Posted by Raul on March 9, 2010
Reading several blogs I noticed the amount of publicity the blogger have in every page. It seems like a good way to make some money out of the time spent bloggin, but I wonder, is it really worth?
As you might have noticed I don’t have any publicity in my blog and the reason is simply I don’t have a clue about how it is done and, more important, if it really makes any money at all.
In a job I had several years ago there was a guy who needed more money so he had three full time and one part time jobs; needless to say he didn’t perform in any of those since he had to spend time sleeping in each one of them, and the rest of the time he was too tired to really do something. I thought if he needed more money he should have a job that pays more per hour than more jobs at the same pay rate.
With ads in blogs I heard you get paid cents every time someone clicks in one of the ads in your pages, so it seems that having a hundred thousand places where people click in ads, at cents the click, the money collected should be good (Google’s business), but for the one with one blog it’ll be no business at all (bloggers).
For the blogger it could be a good deal only if he/she has thousands of visitors a day so even a small percentage of them clicking those ads will still generate some money, but the amount of blogs out there, in relation to the amount of people reading them, considering the amount of time that people spend reading and clicking doesn’t seem to give a good number.
Seen in a different way; if there were only ten blogs in the net for all the people who read, comment and click ads it probably would be an amazing deal, but for the amount of blogs that really are…
Professional bloggers with a big number of followers probably makes good money with ads (I think) but that would be a small “elite” of people while the big majority would be just making Google’s business.
It is my opinion that if no real money is to be made with ads, then why annoy readers with them when they take the time to visit and read a blog, and as I mention before, since I don’t have ads in my blog, I don’t know how much money is generated (in reality, not what Google say)
So, for those of you who have ads in your blogs, let me ask you: Is it worth? How much money do you make in reality? Is it worth the time spent putting ads, having a specific theme that allows ads, etc? Let me know the truth.
Raul
Posted by Raul on March 5, 2010
If I want to tell you about something that happened to me, I have to take the image from my head and divide it in little pieces that can be represented by words, then send (tell) those words in order so you can put them also in order in your brain and recreate the picture I am trying to send.
If the pieces I’m sending you in the way of words are not correct you will get a different image in your brain, compared with what I have in mine.
So I have to choose carefully the words that best represent the bits I want to send, and also have to be very careful in the order I’m sending them to you.
This applies to talking and writing.
How inefficient!
First stage of communications: Sounds and signals – Allows for general, vague ideas to be communicated. Animal language? Cave men?
Second stage of communications: Written and verbal language – Allows for a very complete expression of ideas but requires a good knowledge of the language from both parts to avoid confusion and/or misunderstandings. Linear way of communication…sloooow!
Third stage of communications: Telepathy – Not only a very complete expression of ideas, but also the possibility of including elements like smells and physical feelings. Multi-dimensional or net type way of communication. Cool! When can we get started?
So the next step in evolution should be the capability for telepathy, don’t you think?
Can you imagine how easy would be to go to school? The teacher sends the images in blocks to our minds and we “get the whole picture” at once.
In history class we could have the opportunity to “live” the moment with sounds, smells, physical feelings of the participants, etc. It’ll be the ultimate way of passing on knowledge: Living it!
Could that means a new concept of eternal life? The experiences of someone: memories, knowledge, feelings, fears and excitements, all could be passed on to the next person and that new one could be continuing from where the previous person left.
Like a unified mind for the entire race!
(I’m not drunk, OK?!)
The knowledge accumulated in entire groups of textbooks could be acquired in just minutes! A four years college program could be completed in days! And the many years experience of professionals in their fields could be passed on to new generations in just a couple of days! Then the new professionals could take over quickly and keep advancing the knowledge wealth of the human race at lightning speed!
It seems so amazing it becomes scary isn’t it?
I wish our brains could grow as fast as our bellies do!
Raul
Posted by Raul on March 3, 2010
Based on the previous post “Living in the Now” here is another element related to the same concept.
Linear Living.
When expressing our thoughts we have to use a linear way of communication (talking); we have to take apart the idea, the image, the concept, so we can describe it using words to represent the bits that, after sending the group of words that describe the idea, the person listening can put together all those words in order in his mind and recreate the image we are trying to send.
Bit by bit, one by one, all in order, one at the time.
If we use the same way and procedure to deal with elements in life, if we take those elements one by one and one at the time, we can keep an organized and easy to deal with life.
The problem is that we live in a multi-dimensional environment; not only we have three planes to deal with but also the plane of time is always present, so that means four dimensions to deal with at any given moment.
Based on this, when interacting with life and the activities that life implies we have no option but to always deal with several elements at once. Is just the way it is!
Like in the previous post I mentioned we need to keep in mind the past and the future when interacting with the present so we don’t repeat the same mistakes and we re-create the good elements, the accomplishments, and also keep in mind the future, so we have a destination for our actions and are ready to re-direct our action depending on the encountered circumstances; the same applies to the number of elements to consider when performing an action.
Take for instance when you are balancing your checking account: you have to keep in mind past payment sent to know the real amount of money available, you have to keep in mind future expenses so to avoid spending now in something that will leave you without money for those future payments, etc.
Several elements at the same time; parallel thoughts, perhaps even net thinking…not linear!
So when performing our everyday tasks we have to keep in mind several elements at the same time as a way to efficiently deal with the process of accomplishing those tasks and keep moving forward while we live the present.
Sounds complicated?
It might seem sometimes like being a “One Man Band”, yet that’s what we are, if we want to make our life sound like a beautiful melody!
At the other hand, denying the fact and persisting in play just one instrument at the time may lead to a poor sound and with it, a not so nice life.
It is like the difference between those who control several elements at the same time in a business and are successful and those that insist in simplifying their lives and just want to concentrate in one activity only…no success!
Obviously sometimes you have to divide tasks to take one at the time and move to the next after finishing the previous, but in that situation you are still dealing with several elements at the same time, just tackling them one by one to keep things organized.
Also, when trying to lead a linear life, we are not prepared to receive many elements coming to us all at once and that leads to a life where we can get easily stressed by those coming elements.
While at the other hand, getting used to deal with many elements at once, when situations get complicated we are prepared to face the challenges ahead.
So, living in a linear way might seems appealing because of its simplicity, but in order to prevent an easy to get stressed life and, by the opposite, be able to confront whatever life might have in store for us, we have no option but to learn to become multi-tasking people.
Raul
Posted by Raul on March 2, 2010
It is said that we should look and live the present instead of looking to the past or living too worried about the future; that we should give the most and get all we can from today, living the now.
I agree at some extent but also I think we should keep in mind the past and the future at the same time that we live in the present.
When walking you have to keep your eyes open and look forward to avoid tripping and falling, and also have to keep in mind where you come from so to maintain a sense of direction to where are you going.
The same thing is with life; if you leave the past behind completely in the attempt of fully enjoying the present you could loose the sense of direction and make the same mistakes again; you have learnt nothing from previous experiences.
Also, without looking to the future and where you are going it’ll be really easy to get somewhere that is not the place intended to arrive to.
An example that I see pretty often among friends: Living intensely the present and enjoying that latest movie or that fancy restaurant can lead to not having the money for car maintenance and later lead to car failure that, in turn, leads to tears and unnecessary complications.
They get a newer car that runs and looks great, but after just two or three years they are back to the same situation where they urgently need another, newer car, that would be as reliable as they need; yet they can recommend movies and restaurants on the spot!
I know it seems obvious what I’m saying, but if you read the gurus advice about living a fulfilling life you’ll see they simplify too much the concepts and with it, they might lead someone to a sort of irresponsible way of living.
Is my personal opinion that in everything in life we have to deal with several elements at once if we want to get the most of everything we get into; and that means that we have to give importance to the present to fully enjoy it but keeping in mind our past, so to avoid mistakes and keep a sense of direction, and also we have to maintain a vision of the future we want to get to, so to keep the right direction in which we are heading, at the same time that we are ready to change direction according to the situations we might and will encounter.
It just doesn’t make any sense to leave the past behind and don’t worry about the future, especially when you see people that keep falling into the same pits and repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
Sometimes the experts about teaching how to lead a fulfilling life might tend to simplify too much, probably in the attempt to create an easy to grasp message, but when simplifying too much we might end up finding life too complicated to deal with.
At the other hand, if we consider the complications of dealing everyday with many elements at once as a normal way of life we will be ready for many things that might come our way without becoming overwhelmed with the natural occurrences that are part of everyday life.
Raul
Posted by Raul on February 26, 2010
Blogging could be like the place where we live.
For a new blogger with few visitors and comments it might feel like living in the country; it could be a solitary work with lots of space around and living a slow paced life.
Sometimes someone comes around and ask questions so the blogger feels happy with the visitor and try to be nice and friendly; there could be some chatting and it’ll be a subject of conversation with friends and family.
At the time of checking emails, comments or visitor numbers you can hear the gently sound of crickets in the distance and contemplating the stars for a while before going to bed is a must.
Perhaps the dream of moving to the big city will show up once more and the blogger will spend some time wondering what it would feel like to be there.
For a seasoned blogger with lots of traffic and followers (I believe) it could be like living in the city with a fast paced life.
When you visit them and see the number of comments and enter to make your own you can hear the talking, the laughter and the sound of glasses all mixed up with the music in the background; it’s like going to a party!
I imagine the blogger is like the host of the party, dealing with a thousand little details one after another, making sure everyone feels at home and happy to be there.
Checking emails and comments must be like dealing with parking for all the visitors, trying to find room for everyone, coordinating the space available, while the sounds of engines revving can be heard above the voices and the chatting.
For the new blogger going to one of these seasoned blogger’s party could feel intimidating; after all somehow it is the dream to be the host one day, yet being able to deal with all the little details with such grace and efficiency while holding a smile for everyone seems to be a giant task.
So the process of moving from the country to the city has to be a slow and planned one, with a basic learning at first and then a plunge into the perpetual movement and light that is the city.
So I wonder…
Are there seasoned bloggers with lots of traffic and followers that dream of retirement in a quiet place in the country where they can slow down and enjoy the writing and the occasional chatting with friends and sporadic visitors?
Just a crazy thought!
Raul
