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Nexus traffic thieves

Funding for this site, how to do it and appalling lack of it, is a recurring theme and it's one that affects anyone that likes this place and keeps visiting. Nothing is free in this world, there are costs and there are a lot of people that spend time working, gratis, to keep this site going.

For various reasons, there are many who can't actually make cash donations to the place or help out with the grunt work. That's fine, this is not a guilt trip on you. But what you can do, in your own little way, is to not support an unpleasant minority who's sole purpose in using a|n is to steal it's traffic.

You've all seen these types of posts, they are far more common than they should be allowed to be -

I really have nothing to say. I'm just giving a blurb about something that's only pointless self serving waffle.

You can read more here.

These posts are by people who have no interest in contributing to this site. It's evident by the shallowness of their posts. Their only interests are your click, to divert your traffic away from Nexus onto their own grubby little vanity pages. There are some people with legitimate external blogs that are relevant to Nexus and our interests in general, but they are drowned out by a larger number whose only interest is free advertising and stealing Nexus traffic (and Nexus advertising revenue). Usually, these siphoners have their own advertising schemes on their own sites and would be very shitty indeed if the same were done to them.

What you can do is ignore these posts. It's not much, but it's something. Of course, if you want to block these users or let them know how you feel, I can't stop you. But these people are stealing from Nexus, and by extension, they are also stealing from you.

Atheist Nexus is only as good as it's membership, that's you - we should be encouraging the sharing of quality content and ideas here - and not at some irrelevant external vanity page.

Tags: link whores, siphoning, spam, spammers, theft, vanity spam

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AcesLucky on May 8, 2010 at 2:20pm

A|N offers free blogs; people use them to their advantage, and incoming links cost the same as outgoing links -- zero. Traffic? Let's get to the real point. Your article may be titled on the subject of Traffic Theft but you're really talking about paying for the site.

I have donated on two occasions far more than a yearly nominal fee should ever have to be. But the lack of participation from others is somewhat disheartening. And so I'm reluctant to continue. Sorry, but those are the facts.

But I am also FOR a yearly nominal fee! Why not. It would probably cut down on the infiltrators (though I don't see them as a problem as others do), it would add revenue that could probably be projected and budgeted, and it would probably leave the membership with a higher grade of activist should A|N ever be leveraged for it. (And again why not; let's do something great!)

The first time I chipped-in I wrote Brother Richard to find out if the donation was tax deductible (it is when I donate to ffrf, why not here) and I never got a response. Still haven't. And still don't know. But it would sure help to know these things!

And finally, why not sell advertising space to members? Are we not our most targeted audience for like minded values, services and products? For example, I currently need some advice on a site I'm building, but the subject matter (dealing with the problem of faith healing and children) makes me paranoid about who I can trust. I'd feel MUCH better getting that service fulfilled from someone from HERE than on the open market. And yet with all these people, I haven't a clue who to approach. So where is the ad board from paying members?

I don't give a damn about who belongs to the Richard Dawkins club. I want to know who can help me get things done, be it building a better site, producing a professional video, or concentrated activism for an important cause.

As of right now, A|N seems to be just a big lounge, and I'm sure that's what it wanted to be, a place where we could "hang out", chill and talk shop. Okay. Now what? There are two thousand conversations going on, all mostly small talk. So the Nexus Phase 3.0 is going to do what?

What am I donating FOR? What is Nexus 3.0 going to do different that I should pay for?

I don't have a blog on A|N but if I did I'd be breaking no rules to link to my other blog, my Share, my Twitter, my Facebook just like the ones below your Tags on the article you just wrote. Isn't that what they're there for? An in-link, an out-link; so what. If you can't monetize any of it the net return is still exactly zero.

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Permalink Reply by Chrys Stevenson on May 8, 2010 at 5:05pm

Donations to the site are not currently tax-deductible but Richard has been working on making Nexus a not-for-profit legal entity. This process is nearly complete and will happen soon.

Once that has been achieved, I'm told, there are offers of larger donations which will allow the Nexus 3.0 project to get underway.

I think the suggestions in this discussion are excellent and I'll contact Richard and make sure he reads them.

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Permalink Reply by Chrys Stevenson on May 8, 2010 at 9:09pm

I know it can be frustrating, nate, but I'm sure Richard isn't trying to be secretive - just trying to get all his ducks in a row.

We do have to remember that, even though Atheist Nexus is a huge site, it's effectively run by just one person (with some valuable support from volunteers). Richard's workload is huge and unpaid and he does have a family to feed as well.

Things are moving too slowly for all of us - including Richard - but I'm assured that the important stage of achieving not-for-profit status is almost complete.

If I knew more than that, I would tell you, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I've invited Richard to this thread and hopefully he will find the time to do so.

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Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on May 9, 2010 at 1:03am

Howard: I get ruling out spam as valid. That aside, what are the qualities of an actual blog post (IYO)?

Blog - blog, short for web log, an online, regularly updated journal or newsletter that is readily accessible to the general public by virtue of being posted on a website. Blogs typically report and comment on topics of interest to the author

A blog implies substance. A blog is not twitter. A blog is not a raw hyperlink you need to follow in order to understand the point - a blog explains the point. Similarly, a blog is not a descriptionless embedded video. A blog is not an advertisement for a vanity page, no matter how clever the owner believes themselves to be.

As defined above - Blogs typically report and comment on topics of interest to the author

That implies writing original content on the same page as the blog entry and not via a read more here link.

Short items of interest are more appropriate in the main site forum or in the forum of a group with appropriate interests. As are non-relevant non-godless pieces of personal interest. That means the chances of anyone giving a flying fuck about your review of the latest Hollywood MacMovie plastered on the main page are ZERO.

My subjective rules of thumb for a public blog are -

* Is it relevant to the site area you are posting it in ?

* Is it actually the sort of thing that you would enjoy reading yourself if it were presented by a stranger ?

It's really not that complicated. All it takes is a bit of respect and consideration for your fellow members and your site hosts.