The Matthias Chronicles

Thursday, July 17, 2008, 1:57 AM

Sheeples

by Mar Matthias Darin

I'll file this rant in the same box as my other on on social bookmarking...

EntreCard has partnered with SezWho... My response... So What... SezMe

Why, you ask? Simple. I'm not into playing "Follow the Leader" like the rest of the "good little sheeples." At one time, Digg, SU, Technorati, YouTube, and countless other social bookmarking sites were great. At one time, the "PayPerPost" method could bring in a few bucks...

What happened to all the "Golden Opportunities?" The search engines happened. The search engine "gods" saw they were loosing money from their paid advertisers and said, "This is very bad." So, a few months ago, they changed the math and sites fell left and right from their high mountains.

Blog owners and web sites near and far cried about their loses of years of plotting, scheming SEOing, advertising, and paid posts, as the "almighty" search engine "gods" had taken their "beloved" PR of 5+ straight down to a big, flat, whopping ZERO.

Here I sit, still writing on things that move me, greatfully appreciative my readers and commenters alike. I don't have a PR worth mentioning and I don't care because I have something far more important, you.

You come here everyday to see what wild things I'm going to post next or to be moved by something I said or for a laugh or just to see how far I'll push the limits of sanity and reason. Why you come doesn't matter. All that does is that you did and for that, Thank You.

I am fortunate with this blog. Its my own software that is pre-alpha and its my first blog I've ever tried. I started this having no idea what I was doing and in some ways I still don't know where I'm going... I only know that I don't follow the beaten path all the other sheeples do. I rub the grain wrong in all directions. That is who I am... Someone that waits to see.

At one time a ship was built. It was the largest, best and most unforgettable ship there ever was. Hundreds of sheeple fought to get on this mighty ship. Its legacy lives in infamy. Everyone knows its name and its history. It was the Titantic.

Unlike the sheeple of the "Titantics" of social bookmarking, I have no plans to sink with the ship. If I sink, it will be because of my own stupidity.

Perhaps, someday, I might say yes to SezWho... But not today... Today, I'm going to fight the wind... Lets see how many sheeple survive the slaughter of the search engine "gods"...

I realize this isn't going to be well received by many. But I gave up trying to please everyone and decided that at least I can please myself in knowing that the work that goes into this blog is genuine and that you, my faithful reader, will be back tomorrow looking for my next crazy, off the wall, post.

Comments from Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

You are not alone in your thinking. I've seen other similar feelings expressed; however, I for one appreciate the opportunity to earn credits for commenting which I'd much rather spend time doing that just dropping EC cards and flying along. We'll see how it goes and I certainly won't just make stupid comments just to get credits. If all a person wants is a credit from commenting, then certainly just dropping the card is much quicker than taking time to comment. I really hope people of integrity choose to participate in SezWho because only then will it accomplish its intended purpose and be useful. I hope in time you reconsider your position but certainly appreciate your view. Here's a link to my post about it: EntreCard's Partnership With SezWho is Marvelous!

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Thank you for the link. I have looked it over... and I'll still wait to see how the search engine "gods" react...

For me, EC is more that just a gimick to get visitors or quick drops. I enjoy reading the blogs I go to and I comment quite regularly. This is rubbing me in the direction of something else to game and devalue. Time will tell and I may be proven wrong...

Comments from Patricia

I too have been grappling with the significance of the Entrecard/SezWho partnership. Being even newer to blogging than you are, I don't really know what you are talking about regarding search engines and whatever PR is, but I am registering your complaints and digesting them and adding them to my own thoughts and those of other bloggers I visit. Thank you for your insights.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Thank you. PR is page rank, or how close to the top of the search engine listing your site will be. The scale is usually 0 (nobody) to 10 (top dog). Google, Alexa, Yahoo and all the rest, use secret magic formulas to calculate this in such a way in that theirpaid advertisers always land on top no matter how hideous the page may be.

Here is the best tip on blogging you'll ever find: Don't blog for money, fame or anything under the sun save one: blog because you enjoy it and no other reason. That one single idea has been the secret to the success on my blog.

Comments from The BoBo

That's pretty funny - SezMe - that's pretty much what I said too! Good post!

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

I'm glad I'm not the only reserved about this.

Comments from CathyJELady

Just yesterday evening I gave a presentation to a small group of ladies about starting a blog. One of the things that I mentioned is to write what you're interested in or what you want to write about, don't worry about what other people are doing.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

Personally, I can't understand why a person would want to start a blog unless it was for writing on things of interest.

Comments from Mizi

Hi. I read some bloggers posts about the actual value of E credits, and they mentioned that this Sez thing would diminuish even more their value, is making their blog load slower, etc. I didn't put Sez in my blog yet. I also see all this as a "sheep" thing, but I have to admit that I enjoy having traffic and new readers. Most of all I'm having fun finding new blogs. I have a slighty different vision: There's a lot of bloggers doing more than pocket money, or a few bucks, with PPP, (and the other dozen of companies out there) and I think it's not a thing from the past. Maybe they earn less now because there's more people doing it, and big G slaped many, but I know a few that pay their mortgage with this PPP thing. Good Starting Week, and see you soon.

Comments from Mar Matthias Darin

I have to agree that SezWho may well devalue the worth on EntreCard's EC's. I've also noticed what would seem to be inflation on EntreCard. I have found a few site that are 4096 ECs to advertise on. As far as the PPP thing, if you put Google where they belong, then it doesn't matter wheather or not you choose to use PPP. Don't let Google dictate how you should eun your site. They aren't that important and anyone who says they are has failed Economics 101 and didn't diversify their advertisements.