When Blog Catalog Gets Your Goat...

Having experienced community blogging at MyBlogLog for about half a year now, I must say I've thoroughly enjoyed the many friendly exchanges with other member bloggers.

Not only have I made many blogging friends but, at the same time, I've picked up a great number of "tips and tricks" about blogging. Mind you, there's a wealth of information available out there about almost anything under the sun.

I've also noticed that traffic to my blogs has increased. Thanks to MBL, I'm getting more visitors but that doesn't mean one can be complacent. To maintain a decent flow of traffic, you have to keep blogging with new posts. But remember you don't have to force yourself to do it if you have to attend to other more important matters.

This blog, The NextPost, is the result of my enthusiasm to expand on my blogging experience after starting with my first blog CommonSense With Markk. The Next Post's first entry "Taking The Next Logical Step Forward" briefly explains why I started this blog as a compliment to the CommonSense With Markk blog.

The NextPost was launched on February 18 this year. It's hardly three months old, so it's still a fledgling blog if you want to call it that.

I've managed to push its Alexa ranking from above 4,000,000 to 363,700 as of this date, although its Google PageRank is still nowhere in sight. But according to Page Strength, a search engine optimization metric that forecasts the potential strength and ability of a Page to Rank in the search engines, The NextPost has a 2.0 Page Strength (you can see it on the sidebar).

I believe I've managed this by posting "relentlessly" almost every other day until I reached this position. But it's one heck of a task to carry out. Frankly, I've been slacking of late. I think I'm in need of more energy revitalizing blogjuice to maintain the pace!

So what's next?

The other day, I'd thought maybe it's time to join another blogging community. Blog Catalog came to mind. It's Recent Viewers widget looks like an MBL widget. That's familiar.

So I went over to BlogCatalog and signed up for The NextPost. Great!

And surprise, surprise! They came back via email saying The NextPost was reviewed but, unfortunately, Blog Catalog were unable to grant it access to their directory. (The NextPost is a member of the MyBlogLog community, no problem there).

I thought maybe there was a slip-up somewhere, so I tried again to sign up making sure everything was in good order. And voila! back came the same answer. I guess that's enough for me, they can go stick it up somewhere. I have no problem joining MBL, StumbeUpon, BumpZee, MyLot, etc., and now this one really gets my goat.

Below, in verbatim, are their "most common reasons" why I couldn't get into Blog Catalog, and what I think of them (in italized bracket):

• You did not add a link back to Blog Catalog from your website.
  
  ( I made sure I added their link button and widget on my sidebar. I've taken them off now)
  
  
• The URL you submitted is not a blog, is solely for commercial purposes, or is suspected to be spam.
  
  (Spam my foot! Read the content and tell me again)
  
  
• Your blog is brand new and doesn't have enough content to make it truly valuable. If this is the case, please resubmit after you have made more postings.
  
  (Not enough content? Not truly valuable? More postings? They must be joking. How come Google granted me a PR2? Look at some of the blogs at BlogCatalog and tell me again.)
  
  
• Your blog contains pornographic material.
  
  (Holy macaroni! Have mercy! Good people, please check this blog for pornies. )
  
  
• At the time of review your blog was unavailable or there was a typo in your submission URL. Please make sure the URL submitted is correct and accessible. If you believe this to be a mistake, you can login to Blog Catalog and change anything which may have caused it to get declined. After updating your blog, it will be put back into the submission queue.
  
  ( I checked, performed due diligence and everything was in perfect order. So why the rejection again? C'mon, gimme a break!)
  
  For whatever reasons they may have against this blog, I don't give two hoots now. There are better things elsewhere. Time to move on.

Hey Markk, Why Do You Blog?

Even though I crave for more traffic just like most other bloggers, I can bum about sometimes just for the heck of doing nothing. Well, probably chilling out, listening to some of my favorite music or trying to play like Slaid Cleaves.

But when a fellow writer like Maia Jose tagged me I guess I have to do something about it. You see, Maia Jose at Manila Mom is a very friendly person. She answers your comment, visits your blog and leave a comment and always courteous about it all.

Now there's this "Why Do I Blog" thing going on which I didn't latch on earlier but I guess it's time to join the fray. I've to give 5 reasons why I blog and tag 5 others to do the same.

Okay, here goes:

1. I blog 'cos I write

2. I blog 'cos I need information

3. I blog 'cos I know a thing or two

4. I blog 'cos I wanna earn some moolah

5. I blog 'cos I don't wanna go crazy

So, there you are, not very wordy. Very economical.

Here are the Five I'm tagging:

Jenny How

Bonez

Christy's Coffee Break

Amy Cham

Sexy Mom


SOLO SEO is tracking this list format. You can go and add your name to the linked list there as soon as your own post is up.

Happy blogging!

Referral Program: New Bidvertiser Pricing Structure

Bidvertiser have come up with a new pricing for their referral program.

The new move was based on their monitoring of the market . They noticed that the time frame between signing a new referral and generating revenues from that referral is too long.

With their referral affiliates in mind, Bidvertiser said they wanted to allow affiliates to generate more revenues faster and thus this new pricing structure.

For the advertiser:

• When you sign as an advertiser and spend your first $10, Bidvertiser will credit your account with $5. When you (the same advertiser) spend $50, you will be credited with an additional $20.

For the publisher:

• When you sign as a publisher and earn your first $10, Bidvertiser will credit your account with $10. When you (the same publisher) earn $50, you will be credited with an additional $40.

If you have current referrals and have not been paid for yet, the new pricing structure also applies to you. If you're a Bidvertiser affiliate, you should be smiling!

StatCounter Get A "Shocking" Offer

Almost every website or blog has a stat counter indicating the number of visitors coming in. Standard stat counters are usually free.

Well and good, but if you're aware that this web tracker includes cookies on your site, what would be your reaction?

StatCounter, one of the most popular tracking services, have revealed that they were approached a few months ago and "offered lots of $$$."

What galled StatCounter was that this unnamed party asked to include a spyware cookie on all of their member sites.

And StatCounter turned down the offer "on the spot" saying it was "shocking."

Here's their take on why this offer was rejected:

We don't believe that we should abuse our member websites by sneakily using them to place OTHER people's cookies on THEIR visitors' browsers. When you log onto the StatCounter website, we display ads to fund the service. This can result in cookies being created. As happens on any site. In fact, as you browse the web, you pick up lots of cookies. Our point is, that we do not force extra cookies on the people who visit YOUR site. THAT is what is happening with another provider. "

If you don't like the idea of having a spy cookie on your site and you're using StatCounter service, then let's hear a sigh of relief! Makes me wonder...

Surf The Web: Money For Nothing

It was an offer you could not refuse. Just surf the web and you'll be paid. The more you do it, the more you get paid.

Sounds familiar.

I'm not writing about Agloco which has become quite a hot topic right now after Kumiko put the issue on a hot plate at Kumiko's Cash Quest and at Trader's Narrative.

I'm just bringing back memories of AllAdvantage.com for the benefits of many new bloggers who may not be aware of this company where you were supposed to make money for nothing by signing up as their netsurfer.

Back then, there was a slew of similar set-ups jumping on the "get paid to surf" bandwagon, but AllAdvantage were regarded as the best of them.

I joined AllAdvantage then thinking the whole concept to be the next best thing since sliced bread. Well, I ended greatly disappointed when everything went bust.

There was a huge clamor to sign up. AllAdvantage was the darling of the Internet fraternity as membership, which was free, grew by leaps and bounds. If I can remember correctly, the membership figure hit more than 2 million as was reported then.

They had a toolbar that kept track on your surfing but the euphoria started to die out as surfers began to realize that it could sometimes be a pain to surf the web.

Well, the whole concept was like...here today, gone tomorrow.
In fact, AllAdvantage ran into some tsunamis.

Surfers faced compatibility problems, especially for those residing outside the U.S. AllAdvantage and most of the Get-Paid-To-Surf programs were US-centric.

Bugs and frequent server hiccups were a major headache. Slow load-up created more frustration.

Those who thought they had earned their dues through hours of surfing would later discovered that the money had mysteriously disappeared from their accounts.

Having recalled this tale of woes, I must admit again I did sign up with Agloco sometime last year, thanks to some "gurus" who were confidently saying this time it's the real thing and not the Real McCoy. Makes you think more about these "gurus," eh?

But now people are wondering why the Viewbar is being delayed once more and the question of share options just can't seem to make much sense. So is this gonna be an Agloco scam as hinted by some people? I won't be pushing Agloco anymore, just leave it there. After all, I only got seven downliners. No big deal.

Online Entrepreneurs: Dreamers Or Schemers?

Late night
Photo Credit: Originally uploaded by selva.

Are you planning on becoming a successful entrepreneurial blogger? If you surf the blogosphere you'll be amazed that there's a multitude of them out there.

You can be sure that there are millions who are hoping to make money online.

Many are making decent moolah. Yet there're many more wannabes who are still floundering and groping their way around.

No wonder so many are looking up to successful bloggers like Darren Rowse, Jeremy Shoemaker (aka Shoemoney ) or John Chow?

Look at some mommy bloggers who are happily making money online by writing reviews on products and services. It shows they have the determination, passion and, perhaps, more free time to go about it.

And there are those who are into some affiliate marketing programs and making good money, too.

With the Internet, the rules of doing business have changed: An individual can operate a SoHo and make money online with a global presence.

The wired frontier has opened up great opportunities. From America to New Zealand, online entrepreneurs are sprouting and populating cyberspace.

I read somewhere that entrepreneurs are not only dreamers, but they are also schemers. Know how to dream and put your vision into action - that's the way to go.

If you have developed a passion for it, you will love thinking about it, conceptualizing about it, and working at it. In short, you'll love succeeding at it. Would you? Even if you have to spend late nights?

Goodwill Links: Spreading The Karma

Being a member of MyBlogLog has helped to improve traffic to my blog and we should thank those who drop by. One of the best ways to do this is to pick at random a batch of recent visitors and tagged them. I'm sure many would appreciate a little link.

These links I'm giving are all unconditional. There's no favour asked. No reviews. No rules. No credentials required. No pontification. Nada. Zilch. Just spread the good karma.

It's Feel Good Time again ! Here are the goodwill links to nine recent MBL visitors to The NextPost.

IAmScared - Socially Phobic
A blog about an individual's ongoing struggle to find health and peace.
http://iamscared.wordpress.com

Billy Warhol's Billion Dollar Baloney
This guy blogs about his thoughts, Flickr photos and widgets
http://www.BillionDollarBaloney.blogspot.com

Financial Independence (aka Stubsy)
Blogging about money and wealth
http://financial-independence.net

TopBlogMag
A magazine format blog with contributions from writers
http://topblogmag.blogspot.com

Ajbesta - A Besta Simpatico
This blog is in Portuguese
http://ajbesta.blogspot.com

BrendanM - Digital Phocus
A blog that's focused on the business of the web.
http://www.digitalphocus.com

Fleur's Journey to Earning Money Online
Learn how to make money online...she's got almost everything covered.
http://myonlinejourney.blogspot.com

Elizabeth-Rose
Another blog about online money making adventures
http://www.elizabeth-rose.info

TerriJM - Terri Terri Quite Contrary
Terri writes about the experiences, perceptions, feelings, humor and stumbling blocks in "my small world. " http://terrisplace-terri.blogspot.com