Forum Moderators: open
Wondering why that is? I can see new and experienced webmasters gaining a lot simply by looking at other sites. Of course there is always the potential to try to intentionally disable an adsense account of someone who has offended you (but of course we all agree that adsense is too clever for that and that has never happened)
Anyone care to shed any light on why they don't have their url in their member info?
I think that is because people fear that some people in a bad mood could report other members site to SEs as a SPAMMER.
Many of the members think they are squeaky clean...but someone else may see a little differently. Especially when there is a risk of getting kicked out of Google Adsense, not many people want to put their money maker site public.
Also your competitors could learn from you and mimic and take your top spots, etc, etc...
You could get unsolicited emails from vendors, sellers, SEOs, etc. for services that i don't need.
I had my web site URL in my profile when I joined...but removed after a few month.
Why? because there are more risks, costs, etc than benefits.
I've always thought that - on balance - someone knowing who I am and what websites I am associated with provides as much a channel for someone coming to my aid/defense/assistance as it might open me up to omeone doing me wrong. For example, people of good will, seeing something bad heading my way or happening to a website, might give me a 'heads up' or a hand.
While I recognize that there are 'bad people' out there I'm willing to, and do in fact believe, there is more good to be shared amongst humankind than evil. Therefore, when it comes to my work on the web I choose to be open and vulnerable, open and helpful, open and willing to be helped. That some may use that knowledge to do evil - so be it. When the greater majority of humankind stands on the side of the scale marked 'evil' then it's time for me to move on anyway.
So, to me, disclosure is an act of eyes wide open faith. If the Big Guy can allow for evil's existance I guess to can I too. It all works itself out, both in the present and in the end. I choose to stay focused on what really makes a difference, and in the end what makes a difference ain't money, really. So why resort to 'any and all means' to make it?
I hear the little voices of certain minds laughing and screaming at the thought . . and sense the pain that underlies that, the pain of not knowing something defining in life.
There's strength in vulnerability or so I say. ;-)
Nobody wants to show their cards.
Nobody wants to show their cards.Surely a google/yahoo/whoever search would show that up just as easily. If I wanted to set up a site on widgets than I could do a search, see what the (top ten?) opposition is and be "inspired" by them. Wouldn't need to rely on a url found in a member profile for that.
Actions speak louder than words.
Even those who claim it isn't true realize that very little effort, (high school level internet knowledge), is required to prove their assertion, (legit sites never get kicked out), is false.
By the way, I see that efv and webwork have replied here. You can't go wrong reading their posts, and paying attention.
those posting who claim that a legit site will never get kicked out of adsense. By and large you'll find that they don't list their site in their profile.
think that was the point I was trying to make(in a round about sort of way).
>>Actions speak louder than words.
Unlike EFV's my comments aren't carefully considered, wise comments. Sometimes I come on strong, insult SE spammers, ridicule automatic link exchange requests [webmasterworld.com], insult scraper scum [webmasterworld.com] etc. I don't worry too much about the fact that some webmasters here are involved in just such shady practices.
The last thing I want is to have to moderate what I say because some buffoon thinks I'm damaging his thieving, crooked, fly-by-night, rip-off business and give him a way to get back at me via the business website in my profile. I'm talking not just Adsense but spamming my email addresses, breaking into my database... there are many ways they can attack me.
The contact email address I use for my webmasterworld account is my main domain so the owners of this forum know who I am. Google - and the Adsense team - are aware of my user name here. And I have no problem disclosing my email address and WW username to people I trust. For some strange reason I don't trust everyone.
>> look at the profiles of those posting who claim that a legit site will never get kicked out of adsense
By the way, I see that efv and webwork have replied here. You can't go wrong reading their posts, and paying attention.
That's one thing we do agree on :) but I do feel EFV would have been better placed had he never disclosed his URL. Even his moderate, sensible comments will not appeal to everyone and the recent click attack on his site may have been a retaliation for his arguments against content-less sites.
[edited by: Macro at 11:13 am (utc) on Dec. 24, 2004]
I don't know if this exposure has helped me or not. But in public forums and newsgroups I have always used my real name long before there was spam, so I don't try to hide it.
I'm not really interested in other members websites. I think it would be too much of a distraction for me. I don't want to spend my time dissecting members sites. I have enough to take care of with my own.
You can pretty much tell by the way people respond to the posts, how much they are involved, whether they're a big wheel, or a newbie, a college grad or a dropout. We're all here to learn, and that's the main focus, isn't it? I think knowing other peoples websites would take the challenge out of all this.
I have a fault in my personality, I tend to trust people to much, and I guess I have always had the name, "gullible" attached to my forehead. So, I prefer to stay more cautious nowadays. "Better safe, than sorry" comes to mind.
For some reason, I have more of an interest in what state or country everyone is from. (So you won't have to click on my profile, I'm in the state of Connecticut.)
If I desperately needed some help, couldn't I just sticky my URL to someone I have already decided to trust?
Merry Christmas to all!
I agree with Macro, if you speak frankly there is an opportunity for paybacks and I will not underestimate the cunning of some hackers. Stay under the radar with this group is my advice.
I would be surprised to learn that actions fitting the above definition are the tools of even 1% of WW members. By that definition of 'evil' I do not feel threatened by 99% of who might know my URL.
Hiding a URL to guard the secrets of ranking or success? People work hard to discover the secrets of ranking, so I understand they don't want to give their secrets away. However, if you rank in the SERPs, or if your AdWords or other PPC/PPL campaign is visible, your competition - the one's you should really be worried about - will know your URL. Therefore, omitting it is marginally sensible at best. If you are worried about showing a URL in your profile because of the other 1%, the ones who know no bounds then not to worry: You will be targeted not because of a URL in your profile but because you are the competition.. Those whose game is win by any means will get to a lot quick then hunting down your profile info.
The most sober rationale for hiding a URL in a member's profile is concern about retaliation for what one says in a forum. But just how far do you have to go to trigger retaliation? Those doing the dirty deed are aware that their actions are unpopular, so what is gained by laboring the point attacking them? Venting? Not too productive, right, if all you think it's going to get you is retaliation? You're smart enough to know that if you want to change behavior it's been shown that applying a (verbal) beating isn't too effective in bringing about long term change.
Buy a heavy bag if you want to pound something to vent or discharge frustration. There's still time to ask for one for Christmas ;)
Peace on earth, good will towards men and women.
Everyone and Anyone in the World comes here.
Were we conversating about say, leaving a loved one alone on a dank night somewhere strange, ( in a Bricks-n-Mortar World ), the solution might be easier. Get 'em the Hell outta there, right?
Along with each member here, comes a slightly different perspective and thusly differing ethics.
A little caution and discretion never hurt. One fairly web savvy client was favorably impressed when he could only find one way to contact me. I'm not suggesting that I'm immune to attacks, but why make it easy?
Somedays I think it's a great idea. Other days I think it's shear idiocy.
So sometimes I post mine, sometimes I don't, it just depends on if I feel like an idiot at the moment. :)
Most of the time if I click on someones profile it's because I've been VERY favorably impressed with what they have posted.
Sometimes I find a url there, sometimes not. If I do find one, I assume they don't mind if I take a look around their website.
If I don't find a url in their profile it doesn't cause me to think any less of what they say if I'm already favorably impressed.
To each their own.
of possible liability
Not having the url in my profile is an irrelevant point. My position is, and always has been that legit sites do get kicked out. With that in mind, I choose not to post my site in my profile. My actions in this case equal my words.
My point is that upon review of the various posts and posters slamming people who got kicked out of adsense because legit sites will never get kicked out, most of the time, their site is not listed in their profile. Hence my conclusion that their actions do not equal their words.
By the way, no antagonism should be read in the above post. Simply presenting another side of the coin.
This seems like needless worry. Finding a successful site to mimic would be as easy as running a search. In most cases, the top 5 or 6 results will be successful sites that you can try to copy if that's what floats your boat. All without the hassle of logging into WebmasterWorld day after day and reading thread after thread to find out who knows what they're talking about and who doesn't (which seems like an awful lot of effort for someone who's after 'easy money').
Assuming for a moment that we're talking about profile sites that are legitimate, well-built content sites, you really have no reason to fear the idea being 'stolen.' Just because someone sees your site in your profile doesn't mean they have the knowledge and/or experience to take YOUR idea and become a ranking competitor. After all, you're probably a success because you have the ability to produce valuable, quality content for your niche, right?
For most niches, this is not a skill that can be picked up on a whim. Either you know the ins-and-outs of an industry or you don't. I may see and like and wish I could build a great snowboarding site. I may even see your snowboarding site in your profile and get inspired to build one, myself. But there's this one nagging problem. See, I know almost NOTHING about snowboarding. So try as I might, I'm not going to be stealing any traffic from you. (Unless your snowboarding site really sucks, in which case posting the URL in your profile is the least of your problems...)
That said, the security issues raised by Macro are especially poignant (especially for someone as unashamedly outspoken about spammers and other bottom-feeders as Macro is), and these security concerns are the reason I don't post my URL. If you post your URL you then have to be careful about what you say to whom. In dealing with 99% of WebmasterWorld members, this is okay, since (I believe) the majority of regular posters here are honest and ethical persons, but it only takes one pissed-off first-time-poster to hack your site and ruin your day/month/year. I'm not in the habit of angering people, but you do have to remember that some people are in the habit of being angered. So why risk it?
cEM
Finding a successful site to mimic would be as easy as running a search.
DDOS attacks, false reports or false 'rumor' spreading, email spoofing, ....wholesale content theft ... clickbot attacks, intentional page jacking .... I would be surprised to learn that actions fitting the above definition are the tools of even 1% of WW members.
Who said anything about profile info being available to webmasterworld posters only? It's available to every crook out there.
It doesn't take one million guys to kill Kennedy. As they say in the security business: "We have to be lucky all the time. The terrorist needs to get lucky just once."
My position is, and always has been that legit sites do get kicked out
The next time I saw this guy I started telling him all about himself. Once his look of dismay dissappeared, he laughed at how easy it was to find out so much information about him just form one word.
So, you may be a nice person on webmasterworld but lets say you get in a heated debate at another forum while using the same nickname. It could be some silly forum about nintendo games but all it takes is one upset person with a lot of time on their hands.
On a side note,
I think it would be great if webmasterworld would create a exclusive website critique forum that was invite only. Start with all the moderators and have them pick people to join the forum on a group basis. For example, a moderator says this guy should join, give all the other moderators a chance to read through some of this guys posts and if nobody has a problem with it let them join the forum too.
I would love to have a look at some of the peoples sites on here. I could probably find all sorts of inspiration. I would also love for experienced webmasters to critique my website.
By making it an invite private forum it would stop any fly-by-night hackers from jumping in and causing problems. Set up some minimum rules like; 500+ usefull posts, 3 years as a member, a good website, paying subscriber, and so on.
P.S. I would become a paying subscriber :)
If you're interested in the topics of any of my sites, you'll find them via your favourite search engine.
TJ
What keeps me wondering if i should remove it is i dont want to be judged by anyone who might think im a scraper or pilferer in any way since my site is pretty basic ( read not lots of original content ).rather than considering that im still a junior webmaster who might have had every intention of adding content but keeps getting tied up between work and tech difficulties for example.Or like many, designed as you learned and am now correcting errors and overoptimized pages.
Actually, thats why ive made less posts recently, im realizing, i like reading this forum too much, must be an hour a day that i should get back to work on making my site better.
I always find good info in macros posts but since efv and webwork insights are alos respected and that i'm all for transparency on the net I would be a hipocrite if i didnt have my url in my profile.
[edited by: walrus at 3:51 pm (utc) on Jan. 4, 2005]
Are there really people who comb through member profiles looking for business opportunities? Are people really worried that someone will see their site and steal their idea?
Yes and Yes. Finding good business ideas is not always as easy as just-check-the-SERPs. You have to *know* of a good idea befor you can even begin to study up on it.
The *idea* is what is important - not the site. I am not too worried about people running click bots on my Adsense, but I am concerned about inviting more people into my industries. For the last year, one of my sites has been the only one in the top 20 running Adsense in it's category. If I made it easy for others to look into my work they could find this site and discover how profitable and untapped it really is. I also built and sold three Adsense sites this year in another untapped category. If it was flooded by competition the sites would not have been as valuable.
Do you want a tip that can make you some excellent $$ over the next year? Cruise forums where people sell their websites/businesses. Every once in a while you will find someone selling a site (or a product) that you can easily replicate. They will even tell you what kind of sales to expect...
I really don't think there are many people on WW that are going to try and ruin someones site or network, but there hundreds of smart people that could take your great idea and make it even better.
