Setting Up A Directory: My Adventures

[kristian]

skip this part if you want ...


I think turning 30 is the reason for creating this thread.

It was August, 2002, that I found myself alone in my home office and in need of a new career. I had just sold my business: a double-glazing firm. I had a home, a bit of cash in the bank, and 2 kids and an almost-wife depending on me. What the hell was I going to do? I wanted to work from home - doing something - and decided I would give myself until the new year to figure it out. If, in January, I was still sat staring at a monitor, it would be time to find myself a boss!

I was educated in economics. Now, anyone educated in economics will understand why I'd want to chose anything but economics for a career. I decided I had two abilities going for me : I was a pervert and I could write screenplays. Since Hollywood wasn't calling, and my uncle (an indie filmmaker) was into arthouse and not horror (my niche), perversion ruled the day! I began to analyse my favorite porn sites (link-o-rama, being one of them) to see how they made money. This led me to my first sponsor, Flash Cash, and my first webmaster-friend, Jim (who ran FC at the time).

In the intervening years, I have literally tried everything: galleries, tgp, free sites, forums, blogs, mail, dating sites, newsgroups, ppc, seo and enough marketing software to make your head spin. A lot of my stuff failed, but - either by blind luck or divine intervention - enough of it worked to make me feel successful.

This leads me back to this thread and turning 30.

I hit the big Three-Oh (Oh-Fuck-I'm-Old) in June. Still in possession (or possessed by) 2 kids and 1 almost-wife, I took a critical look at my career. Financially-speaking, it was all going swimmingly, but something fundamental was missing. I once read Greenguy refering to LOR as his baby. In short, friends and neighbors, I wanted a baby. A bunch of internet cash cows are fine and dandy, but I wanted something more substantial, something to which I could devote energy and enthusiasm, something that was relatively secure, something I could leave to either one of my kids should they become perverts too!

A link list or directory (and I'm still unsure of the difference, so feel free to educate me) is to be my baby. And I intend to be a good father and raise it for many years to come.

down to business ...


The purpose of this thread is to document my adventures in setting up and running a link list. I'm a firm believer in sharing the wealth. If you watch My Name Is Earl, you'll know why. And there is no greater wealth than that of knowledge. I'm sure we can all learn something by watching me succeed or fuck up and, of course, this thread will be a perfect opportunity for us all to discuss ideas, share knowledge, and build lasting business relationships.

I will document every stage and include all costs, all earnings, and all sponsor screen caps for 12 months of the site being active. Nothing at all will be hidden. In effect, the site will be a transparent entity, through which any interested webmaster can look.

When setting up the site, I'll not only provide costs and links to my chosen elements (scripts, design, traffic), but will give alternatives so anyone on any budget can follow the ideas and information here to setup their own link list.

So, there you have it, : my reasons and my mission. If you've ever wanted to setup a link list, I hope you'll find this thread helpful, and will contribute your own thoughts and experiences to make it even more helpful for others. If you're a veteran of the industry, I hope you'll also participate and share your wisdom.

Kristian