Fortune Seeker Blog

I thought I was free of the disease, but it obviously got in my brain and clouded my thinking. I rambled on about how we were blogrush and power to the people stuff. I mean has my past finally caught up with me?

After four days, I came to my senses. Why on earth did I succumb to the BlogRash again?

Because it’s a very clever marketing virus and sometimes I’m not that smart, that’s why.

I mean who doesn’t want to be popular. Traffic is what we all crave, even Z-list bloggers like me. Personally, I don’ t want to think I’m blogging for an audience of one, even though that happens more than I care to admit. But, when the hype comes from someone you respect, you tend to overlook it. At least, I do. Is that a fault?

Like I said, I had four days to think on my Rash decision to put the widget back on my site. As I re-read my post and visited other disillusioned blogophyles that were rejected by the rashbot, the scales fell from my eyes.

You see, I started this site to help people that want to earn money online. (Pretty noble of me.) And part of that mission was to steer you away from the things that are not in your best interests. I’m sorry to say, but BlogRush is one of them.

I realize that what I have to say isn’t that important to the majority, but I was surprised to learn that I was not alone and that not all dissenters were Z-listers. And these real blogs shared my opinion that BlogRush hyped its way to the top and wasn’t worthy of our support.

So, after my re-evaluation I realized that everything I hated about this program was the same, except now there were graphs on a new dashboard.

But wait, they posted a cure, a way to delete my blogs from their system. I pressed the delete button and I am free at last.

I am sorry to say that I am removing John Reese from my favorites list also. I’m seeing him in a new light and it doesn’t flatter him.

For an excellent read on the whole hypefest known as blogrush, check out this article by Snoskred “The Echo Chamber Effect”

Look at this collection of blogs rejected by blogrush:

• SeoPedia: This site is loaded with content and worth a visit, but somehow doesn’t pass the mysterious BR Quality Review criteria.
• Techipedia: Tamar Weinberg, a brilliant young woman from New York, learned her awesome PR4 site was not worthy, probably because she saw through the hype from the start and never put the widget on her site.
• 134u.com: not enough posts?
• JohnCow: He was rejected and then got a personal letter from John Reese explaining that they had made a mistake. I noticed the widget was back on his site, and he paid homage to the IM gods with his lashing the naysayers.
• LocalSEOGuide: Check out the first comment. John Reese. Also check out the widget back on display. This site has excellent quality, but obvious mistakes (read: getting alot of internet exposure) like this one, get an immediate reply from Mr. Reese. A “case study in crisis management” is how the LocalSeo guide put it.
• Cindalou’s kitchen blues Another PR4 content rich site, I guess they don’t like recipes.
• Steve-Olson.com Yet another PR4 blogger with nothing to offer the blogrash community.
• WorldFamousPhotos.com

I’m sure there are a ton more, feel free to post them in the comments section below.

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Okay, the revised BlogRush is released and my micro-protest against BlogRush had the effect I expected and that was… Absolutely “ZERO”.

I’m still not convinced of the benefits (if any) to the small blogger, but I’m going to give John Reese the benefit of the doubt and give BlogRush 30 days to prove to me it has any value to me.

I’ve got my Google Analytics set up, Sitemeter logging visitors, and my own webhosting stats configured to compare my stats with theirs. We’ll see.

I still believe strongly that we (the blogosphere) are BlogRush and that without us it doesn’t exist. And that we as a group, have enormous clout if we want it.

But, alas, most people are too enamoured with the internet marketing gods to stand up and say, “Huh?” 

I think deep down they think if they defend the gods and support them in their pillaging, that they’ll be deemed worthy of some scrap from their table.

I and all my fellow FortuneSeekers will not bow down to the IM gods. We know they are mere men and women and that most of these “gods” have deluded themselves with their own hype and greed.

I’m not saying that John Reese is among those self-deluded, but he has definitely taken the position that BlogRush is his. A real mistake in my humble opinion.

This a 2.0 world we’re in. We want to be part of the community, not serfs and peons with no rights.

So, why the change of heart?

I got the email from the John Reese autoresponder and I stopped in for a visit.

I’m a sucker for graphs and statistics and the new dashboard has me drooling. Yeah, well, that was a little too graphic, but let’s just say I really wanted to see it in action.

So, I’m going to re-install the widget through November and report any increased traffic that can be specifically attributed to BlogRush and if it’s as insignificant as I imagine, I’ll do as John Reese suggests and remove the widget.

I hope you’ll follow along.