College campus

College & education affiliate programs – lessons from the niche that disappeared

September 19, 2013 John 0

There are no guarantees when it comes to promoting advertisers on the web. A favorite program may decide to shut down shop for all sorts of reasons, and some political & business developments can even wipe out an entire niche – practically overnight. The first step to protecting your online income from uncertainty is to be aware of the potential dangers you will eventually face.

Bluehost

Bluehost vs Dreamhost

September 19, 2013 John 12

Bluehost vs. Dreamhost – Two very similar shared hosting companies with a few key differences that may determine which one is best for your website or online business plan.

Reddit alien

Mainstreaming Reddit

August 6, 2013 John 0

Reddit is pushing hard – and well on its way – to being the next big thing on the internet, but the process threatens to undermine what made the community unique without necessarily delivering the profitability that Reddit’s parent company wants to see.

Spam

The increasing absurdity of link removal requests

March 29, 2013 John 0

Remember that guy who spammed your blog, forums, or bookmarking site? Well, he’s back, and his new SEO says he should spam your email inbox with requests to delete all that spam they originally spammed you yet. Puzzled, perplexed, or bemused by the latest trend in SEO? Click here to read all about the growing absurdity of link removal requests and what I’ve learned from running crowd-based link aggregation websites.

College campus

Grad school is crazy…

March 6, 2013 John 0

Updates have been pretty slow around here, but financial circumstances related to having a fiancee in grad school have forced me to take up another job elsewhere on the web. While my own sites will have to be limited to a part time gig on nights and weekends, working online still manages to keep the bills paid in a small town with no local economy to speak of. Theoretically, the new arrangement should be a little bit more stable for a one-income house dealing with the wake of an increasingly fickle Google algorithm.

Black friday

Skipping Black Friday felt good

November 24, 2012 John 0

The term Black Friday was introduced to the American culture at some point back in the 1960s, but back then journalists advised people to stay at home to avoid the congestion and bad attitudes that go along with rampant consumerism and masses of shoppers who are hunting for the next deal. At some point in the last ten years, this dark day seems to have morphed in to an actual celebration of all the greediest and most selfish instincts we have. This year, however, I had a great Thanksgiving and all I had to do was tune Black Friday out. Did I miss out on big savings… or stumble across an even sweeter deal?

Sprint

Sprint update: Always dispute bogus charges

November 17, 2012 John 0

A lot of people tend to panic when they receive notification of debt collection activity, and more than a few have paid up on false claims just to protect their credit rating or business’ reputation. It is important to remember, though, that you don’t have to give in to the shakedown because there are legal protections available to those who dispute debt claims being made against them. My recent experience with Sprint has already shown some positive results, and we’ve barely even begun the dispute process! Find out how to protect your credit score and bank account from shady businesses and their favorite debt collectors.

That old HDD is killing your productivity

Upgrading to an SSD to save your productivity

November 17, 2012 John 0

Let’s face it. That work computer you’ve had for the last few years just doesn’t perform like it used to, and you could probably get even more done each day if you weren’t sitting around and waiting for programs and saved files to load. Luckily, you won’t have to break the bank in order to get your productivity back up to speed.

Sprint

Don’t get ripped off by Sprint’s unlimited scam

November 4, 2012 John 3

Sprint claims to be the only mobile data provider who is offering an unlimited mobile data plan, but they seem intent on reserving the right to cancel that deal at any point they see fit – contract or not. Even if you do manage to make it through a two year term with your unlimited data plan, the actual data speeds and connection reliability leave a lot to be desired. Save yourself the hassle and spend a few extra bucks a month, but avoid doing business with Sprint at all costs!

Webmaster Ghost Town

October 3, 2012 John 0

Google’s Penguin update is effecting the internet in a much broader way than any individual’s website can show. Webmaster communities and feed readers are growing quieter by the day and no re-allocation of backlinks and anchor texts is going to fix that larger trend. Read on about the state of the internet in the wake of this major update and how we might be able to move forward in an increasingly uncertain & chaotic web environment.