Welcome to
The DFN Weekly

Image Is Everything

By

Steve

Marie's Place

Adult webmasters conduct business in a very strange environment. We sit at our computers at various locations around the world, in different time zones and different seasons and we conduct business with each other without ever setting eyes on each other.

We deal in money and traffic, we strike bargains and form alliances and the success or failure of our business depends entirely on the image that we generate through our on-line persona.

When my grandfather was a boy, business was transacted face-to-face and sealed with the shake of a hand. You measured a man by the strength of his handshake and whether or not he could look you in they eye.

These days there is very little face-to-face contact with other webmasters and so we use other factors to judge a person. These days the worth of a person is often measured by their reputation - what other webmasters say about them - and on the way they conduct themselves in on-line forums.

When there is no face-to-face contact, little things can be extremely important as other webmasters build up a mental picture of you. The sum of the parts that make up this picture is what will influence others in deciding whether or not to do business with you. Of course 'business' can take many forms, it may involve many thousands of dollars or it may be a little assistance with a complex html problem, but however big or small the 'business', your ultimate success or failure could depend on it.

So what sort of image do you present? Unfortunately many experienced webmasters like to appear as rough and tough as they possibly can. On message boards their language is coarse and abrasive and they seldom have a good word to say about anyone. They fail to realize that they are doing themselves and their business no good at all. Who would want to do business with a person who is abusive and arrogant?

On the other hand, some new webmasters seem to feel that they have to act like idiots to gain attention. Good manners, reliability and a willingness to learn still count for a lot, even in this industry. If you need help don't demand it, if you are struggling then be prepared to take advice, but do the hard work yourself. If you make mistakes don't blame others. If you give an understanding that you will do something, then make sure you do it. Above all, don't cheat because you will be caught and cheaters are shunned by just about everyone.

Don't expect experienced webmasters to greet you with open arms. It is up to you to establish your credentials with these people. They have seen all types of people come and go in the industry and until they are sure of you they will treat you with caution and reserve.

You too should be cautious in your approach to others on the net. There are a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing out there just waiting to prey on another fat newbie. Make sure that you assess the image that a person appears to portray and don't be fooled. Some of the biggest con men in the adult industry have almost impeccable images and many of them are still around today.

Finally think about how you assess people. For example, with which of these two webmasters would you be prepared to do business? Webmaster A lives with a prostitute, at one time had a career in law enforcement but resigned and left the state that he used to live in. He claims to have been involved in the industry for 5 years although no one in this part of the industry seems to have seen him around until about 12 months ago. On message boards he has been called hard-assed because he is sometimes so blunt that he appears rude and he is often impatient with the views of others.

Webmaster B is happily married and lives with his wife who also has an on-line presence, has grandchildren, has been building free sites etc for over a year and is trying to make a living by webmastering full time. He openly dislikes the sharks in the industry, helps newbies whenever he can and has written occasionally for on-line publications. On message boards he is helpful and will often support others who are in trouble.

Webmaster A sounds a bit shady doesn't he - can he be trusted? Would you do business with this man?

On the other hand Webmaster B sounds like a man who could be trusted implicitly and a good example for new webmasters.

So which would you trust?

Well they both happen to be me and all the information that I have given you about me could have been gleaned from things that I have said in various online forums. So the moral of the story is - just plain be careful in both your approach to others and in the way you present yourself to others.

Steve