h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Article A384860:
The first in a group of articles dealing with making money on the internet. The rest are in the works, and will come out about 2 weeks apart from each other. Most of the information to build the articles with is to come from the forum postings of other users. Since most of the content comes from the forums, please share your ideas in the forum at the bottom of the article...

Thank you,
-othererik

Okay, I have nothing against an article about ways to make money on the net. However, the article is not hardly objective. You use the word "we" and "I". It seems more like a sales pitch. Hmmm...

And look, if you want to link to these services, that's ok. But don't use your REFERAL IDs!! It's obvious that you stand to make some cash with this entry. That isn't the purpose of h2g2!

By the way, you're article isn't written in GuideML, which means it can't be considered at all.

So really you're just trying make a quick buck.

Nice try, bud.

JyZude.

Was wondering how long it would take to get pegged for that.. Thanks for the comments.

I just updated the article. If you would, it is much more kosher now.

>By the way, you're article isn't written in GuideML, which means it can't be considered at all.

Whatwhatwhat???? I'm a sub, and plain-text and HTML Entries are just as good as GuideML ones in my eyes. I would much rather see a nice plain-text Entry in my batch that I have to add GuideML to than a GuideML Entry that has bad syntax that I have to fix up.

As for the article, I would recommend writing all three together as it's harder to combine three seperate articles. But the prmise is good. Keep working on it.

Thanks for the correction, but I already converted it to GuideML. Oh well, save some poor sub some work.

I would perfer to write them togeather, but already set up and index, so it should work out. Really need people to post ideas in the forum for the article..

About the GuideML: I thought that only articles formatted with GuideML were allowed to go into the edited guide. Isn't that the way it works, or am I mistaken?

I wasn't saying the article was trash because it wasn't GuideML, just that I thought you had to make it into GuideML for it to be considered.

You're half-right; only GuideML entries get into the edited guide, but it doesn't matter if you submit something in plain text: it's the job of the subs to reformat things to GuideML if the need arises.

I have never heard first-person accounts of people actually making money through these extremely dubious pyramid-marketing-style internet browsing deals... in fact I'm very sceptical about the whole concept (ie, free money).

Certainly I wouldn't waste thirty seconds trying one of 'em out...

26199

Well, my brother made $20 off it, so it does work to a degree. I suppose you could make a lot more if you were running 8 browsers, and were online 24hours a day (or at least had the appearance of doing so... there are spoofer programs available.)

JyZude.

I use quite a few of them. Do it all without the help of spoofers. Alladvantage sends me a check for about 40$ every two months, and the others combined bring me about 75$ every month. It just takes time to build up a referral base, and the dedication to run the bars when you are not doing anything of importance. Right now I have the spedia bar looking at me. Just run your res a little higher than normal and it dosen't even seem like you lost that much space on the desktop.

JyZude,

>"It's obvious that you stand to make some cash with this entry. That isn't the purpose of h2g2!"<

I thought you might like to read this, it's taken from the H2G2 FAQ.

>"Why does h2g2 exist? What's in it for h2g2 Ltd?
We're going to be honest here, something that, as seasoned journalists, doesn't always come easy. We're going to take a deep breath and admit something that might come as a surprise. Here goes... h2g2 exists to make money."<

Looks like your image of H2G2 might have to be adjusted...

it's not the purpose of h2g2 to make money for *researchers*...

I'd hate to see the page on jeans written by Levis... ugh!

Of course, it's the purpose of h2g2 to make money FROM *researchers* and advertisers FOR the big boys at the top, and them alone. That's why they recommend such reputable sites as "lastminute.com". They wouldn't want anyone else to get a share of the pie (no matter how very, very small)

I've already seen several biased approved articles with links to commercial sites so researchers can spend money on goods or services. So, why should this article be criticised for following this precedent, all be it without permission from above.


Goof Lithium has no financial interest in the above forum or related articles. He, in fact, finds the whole "making money out of the internet" ethic to be slightly offensive and thinks more people should get off their chairs, do an honest constructive days work, and help their fellow man. However, if there is money to be made then he feels the researchers have a right to try to earn some too. Providing the methods employed are moral, ethical, legal and do not constitute a breach of the terms of use of a host site.

Notice that the only way I stand to make a profit from this is if you click on a descret footnote... I figure, since I'm explainging the works and am a member of all the ad bar programs I can think of, why not allow people to sign up under me. It seems wasteful to send them to the sites to sign up without any referral id. I have always been a little bit of a money black hole though. Probably why I do system adminstration work.

Here is a question for everyone:
How far is too far when trying to make a buck? Is it beyond reason to profit off well known sites? The best example I can think of is whitehouse.com vs whitehouse.gov.

I only came here to say that I *don't* want to see forum topics of this kind on h2g2. That's it. I said it. I'm going now, to a page that *I* find more fulfilling.

I don't really want to see articles like that either but I also don't want banner ads and links on the front page to commercial sites. I haven't , to the best of my knowledge, clicked on the banner ads shown on h2g2 or the links and probably never will. The problem with this is that h2g2 will close down if they can't sell advertising space and get a high enough click through rate. The whole "alabaster" make over was designed to make the ad space more profitable.

BTW is it OK to have articles about resturants, pubs, specialist shops, etc. Most of those articles seem to have been written with a view to advertising those places, often by people that own them or work there? Even articles about towns have been known to recommend one particular buisness over another that is better value. Where do we draw the line? What do we censor?

"I only came here to say that I *don't* want to see forum topics of this kind on h2g2. That's it. I said it.
I'm going now, to a page that *I* find more fulfilling."

I'm not exactly sure what you don't want to see? There needs to be a point where someone can say, "That is too commerical for the Guide.", and a the backing of most of the community. The only way to find that point is by discussing it. Dr. Lithium brough up another form of advertising, and made a very good point. Does the Guide say, "No, you recommended this business over that one, this can't be accepted.", or do they say, "Ok, you are advertising a buisness, probably to make a profit, but there are no external links; we will accept it."? How about the way I did my article. Gave an external link, but it is in the footnotes, and is very revelant to the article. Plus, it would be pointless to tell people about the programs, have them sign up, and not make a profit off of it. That is the idea of the programs.

I agree. Where do we draw the line?

So, why exactly don't you want to see a forum topic of this kind?

-Erik

I suspect it'll get discreetly modified to use an h2g2 referral ID, rather than yours... as you say, to do otherwise would be wasteful...

I'd prefer h2g2 made their cash via referrals and links to amazon, etc, where appropriate, rather than by selling banner ads. The former are likely to be highly relevant - if I'm looking at an eric clapton entry it's highly possible that I'll be inspired to go and buy a clapton CD. banners, otoh, are just IRRITATING!!

I guess that's it - I'd prefer h2g2 to profit, rather than researchers. Because if they profit, then my h2g2 experience is improved, whereas if "otherik" proits, then it reduces the experience for me without providing any compensatory gain.

If one business is recommended over another, somebody with a different opinion can post to this effect in the entry forums, and can even attempt to get the entry itself changed to reflect a wider range of opinions. will h2g2 be swamped with corporate "shills" if this happens? I suspect not - but you never can tell...

Of course, the referrals cut both ways - I'd rather have banner ads than have referrals which mean they may tone down some criticism in an article. To use your example, if the entry on Eric Clapton had originally been written by me, it would probably say that the only piece of guitar playing by Clapton that really lives up to his reputation is Cold Turkey by the Plastic Ono Band. Now, if h2g2 make money from everyone going and buying Clapton CDs, they would be less inclined to let that through unchanged. Fortunately, as far as I can see, that hasn't happened...

Editorial Note: This Conversation has been moved to the new 'Flea Market' Forum.

This is where we move any Peer Review, Writing Workshop or Alternative Writing Workshop Conversations where the original author has *not* posted to h2g2 for three months. This prevents the active Review Forums from clogging up with dormant entries, but in the Flea Market they can be picked up by others and polished off.