A friend of mine posted a bulletin with a link to a blog that made some sense to me.
Granted, I don't have a large audience. My blogs are mostly intended for my own edifiaction and/or to keep those I care about informed on what's going on with me. I have maybe 40 subscribers and get maybe 150 hits a week. Pretty insignificant compared the Tila Tequilas and Dane Cooks of MYSpaceland. Several people have commented, however, that my writing skills could get me somewhere and may even earn me some money, given the proper subject matter and direction.
The aforementioned blog was entiled "If You Blog on MySpace, You Really Are An Idiot". While the initial title set me a bit sour from the start, as I read, the guy began to make some sense.
I was immediately disarmed by meeting the qualifications he excluded from his definition of 'idiocy'. That is to say, I blog for myself and my friends mostly, I don't go bragging about hits and subscribers (as I said, there isn't much to brag about), and I tend to avoid the drama inherent in such bragging by not attracting or dolling out ridicule and harassment via comments. Pretty much all the comments on my blogs, to and from me, have been helpful, supportive, whimsical, or at least cordial.
As I read, he brought to point several facts that I hadn't really considered. Foremost of these being who profits from my blatherings. MySpace is owned by Fox Media. You see the ads flashing away at the top of the screen? Yea, the ones that encourage you to swat the flies, smash the car, or free the cartoon hottie from the ice block? Well, for every jackass that clicks one of those (of which I highly doubt ANY of you loyal readers can be counted), Fox Media gets money. These ads are directed at teeny-boppers whose few active brain cells are occupied with which Bratz character they want to dress like or how to appear more 'Emo' to the opposite sex. Nothing pertaining to the content of the blog, of course - at least not mine.
Now aside from not wanting to help out Fox Media in any way I can comfortably avoid, I figure there are a few other points to consider. I have no objection to online ads, when they're not in the way of the content I'm looking for or, God forbid, opening a pop-up window. But first and foremost, why shouldn't *I* get the ad revenue from the hits my writing may generate (miniscule, though it may be). I'm not keen on the idea of my brainfruit being utilized to fund a right-wing bohemoth like Fox, and I need the money more than the suits attempting to run public opinion (but that's another tirade altogether).
Second, if I'm talking about a barbershop convention or a sci-fi show, shouldn't the ads pertain to that, instead of some singles site or survey scam (though I suppose if you're reading about barbershop conventions, they're justified in thinking you're still single)? Ads on my blog should have at least SOMETHING to do with what I'm talking about.
So here it is. Quite likely my LAST MySpace blog entry. I have moved on to a more civilized blog venue. More under MY control, with the features *I* want on it and - best of all - with any potential ad revenue going to ME! Well, okay, split between me and Google. but I'd rather split it with them than give all of it to Fox.
Over the next few days (or weeks, depending on how crazy it is at work) I'll be moving my old posts to pauldkeiser.blogspot.com. From there, I'll post my subsequent ponderings and goings on there. Drop by sometime, and don't be shy about clicking on links and telling friends! After all, I'm perpetually broke and even at a few cents per hundreds of clicks on the rather unabtrusive ads, sometime in 2009 I may get a check with enough to buy me a value meal as I rush between jobs and gigs.
Feel free to comment in this one. It's not like I'm abandoning MySpace completely...
I'm every bit as pathetically addicted to it as you folks likely are...
Granted, I don't have a large audience. My blogs are mostly intended for my own edifiaction and/or to keep those I care about informed on what's going on with me. I have maybe 40 subscribers and get maybe 150 hits a week. Pretty insignificant compared the Tila Tequilas and Dane Cooks of MYSpaceland. Several people have commented, however, that my writing skills could get me somewhere and may even earn me some money, given the proper subject matter and direction.
The aforementioned blog was entiled "If You Blog on MySpace, You Really Are An Idiot". While the initial title set me a bit sour from the start, as I read, the guy began to make some sense.
I was immediately disarmed by meeting the qualifications he excluded from his definition of 'idiocy'. That is to say, I blog for myself and my friends mostly, I don't go bragging about hits and subscribers (as I said, there isn't much to brag about), and I tend to avoid the drama inherent in such bragging by not attracting or dolling out ridicule and harassment via comments. Pretty much all the comments on my blogs, to and from me, have been helpful, supportive, whimsical, or at least cordial.
As I read, he brought to point several facts that I hadn't really considered. Foremost of these being who profits from my blatherings. MySpace is owned by Fox Media. You see the ads flashing away at the top of the screen? Yea, the ones that encourage you to swat the flies, smash the car, or free the cartoon hottie from the ice block? Well, for every jackass that clicks one of those (of which I highly doubt ANY of you loyal readers can be counted), Fox Media gets money. These ads are directed at teeny-boppers whose few active brain cells are occupied with which Bratz character they want to dress like or how to appear more 'Emo' to the opposite sex. Nothing pertaining to the content of the blog, of course - at least not mine.
Now aside from not wanting to help out Fox Media in any way I can comfortably avoid, I figure there are a few other points to consider. I have no objection to online ads, when they're not in the way of the content I'm looking for or, God forbid, opening a pop-up window. But first and foremost, why shouldn't *I* get the ad revenue from the hits my writing may generate (miniscule, though it may be). I'm not keen on the idea of my brainfruit being utilized to fund a right-wing bohemoth like Fox, and I need the money more than the suits attempting to run public opinion (but that's another tirade altogether).
Second, if I'm talking about a barbershop convention or a sci-fi show, shouldn't the ads pertain to that, instead of some singles site or survey scam (though I suppose if you're reading about barbershop conventions, they're justified in thinking you're still single)? Ads on my blog should have at least SOMETHING to do with what I'm talking about.
So here it is. Quite likely my LAST MySpace blog entry. I have moved on to a more civilized blog venue. More under MY control, with the features *I* want on it and - best of all - with any potential ad revenue going to ME! Well, okay, split between me and Google. but I'd rather split it with them than give all of it to Fox.
Over the next few days (or weeks, depending on how crazy it is at work) I'll be moving my old posts to pauldkeiser.blogspot.com. From there, I'll post my subsequent ponderings and goings on there. Drop by sometime, and don't be shy about clicking on links and telling friends! After all, I'm perpetually broke and even at a few cents per hundreds of clicks on the rather unabtrusive ads, sometime in 2009 I may get a check with enough to buy me a value meal as I rush between jobs and gigs.
Feel free to comment in this one. It's not like I'm abandoning MySpace completely...
I'm every bit as pathetically addicted to it as you folks likely are...
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