Hello, Benjamin from Brother’s Campfire here!
Petra from https://erraticengineeress.blog is a contributing author to Brother’s Campfire. She has provided us with all kinds of technical support in our research and is the Campfire’s primary engineer. She has been featured as a character in the ongoing tale as a cheese thief outside the Puking Peasant Inn in La Longi.
Anyway, I am thankful she is part of the team. Recently, she offered the title Capitalism Gutter for the topic below.
First of all, I am a big fan of private ownership over a state run entity owning everything. Don’t let the title fool you. We can have long political discourse in the comments if you would like, but here is the real reason for my post.
I cannot stand scammers. I will call them out for who they are.
In many cases, I am short and to the point. I drink my coffee dark and bitter.
The last time I did a post like this, it was poorly received by the scammers and some of my readers. I will be true to who I am. It’s all I can do.
I have read numerous blog posts lately and I see a couple of trends I would like to discuss in no particular order. When I say discuss, I mean rant. Really.
Blogging For Profit
Let’s be blunt. While there may be a few bloggers who can sway the internet, I am not meeting a lot of work from home types that live solely off passive income. Even if you did, the income is not passive. You spend many untold hours thinking about what you will write and how you present it and then some company that can’t stand alone puts their flashy logo all about your work. Forget that.
While I have only blogged for a year, it is apparent that income sources online can be found in better places.
This is not sour grapes, it is that I write because I enjoy it and so should you.
I realize that sites need advertising to pay the bills, but please, do not get caught up in it.
Affiliate Marketing
Through my contact page, I have had numerous companies reach out and ask that I write about their product. I am more than happy to do this, but here are two ways I have been approached, and I didn’t take the offers.
The first type is uncommon from my understanding.
One day, I wrote about Covid symptoms and referenced the World Health Organization, not knowing there would be controversial opinions about the group just days later.
I received an email from a group asking what it would cost to get me to write positively about the WHO and other medical related articles. Not wanting to get involved in global politics at the time, I let it go.
The second approach is what you will normally see.
A company reaches out and asks you to be an affiliate, or you seek the brand out and apply.
I will save you some time.
The payouts are almost always ambiguous and there are all sorts of ways they will NOT pay you.
If you simply skim the fine print on most of these offers, it will save you hours of frustration spinning your wheels with no payout. If you are a successful affiliate marketer, hats off to you.
SEO
Please, do not pay your hard earned cash to an “SEO expert.” Write well and enjoy yourself instead.
Here is a testimonial of a friend who lost money in an SEO scam. Real life examples are good teachers.
https://mentalhealth360.uk/dont-get-scammed-by-this-seo-fraudster/
I have a friend who charges 50 dollars an hour for building websites and SEO/SERP advice. He gave me a couple freebies just by glancing at my website. Here are the results of my consultation.
1.The links should be dark blue.
2.The parchment background is ugly.
I may take his advice, I may not, but I saved 50 dollars by knowing him. You can as well by not paying for these sorts of things.
I cannot stress enough, you will not make money without effort. If it seems too good to be true, it is.
TANSTAAFL
Believing a bitcoin guy is very similar to what I am talking about overall. I will give a source real quick here.
True statement: There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. I would be a millionaire right now if this were true.
I actually know a guy that fell for this. He was my supervisor at one time. After working a lifetime at a state agency for retirement, he invested in a similar scam and lost everything. Beware.
Here is an example. I didn’t blur the names. Perhaps he will be upset. I don’t particularly care.
This is my point.
You work too hard to give your money away and have someone slap a brand on you.
Be yourself and write your passion.
Author: Benjamin
Benjamin Thiel is a community leader, urban farmer, and author of The Ongoing Tale at Brothers Campfire. He might know a guy...
Loved it… I followed you… please check my blog too.. You may like it…and if you like it, then please follow me 🙏
I will drop by! I look forward to meeting you at Patel’s Place!
Okay! So you do have a patel friend?
Yes, you!
Engineer eh?
She is amazing, and yes, she is employed as an engineer.
I think her name too adds to it
Petra, the Erratic Engineeress has a nice ring to it. I am fortunate that she is my friend.
What has Bharath Upendra, the Indian Superman been up to?
Work, work and work, man. Monotony has got me.
You should write a story about Bharath, the hero from Vijayapura!
Is he though? The Bharath I know belongs somewhere else.
This Bharath is part of an ongoing tale. Only he knows who he is.
Is that so? Give me some time to figure it out. I’ll kill monotony first and get to Bharath.
Sounds like fun. Murder some Monotony first.
I’m on it! What’ve you been up to?
I just went to the dollar store and picked up some crackers, fish, and mustard.
What’s cookin’?
That is our lunch. What is cooking with you?
Arabian food for dinner tonight. Just returned home. Bedtime.
What does that consist of?
Sleep well, my day just began!
Chicken mandi, Shawarma and baklava. Have a good day, Benjamin.
That sounds yummy! I will have to Google all these terms!
You as well Bharath Upendra!
Yep, I’m an engineer. Currently doing my PhD and teaching students at the Engineering faculty
Mechanical engineering *
A fine addition to the Campfire I might add!
Oh wow, when did I say that? Seems appropriate though, good phrase me. Good post, I keep getting approached by weird marketers or people that want me to link to their ‘interesting article’, then never reply when I ask what’s in it for me. People promising success overnight for your blog are also horrible and too common, so I tend to just delete everything.
Hello Petra! I made a post a while ago about scammers and I took it from your comment.
There is nothing free, that is for sure!
Ah right, I remember that comment!
It made such an impression that I copied and pasted “Capitalism Gutter.” I know to give credit where it is due! Let me know when Erratic Hat gets started again and I will don my favorites!
There will be a video this week and I’m trying to record some episodes, but I need to get over my voice first
Ha ha! 👏 You must do an introduction post about it here! That would make my day! 🤠🔥
Uuuu ok! I could make a story about a magical hat artifact appearing in La Longi
Ha ha… Well yes. And you can also advertise your Video Log. You have a seat at the Campfire.
I didn’t consider exploiting the campfire for advertising until now, but… The possibilities are endless 😁
Go for it!
Very good post. Petra will be a good addition to the blog, I am sure. Maybe that should be a new greeting, when you see someone you say, “TANSTAAFL!” to them.
She will be. That is for sure. The greeting has a ring to it!
Hey Benjamin, great post. Nothing like a good, public rant to make you feel better sometimes! I saw you spent some time in my comments. Nice to see you! I haven’t been in contact enough lately. The days seem to get away so quickly . . . Have a great holiday! 🌞
It is good to see you Lisa. Taking care of real life is what is important!
Time flies when you are having fun. I hope that is the case. 🤠🔥
Yes, having lots of fun! You too, I hope! 🌞
Yeppers!
Well said. I’m glad to be on your affiliate marketing crew, and it’s certainly making me rich, but I realize that I am one of the lucky few who has struck gold in this business. No such thing as a free lunch, but some of us do get very cheap lunches.
Well, you are the exception after all.
Yep.
I was mildly successful at marketing Writer’s Blocks. I may have to rethink this post.
Don’t rethink. I want to keep our relationship exclusive. Lolz.
Point taken. Do you have any pyramids perchance? I would like to scheme with one.
I could figure something out.
I wonder if other shapes may work. Perhaps a tesseract model would really liven things up.
I don’t care about the shape as long as I’m on top.
Inter dimensional shaped schemes require command from the center.
Like a wormhole, or mobius strip scheme.
I guess I’m willing to negotiate on height as long as I have control and money.
Fine. I get to draw the diagrams and spreadsheets then.
My secretary will be in touch with you on the details.
Is the Devil in there?
Last I heard he went down to Georgia.
Well, possession is still illegal there.
Great Post! 👍🖤
Thanks! Good to see you!
Busy week this week but off work next so hopefully you’ll be seeing more of me then! 😁🖤
Buy and we sell,
hearts all a flutter,
You have experienced,
Capitalism Gutter.
Look forward!
How much are you paying me to write? 🤣
I pay in shout outs, backlinks, and promoting. I can put a shine on a sneaker.
I surmise you are saying this because of TANSTAAFL.
Juar kidding ya.. WTF is TANSTAAFL?
There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. TANSTAAFL
Aha!!! Damn straights true!
Funny, we’ve learnt TANSTAAFL in Economics.
🤠🔥 Ha ha! I learned it the hard way! I wish I took that class!