need A Laugh? Check Out Top 10 Worst Domain Names For A Chuckle

Once in awhile I come across a site that gives me a much needed laugh. After working on a tight deadline project, I want something that’ll help ease the tension of the day.

Some domain names are dreadfully awful, but they only turn out to be that way because the webmaster didn’t consider that a secondary, more sinister meaning could be implied. You’ll want to check out the Top 10 Worst Domain Names list to see if your site had the unfortunate experience of being included. Before you breath a sigh of relief, your domain could still be found on the follow up “20 More Unfortunate Domain Names” list. Interestingly, many of the featured domains on both lists have since expired or been forwarded to a more palatable domain.

Your Turn

How about you? Have you turned up something worthy of a “shout out” to the world?

I signed up with PayPerPost in October 2006 listing this blog and several others I manage with them. To date, I have posted more than 400 paid posts, spread out over 8 blogs. This particular blog hasn’t seen too many paid opportunities, mostly because I simply do not want it to turn into an advertising forum. A few pennies derived from AdSense clicks is fine with me, although most of my other blogs are fair game when it comes to paid posting.

Here Comes PPP Direct

If you were to google a search for the phrase PPP Direct you’d find Andy Beard’s piece, “Exclusive - Pay Per Post Direct Changes The Paid Review Landscape“ sitting near the top of the SERPs. I won’t repeat what Andy said in his article, but if you are looking for a thorough explanation about PPP Direct and how it can impact your blog, then Andy’s article is a must read. You may also want to read what PayPerPost has to say about their release as well; you can do that right here.

Not Without Controversy

PayPerPost isn’t without controversy especially with those who dislike the thought of most any type of blog advertising. Indeed, PPP was slammed previously for not requiring bloggers to disclose which articles were paid adverts and which were not. Disclosure badges or some sort of designation for each post (sponsored post, for example) were later requirements instituted by the company. Even then, there is a segment of the blogosphere who still looks upon PPP, ReviewMe, and similar plans as being the worst thing to happen to blogs since spam.

A Better Deal Than ReviewMe

The most intriguing aspect of PPP Direct is what it offers to bloggers — you get to keep a much higher percentage of the funds derived from your post. ReviewMe, for instance, has a 100% mark up rate — if an advertiser is charged $60 for a post, you will see only $30. PPP Direct’s mark up is only 10%, with half of that money set aside for administrative costs (that $60 post puts $54 in your pocket). Furthermore, you can haggle with potential advertisers to set a mutually agreed upon rate — this means you get full control over the pricing process.

Raking In The Bucks

To date, I have made approximately $3500 with PayPerPost, with April 2007 bringing in just over $1300 alone. I worked my tail off to find the posts that I liked and although the money is helpful, the time that was expended by me to reach that amount was significant. There were several days when I simply kept the PayPerPost tab open, stopping by frequently to grab an offer before it disappeared. Most of the higher paying ones (ten dollars and up) evaporate within minutes. If you don’t snag them immediately, you have lost your chance.

The Google Factor

The long term success of PayPerPost could hinge upon Google’s interpretation of these types of posts. If Google sees them as paid links, then the fall out will be tremendous. Google has been threatening to penalize sites for paid links and most PayPerPost opportunities are easily detectable. Wouldn’t it be awful if all of those PR4 or PR5 blogs suddenly dropped to PR2 with the next update if Google decided to institute some sort of penalty? Worse, a sandbox effect or complete loss of PageRank could be Google’s way of putting a stop to this method of blog advertising completely.

For the moment, I may post one PPP Direct badge on an automotive blog, but I’ll wait to include some others after I measure its effectiveness. I’d much rather give PPP Direct a test drive before deciding to add their widgets.

What Others Are Saying About PayPerPost

If you want to read what others are saying about PPP Direct, visit Dosh Dosh for Maki’s review and, of course, you can read what Michael Arrington says about what he considers to be a controversial blogging service in his article titled, “How Much Is Your Soul Worth? PayPerPost Now Lets Bloggers Set The Price.”

No matter where you stand with paid posting, it is currently an important part of the blogosphere. Ultimately, Google may have the final say on just how widespread paid posting’s reach will be, something that bloggers and advertisers should think about before taking that step.

This past Saturday my family and I headed down the interstate to Carolina Beach, known formerly as a honky-tonk beach-side resort community, but currently undergoing massive gentrification. For the first time in several years the laptop did not go with me as I decided we just needed to have some time for ourselves. Besides, with all of the energies expended over the days leading up to our excursion with the shifting over of domain names, files, and related material with my recently sold Corporate Flight Attendant Community account, we needed a break.

Yes, I am glad that I left the Dell 600m at home.

Shutting It Down

Believe it or not, you can do the same for yourself: power down the laptop, put it away in a safe place, and take off. Sure, there were times when I would think about one or more web activities while away, but I was okay with not powering up a computer and surfing the ‘net. Instead, strolling the beach, helping the kids navigate the choppy surf, shopping at “Wings,” eating all of the wrong foods, and doing my best not to match the color of a certain crustacean, were several activities I did while away, stuff that could not be done on-line.

Powering Back Up

Go ahead and laugh: I was off-line for a full 54 hours before arriving back home mid-afternoon Monday to check my email, fire off a bunch of replies, check in on several sites, and craft this message which was, of course, written about two hours after logging on.

You may only be able to stand a day away from the ‘puter or your could stretch it out to a week or more, but chances are you’ll do just fine and be able to reconnect with friends, family members, and yourself.

Upon your return, if you imagine that nervous energy will get the better of you, then why not plan an all night StumbleUpon marathon to make up for lost time?

Oh, let’s not go there.