Grex Agora47 Conference

Item 45: Been meaning to put together a web site?

Entered by polygon on Mon Sep 29 19:21:24 2003:

A quick word to the wise.

If you've been meaning to put a web site online, something quirky and full
of interesting free content -- your analysis of Carpathian poetry or
Hudson Valley Italianate scrollwork or Maltese baseball players or antique
radio antennae -- now is the time.

Get your stuff together, write your text, scan your photos, find a server,
and get your labor-of-love online for others to share.  Now.

The economics of this kind of enterprise has changed radically in just the
last few weeks.  As long as your site is heavy on content, and light on
sex/crime/death/disaster, it is now possible to cover your expenses, and
more, just through placing a few unobtrusive text ads.

Due to the secretive terms-of-service, I can't discuss numbers, but let's
just say I'm pleasantly astonished, and so are many other clueful web site
owners I know.

Free content sites were a financial drag on those unlucky enough to be
obsessed with building them, like me.  Now, all of a sudden, they pay
surprisingly well.  Not enough to make you rich, or let you quit your day
job, mind you, but nothing to sneeze at.

See http://www.google.com/adsense for details.
17 responses total.
#1 of 17 by jp2 on Mon Sep 29 19:43:18 2003:

This response has been erased.


#2 of 17 by polygon on Mon Sep 29 20:07:13 2003:

Dear jp2,

Would a spammer suggest you build a web site around Carpathian poetry?

Love, polygon

#3 of 17 by murph on Mon Sep 29 20:07:30 2003:

I like google ads, partially because I'm geeky enough to be giddy about the
linguistics behind, well, everything google does.

Alas, my existing content doesn't get enough traffic for google to consider
me worthwhile, I'm thinking.

#4 of 17 by murph on Mon Sep 29 20:09:10 2003:

#2: depends.  Did the Carpathians write much poetry about herbal viagra?

#5 of 17 by scott on Mon Sep 29 20:10:02 2003:

I've gotten lots of spam which could have been Carpatian poetry.  Either way
I was unable to read it...

#6 of 17 by polygon on Mon Sep 29 20:12:55 2003:

Re 4.  I have no idea -- and there's a niche for a web site.  Google shows
146,000 hits for CARPATHIAN, and 15.4 million hits for POETRY, but zero
for "CARPATHIAN POETRY".

#7 of 17 by murph on Mon Sep 29 20:18:36 2003:

But 5260 without the quotes...Here I was thinking this carpathian poetry site
would be our very own googlewhack.

#8 of 17 by mynxcat on Mon Sep 29 20:21:30 2003:

Mine's a personal site that has nothing that would be of interest to anyone
unless they're interested in my life. I'm not sure ads would be a good idea

#9 of 17 by polygon on Mon Sep 29 20:29:01 2003:

Re 8.  Right, not for everyone/everything.

#10 of 17 by tod on Mon Sep 29 20:55:20 2003:

This response has been erased.


#11 of 17 by dah on Mon Sep 29 21:58:03 2003:

Remember when I thought you were a staunch rightist?

#12 of 17 by tod on Mon Sep 29 22:27:53 2003:

This response has been erased.


#13 of 17 by tsty on Thu Oct 2 06:55:31 2003:

i'm waiting for google to go public ...

#14 of 17 by gull on Fri Oct 3 13:06:15 2003:

The first rule of Adsense is you're not allowed to talk about Adsense:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/33180.html

#15 of 17 by polygon on Sun Oct 5 04:11:32 2003:

I don't agree with some of the conclusions in that piece, but as you
say, I shouldn't discuss it.

#16 of 17 by gull on Sun Oct 5 20:59:59 2003:

It does seem like Google can manipulate the numbers however they want. 
If you're not relying on it for income, though, that isn't all that
important; anything they decide to give you is gravy.

#17 of 17 by willcome on Thu Nov 27 07:49:56 2003:

"Searched the web for whore.   Results 1 - 10 of about 5,020,000."

Can't manipulate those numbers.

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