Still the Golden Age

Let's give thanks

[mfishy]

A lot is said about this and that on this board, but let's all be thankful for the Internet Gold Rush that still esists.

For next to nothiong you can put up a web page and get thousands of visitors. If you are smart you can make a bunch of money.

Who knows for sure what the future will bring but let us all be thankful that we still live in the time where one can make a ton of money without breaking their back.

Google has made me a small fortune and I am very appreciative of the luck I have had to be around during the "Internet Goldrush" that we all take advantage of.

mfishy

[Critter]

Hear hear...

Peter

[dwilson]

Good perspective.

For every one that's actually made good money, there are 1000 who haven't ... but that's the way in any business that's easy to get into.

[mfishy]

This post was meant for Google news as their is no other real "free" means of traffic, but apparently others felt that fake update thread should stay instead :)

[albert]

>>Internet gold rush<<

1993 - 1996: pioneers, early adopters, visionaries
1997 - 2000: gold rush - avidity, money, and a lot of glimmering trash
2000 - 2002: reality broke in - big dying
2003 up: if we have survived so far, we began to understand how it works

[Filipe]

Yeah, the stabilization of the industry gives us old industry players a strategic advantage. Same thing happened with oil way back in the day. (Heh, unfortunately Rockefeller was the only one to make it past the big drop)

[mfishy]

I guess what I am saying is I used to work my a** off doing carpentry now I make 6X as much just on search engine traffic. Anyone who is complaining about the difficulties just doesn't have perspective.

[rfontaine]

Its always the golden age in one way or another.

Technology changes so quickly there is a fortune to be made with the "correct" decisions and effort.

Of course, hindsight is 20-20 and how does one guess the right course to follow into the future? Much of it is luck. Much of it is intuition. Much of it is determination and hardwork.

[Shak]

2003 up: if we have survived so far, we began to understand how it works

what a post, Pure Class.

Shak

[Napoleon]

>> Google has made me a small fortune <<

How small?

I'd just love a thread in which people put forward specifically what thye earned. Don't ask me to start it though!

[mfishy]

Man, I hear ya as far as the specifics go but if I was to say people would probably take it the wrong way.

Let's just say that I am a 29 year old from Brooklyn with half a degree and I won't be working for anyone ever again! :)

[mfishy]

Let me add that I know much less about seo than many around here- just hungry and willing to take risks

[albert]

@mfishy:

It's good to be 29 and from Brooklyn and hungry. All my best.

I've hung around since before Tim Berners-Lee started to www.

Still hungry. And like(d) it. But it's a different point of view.

[defanjos]

mfishy,
I know how you feel, many years ago I used to install carpets, and today some friends of mine needed help with a really big job, the whole time there I was just thinking how easy I have it now - I work many hours, but at least my knees and back don't get ruined daily.

Yes, this is indeed a great way to make a living - thanks :)

[ken_b]

The "Golden Age" is a state of mind.

It's always the "Golden Age" for those who see, and choose to avail themselves of opportunity.

[bluecorr]

What about your eyes guys? All those long hours at the computer might not ruin your knees and backs but what about your eyes?

[curlykarl]

"but what about your eyes?"

and your hands?

I now have glasses and manky aching hands :(

[MrSpeed]

But can you even imagine if you could go back to 1993 with the knowledge you have today! Holy Moly!

There are a lot of webmasters who cry if they aren't making 1000% profit or have to pay $35 for SE submission! Do they know what a yellow page ad costs?
What other trade or industry has such little start up costs as the web?

[balinor]

You know, I do get a little depressed from time to time at how easy it is to make money on the web. Why? I went to school for 5 years to earn an Architecture degree, practiced in the field for 8 years and recently left to start a web development company because it pays at least TWICE as much for half the headache - AND I still get to be a designer. 5 years of school (and the debt that goes with it) vs teaching myself HTML, Pearl, CGI etc from a couple of $50 books. If I only knew that back in the early 90s.....

[FourDegreez]

For those people making good money at this, would you mind sharing, in general terms, what it is that is working for you?

Are you doing:
straight advertising (through a network or selling directly? CMP, CPC, CPL?)
affiliate
pay-for-content/service
selling/shipping stuff directly

Content-oriented site or storefront?

Or:
SEO
web design for hire
etc.

Some combination of all of the above?