Sarah is extremely excited about BlogMad . BlogMad is a new traffic exchange – it will be new in some way. It will be having better surf ratios than 2:1, it might even be 1:1!
Insider information from sources even I’m not aware of, but Sarah knows of, say that BlogExplosion have been sending threats to BlogMad claiming they are copying their ideas. How is a traffic exchange BlogExplosion’s idea? There’s loads other like BlogAZoo and my favourite: BlogAdvance (ahem, freedom of speech, commenting for credits…)
Personally I’m getting sick of BE myself. They has been many problem’s with their customer service. Some victims include Tickles and Dr Fil . I think it is simply out of the question emailing [future] competitors such as BlogMad.
Many views are going around about BE, like it’s famous Battle of the Blogs feature which is highly rigged and unfair. I mean for goodness sake I’ve lost a battle to a 404 before! I mean this isn’t BEs fault (apparently) but the voters who group together.
To make BE worse it is full of mommy blogs, which all tech bloggers dread. Though it is possible to avoid mommy blogs, their club run the BoTB and vote for each other (huh?). I rarely use BE anymore, just enough to enter the competitions. Apparently according to the owner (via Sarah) BlogMad is going to revolutionise BoTB, this isn’t really copying though as I think it will be very different.
As BE are showing so much interest in BlogMad they must think of it as a thread. They promise to be different, fairer and better. Personally I hope they are, I would love to leave BE.
Some people like the Headlines and Ping My Blog feature of BlogExplosion. Personally, I think neither are good. Headlines are not worth the credit as you rarely get traffic from it, and why use Ping My Blog when your CMS does it for you; or if it doesn’t you spend less time just by opening a bookmark to PingOat or PingOMatic. Also the Rent My Blog feature of BE is pretty cool, but BE is moving too far out of the traffic exchange market – into the blog advertising one.
BE haven’t done anything too bad to me, but seeing what they do to others I’m more than happy to leave.
Jeff from BlogExplosion here.
BM has no privacy policy on their site which means they could sell your email address for as little as you know. Not saying they would but very poor form in general.
Second we have had numerous spam complaints about BM. People using BE to get referrals for other services. Definitely not cool.
They claim to be coming out with a Battle of the Blogs. That was our idea. Sure they might “change it around”..
We have been running traffic exchanges for 5 years. Our features have been copied for over 5 years now. Tired of it.
Sarah has had the same post on her blog (keeps it as current) for some time now spreading rumours about how hot BM is.
We love competition. It pushes us to work harder and faster than anyone else out there. We can handle that — BUT DONT COPY WHAT WE DO!
No use of the word blogmarks, do not add list and other features.
Our lawyer wil make sure of it.
Oh grow up Jeff, personally I think it’s hilarious that you’ve been pegged AGAIN as an ass hat to another blogging group.
You talk about how you enjoy competition etc when it’s plain to see that you don’t.
For the record, I doubt very much that your “lawyer” can do much about stopping other people from using certain words and features seeing as it’s common practise around most areas that if you change a certain percentage of a concept then you can use that idea as yours.
You would know all about copying ideas from other traffic exchange sites (can we all say the word “forum”?) and you’re really the last person to be pointing fingers about idea stealing.
Suck it up Jeff and take it like a man. You’re supposed to be there for the blogger and you’re supposed to be providing for all their needs although I doubt the bot blogs will whine much.
Names can not be copyrighted, they have to be trademarked. And I highly doubt anything you made has had that done. And I know for a fact you can’t copyright, patent, or trademark ideas.
Losing a BoTB for a 404 seems stupid enough to avoid playing again and look for alternative. Thanks for the eye opener.
Jeff: There’s other BoTB site’s out there like Blog Thunderdome. A blogmark isn’t yours exclusively either see this.
Do you have a patent? A trademark? Nope – well I don’t see how you can claim they can’t copy your ideas.
It’s nice to see the interest and excitement that is going into BM from a user point of view.
Our development team are working pretty much around the clock on BM and a few other websites that will directly benefit BM users, but not be closed off to people who do not want to register on BM.
The issue of a privacy policy? We are in the process of finalising our policy for the final website and will apply a version of it to our current beta website in the next few days. But, you do not have to worry about the spam issue. BM is being developed by a group that base all their websites around communities, getting people involved and growing the internet.
BM is coming.
Wow. First off, I do not keep the BM post current. I just didn’t have time to update for one day. My new posts are up now and the BM post has moved down.
Second, I’ve never said anything like BE sucked. There is a lot I enjoy at BE and was planning on still using it. I’ve even *bought* credits at BE for traffic! I currently use other traffic exchanges too, but so far, BE has been the best. All I’ve ever said is that I welcome competition. If BE wants to protect their assets, then go to it. But to see BE continually comment so negatively about their competition rubs me the wrong way. There’s enough room for everyone out there. Consider competition the incentive to push harder.
All my post was about was my excitement over a new service. This bashing-scare-tactic debacle that it has turned into is actually turning me off from BE, whereas before I had *no* plans to ditch it.
There are way too many of these blog directory type things now. I can’t even pick one which would work well to promote my blog. Not that I’m a traffic hound. But, I like to think the flow of traffic goes both ways. If I’m not getting at least as much traffic as I’m giving to another site, what is the point of having them on my site at all?
People look at traffic exchange sites the wrong way.
A traffic exchange site is used to take a look out there and see what’s available and it’s there to promote your blog.
In an ideal world, once you gain a readership and you have your network of blogs that you decide are worthy of your linkage or blog rolling then a traffic exchange site becomes superfluous.
We’re here to promote your blog. Nothing more. Nothing less. It’s when people hang on for too long and you get your “old hacks” vs your “n00bs” and with cliques forming that you get the problems that are occurring right now.
Everyone needs to take a step back and realise that traffic exchange sites are a SERVICE and they should be treated as such rather than pawns in an internet war.
I am an Administrator in Blog Advance and I would rather see people use us, get the readership they’re after and then move on, rather than hang on and become some sort of mafiosa ring.
It proves to me we did our job right when we’re not needed anymore.
Errr… just tell your friends is all we ask!
Those BE people are just nuts. Oh, and do you know that they have forbidden members from publishing whatever correspondence they have from the support tickets? I wonder why. (checks his blog)
Dr. Fil
Jeff should really refrain from commenting publicly
Who are you to say anything about a privacy policy Jeffy? Your own admin violated yours, and you could have cared less. You really should start picking up your meds before they run out, as you’re quite effing insane. Are you sure the blogging business is really your forte? You don’t seem to be doing very well at it…
I couldn’t agree more.
BlogMad Review…
Some of you will know I’m beta testing BlogMad, which is a traffic exchange especially for blogs which is still in a private beta. The site is basically aiming to be a way for bloggers to get more hits. The site won’t be selling hits or se…