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Here is the code for hiding your Myspace comments, without any ads or images included in the code (as 99% of the sites out there will do).

Simply copy the code below and paste it anywhere in the “I’d Like To Meet” section of your profile.

There are of course ways to still view your comments, but for the average Myspace user, they won’t know how do that.

And don’t forget to check out how to hide your Myspace friends here.

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It was Fall 2001. And before the World of Warcraft, there was Everquest, at the time it was THE online game of choice.

I never really used the Everquest test servers, but I heard talk of a new feature coming out called an MPC, or Monster Player Character. “Project M” it was called. As I recall, this feature actually went live for a day or two. If you were one of the lucky few lucky enough to see this fun fiasco, you certainly remember it.

(more…)

I’ve discussed ways to overcome addiction to the World of Warcraft, but in that article I only briefly touched on the reasons why people become addicted. I will look into that further here.

Different people get addicted for different reasons, but there are some common causes that exist in the appeal of the game.

Because first-hand knowledge and experience are most valuable, I will begin by relating my own experience.

(more…)

I originally wrote this and posted it on my original Myspace account on March 20, 2007. And of course nothing has changed, so I re-posted it on my new account in May of 2008, and now I think it belongs here. So without further delay…

By not-so-popular demand. This is more out of necessity, after seeing endless moronic Myspace douche bags out there. So how do you know if you’re a Myspace douche bag? Well if you meet any of the criteria below, you seriously need help…

You might be a Myspace douche bag if…

You post a bio that requires scrolling the window to read it all. Are you SOO freaking important that we have to read everything you feel you must bestow upon us? Our lives are incomplete without knowing ALL of your thoughts, right?
Solution: Say it in a paragraph. If anyone is interested in more, they’ll ask.

You use “your” instead of “you’re.” Are you a damn idiot? That’s third grade shit and you still don’t know any better? I can almost excuse the teenagers who are at least still in school, but not the 40 year old douche! You’re yet another example of why humanity is dying a slow death. Don’t get pissed when other cultures laugh at us, because we (well, YOU) can’t even handle the basics of our own language.
Solution: If you don’t get it now, you never will. You’re an eternal douche bag. And an idiot.

All of your top friends are hotties of the opposite sex. You do realize that some people approve all friend requests, right? A guy with a bunch of hot chicks as his top friends really doesn’t impress anyone but you. It usually means you have no real friends to put there. When you buy a picture frame, do you keep the photo that comes with it, too? I’ve even heard stories of really feeble guys who create other profiles using some random hot woman’s picture, make the profile private, and then posts comments to his main page so it looks like he is really popular. Douchified!!
Solution: Get some actual friends in your top friends so people won’t think you’re a lame Myspace troll.

You list your religion as “Christian – other” and then post all these pics of you drinking, half naked, or with every other word in your bio being “fuck” or “shit.” You know you’re not really religious, so don’t be afraid to say so. Get a backbone, will ya? Looking to hook up with a nun or something?
Solution: Just leave it off and don’t try to fool us or yourself.

You’re a guy and you say you like walks on the beach. OK, even if you DO, that just sounds completely lame and you know you’re only saying it with the faint hope that some chick will fall for it.
Solution: Say what you really like so you don’t end up taking walks on the beach when you’d rather be at home playing video games or playing with yourself.

You change your profile picture every day (or several times a day in extreme douche cases.) Come on now! Are you that important? Do you think people notice? If they do, they’re probably thinking how utterly pathetic you are to keep doing that. It only shows that you have no life.
Solution: Bite the bullet and leave one pic up for a few weeks so it at least looks like you have a life.

You have a shirtless picture of yourself. Unless it’s you on the beach or at a pool, a pic of you flexing or shirtless in your bathroom or bedroom just oozes douche. If it’s a picture of you LIFTING your shirt to show your abs - that qualifies you as a 2X Douche!
No hint available here – you’re too far gone.

You list about 200 bands in your music section. Seriously. Do you honestly expect anyone to sit there and read that? Anyone who does sit there and read that is a bigger douche than you are. No one cares that much.
Solution: List a few from each style you like and we’ll get the idea.

You’re not a band, actor, DJ, or otherwise famous person, yet you have over 500 Myspace friends. Trust me – you’re the only one who is impressed here. Really - we’re not. You don’t have that many friends in real life, so don’t pretend you do. It just shows that you have nothing better to do with your day than to sit around and troll for people to accept your friend invitations.
Solution: Try having only real friends and maybe a couple of famous people you like. It might actually reveal the true, non-douched you.

OK so now go out there, edit your page, and empty the contents of your douche-ified self.

I’m done.

You can find this code in a lot of places, but a lot of sites stick in a link or graphic pointing to their lame website. And who wants that graffiti on their Myspace page anyway? This code doesn’t have any of that garbage in it.

Simply copy the code below and paste it anywhere in the “About Me” section of your profile. You should just see a thin blank line where the friends section usually is. Your comments will still show up.

There are of course ways to still view your friends and your top friends. But for the average Myspace user, they won’t know how do that.

If you are looking to hide your Myspace comments, look here.

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Every blogger eventually hits a wall and runs out of ideas. You know there are endless great postings inside you, but what do you have to offer that people might be interested in?Those are actually two questions.

What do you have to offer?
What do people want to read?

If you have something to offer, people will want to read it. No matter what the focus of your blog is, you should never limit your scope. Provided your posts are properly categorized, most readers won’t mind some tangents, and many will probably appreciate it. A few off-topic posts help enrich even the most focused blogs. If your readers are interested in what you have to say about one topic, most of them will want to read your thoughts on other topics as well.

Everyone has something to offer. My interests are wildly varied, which is exactly how my blog reads. There’s something for everyone on here, and that’s precisely what I want. I do have a central focus of personal improvement and awareness, but I never hesitate crossing over into wide tangents.

It wasn’t always so easy. When I blogged for a different site a couple years ago, I had numerous instances of writers block. “What do I write about today?” became my dreaded mantra.

One day I recalled the 1993 Michael Keaton movie My Life. It’s the tale of a man who discovers he’s dying not long before his son is born. Knowing he’ll miss out on his son’s life, he begins video taping himself giving his son advice about things he knows his son would ask at different stages in life. From how to shake hands to shaving to dribbling a basketball, he’s determined to share his unique wisdom.

No that wasn’t one of my wild tangents. This is actually a good way to approach your blog for ideas. What kinds of things would your child (or nephew, friend, grandchild, etc.) ask over the years? Think of the advice you’ve sought out. Think of the advice you’ve given. What are some areas you feel you have more experience than most people? Do you have a unique way of doing things? What do you have to offer?

Such introspections are what yielded some of my more personal and popular posts, such as Warcraft Addiction, Myspace Addiction, Signs You Live With A Meth User, How to Shave Your Head, If Your Zune Won’t Turn On, and 7 Steps to Debt Reduction.

Each of these posts came from personal experience. At some point I addressed these issues, I learned about them, and I dealt with them. I didn’t have to research these topics when writing these posts because I lived them. My experiences have allowed me to impart a unique perspective on these topics.

In the big picture, everything is related in some way. If your site is about gadgets, don’t you feel that your unique experiences in life can help to enrich these posts? Don’t be afraid to enhance your posts with personal anecdotes.

The blogosphere is being inundated with copy-cat articles, repostings, and relentless clutter. The best way to give your blog a unique voice is by injecting it with your own experiences and perspective.

Further reading
Visitor Grid Concept
Blog Ideas

Two years ago if someone had told me I’d ever write about this topic, I would have laughed in their face. I can almost understand the addictive nature of certain video games, such as I discussed in my article about overcoming addiction to the World of Warcraft. Certainly I understand the physiological nature of other addictions such as drugs, alcohol or even sex.

But Myspace?

There are obviously many reasons why people like Myspace, but just as many reasons why people don’t like it. It can be a place to keep your friends and family connected, or it can be a breeding ground for juvenile drama. And pretty much everything in between. What’s most odd about Myspace addiction is that it seems to manifest itself in many wildly different forms. I’ll take a look at a few prominent types.

Romance trolling addiction
Looking to meet that certain someone? Why pay $30 a month to some corporate dating site when you can go Myspace and meet people for free? A lot of people have turned to Myspace instead traditional dating websites. It’s free, and the largest social network out there (And yes I know - Facebook is closing the gap fast). If there’s a date to be found online, there’s no better place to look. The problem is, Myspace is beyond huge and not everyone on there is looking for a date. So it’s a lot of work. I’ve known guys to spend hours upon hours sifting through the hundreds of women that show up in the search results. They’ll go to each woman’s page, look at her pictures, read her profile, and contact the ones he feels are good prospects. Remember that not all of them are even interested in being contacted. So unlike a dating site, where at least the people on there have shown an interest in meeting people, you just never know with Myspace. And often a person is just being nice by responding to their correspondence, and not really interested. But that takes a while to figure out for a lot of people.

It can be a full time job.

So back to our guy trolling for women… Once a few ladies accept his friend requests, he’ll spend even more time attempting to forge some sort of friendship with them while still searching for more ladies to contact.

What’s the problem? First, there’s no guarantee that the woman you see in the pictures is the person you’re actually emailing or talking to. It’s not uncommon for a less attractive woman to “borrow” pictures from a random pretty girl’s page to increase her friend requests. It happens far more than you might think. Second, women are inundated by male friend requests and often give little attention to these guys. There are also concerns about the “creepiness” of meeting someone online. If a girl tells her friends she’s going on a date with a guy she met online, she’ll be pelted with warnings and stories of how every guy meeting women online is a rapist, murderer, or loser.

And the sad news is… if you’ve spent that much time on Myspace, you just might be a loser.

But you’re not alone. At least not online.

Profile Pimping Addiction
Some hardcore Myspace addicts spend countless hours “pimping” their page, which means constantly updating the look and layout of their page. They’ll search for hours for that “perfect” template to apply to their page, then more hours looking for that perfect song. Next, they’ll post a bulletin telling all their friends to see their new layout. Then they’ll focus on posting dozens of pictures, or filling out inane surveys. By the time they’ve done all that, it’s time to find a new look and start the cycle all over again.

The dating scenario above is typical of slightly older guys. This particular scenario leans towards the younger Myspace crowd. A teen’s Myspace page is an extension of their real life social status. They’re concerned with what everyone thinks of their clothes, hair, and of course Myspace page. Nothing gets a profile pimp off more than having someone take notice of their new look.

And a profile pimp will pretty much have a new look every week. Or even more often than that. At some point the desire to keep updating the look of the page becomes a sort of obsession.

Friend Pimps
Whereas a profile pimp is concerned with the appearance of the page, a friend pimp focus more on the sheer volume of friends he has online. Of course a Myspace “friend” isn’t necessarily a friend. Or someone you even know. I used to get friend requests, accept them, never heard from that person at all, and after a few months I’d delete them. I’ve seen individuals - who weren’t even famous - having thousand of Myspace friends.

Seems like they’re compensating for something.

Anyone can have thousands of Myspace friends. It’s hard to say why a Myspace Friend Pimp feels so compelled to add untold people to their friends list. It becomes obsessive because with millions of people online, there is practically no limit to the number of friends one can have. There will always be more prospective friends out there, so the friend pimping becomes a fulltime job.

Overcoming Myspace addiction
This requires the addict to address why they have become hooked in the first place. Social networks are nice because they allow otherwise shy people to reach out and make friends that they otherwise wouldn’t. For some, however, this becomes a crutch. They rely on Myspace or similar social sites to shield them from the issues that brought them there.

How ironic.

Social websites can actually lead some people to becoming less socially adept in the real world. The more “popular” they get online - whether from their profile pimping, volume of friends, or new prospective dates they meet online - the more involved they get with their page, and the less they get out in the real world and interact with others face to face.

It’s not unlike the shy guy who has a few drinks and suddenly has the courage to approach women. Liquid courage. So with Myspace, it’s a sort of Virtual Courage. The lack of direct communication with others allows for a sort of virtual social courage that the user otherwise lacks.

It’s not just how much time an addict spends on Myspace, but how much of their social life it becomes. Do they check Myspace first thing when they wake up in the morning and at night before bed? Do they talk about it when not at the computer? Does it seem that Myspace is the center of this person’s social life, rather than an extension of it?

It’s fine to occasionally change the look of your page, or look for friends or even dates online. It’s when this becomes an overwhelming force in your life that you need to step back and look in the mirror instead of the monitor.

The best way to wean yourself from Myspace is to take steps to deemphasize it. Limit your time on it, only check it once a day, reduce your profile to a bare and basic minimum, unsubscribe to blogs and email notifications.

You should bite the bullet also tell your friends what you’re trying to do. Instead of communicating via Myspace, get their phone numbers or other IM screen name and contact them that way. And don’t set your homepage to Myspace. Bad idea. Set it to something else interesting.

Also you should think about the time you spend on Myspace. Has that brought you any value to your life? Will any of it matter in the long run? What else could you be doing to improve your life and your relationships other than sitting on Myspace, posting bulletins and browsing other people’s pages?

It really can be a huge waste of time.

If you really feel that you want to stop but can’t, there is one sure fire way…

Delete your account and never look back. Don’t hesitate - just do it. Then call a friend and go do something.

I must preface this by telling you upfront that I have a boatload of tangents to go on. Bear with me and enjoy the ride…

I’ve always been interested in the Apple vs Microsoft saga. It’s interesting to see the usual tables turned when it comes to the portable music player market. Apple has roughly 70% of the market, against about 3% for the Zune. It’s not unlike the browser and OS wars, which Microsoft dominates at 70% and 90% repsectively.

I kind of owned a first generation Zune in late 2006. I say “kind of” because it was given to me, and then taken back. Indian givers! Very long story there. But nonetheless, I had it for a while and was familiar with the first generation model.

Let me start by saying that I’ve always been the kind of guy to not do what everyone else is doing. I even remember as a kid when Star Wars came out in 1977 (did I just age myself there?) and all my friends were going to see it over and over… to the point that I refused to see it. I got sick of hearing about it and decided I wouldn’t allow myself to like it.

I guess I just hate hopping on the bandwagon.

Like the iPod. But read on.

Not that I’ve always been right, but I always pull for the underdogs, especially in a bandwagon atmosphere. The irony is that sometimes the underdog is one of the most powerful companies in the world.

Circa 1994. The hype about the next generation of Windows was already mind-numbing. I thought I would puke if I saw one more article about what would be called Windows 95. Everyone was on the bandwagon. I was already a Windows user, but still - the avalanche of speculation was simply too much. As an avid PC user, I wouldn’t even consider switching to a Mac at that time (or forever, for that matter - mental note for a future blog entry).

Enter IBM.

They had been marketing OS/2 as a Windows alternative. At the time I think they were still more powerful than Microsoft, so surely they could hang in the OS wars. I thought. I picked it up the new version of OS/2 (called “Warp” apparently because it ran programs so fast) and I liked it. It wasn’t quite as good as Windows 95 (which wasn’t out yet), but it was different and fresh and did everything I wanted it to do. And it was better than the current version of Windows. It was easy to get on the OS/2 bandwagon because there was so much room on there. I championed it as best I could, and other OS/2 users were pretty zealous. Not only did I like the operating system, but I thought it would benefit the PC world to have some stiff competition for Windows.

As we all know, Windows 95 came out on August 24, 1995 and most people forgot about OS/2 Warp by the 25th. So what did I know.

14 years later, the tables have turned. This time I’m pulling for Microsoft… the underdog. If anyone is going to break the iPod monopoly, who else but the kings of monopolies to do it? If you’re still not sure, ask Netscape. If you can find them.

Speaking of Netscape and web browsers, I’m still pulling for the underdog there. I use Firefox. So really, between OS/2 and Firefox, I’ve gone against Microsoft twice. Just keeping the bandwagon score straight, mind you.

But then again I’m no fan of Apple, let me just say that up front. I don’t know if it was their proprietary hardware back in the day, or how the typical smug Mac user would spew his anti-PC propaganda. Maybe I just never liked calling my computer a “Mac.” I really don’t like that name. It sounds like the name of a dog or something. “Mac” - blah. Anyway, I used a Mac for several years and yes I did have some issues with it, but I understand why people like them. It wasn’t bad at all, don’t get me wrong. I do see the appeal. So I don’t look down on Apple users or proponents, at least until they start PC bashing. I just don’t want to be an Apple user, nor do I want to go out of my way to contribute to Apple’s success.

So in late 2006, Microsoft released their first generation Zune, most likely to the scoffs of all those smug Mac users from my past. Sure, it was inferior to the iPod, but I do recall showing it to several teenagers who owned iPods, who all said it was “tight.” I liked more about it than I didn’t like.

But yeah - it wasn’t quite ready for prime time. My biggest complaint was that it was just too big and, looking back, it did lack some key features. But that size - it was the mp3 player equivalent of one of those huge late 80’s cell phones.

So Microsoft dug into those deep pockets and put some money into the next release, the second generation Zune. It is a very worthy competitor to the iPod. It has an enhanced interface, large screen, wireless syncing, touch-sensitive pad, FM radio tuner, and all the bells you’d expect from a prime time media player.

If you’re already on the iPod bandwagon, chances are you aren’t going to jump off. If you’re looking for something new, don’t want to be the next yuppy iPod user, or are trying to decide between the two, I can highly recommend the second generation Zune.

There is the Zune Marketplace, which is a worthy competitor to iTunes. You can purchase tracks one at a time, or you can subscribe to a Zune Pass, which allows you unlimited downloads for $15 a month. A caveat is that if you cancel your subscription, you will lose those downloads. But hey you know you’ll download thousands of songs and listen to the hell out of them, so you know it’s worth it. And you won’t have the RIAA knocking at your door. It’s the cost of 1 CD per month for unlimited music. It’s a good deal. And surprisingly, you’ll often find hard to find tracks that are impossible to find on P2P services such as Limewire. And it’s legit. For example, I found a song by a band I saw back in LA in the 80’s called Hellion. In fact their entire album was available.

It remains to be seen if the Zune can actually make enough of a dent in the market to survive. I’m willing to take the risk. I don’t fall for “Don’t buy a Zune because nobody has one” or “They won’t last” because I don’t care. Nothing lasts forever. Remember when DOS was the main operating system? Remember going to a music store and having to choose between LP’s and cassettes? Remember record stores for that matter? Don’t be such a bandwagon jumper that you let someone else sway you.

If you’re an Apple or iPod zealot, don’t come to me crying about how biased I am. I AM biased, because I don’t like Apple, because I hate being on the bandwagon with everyone else, and because I actually LIKE the Zune. I freely admit my bias. There are plenty of iPod and Zune apologist sites, which this is not. I don’t care if Microsoft and Apple both go down in flames. In this particular battle, I choose Microsoft and gave some of the reasons why. It’s my opinion. You’ll live.

The world is full of lemmings, so don’t be one. Look around for once. Don’t just jump on the most crowded bandwagon. There’s still room over here on the Zune bandwagon.

For now.

If you’ve played one of the various online games such as World of Warcraft of Everquest, you have probably dealt with video game addicts first-hand. Maybe even you are addicted. This article will address video game addiction and some things to consider when trying to break free of it.

I have played, and been addicted to, both Everquest and World of Warcraft (referred to as EQ and WoW, respectively). In the latter case, the addiction lasted longer, and relapsed. In some respects, it’s a salute to the game maker, who has made a game so good that players find themselves practically unable to stop playing.

One immediate problem is that in gamer circles, a game’s addictiveness is considered a positive trait. Read some of the well known gamer forums and you’ll see rave reviews about how addictive games are to the reviewer. They actually use the term in a positive manner.

Hardcore gamers want a game they can’t put down.

In the case of World of Warcraft, there is no real end to the game. Even when your character hits level 70 (the current cap, which will be raised in the next expansion), there are always more things you can do to improve your character. There are trade skills, better armor, better weapons, reputations to increase, and gold to be made. Not to mention helping your other characters (called “alts”) level up as well.

You can’t finish the game because there is no end.

That’s why Everquest was so well named when it arrived in 1999… There is no final battle. There is no ultimate ending. It just goes on and on…

This is how gamers are so drawn in. Not only is there an immeasurable amount of things to do in the game, but also because there are millions of other players online, making it a social environment. Some people have virtually no social lives outside of these games. I know I certainly made a couple friends online, and there were people far more engrossed than I.

So not only does game play itself keep gamers coming back, but their social investments bring them back as well. There are guilds, which are groups of people who have meetings, plan in-game events, etc. Some members of these guilds literally plan their lives around guild events within the game.

Real life simply becomes a series of bridges between World of Warcraft sessions.

There have been horror stories of extreme addiction, such as the Korean parents who were both Warcraft addicts and whose daughter died due to neglect that stemmed directly from their addiction. Or the young man who died from playing for nearly 50 hours straight. In-game players have often bragged about how WoW ended marriages and relationships. Some players have also stated a preference to the World of Warcraft than the real world. I’ve seen “real life sucks” stated in the game by other players. More than once.

Again, having been an avid player myself, I recognize just how easy it is to get sucked in.

Getting hooked into games such as Warcraft is easy, because it’s very fun early on. The graphics and music are stunning. Building a character up through the early levels is quite easy. It takes only a couple minutes to get from level 1 to level 2. Progress slows considerably later on, and then when you hit level 70, it’s not a matter of leveling up any longer, but of making your level 70 more powerful. Progress gets slower and frustration begins to set in. Instead of looking forward to playing a fun game, it becomes a habit, almost to the point of dreading it. “Oh man I have to win 5 more battlegrounds today,” or “I dread having to go farm materials for tailoring today,”… yet they do it. The game becomes one long, never-ending checklist of things to do.

Things that have absolutely no meaning in the real world.

Sometimes a player will manage to step back enough to take a look at his behavior and realize how far they have gone. A few simple questions helped me see my problem more clearly.

• Who in the real world cares if you played 50 battlegrounds to get your Gladiator’s Helm?
• What could you with all that time you’re playing… to do something to improve your life?
• Has this game affected your life and relationships negatively? Is it worth it?
• Why are you playing this game so much? Am you trying to escape from something?
• Do you get irritable when you try to cut back?
• Do you think about the game while you’re doing other things?
• Do you “sneak” on the game, or conceal your playing in any way?
• Are you playing the game during times you should be doing something else?
• On the usual Tuesday WoW offline times, do you spend your free time reading about Warcraft and basically waiting for it to come back online?

Chances are if you’re reading this article, you’re wondering if you or someone you love is hooked. And if you got this far, you probably already know the answer.

Unlike drug addiction, or even gambling addiction, it does seem that many video game addicts eventually become burnt out and give it up. Not always. And it could take months or years, and oftentimes they simply switch to a new game and continue their addictive behavior. There are dozens of other online games similar to WoW.

From my experience, and from that of my friends who have also played Warcraft, the two best ways to stop are from burnout – and simply realizing that you are wasting valuable time in your life… and also cold turkey. Cold turkey is psychologically tough because you will have the urge to play for a few days. Once you realize how much more you are getting done during your newfound free time, and how many things there are for you to experience in the real world, you start to realize how worthless it is to immerse yourself so intensely into a video game.

Another idea is to give someone you trust your user name and password and have them log into your account. Then have them change the password and the email associated with the account so you can no longer log in. Have them cancel your account and swear not to give you the password in order to re-subscribe. I don’t suggest using the parental control area to limit playing. The only way to break the addiction is to be completely away from the game.

Fortunately, breaking the spell of Warcraft is “only” psychological. You don’t have to physically detox, so going cold turkey will not kill you. It might make you irritable. Like problem gambling, video game addiction is a problem with impulse control. The causes of this impulse control is something you’ll have to address at some point.

After a few days without Warcraft, the real world comes into much sharper focus. You’ll feel an intense sense of relief, and you’ll find many more things to fill your time. Relationships will improve, chores will get done, and you’ll get more sleep. You can start working on a checklist of things to do to improve your real life, instead of the character you played in WoW.

You have to make the decision to do it. Don’t cheat and “hop on for a few minutes.” If you feel you are addicted, you must act immediately and fully. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones. If you feel that breaking the addiction is beyond your control, you may have to seek professional help. And you should never be embarrassed to do so. Do what you can break free of the addiction before the addiction breaks you.

Video game addiction is something you can and will overcome. It will also give you more appreciation of the World of Real Life, which is full of beauty and excitement that no video game can replace.

For further reading, see my post about the reasons people become addicted to the World of Warcraft.

Before I even get started, allow me to say upfront that I’m not trying to sell you anything. I won’t ramble on and on about some huge “secret” to making money online, only to let you know you can purchase this secret in some cheesy ebook like so many others do.

I will tell you what you need to know, but be prepared that it might not be want you want to hear. 

It’s not easy and you will probably fail.

“Making money online” sounds like your generic web bait, aimed at every working stiff who thinks they can make billions by simply registering a domain name. I’ve been involved in web development and design since 1994, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people approach me with their million dollar ideas. Some people even had flow sheets, projected traffic reports – the whole nine yards. The excitement in their faces was brimming, yet fleeting. 

I have yet to see one of them succeed.

So the first thing you need to know when it comes to making money online is that you will probably fail at first. And all of your projections will most likely fall way short. It’s how you deal with that failure, what adjustments you make, and how much you persevere that will make a difference. Most people realize they’re failing and bail out at the first signs of trouble.

So with that in mind, let’s look at the issue a little closer. 

The first thing you need to do is have an idea of what you want to do. 

Let me stop here and say a word or two about Ebay, which seems to be the first choice of many people looking to make the jump. A lot of people continue to jump on the Ebay bandwagon. I suppose there is still money to be made there, though Ebay keeps raising its fees, and there are millions of people already out there doing it. My only suggestion for running a successful Ebay business is to try to find a niche. I knew a guy who made pretty good money selling beer taps on there, because that’s not something readily available to everyone. I’ve known other people who just post insane volumes of crap and make their money that way. That works too, but let me tell you, that’s a huge time investment. Not only do you have to find stuff you can sell for more than you purchase it for, but you have to photograph, upload, and describe each item. And many, if not most, of your items won’t sell at all. You’ll lose your listing fee and have to repost it again. With some items you’ll just have to bite the bullet and take a loss. But chances are if you’re even reading this paragraph and are considering an Ebay run, you’ve already made up your mind. So I can’t convince you anyway. Go ahead and try it. You might be the one person in 1000 that does well with it. And one final thought on Ebay… the people making the most money from Ebay are the ones selling the how-to books. That should be a red-flag right there. I’m no expert, though I have had an Ebay account since 1997. 

Aside from the auction world, making money for most people online comes down to one word: traffic. There is absolutely no way in the world you will make money without people going to your site, and in most cases you need a LOT of people going there. 

Whether it’s a site selling crankshafts or a full time blog, the only way you’ll make money is driving people to your site. 

There are many ways to generate traffic, and the more time you’re willing to put in, the better results you’ll have. Obviously you want to rank high on search engine results page. If someone goes to Google and searches for something you’re trying to sell, you really want to be as high as you can in those search results.

Read up on how Google ranks pages.

Make sure your site actually mentions the phrases you want to appear in search results, a couple of times would be even better. Learn how to include meta tags on your home page as well.

Other ways to gain traffic is to frequent other sites and blogs related to your own. Get involved in the discussion and casually mention your site when appropriate. That does not mean spamming your url in ever comment. A few other ways to increase traffic are:

• Create hyperlinks within your text, and not just to pages on your own site.
• Make sure your grammar is above par. This instantly adds credibility.
• Use a pay-per click program to advertise your site based on keywords or phrases. Google’s Adwords is the best example.
• Ask friends with websites, or even Myspace pages to link to you.
• If you are selling something, keep listings on Craigslist or Ebay.
• List your site or blog in appropriate directories.
• Include your url as a signature at the bottom of all emails.

Most of all, create enough content to keep people coming back for more. Look at the competition and be creative. You need to stand out in the crowd, especially if you’re getting into a crowded field.

So creating traffic is technically only half the battle, but it’s the most important half. Nothing else matters if you have no one visiting your website. I was once involved in the creation of a pretty high-end sports website. Technically it was brilliant and graphically it was beautiful. Problem is… we had no traffic. All of that work meant nothing without visitors.

On the flipside, I was also involved in another sports website was very plain and visually sub-par. Even though there were thousands of other sites with the same material, we had the traffic to beat them all. We had a great url and thousands of links back to us. This of course was a business, so we did spend money advertising it online and in direct mail. We also had been around for 10 years, which accounts for something: longevity and perseverance.

Once you garner traffic, you must then convert that traffic to cash, and there are five primary ways to do this.

1. Google Adwords. This is a service in which ads are placed on your site by Google, and whenever a visitor clicks the ad, you get paid.

2. Direct advertising. If you start generating traffic, you will most likely get inquiries from companies wishing to advertise. A banner at the top of the page for example, might be worth $100 a month to you. Or $500.

3. Affiliate sales. Set up an affiliate account at Amazon or Barnes and Noble and be sure to link to products whenever appropriate in your text. You will receive a piece of each sale.

4. Donations. You don’t have to beg for it, but there are people out there who might deeply appreciate your site and wish to help keep it going with a little donation.

5. Your product sales. If you are in business to sell something, obviously this will most likely make up the bulk of your online income. If you’re simply blogging, you may not have any products at all to sell.

You can have all of those streams of income working at the same time… in fact that is recommended. The amount of traffic you generate will directly affect the amount of sales you produce.

Making money online is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It will take time to see results, and many people are weeded out simply by not sticking with it. If you believe in what you are doing, and are willing to put the time and effort into it, you will almost certainly make money online.

Maybe not a fortune… but something.