This blogger’s inspiration
Mon, Jun 9, 2008
As many of you all already know, I’ve really been trying to gain some focus with Piss Biscuit as of late, so that I can continue my branding efforts in a positive… moving forward light. Admittedly it’s been one of the more difficult tasks that I’ve had to deal with and I think I’m gaining a little clarity. My moment of enlightenment, though brief, is a moment I wanted to share none the less. May be it’ll inspire, maybe it’ll motivate. Maybe someone reading will be comforted in knowing that they are not alone in the wild west of the blogging world. Maybe, just maybe, someone will learn that you don’t have to start your goals with what you do want, but with what you don’t want.
What I won’t do…
If anyone has taken a few minutes to read my “About Me” page you’ll notice that Piss Biscuit was started as somewhat of a joke. But after one of the coolest mistakes I’ve ever made, it’s now a blog containing fun and interesting bits that pertain to our lives on the internet. I like it this way, and from the general consensus, it seems to be different in it’s own right which is why PB can be oh so addictive at times. But rather than talk about what I will do, lets talk about what I won’t do and see where it brings us.
John Chow
I’ll never be John Chow and it’s not because he makes more money than I, it’s because a don’t find his material useful. Granted, when I first started reading blogs I too read the rumors. I heard the figures. I read the bad press. Yep, I was intrigued by the mystery that is Chow. But you know what? It took me about a day and a half to realize that John was good for one thing and one thing alone… creating new bloggers! So that this doesn’t turn into a bash so and so post, I’ll simply say that unlike John, I care more about what I write than how many people I convince to buy something. To me, this is the difference between a blogger, and a good blogger. A blogger is something I’ll never be.
Website: http://johnchow.com
Shoemoney
I’ll never aspire to be Shoemoney however, he is oneof the few guys I actually subscribe to. But the reason may surprise you. I subscribe to Shoe’s blog only to be given the chance to glance over his daily posts and see what’s going on without having to stop in at the blog itself. I can scan through it with the quickness and move on. On occasion, I’ll go for a visit, but it’s rare. I really dislike the holier than thou approach that he takes and more often than not, his posts contain frivolous content that don’t offer anything of real value. Take today’s post for example… He talks about WordPress hack attacks. Wow! It’s not like none of us get the WordPress News feed in our admin panels right? I never want to be a useless blogger.
Website: http://shoemoney.com
Blogger Unleashed
Vic is an interesting guy. Between his obsessive use of the word “folks”, a spirited array of foul language, and his awkward… and mostly illegible… writing style, I find nothing there that is helping create a better community. Vic is doing something right, but what is it? People must be making money… so the guy has a following for a reason. But is he building a healthier blogging community? Not really. He’s teaching that it’s okay to act like a jackass. He’s teaching that’s it’s okay to go on a witch hunt. He’s teaching how easy it is to flood the market with more useless blogs… I never want to be a community spammer.
Website: http://bloggerunleashed.com/
FullTiltBlogging
Aaron is a super smart guy. In fact, even though we’ve had our own little misunderstanding over the past few days, I think the guy is pretty interesting. The jury is still out on his “mentoring” class as I know nothing about it. What I don’t like is his shallow posts. Nothing against him directly, but read them. Most are more like blurbs, rather than actual thoughts, which is great for him and it works. But personally, I don’t ever want to offer my readers half assed posts.
Website: http://fulltiltblogging.com
Bloggin-Ads
In all fairness here, I’ve only given Mike the PB onceover so I can’t comment on his content. What I will comments on is his layout and design. All of you know that design is my profession so I take it quite seriously. I love the grass roots feel that I get from Bloggin-Ads, but honestly, I can’t stand the blog’s design! Poorly optimized graphics, broken scripts, and horribly laid out material. It’s actually a designers nightmare. Besides thinking that a great re-design would totally spur a new wave of Bloggin-Ads subscribers, I never want to be the eye-sore of my circle. On a side note, Mike puts up some really, really good posts.
Website: http://bloggin-ads.com/
So to the point…
Now some of you will think this is simply a bash other people post and that would be the farthest from the truth. All of these people have inspired me in some way shape or form and for that, I’m grateful. Alot of people out there just starting out want to put a particular “tag” on their blogs. They want to settle down on a niche within a niche. I say that my niche is blogging. Not making money online. Not blog reviews. Not mentoring. It’s not a how to.. or what I had for dinner blog either. It’s simply a good old fashioned blog that talks about whatever is on my mind. And I will do my best to keep it that way.
I think while some of you are asking for me to “create” a direction for The Piss Biscuit, you are failing to see that it’s right where it should be. In your face, increasing traffic, and building relationships all surrounding the blog world. That my friends is my niche and I’m sticking to it. Regardless of your goals, business, background, or niche, The Piss Biscuit will have something for you.
So what do you all think about some of the other blogs I mentioned? Who inspires you? This should be interesting. If there is something you like share it. If there is something you dislike, share it too! I want to know what inspires the people who inspire me. Good, bad, and ugly.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I agree nearly 100% with what you have posted here. Be ready for the Blogger Unleashed backlash, though. Vic probably has one of the most dedicated reader bases that I’ve ever seen. So be ready to be called a dumb-f^@k in his next video.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
LOL. I’m not insulting the man… it’s just not my style. This was a post about inspiration… he’s inspiring. He’s inspires me to NOT do stuff like BANS. Do I hold the guy “responsible” for something no. But as the well respected leader of a niche, he’s subject to critiques and I’m sure he’d agree that 99% of the people out there are simply creating spam because of their lack of motivation and dedication to his craft. Can he be held accountable for the actions of others, no way!
As for his writing… again, ain’t my thing… but the man’s gotta be doing something right. Right?
June 9th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I know you aren’t insulting anyone, but I’m just saying be prepared for some form of backlash from that community.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hi PB,
I wasn’t one of those asking you to take The Piss Biscuit in any direction, more like ‘wait and see what happens’ and it seems that you have, which is good.
I agree with what you feel this blog is about (even though I have just written a post about Full Tilt Blogging which criticises the ‘community’ he is trying to build…). Your idea of a community is different, in that we are all bloggers, not just members of an MMO community.
As a fan of Blogger Unleashed, am I going to give you a backlash for what you said?
Thanks for pointing him out.
Not really, just to say that Viv’s idea of a community is different to yours (there are so many different ways to view the word ‘community’). As to attacking people, if you read Vic’s blog (off the top of my head, I can’t remember the post) he tells you why he feels this way - it’s stirring stuff, and whatever you think about the way he calls people out you can see why he does.
As to the language and the writing style, you know, I hardly ever notice it - I’m more interested in what he actually has to say, but each to his (or her) own.
I like calling people out for scams too (and I am always ready to agree with someone if they can prove to me otherwise - that’s good news not bad). And that’s why I push my blog as part of the MMO niche - in the hope that a few people will read it and then not get scammed. And by the way, if I am ever suspicious of something promoted by Vic, Griz, and anyone else out there, I will call them out too. No one is spared. My blog is about just watching your back
As to Chow - not worth the time. Shoemoney - I do the same as you (he occasionally makes a useful post, but they are damned hard to find). Bloggin Ads - when I get time I’m going to have a good look I’m not put off by design like you
June 10th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Lol!
I just realised I hit the wrong key and called Vic ‘Viv’.
Am I in for a backlash too?
June 10th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
@ Zania: As always, great comment. I agree 100 million percent with you about “Viv”… I mean “Vic”.
His community is much different and there is NOTHING wrong with it… just not my cup of tea. I’m glad that you call it like you see it and I’m on the same page for sure.
In the end, I find PB to be cool just because it’s about blogging, not because I’m selling clicks. As long as I’m making people happy and giving them a different place to visit… I’m thrilled.
I’m going to go and read your post about Blogger Unleashed right now! LOL Thanks again!
June 10th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Damn it! *** Edit *** I’m going to read you post on Full Tilt!
June 10th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
“Regardless of your goals, business, background, or niche, The Piss Biscuit will have something for you.”
I’m not sure about that anymore PB, the more posts I read on your blog, the less interested I get, not that they are boring but it doesn’t add any value for me.
You say this post is not a bash but it has exactly the same message as your previous post.
I really don’t see how posts like this help create a better community. You can say what you want and don”t want to do without bashing others, but I know, it’s not bashing, ofcourse, it’s inspiration. Like Zania I’m also more interested in what people have to say instead of how they write it, no matter if they have a crappy site with horrible graphics.
I’m just trying to say is that I get more and more the feeling that I’m looking here at a really nice book with beautiful fonts and elegant writing style but I don’t understand anymore what it is all about.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
@ Robin & All: Well, as Zania says to each their own. PB does NOT have a focus. It’s been established that PB is simply a place to talk about the market and the blogging world in general.
If you’re loosing interest, I’m sorry that you feel that way. I do this for fun. Not for money. That said, I’ll always write how I feel. Maybe I should have proof read my post again before posting it, but my point was simple… If you;re stuck trying to find direction for your blog… stop and think about what you don’t want.
So many people out there today grab a crappy domain name like Piss Biscuit and tell themselves I’m going to make a fortune blogging about how to make money… days later… poof… gone!
I know the feeling. It’s a hard sell man! Keeping yourself motivated to keep on going is hard… and the majority of us that start, simply get burned out and quit. The post was to shed some light on a different approach to starting a blog. It was about finding inspiration in places you’d never think… in the people you don’t particularly like.
It’s not all about crappy graphics… it’s about presentation! Would you show up to film a wedding in a T-shirt with holes in it and dirty swimming trunks? I don’t think so. If you’re going to start a blog than do it right! I don’t think it’s to much to ask that people start taking a little pride in their work if it means so much to them.
So what is PB all about?… blogging. Is it vague? Sure, but what else I am I here for. I don’t want to teach, I don’t want to sell you something… I want to build a better blogging community in general by offering my views and opinions in a manor in which is interesting to read.
Eventually, I’d like new bloggers to pop in here to get a little taste of reality before delving in head first. Maybe then, they will see that with a little reading, they can find something, stick with it, and do it well. If you’re saying that you’re no longer really interested, then so be it. No matter how hard someone may try, you’ll never make everyone happy.
I think by the very response I’ve received shows me that I’m right in many aspects and you guys should take notice. If you all can dictate what does and doesn’t appear here, then I’m selling myself short, I’ve become all the things I said I refuse to be. I would be blogging to “sell” you on coming back here… and that is not my intent. There would be no difference in that and telling you to buy my affiliate linked product to help you make more money. I’m not here to sell anyone.
So there you have it… if you guys still find this post to be useless, and un-inspiring, okay see ya on the flip side. If you want to leave and never some back… okay, you’ll be missing out. If you want to learn more about my thoughts, and why I say certain things, by all means ask away… just don’t knock it till you try it.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Ok, here is my take on this.
PB, to me is a great place to come for so very many reasons. I find it to be a break from my norm, a good place to voice my opinion (without getting backlash from Vic or Viv’s army), it is entertaining, well written, looks great and yes….I do learn things. The name alone still makes me laugh by the way. In writing this I am addressing you all and think that those who will read are already regulars so you know what I am talking about.
Bryans idea of a niche as a bloggers soapbox was spot on and PB’s continual insistence that this blog is to offer something for everyone is credit to that. I fully understand Robins point of view as I myself was slightly perturbed by the previous post and the way it was going. I even said that this was not what PB was about but I was wrong……THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT PB IS ALL ABOUT. A bloggers soapbox gives everyone a chance to voice there own opinion and comments on this site good, bad or indifferent are taken in the same light. I have visited everyone of your blogs and like them all very much I read your comments daily and though I do not agree with you everytime I value your opinions all the same.
Lest we forget that this site is still less than a few weeks old. We have all contributed to its success thus far and long may that continue. I only wish that the examples given in this post were not all mmo blogs and that way the point of the message may well have been clearer.
Would I rather be subject to a million affiliate links on John Chow or open to a good post ‘post’ discussion? Thats a no brainer!
June 10th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I wouldn’t get too bent out of shape. I see Robin all over the net, making negative comments, constantly trying to stir up some trouble. I don’t know if this is her intent, but it seems that she is malicious towards some people for no reason, Adii is one of them.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I’m glad you found some clarity, in a vague sort of way. I think this description is spot on for what popped into my head when I first came here. I like Piss Biscuit because it’s a place that is out of the norm, and it has become more of a chat room of sorts to air opinions in a space that has some real intelligent people.
Keep up the good work PB!
And don’t ask… I have no clue about the name. Congrats, you WILL rank #1 for whatever keyphrase I just typed in there.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Nick, “all over the net” is on 2 sites and I do stand up straight occasionally when visiting the toilet so you might rephrase “her”
PB and me never really agree but that is OK, it means we both have strong opinions but they don’t match. I like to question things when I don’t agree and that is not the same as stirring up trouble, that I leave to some others here who have done a great job with that.
I also seen comments on this blog here Nick coming from you that were far from friendly and which could definitely fall under the category “malicious for no reason”.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:07 am
@ Bryan: Hmmm… It’s ranked number one alright… but wrong post
http://tinyurl.com/4y7s66
June 11th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Glad to help with your long tail keyword targeting efforts
June 11th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Is the tiff with Aron sucking all the energy from you? He´s updating on a daily basis why not you? If there is a battle on he´s winning by default. Hope this rattles your ego-cage enough to write another post
June 11th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
LOL! Thanks Tor: I actually have been writing a few zingers to show you guys I mean business. Unlike the referenced site… I would like to continue posting things a little more meaningful. I mean, mentoring is nice and all if that’s your thing, but three posts a day about it seems a bit much.
I’ve got a group project I want to work on with all of you, and it’s taking some time to plan it out. I’ll have something up shortly… ego-cage rattled!