This week, another SPLOG popped up that included stolen copyrighted content from one of my other blogs. This time, I was pretty annoyed. Normally, when I discover that a splog has stolen content from one of my sites, I’ll request they remove the content with a CC to their host. I don’t really go after them in the pocketbook because most of these sites are clearly from people who don’t know any better. Their contact info is easily accessable, revealing that they are not trying to hide from anyone.

This guy not only had Google AdSense ads all over the site, but also Kontera’s In-Text links.

You’d Think Both Google and Kontera Would Screen Their Publishers!

As the thief had clearly hidden their identity both on the site, and through their registrar, I decided this one was worth nailing; he was clearly hiding from people like me and he needs to be busted! In addition to contacting his host, DreamHost, to let them know, I also emailed both Google and Kontera to inform them of of the violations to their respective TOS and demonstrated how and where this guy was stealing my content. Some people create SPLOGS without knowing that they are doing wrong. This guy clearly knew it and took all the proper steps to make sure no one could find him . . .

Now, I’m waiting to see who takes care of this thief:

1. His host, DreamHost
2. Google (AdSense)
3. Kontera

Who do you think will nail this Jerk first?

I found an article through Kevin at BloggingTips about how to support your favorite bloggers. This article covered quite a few great points and I thought I’d go into 2 of them with some more detail.

Both of the steps I mention can really make a difference for your favorite sites, and spreading the word about them can make a difference for you as well!

The 2 Best Ways to Support Your Favorite Websites

1. Socialize the Blog or Site
   If you find a site, blog, article, etc. that you find interesting or helpful, one of the best ways to support it is to “socialize” it. Of course, the original form of socialization is word of mouth, but email works great too! Let your friends and family know about the site and tell them to let their friends and family know about it. Many of the most popular websites have all grown on word of mouth campaigns.

   In addition, by submitting it to different social networking and social bookmarking sites, you increase the exposure opportunities for that site. Sites like Netscape, Digg, Reddit, Del.icio.us, Ma.gnolia, MyBlogLog, MySpace, Facebook, etc. are all wonderful tools for sharing the love. I make it a habit of social bookmarking or Digging any article or site that I think is a great one, because I hope that someone will do the same for me. If we can spread the idea of helping one another out by doing this, I think we’d see lots of great, semi-unknown, sites climb to prominence. There are tons of these sites around, but people don’t realize how easy it is to do their part to help those sites out.

   If you like a site, an article, a blog, etc., then Bookmark It! It is that easy!

2. Visit the Site’s Advertisers
   These days, most websites have some sort of advertising. Many webmasters (like myself) support their work online soley through that advertising. While we all become semi-blind to ads these days, it is extremly important that we do our part to help our fellow webmasters by visiting the advertising on their sites. Imagine if even a small percentage of your users happened to visit the ads on your site (provided they are some kind of PPC ads)? Be careful not to overdo it, though. Clicking too often on a site’s ads can constitute click fraud, something you don’t want to do.

   Even visiting ads that may not be PPC is helpful to websites. Advertisers always look at the amount of traffic they get from a site when considering whether or not they will extend their campaigns. If you do your part by visiting these ads, you help the sites to retain advertisers and increase revenue. You also help the advertiser by finding their site . . . the more eyeballs, the better!

   Remember not to just click on any and all ads. Visit those that look interesting to you.

   Like with socializing, if we can build this mentality around the ‘net where people support one another’s advertisers, I think a lot of people would be a lot happier. The advertisers would get increased exposure (which is what they are paying for) and you’d be supporting the owners of your favorite sites, blogs, etc. If only 25% of a site’s visitors supported its advertisers, I’m sure the resulting increases would be beyond remarkable!

   If you like a site, an article, a blog, etc., then visit its advertisers! It is that easy!

By following these two simple and EXTREMELY helpful tips, you too can support your fellow bloggers and favorite sites, and hopefully they will do the same for you!

Please bookmark this site and help spread the mentality! (click the Share This link below)

You can apply one of only two models when it comes to dealing with online advertisers.

1. Establish a high set of standards and eliminate anyone who does not fall in that set.
2. Keep your standards lax and let pretty much anyone advertise with you.

MODEL 1: Keep High Standards
Those people who use the first set of guidelines usually do so because they want to be perceived as a site that people can trust. If you are someone who uses these guidelines to deal with potential advertisers, this may create a moral dilemma at times. When you operate a website that becomes successful, more and more people will want to advertise with you. The problem is that people want to throw money at you, and if you have standards, you will have to reject more people then you accept. That can potentially be a LOT of money!

Over the past month, I’ve personally rejected hundreds of dollars in potential ad revenues through various ad networks I participate in and from direct ad sales. I don’t know about you, but that creates a real quandry:

Do I take the money (we all really love money!) offered by advertisers, or do I uphold my standards and not let just anyone advertise?

MODEL 2: Allow Anyone to Advertise on Site
By allowing just anyone to advertise, your site can quickly become a marketplace for schlock. At first you will definitely make your money, but I think there are long term implications for doing so. Larger, more reputable advertisers will not want to be represented on a site overloaded with non-targeted garbage sites. The longer you allow these advertisers on your site, the more you dilute your perceived quality and eventually the actual quality of your site.

High standards are what made Starbucks, WalMart, McDonalds, etc. into the successful companies they are today.

What do you think?

I’ve been using Text Link Ads (aff.) for some time now, and I have to say that I’ve been extremely happy with the service. I do have some suggestions, though.

As it stands, publishers can choose to approve individual advertisers on their site through the network. The problem I have is that there is no time horizon for which these ads will run on your site. Essentially, your advertisers have a permanent place on your website.

Text Link Ads Needs to Change!

No rational publisher would sign an indefinite contract with an advertiser. It just makes no sense!

The Text Link Ads platform needs to allow publishers to have an out. If an advertiser is no longer welcome on a site, publishers should be able to log in to their account and terminate the agreement. The relationship should not stop immediately, but should continue until the end of the billing cycle or 30 days, whichever is longer.

I realize that I am just a lone blogger making this suggestion, but I believe that it is in the long term interest of the company to do something about this issue. I guess I just wanted to put it out there and get some feedback from the rest of the blogosphere.

Thoughts?