It's Not
Rocket Science!

Or;

Can I get a
"HELL YEAH!"?

By LadyB

Of

Sinful Porn Links

We have a problem! A problem that most of us DFN's are very aware of, and have been for some time now.

The problem at hand is the ever increasing demands by major tgps, link lists, and search directories for more content and less ads on our sites and galleries.

I've often asked myself, have these people ever stopped for two seconds and thought about exactly what kind of effect this is having on our industry as a whole, or do they even care? Unfortunately, the answer I always come up with is "probably not".

Have you ever gone to one of those TGP's that has about 100 free live feeds on its main page? There are a few of them. Every time I see that I just cringe and sadly shake my head, wondering why in the world would anyone signup to this guy's sponsors (not to mention the sponsors on the galleries he's listing) when the surfer can get a ton of 100% free content right there on his site without ever having to pay for anything. Here he has high quality pictures in each thumbnail gallery listed, with minimal ads to "annoy the surfer" or "interfere with the content", and 100 free live feeds for Joe Surfer to jerk off to anytime he wants!

They give away the farm in hopes of getting the bookmarkers that they need, and in the process are not only screwing themselves in the long run, but the rest of us as well.

Some major search directories and link lists are also on the "more content, less ads" bandwagon. Lots of large, clear, high quality pictures are good, and full page ads, pics on html, and basically anything that makes you money, is bad.

There appears to be a battle being waged to get and keep those elusive bookmarkers. Each place is trying to out-do the other by offering the surfer more free content than the other guy, in hopes that Joe Surfer will bookmark his site, and keep coming back, thus broadening the sites owner's traffic base.

I've asked myself countless times "why can't they see that what they're doing by creating these extremely surfer friendly sites is not only hurting us the webmasters that submit our sites and galleries to them, but also themselves and our industry as a whole in the long run?" I have yet to find that answer, and probably never will.

The simple fact is, it's not rocket science. The more free content that you give the surfers, the less reason they have for signing up at a paysite, period. I'm just a DFN and I can see that. Why is it so difficult for the "seasoned veterans" and "players" of our industry, to see it?

The good news is, that instead of beating this dead horse, there are things that we can do about it. Don't get me wrong; we probably won't change the minds of the ones that are implementing these rules, but yes there are other things that are being done.

The number of alternate webmaster-friendly traffic sources is growing daily. MorganaX has worked tirelessly this past year in her efforts to build many webmaster-friendly traffic sources. About a year ago, she shared with me her idea for a new exclusive links list that would be made up of free sites made by its members. Membership would be by invitation only, with all members being owners of webmaster friendly traffic generators. Thus, the birth of The Platinum Pervert.

MorganaX posted this week on our VNWR main board that if you asked each member what they think the Platinum Pervert is, that they would all probably give you a different answer. And she's probably 100% correct! My own personal interpretation of the Platinum Pervert was a links site listing only sites from its members, with the sites being webmaster yet surfer friendly to a certain extent.

No minimum content or maximum ad requirements, but a very definate rule about putting too much content. 15 pics max per site, FPA's and pics on html not only allowed but encouraged, one exit console and/or self blur, etc...

MorganaX's vision for the Platinum Pervert, and my own personal interpretation of it, (the webmaster/surfer friendly concept) and not to mention our many discussions about it on icq, inspired me to open my own links site. I fully believed and still do to this day, that there can be a happy medium. Webmaster friendly, by not having ridiculous content minimums, allowing FPA's, pics on html, and not limiting ads to only 2 or 3 per page. Surfer friendly to get and keep the bookmarkers needed for a successful links site. Surfer friendly meaning no consoles, misleading blind links, etc... Although keeping the balance isn't always easy, I believe it can, and more importantly is, being done.

The number of webmaster-friendly sites grows almost daily. VNWR's own Original Link Trade Sunday list is full of webmaster-friendly sites, week in and week out. You can also find a very nice list of TGP's that accept pics on html at MorganaX's TGP Carnal Feast. You might be very surprised at some of the sites listed there, so it's definately worth the look!

To be sure, the webmaster friendly movement is spreading far and wide. In the past couple of weeks we have seen the emergence of TGP2 (you can learn more about TGP2 HERE), which stands for Thumbnail Gallery Post Version 2. I have to say that in doing some research on TGP2 for this article, what I found impressed me. My take on it is this. The TGP2 concept is to decrease the costs of submitting webmasters' bandwidth by limiting the number of clickable thumbs on each gallery, with 5 clickable thumbs appearing to be the maximum amount allowed, and no more than 20 thumbs total.

At the same time, while decreasing your bandwidth costs, the concept of TGP2 is to change the way that the surfers think. That if they want the high quality content and everything that goes with it, then they are going to have to pay to see it, period.

Can I get a "HELL YEAH!!"? :)

When Voltar got back from the conference in Windsor a couple of weeks ago, he came back with the great news that when he asked sponsors point blank during a panel discussion about supporting webmaster friendly sites that they all literally "jumped for the microphone". They could not voice their support of the webmaster friendly movement fast enough! The major sponsors of our industry are realizing that if we can't make any money, then they aren't going to make any money either. With the backing and support of major sponsors, and the ever increasing amount of alternate webmaster-friendly traffic sources, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel!

The webmaster friendly movement is taking off like a rocket! Webmasters are fed up with all of these ridiculous extremely surfer friendly rules that they've been forced to adapt to. They are tired of basically footing the bandwidth bill so that only a certain few can get rich. Sponsors are tired of sitting back and watching the decline in sales. Major players in our industry are standing up and saying WTF?! Yes indeed, it's time for a change! And the changes are happening NOW!

Can I get another "HELL YEAH!"? :)

Together, we (newbies, oldbies, and sponsors alike), can change the path of this extremely surfer friendly runaway train that is no doubt costing our industry millions and millions of dollars every year.

Together, we can change the asinine concept that all porn should be free.

Together, all of us can make a difference!

LadyB