Comments on: Lost Ball Roller Coaster – The Struggle Continues to Make Money Online http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/ A Blogger's Struggle With Online Success Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:31:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Splork http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-54006 Splork Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:08:20 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-54006 Hey Tracey. Thanks for reading. If you can figure out a cool way to make some bank without wasting away at the keyboard then I'm all ears. I remember a time when I liked all the geeky stuff about this. But I realized the fun geeky stuff didn't pay. What pays is the boring crap like writing articles and getting back links. But I do know what you mean about the little things. Figuring out a piece of software or tweaking some code is rather satisfying. Hey Tracey. Thanks for reading. If you can figure out a cool way to make some bank without wasting away at the keyboard then I’m all ears.
I remember a time when I liked all the geeky stuff about this. But I realized the fun geeky stuff didn’t pay. What pays is the boring crap like writing articles and getting back links. But I do know what you mean about the little things. Figuring out a piece of software or tweaking some code is rather satisfying.

]]> By: Tracey http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53991 Tracey Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:14:09 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53991 Pretty much ditto for what most of the other commenters said. I like reading your blog a great deal. I feel the same way about a lot of what you are saying. Us other 'lost balls' actually find inspiration in your honesty--it helps me keep this whole thing in a realistic perspective. Just two things. Can everyone here honestly say they hate all of the IM work? I agree, a lot of it is drudge and I'm only making a couple a hundred a month so far so I've got quite a bit more drudge to go before I start making real dough. But of this drudge, I sometimes get some geek enjoyment because I figured out how to tweak the something in the php code or found a quicker way to bookmark. I think most people in IM have some geek in them (otherwise they would look at some other business after two months) and there are some tiny satisfactions to be had on many days. I have no desire permanently keep these long computer hours, but the little things help keep me going at least. The other thing is I HAVE to believe there is a place between this "drudge" level and super guberu. A place where it is not a 12 hour work day every day, you're outsourcing a good deal of work, and you can quietly making your 6 or seven figures without hawking "making a million" products. If there's not, shoot me now, but I'm thinking there is. If you keep writing, I'll keep reading. I hope you keep writing. Reader Number 11 Pretty much ditto for what most of the other commenters said. I like reading your blog a great deal. I feel the same way about a lot of what you are saying. Us other ‘lost balls’ actually find inspiration in your honesty–it helps me keep this whole thing in a realistic perspective.

Just two things. Can everyone here honestly say they hate all of the IM work? I agree, a lot of it is drudge and I’m only making a couple a hundred a month so far so I’ve got quite a bit more drudge to go before I start making real dough. But of this drudge, I sometimes get some geek enjoyment because I figured out how to tweak the something in the php code or found a quicker way to bookmark. I think most people in IM have some geek in them (otherwise they would look at some other business after two months) and there are some tiny satisfactions to be had on many days. I have no desire permanently keep these long computer hours, but the little things help keep me going at least.

The other thing is I HAVE to believe there is a place between this “drudge” level and super guberu. A place where it is not a 12 hour work day every day, you’re outsourcing a good deal of work, and you can quietly making your 6 or seven figures without hawking “making a million” products. If there’s not, shoot me now, but I’m thinking there is.

If you keep writing, I’ll keep reading. I hope you keep writing.

Reader Number 11

]]> By: Splork Fan http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53557 Splork Fan Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:24:03 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53557 Hey Splork, I always plop in to check your blog now and again because of your refreshing honesty, which is so rare in today's IM world. Don't say it sucks, because it doesn't to me. You're both funny, witty, and articulate, but the best part is you tell it like it is, and that resonates with many true experiences of others. I have literally damaged my health in so many ways doing this shit, and trying to recover my health and sanity reminds me of the madness I used to be submerged in. A better paying job, and seeing real chicks face to face...and time with family...etc, is one of the advantages of a real job. I don't mean IM here. Hey Splork,

I always plop in to check your blog now and again because of your refreshing honesty, which is so rare in today’s IM world.

Don’t say it sucks, because it doesn’t to me. You’re both funny, witty, and articulate, but the best part is you tell it like it is, and that resonates with many true experiences of others.

I have literally damaged my health in so many ways doing this shit, and trying to recover my health and sanity reminds me of the madness I used to be submerged in.

A better paying job, and seeing real chicks face to face…and time with family…etc, is one of the advantages of a real job. I don’t mean IM here.

]]> By: Martin http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53421 Martin Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:17:15 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53421 Splork, why don't you take all this energy you have and channel it into just one authority site? I know there is a line of thinking that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, but if you build a good HUGE purely whitehat site, I don't see how you can go wrong. What if over the next few years you stop buying software and new IM thingies, and just single-mindedly focus on that one site? The way I figure it is you can always sell a good authority site later if it fails to pull in big dough, even if it's only a "medium" player. Splork, why don’t you take all this energy you have and channel it into just one authority site? I know there is a line of thinking that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, but if you build a good HUGE purely whitehat site, I don’t see how you can go wrong.

What if over the next few years you stop buying software and new IM thingies, and just single-mindedly focus on that one site?

The way I figure it is you can always sell a good authority site later if it fails to pull in big dough, even if it’s only a “medium” player.

]]> By: Dan http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53103 Dan Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:33:50 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53103 I appreciate your blog, Splork! You tell it like it is instead of censoring your writing to make IM sound like this perfect, easy, fast thing - which we all know it isn't! Like you I like my life outside of IM a lot more than life inside of IM. I'm more interested in what IM can do for me - namely, giving me income when my work as a jazz performer is slow. Instead of having to scramble for some work behind a desk for six months out of the year I sit at my OWN desk and do IM, which to me is still better than working for "da man." But truth be told, if I could make income 12 months of the year through my music, I'd throw my laptop in the river, too. Dan I appreciate your blog, Splork! You tell it like it is instead of censoring your writing to make IM sound like this perfect, easy, fast thing – which we all know it isn’t!

Like you I like my life outside of IM a lot more than life inside of IM. I’m more interested in what IM can do for me – namely, giving me income when my work as a jazz performer is slow. Instead of having to scramble for some work behind a desk for six months out of the year I sit at my OWN desk and do IM, which to me is still better than working for “da man.”

But truth be told, if I could make income 12 months of the year through my music, I’d throw my laptop in the river, too.

Dan

]]> By: Emiel http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53092 Emiel Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:40:04 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53092 Hey Splork, Great article, because I can relate to many things you mentioned. For me too it isn't working out for me the way I would like it to be. I have the feeling that there is something missing only I just can't put my finger on it. It is becoming a drag, just like you said. I like the money, but I actually don't like the things I do. It feels like this is not what it's "supposed" to be like. Anyway, great article, keep on the good work and count me in as reader #12 ;) Emiel Hey Splork,

Great article, because I can relate to many things you mentioned. For me too it isn’t working out for me the way I would like it to be. I have the feeling that there is something missing only I just can’t put my finger on it.

It is becoming a drag, just like you said. I like the money, but I actually don’t like the things I do. It feels like this is not what it’s “supposed” to be like. Anyway, great article, keep on the good work and count me in as reader #12 ;)

Emiel

]]> By: Splork http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53034 Splork Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:37:10 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53034 Thanks for reading Zania. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad you recognize how hard this is and how much it takes to juggle this mess and your family. It sounds like you don't let it get too far out of hand and have some quality time with the family. That's all we can do. Thanks for reading Zania. Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you recognize how hard this is and how much it takes to juggle this mess and your family. It sounds like you don’t let it get too far out of hand and have some quality time with the family. That’s all we can do.

]]> By: zania http://lostballinhighweeds.com/lost-ball-roller-coaster-the-struggle-continues-to-make-money-online/comment-page-1/#comment-53029 zania Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:49:43 +0000 http://lostballinhighweeds.com/?p=334#comment-53029 Hi Splork, as one of your 11 regular readers I love your blog. You say: "I’m pretty sure there is nothing about this blog that will inspire. I think my negativity and transparency destroys that notion. This is life in a real IM world. There is nothing pretty about it." And that's exactly how it is. I do work at IM full time and most days I spend around 12-16 hours at and it sucks. I am tired most of the time through lack of sleep, as I have my kids to care for and they need my time more than this wretched IM business. Yes, I make a living at it (mainly adult though) and I'm the main wage earner in our family, but doing the work still sucks most of the time. If I am to spend time with my kids, I have to take time out and I worry that the cheques will stop coming in, but if I don't stand back now and again, my kids and me (not to mention my poor long suffering husband) are missing out on so much. So I like your blog because it is one of the very few that tells it like it really is. How much money do I really need from this? Enough to pay the bills and for my family to live reasonably well without us worrying about where the next buck is coming from. And that's the only reason I keep grinding away at it. Hi Splork,
as one of your 11 regular readers I love your blog.
You say:
“I’m pretty sure there is nothing about this blog that will inspire. I think my negativity and transparency destroys that notion. This is life in a real IM world. There is nothing pretty about it.”
And that’s exactly how it is.

I do work at IM full time and most days I spend around 12-16 hours at and it sucks. I am tired most of the time through lack of sleep, as I have my kids to care for and they need my time more than this wretched IM business.

Yes, I make a living at it (mainly adult though) and I’m the main wage earner in our family, but doing the work still sucks most of the time. If I am to spend time with my kids, I have to take time out and I worry that the cheques will stop coming in, but if I don’t stand back now and again, my kids and me (not to mention my poor long suffering husband) are missing out on so much.

So I like your blog because it is one of the very few that tells it like it really is.

How much money do I really need from this? Enough to pay the bills and for my family to live reasonably well without us worrying about where the next buck is coming from. And that’s the only reason I keep grinding away at it.

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