Entrecard Members Against SocialSpark Sponsor Ad
As you know I started Entrecard a week or so ago and I really like the traffic and the whole idea behind this program. I am learning about power dropping which is cool to rack up credits, but not so cool if you actually want to enjoy the blogs you visit and leave comments. I will soon start to favorite the blogs that I want to visit more than once after I figure out all the dos and do nots.
I actually used some credits today to sponsor some other sites and I’ll also figure out some of the programs that you can use those credits for. I can really see this program work, but I can see how it can be abused just like everything else and regardless of what goes on in the blogosphere everyone has their own ideas of what is right and wrong and no one should have the monopoly on how to make money using the net and that includes Google.
I just viewed some remarks from some Entrecard members concerning PPP or SocialSparks as it is now the offshoot new company under the wing of PayPerPost and many are not pleased with the sponsored ad bar that will be located at the bottom of the page. The program is in Alpha and a couple handful of special posties are testing it and trying to work out the bugs for everyone else.
I will probably never use that concept because I don’t like the idea of someone else taking over my blog that far, regardless of the price. I do however like writing paid post for that company because it is easy money for anyone trying to make a few extra bucks and I have no problem with anyone trying to make a few extra dollars unless the whole blog is simply geared for ads and they post the total amount of 3 ad reviews a day plus a few intermediate post in-between plus all the other pay to post site links.
As far as I’m concerned that is way to much in your face ads and regardless of how natural it may sound it just comes off as trying to make as much money as possible and that really is an easy thing to get caught up in especially if you need the money. I think I have written 2 in one day on this blog, but that actually results in 4 and that is alot of words to put forth for many and make it sound interesting.
I like when you have several different blogs and you can take 1 a day on several that would fit in instead of having good ones that will only fit one blog, but that doesn’t always happen. I like making money and I have made it without having a page rank even though I had a 3 on this blog before and even though there is no rank now it still leaks juice which was tested awhile back with a Google bomb.
I would personally rather go to a blog that has a paid review and the page will load fairly fast than to go to a blog that is only AdSense ads and full of widgets and graphics and flash and music and God knows what else that slows my browser down and makes everything freeze and I have to reboot and start all over again. I care not how someone else makes money just stop loading your blog up with everything that slows me down in my daily perusing.
I would appreciate any comments that let me know that my blog is slowing them down, that’s why I use as few graphics, videos, music, and widgets as possible. Don’t hesitate to let me know if something bothers you.
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March 30th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
the problem with the socialsparks is its in-your-face widgets that interferes with the entrecard widget. Benspark’s blog for example has SS on his blog and try as I may, I can’t drop on him. I guess this is why others don’t like it.
Most of us at EC knows how to make money online and we are just annoyed when other bloggers make some by annoying us with pop-up ads, pop-under ads and that horrific PayPerPlay ad
March 30th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hi Bendzg,
I also get very annoyed with all those pop and rolling in your face ads and I have to always keep my audio off because instant playing music and ppplay audio ads set me on edge.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:18 am
I almost turned that voice ads (pay per play) on.. til I realize how pissed my readers will be.. it’s just not worth it for a few cents
April 1st, 2008 at 1:28 am
And I thought I was the only one who hated the music - takes hours to load if like me you only half a mega nothing of broadband and it’s so damned intrusive!
April 1st, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I believe what you all saw was a Blog Sponsorshop bar. It’s optional. You can choose it or not.
April 1st, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I’m looking forward to SocialSparks and I have to say the bar on the bottom didn’t stop me from dropping any cards, but I was using IE. The bar on the bottom didn’t bother me and those that choose to use it I think is fine.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:23 am
Well, since my blog got called out in the comments and apparently in the overall forum thread I feel I must say something at least.
Jude - I like your rational approach to this issue. You have a well written, well thought out blog post here. Thank you.
Bendz - You left me a comment stating, “Dude, Social Spark is killing your blog.” Not exactly helpful in any way. If you had explained to me that you had a problem dropping your car on my blog then I could have rectified the situation.
You see, the social spark banner was not the issue. No, it loads pretty quickly. It added no load time to my blog other than you had to click close. If anyone was really at my blog to read my content and not just power drop then this should not have been an issue. It only happens the first time that you come to my blog.
The real issue was some code that I screwed up right above the EC widget. That is all. The social spark sponsorship banner was NOT the issue. There are plenty of Social Spark Testers who have the banner. I drop on them daily.
Since no one really contacted me about the issue but rather started a thread in the forum I am more than a little annoyed. I’m seeing posts about this everywhere too. And yet I have made a ton of changes to my blog to speed it up and while I no longer have the banner on my blog (sponsorship time ran out - You can set how long to sponsor your blog) I WILL be adding it back the next time there is a sponsorship I would like to have.
If anyone had an issue with my blog then they should have explained the issue to me directly.