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Huria Search Where Black Sites Take Priority


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I just upgraded Huria Search making it mobile friendly, adding back the social icons (Harriett Tubman had to go back to the plantation to save her people), cleaning up the look and making major changes on the backend. The database is growing and the quality of the content is improving.

 

Sadly, many of the book stores are dropping their websites--there are some many broken URLs, I'm considering removing the category.  This is hard because supporting bookstore websites was my primary reason for creating Huria Search in the first place!   It is to the point now it is not even worth talking about, sort of like complaining about the lack of Blacksmith websites.  The larger Black media websites don't appear to care about this issue either...

 

Hopefully these upgrades will improve traction of the website.  I have not tried to monetize the website over that last 4 years, and I get very little financial support. I'll continue to run it as long as I can.

 

Google, which drives the search portion of the website, says the number of websites in my index will generate "unpredictable  results."  I pay for the ability produce this search  results without Google advertisements (which has the effect skewing traffic away fro our websites).  Google say they are working on a solution to support what I'm doing, but they have not provided a timeframe for a solution.

 

I'm looking for an alternative solution, but have not found one yet.

 

huria-search-upgrade.jpg

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I have no idea of how to overcome your issue. I'm not technical enough. I know working without profit is a dead end so monetize. Adding social buttons is okay. It's not a bad thing at all. Social when used to connect with friends is great. Sharing business info is something to be done but not relied upon. It's the content that drives a site and solid keywords. Whatever you do let me know how to help. The black bookstore issue like everything else is a result of black folks being unwilling to pay for assistance, information and guidance. We only do seminars for civil rights and hair.

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I'm going to keep the site not-for-profit for the foreseeable future.  Even though it is doing well trafficwise.  I can certainly use the money but I feel like putting ads on the site would pervert the mission.

 

I spent the weekend in DC at a blogger conference it was a really good event, but it skewed too young and female to benefit me very much.  The real problem was the age difference.  I was on a panel with a young lady that was the same age as my daughter.  Which means I've been building websites almost as long almost as she has been living.  

 

I doubt anyone else was making their living primarily from their website my perspectives was very different from the average person in attendance.  But I did meet some cool people and will follow up with them overtime.

 

You know I've seen so many sites come and ago over the years; I really wanted to just tell folks most of you will not be doing this in five years and here is why.  But that really was not the right audience I really needed to be around folks who've been around for a while and have experienced a few things--like one major Google major algorithm change :-)

 

Speaking about hair, that was probably the single most popular topic amongst the bloggers, followed by perhaps, fashion, lifestyle and weight loss.  Again, it was a good event for the the twentysomething female demographic.

 

At any rate, I have to make AALBC.com more mobile friendly.  Google sent me a message saying, effectively, that I will lose revenue unless I make the changes to my website. I'm going use some of the techniques I used to update Huria.org on AALBC.com to update AALBC.com.  I also want to pull all of my content into a database, but this will take some time to accomplish and really push back some of the writing I was planning on doing...but I have to bring my website out of 2009 and into 2015 ;-)

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I think your sentiments are exactly in line with what I expect at seminars and tech events for blogging. Blogging and entrepreneurship is overwhelmingly female in the Black community. Much like the book business. I was being a little facetious when I said conferences are basically female dominated events or talking head events lead by the church.

 

I knew your site had to have a major overhaul and I was going to write and share the mobile site that Google sis using for people to test their sites. I think the idea of writing your code for the site has always been and admirable thing, but I think your skill set is great for creating a theme for Wordpress and uploading it and basically redesigning your site as a WP site.  I did this years ago and that's what I wrote about in One Hour To Wealth. I actually saw the change back in 2009 when I stopped working so hard to learn html and using wysiwyg. Quite possibly in the short term for you maybe a solution is taking your home page which is an index.html and either uploading a Wordpress template in the short term with links to archives for this site and then begin building the site with either php or Wordpress.  That would prevent a lot of the pain of the redesign in the short term and make sure you keep your search in line with Google's changes.  

 

You know what is interesting is that a ton of authors right now don't have an idea of what is in store for their websites. You could write an article and discuss it in detail, but just like your social media dialogue, it will fall on deaf ears. I admire your desire to not skew Huria, but it's a fantastic resource that I'm really growing fond of while I've stopped interacting so much on Facebook.  There isn't any reason at all not to integrate Amazon Associates into the page. You could use it to direct people to black books and movies although Amazon is not black owned it would at least offset some of the cost associated with all of that coding.

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I need a lot more flexibility than wordpress can provide.  Both Huria Search and The Power List Website started off using Wordpress templates, but I quickly discovered that it was far too limiting given what I wanted to do and I ended up rebuilding both websites.  

 

Like wordpress both my Power List and Huria Search websites are completely database driven, but I can control exactly what I want my sites to do.  I maintain my own books database, for example, and it contains a lot more information that I'm presenting on the website. Huria Search is also taking advantage of the Bootstrap Template.

 

I'm not pleased by Googles mandate.  AALBC.com is completely useable by a typical smartphone.  Google's motivation is driven by their own financial interests, not some altruistic desire to make the web a better place.  The are optimizing the delivery of ads on mobile devices.  Unfortunately Google also controls search so I have to comply.

 

However, I do need to bring AALBC.com out of the realm of static webpages to dynamically generated content, but I can't afford to rely on a template designed by someone else that I don't understand and unable to troubleshoot or customize. 

 

As far as the Blogger event  being mostly female, I asked a few people why they thought that was the case.  I was told it was because women are more inclined to network and talk more than men.  I dunno about that reasoning, because I've been to many conferences dominated by men.  

 

Maybe this issue is a Black thing, and is just reflective of the absence of Black men from the world of building a business from Blogging.  The most popular Bloggers tend to be women and if they are men a substantial portion tent to be gay.  Most of the 153 Blogs in my database are run by women.

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In regard to Wordpress I was saying you should develop your own theme, not use a template designed by someone else. You could then upload that theme as AALBC and monetize it/gather information from users who download the template. I don't think you should use one of the themes already there at all.  Google is definitely optimizing ads for their own reasons and see CMS as an easy way to integrate ads into websites as opposed to each vendor adding their own html. I have to think they will have a plugin that allows for placement of the ads with only your client number from Adsense very soon.

 

Women do tend to be bloggers, but that's because they are better writers than men and in the Black community men don't see the need for a website at all. They know they can drive by, drop lawn signs or tag people and get interest in their business. While we know that these antiquated methods have temporary results, you and I both know that content is king. This is just another seperation between men and women and why Black women are continuing to outpace Black men and leave them behind. Black women own the book industry, they still buy music while guys either download or get it from file sharing locations while downloading porn, they share sales secrets so other women can buy cheap merchandise and resell it, and women go to conferences on tech. I saw this when I was working out of a Cowork Space. I was the only Black male and the rest were women entrepreneurs. 

 

I'd really be interested in the type of conferences you've been to dominated by men. I would have to think they were debates or places where guys could beat their chests or show their strength. I doubt that it was something about making money.. Then again I always see more men at those ponzi scheme/get rich quick type events.  Which says a lot.

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I don't know Wordpress well enough to develop my own theme. Besides I don't have the time to stay abreast of all of changes Wordpress makes to properly maintain one-- I can barely keep my plugins current :-)  

 

Man, all of the conferences I attended use to be white male dominated.  I used to go to a trade show hosted by the FSID.  I just went to their website here is the first photo I saw:

 

YIR_image.png

 

This photo pretty much sums up my world back then. I can tell you all of these people have incomes well into 6 figures, they all have nice homes (as in more than one home), in good neighborhoods.  Their kids go to private schools and they take several vacations a year.  During conventions like this, they have a really good time staying in fancy hotels, dining in fine restaurants and drinking, everything, all on their company's dime.  They've flown to the location in first class and have racked up a tons of frequently flyer miles to cover personal trips.  How do I know?  I've sat in countless rooms like this having everything in common with these folks and nothing having nothing in common with them.

 

Most Black people I encounter nowadays have not idea well so many other folks live...  But I digress.

 

In my current, life the only trade show I go now is Book Expo America (BEA).  I've attended BEA every year for over a decade and I've even exhibited there three times in NY, LA, DC.  That was back when I was still sitting in rooms like the one pictured above and could afford the expense..

Today, if you visit BEA's website it looks completely white washed.  You get no real indication that Black people have anything to do with the business of books.  Attending the show would not change your mind very much.  When you do see a Black face most of the time it will be female.  

 

I think the reality is that Black men are increasingly missing from a wide variety of fields that don't involved entertainment, whether it is by scoring points or yelling ni*ger to a beat. Many of us have blue collar jobs like driving buses or pullin' triggers for Uncle Sam.

 

I'm going to seek out Black Male Bloggers.

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I want to respond BOOM! Because what you've written is just powerful and true. I have never sat in rooms with those type of guys or have I been privy to those rooms. I do remember going to the San Diego State Writer's Conference which is one of the biggest in the biz, this was in the 90s, and there was some Black representation, but they were swamped and had their pick of the litter. This is when Renee Swindle signed that 500,000 for her MFA thesis, Please Please Please. Since that time by 2004 when I left San Diego, it became increasingly white. I would have to guess that now there isn't any representation at all. 

 

It's troubling.

 

I think it will be difficult to find Black male bloggers. I can't wait to see what you come up with. Blogging appears to be more about gossip as opposed to real information. It's either political or gossip and that's about it. I guess this caters more to women, but like we both know women are readers so the blogs are only reflecting the market. There are countless sports blogs and entertainment blogs, but business blogs tend to be run by corporations or known entities. 

 

Black men are blue collar primarily which places us in a unique position of trying to get readers and traffic with content written for guys.

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Well without any bias in term of the blogs I added and the blogs people added themselves, here is a count of blogs by gender

 

combo or unknown: 41

female: 78

male: 38

total: 157

 

I guess you are right Chris.  I'll see how many male Bloggers we dig up.

 

Any ideas on what I could provide other sites with as an incentive to share Huria of post automatically updated information on their websites?

 

One could reasonably draw the conclusion that if an incentive is needed to get others, who are already on the site, to share the information then the website's inherent value is questionable.

 

The interesting thing about the site is that the people who visit the site, seem to find it more valuable than the people who are on it.  Of course visitors matter most, but it sure would be easier if someone besides Chris mentioned it on their website.  

 

Chris here is a direct link to your Blog: http://aalbc.it/blogcdp

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You know I haven't even looked at my page. I have been using the site as link through in my down time to look at different websites. I'm writing a series on it during this month where I've limited myself to 30 minutes of Facebook per day. Everytime I write about this 30 Day the Huria Blog will be featured.  

 

I don't think you need an incentive. I don't think it would work anyway. I'm realizing during this time off of Facebook that no matter what you do if your information isn't sensational or timely it will not get traffic. The best thing to do is to keep it organic and simply tag people on twitter and let them know the information has been added and then maybe they will retweet it. I do think a badge like the Power List would be welcomed of course.

 

It's like the sister from Blogging Brown who posted the video making a request for funding. It's not going to happen. If you(AALBC) sent me a request for 25.00 dollars every month I would pay it every month. Why? Because I believe in your mission. It doesn't matter that I get advertising, I just know you are genuine in your work. I'm sure she is as well, but I've always been drawn to AALBC so I know its value. What you have in me and others who use the board are loyal users. We are the people who will give you hits and traffic which helps. We are also the people who will share info because we understand that the more info that is shared the better the search results are. What she is looking for is the support to put together a network of funders/backers.  The problem is people want to see there money put to work, but that isn't even the issue. Black people simply don't spend enough time promoting each other selflessly.

 

I know this is a generalization, but I use my own experiences. If you consider I'm a Black owned shoe company that ran a Kickstarter campaign, and you use my stats, less than 10% of the people who know me backed my project. While names are not an indicator of race, I'm pretty sure the pics of the people on their profiles are accurate. The percentage of my backers who were black were under 15%. 

 

I know this is only small sample, but of all of the projects I've backed, when I look in the comments sections the majority of the support for online ventures where money is involved are often skewed towards White folks. The only time this isn't the case is when the person being supported has a built in community. I've only seen majority Black backers of financial projects in the hair community.

 

Unfortunately, Black people as a whole are completely ignorant to how the internet works. We have a surface understanding, but we don't realize the value in visiting blogs or websites daily. The internet is a purely hedonistic tool. It satisfies personal "stuff" for people, but in regard to Black business it fails because we just don't get that someone has to either share, or pay. We simply don't want to send people any money or if we have a considerable market or group of people following us, we don't want to share for fear that it will pull people away from what we are doing.

 

Damn I'm depressed now, lol.

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LOL yeah it is depressing

 

Speaking about support; I noticed this on twitter a few moments ago: http://www.gofundme.com/themoviereport the guy  (deliberately not posting his name) is trying to raise money to save his house.  He has raised $1,100, over 26 months, from 19 people.  The campaign has the requisite hard luck story, but given the numbers it has not done very well this far.  A bum on the street would have raised far more in this amount of time.

 

He too complained about the lack of support from friends, family.

 

I've never met the person running this fund raising campaign, but I've published his film reviews going back into the 90's.  I feel bad, but I see these requests often some from from people I actually know personally.  It is always tough to read these and not contribute.  But I'm one of those guys who feel guilty walking pasting a pan handler, because no matter how badly I feel I'm doing financially, I can ways get up off a dollar.

 

I think part of the problem is so many of us are struggling and so many people are asking for money.  Overwhelmed how does one decide who to contribute to?  

 

This, again, is one of the reasons Spike using crowd funding for his film irked me, because I just saw that effort as taking money away from struggling filmmakers, or even people losing their homes...

 

Struggling people, and indie business don't get much support in America.  We happily give millionaires money while we watch others lose their homes.  We all know the statistics of how the ultra rich are getting even richer while most of the middle class struggles.

 

I've been making direct appeals for contribution for two years now.  Family and friends rarely support.  The support come from people who actually believe in what you are trying to do, and sometimes these are not the people in your family.  

 

I read there was a time when family members would pool resources to help each other in times of need, or send money when some accomplished something like graduating from high school.  If that time existed it was before my own. 

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Damn that GoFundme is pretty damn depressing. I will say this and I think it holds true for a lot of people, I have to be asked directly to donate, fund, or give to a project, or it has to strike some personal note in me where I feel that I owe. Take for instance Spike Lee. I initially funded his Kickstarter and then I realized I hadn't backed any indie films and pulled my support. He didn't need it. Last month though I did back the De La Soul project and this is why: Last year they released their entire catalog of music for free on Valentine's Day. I was able to download every album I was missing. They had to do this because they couldn't get the samples cleared on those old albums digitally so they couldn't sell those albums as mp3s. Since they gave all of that music away I felt compelled to give back.

 

In my new book I talk about relationships and reciprocity. I talk about how a business agreement is the same as personal relationship. It requires a transaction that is either financial, social or emotional. For example, if Troy posts a link, I share it because I have a social responsibility to share vital and important information. While I haven't done enough financial transactions with aalbc, the social transactions are supportive and just as important as the financial because the next person who sees the information may sign up or spend money.  What we have in the Black community is a lack of understanding how relationships are built. We hold on to information because we think we lose if we give it away. We also want to be paid for everything, but that's not how it works. There has to be reciprocity for a relationship to work.

 

While I don't expect it, I see a benefit from writing on aalbc and therefore I respond by sharing the site as much as possible. While the traffic to the site is about 1.8%, that 1.8 could be the reason something sells. It could be the reason someone gets some information that they need, so I continue to share. I also share because writing here sparks ideas for the blog and for potential books.

 

There has to be something that can be done to get the financial aspect on par with the work being done. I can see the financial aspect growing in my sneaker business, so I just have to figure out how to translate it to different platforms.  I definitely think AALBC is missing a Store component. AALBC as a brand has the ability to create downloadable content, shirts with sayings, hats, bags and things that can be sold, but there isn't a link anywhere on the site that says STORE. I think it may be time to look at that and actually have us writers who visit the site send books in on consignment or I can help you create apparel and writers bags to be sold. At least you are not like the guy above. You have teaching to supplement and a very good mind that has yet to be featured in a book (hint, hint). It seems this guy was privileged and didn't adjust with the times. Had he started a Video Blog show as well as run his site, he probably could have turned all of the traffic his dad had into something more.

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Chris your statement:

 

"What we have in the Black community is a lack of understanding how relationships are built. We hold on to information because we think we lose if we give it away. We also want to be paid for everything, but that's not how it works. There has to be reciprocity for a relationship to work"

 

pretty much sums it up from my perspective. Over the years I've noticed that we all are forced to reinvent the wheel because we don't share from our experiences and repeat the same mistakes. 

 

We also believe business is a zero sum game; that is I only benefit at your expense.  The concept of growing the pie is completely alien.

 

It never occurred to me to contribute to Spike's movie project.  Honestly, he should be contributing to AALBC.com.  Seriously, I've promoted every book he and he wife has ever published and I have published reviews every movie he has made.  There has never been any form or acknowledgement or gratitude.  But this is not unusual, so there are no hard feelings, just the realization that support of wealthy people is rarely reciprocated.  They expect and receive support as if it is owed to them.

 

Fortunately not all authors are like that, as AALBC.com recieves support from NY Times bestselling authors to first time indie authors.  But FAR too often indie authors end up subsidizing the promotion of wealthy authors--which is backward.

 

It is also crucial to emphasize, as you pointed out Chris, that support does not have to come in the form of money.  Indeed nonmonetary support that is even more valuable.  Spreading the word about a website, linking to a website, posting a comment on an article, or even referring someone as a potential client is all very important.  

 

After every Newsletter I'll get an encouraging email from someone who just says, "I love what you are doing," this all helps.  

 

By the way several years ago I did set up a store where folks could buy AALBC.com branded merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/aalbc Over the years I realized people just don't buy the products.  I get a few orders here and there, but not enough to compel me to grow that component beyond what I have set up now.  Occasionally I'll promote the fact that I  offer authors an incentive to buy AALBC.com products, but again nothing substantial enough happens to warrant working this revenue stream more aggressively.

water_bottle.jpgaalbccom_mug.jpg

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When I was talking a store, I meant a real deal store. There is a company named Out of Print (I'm not linking to it) that makes these amazing literary shirts. They have purchased the copyright to classic lit and can make shirts with the books on them. Cafepress styled companies are falling by the wayside because their is nothing personal about slapping a logo onto a shirt. People won't buy that stuff.  However, I have tees and my wife has tees from Out of Print and when I was going to open the art gallery I was going to carry the Black authors items. I have all of the wholesale contact info but I just haven't jumped into that water yet. You however would probably kill with the Invisible Man tee or Their Eyes Were Watching God tee. More important, because all of the authors contact you, you have the ability to offer us a consignment deal. I would autograph copies of books I have in stock and send them to you on consignment in a heartbeat. This is the type of store I'm talking about. Simply based on the amount of people coming through your site having signed copies of books by New Authors is more enticing that what any bookstore could offer and it only cost you the time to pack and ship which doesn't take much time at all if you buy packing materials from U Line.  Cafepress, zazzle, spreadshirt, none of those companies really work. They are too generic and lack soul. They are aren't real pictures. The only reason I can sell a shoe no one has heard of is because I have all of those articles and pictures that show me cleaning the shoes and making boxes. I have pictures of the real thing. There is a basketball shirt that list the starting five of the Bulls championship team. That shirt has been copied a thousand times with Dead Black Leaders.

il_340x270.554927227_b5st.jpg

If you made a tee shirt that read

Hurston & Walker & Angelou & Bambara & Morrison

It would sell. A simple black shirt with white words.

If you had a shirt that read

Ellison & Wright & Baldwin & Hughes & Baraka

It would sell. Shirts have to make you feel something. 

 

As far as the bigger writers supporting they just don't get it and they never will, but during your revamp of the site for the mobile stuff, I do think a store would be very, very beneficial.

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I doubt these companies will go anywhere soon, at least not the market leaders.  It is all software driven.  In the past I might have had to order a few dozen untis to get the price down, but I can buy/sell one AALBC.com mug at a decent price and the mugs are excellent quality.  No labor, storage, shrinkage, returns, or dreaded trips to the post office.  

 

I sold products directly through the website, but I have to have someone else do the work, shipping stuff is not my thing.  I have a buddy that did not mind doing it and he was quite good at it.  The best products are the ones that are exclusive, but those opportunities are very rare now.  Autographed books don't do the trick, if the book is also available from Amazon (even if it is unsigned).

 

Last year, I had a book, signed by the author and at a price LOWER than Amazon's price, but everyone still purchased through Amazon. Maybe if I (AALBC.com) was fulfilling the orders I could have sold some, but the company fulfilling the orders had my endorsement and are reputable...  Maybe what I'll do next time handle the transaction myself and just have the other company drop ship on my behalf.  Matter of fact I will see if they have any of those book in stock.

 

I also put up a tee shirt I though had a cute line, But maybe black tee, white letters, on a Black model, preferably a known author would work.

read_moor_oe_t.jpg?color=BlackWhite

 

 

I'll think about the store I just need a partner to handle the shipping...  

 

I have just started the site redesign and an online store would not take too much additional heavy lifting to implement I just need products.

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Troy, that shirt is wack, lol. The font doesn't work at all, but the words are dope. A better graphic and I think that would sell. You are right though, taking on the process of opening a store would require you to do packing and shipping on a daily basis. It is definitely a job and it would require your attention which could pull you away from your mission. My goal is to introduce ideas for monetizing. 

 

I think the idea of generating money from blogging is a dying art. While I know a lot of people say they are able to not work from blogging or that they are doing well enough to only blog, I don't believe them one bit. When I discuss blogging it is in regard to generating content to gain traffic in order to sell people on something on your site. I think people who run affiliate sites and that is all they do can potentially generate a lot of revenue, but that would be all they would be doing is marketing and getting people to click through.

 

In regard to working with other people to fulfill, I get the concept. Amazon's FBA is a very big business, but in this instance you pack up all of your stuff and send it in to their warehouse. Then they process and ship. Your decision to work with a company and take orders and have someone drop ship was risky and not going to work very well. When running an online store, you have to control the inventory because then you have a vested interest in the product getting out of your hands. When you are drop shipping the need for the product to sell is diminished because you don't see it daily. You have to be in it to run an online store so maybe that isn't the way you go about monetizing. I guess it will take time to figure it out. We are definitely in a different time where I just don't think it's easy to monetize sites anymore.

 

Hey look at Yelp: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/report-yelp-looking-selling-itself-170217974.html

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:lol: Yeah Wack would be one way to describe the tee shirt.

    

I just attended a Blogging conference I don't think I met anyone who claimed to living off blogging.  Many of those speaking seemed to using blogging as a platform to get noticed in the media or as a springboard to better (paid) writing opportunities.

 

Others viewed to be blogging as a passion, they had some personal challenge, say losing weight, and they wanted to share that with the world and where more interested in ideas and commiserating with others (again why it probably skewed female).

 

OF COURSE IT IS HARDER TO MONETIZE WEBSITES TODAY--THAT IS THE POINT OF ALL MY EFFORTS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS, AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT.

 

The emphasis was for other reading this conversation, but not participating.

 

As far as the sale of Yelp that is just another example of a few rich getting richer.  The inherent value of that website and its long term prospects were compromised years ago.

 

Howabout a black tee with this image?

 

biko.jpg

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That shirt is gold!!!! I think it has to be made though. You have to take a chance and produce the goods or it will sit. Online selling takes a lot of time and effort, but I really do feel that AALBC is worth it. Like I said, I would send you books in a heart beat and I'm quite sure every writer on this site would do the same. You simply have to create an e-commerce platform that is personalized. The thing about being small is the personal touch. People will always buy from Amazon, but there are those who are aware and will support independent biz. While I haven't sold a ton of shoes, I have come close to selling 1000 ARCH shoes. I've sold six times as many Nikes, but I've sold ARCHs and if I can do that with an extremely small audience AALBC can change the game with this Huria Blog list and personalize online shop.

 

Oh my reason for bringing up Yelp was to reinforce the fact that no one is making money on these sites except those who are turning money over with each other. In other words, Black folks aren't making money because we don't turn it over with each other.

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Greetings Troy and CD Burns. I'm glad I am able to see your conversation about Black male bloggers. I know of a few, but that's because there are really not that many of us. Off the top, there is Stanley Fritz of Let Your Voice Be Heard, http://www.lyvbh.com/, Mumia Ali of A Voice for Men, http://www.avoiceformen.com/sexual-politics/m-g-t-o-w/a-blue-collar-brotha-apeaks-at-last/, Panama Jackson and Damon Young of Very Smart Brothas, http://verysmartbrothas.com/ . There are a few more, but I think that's a good start.

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Now, as for your bigger conversations about the state of the blogosphere, Troy, I would have to say that you have a point. It definitely is dominated by Black women. That in itself is not a problem in my opinion, but the rarity of Black men blogging is noticeable. I don't know what it would take to change that.

 

Honestly, being in the blogosphere for 6 years, its really difficult to make money off of this. Most bloggers definitely are not making the bulk of their money off blogging. Many will move on to the next thing, whatever that will be.

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Marc, thanks for joining the convo. Blogging, like reading, is a female dominated business. It's neither good or bad, it just is. I think the idea of income generation from my viewpoint is figuring out how to convert those visitors into potential buyers of a service or books, or whatever it is the blogger is pushing. Blogging is primarily a gateway drug. It's an inexpensive method of delivering your thoughts to the people. Do those thoughts have to earn? No, they don't. However, if there is a product associated with the blog, then obviously the goal is getting the people to support that thing.

 

The problem is that the delivery of information is at a point now where it doesn't even reach a conversion point for people who are relatively unknown.  The person who blogs who is a known entity is capable of parlaying that into speaking engagements or book deals, or whatever they like. The person who is not a known entity can spend hours blogging and waiting. I guess the end game is to create content because you feel like doing so and if people eventually catch on and visit then maybe they will continue to come back which could lead to conversion.

 

I guess my overall issue with the blogosphere is that people are not really visiting websites anymore. They spend the majority of their time on Social media and by default this hurts the small bloggers and businesses.

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I'm not certain that men Blog less than women; it may be that we simply get less attention and are less supportive of each other.  

 

As I continue with my Blogger research, I'm sure I'll come to a conclusion that will convince me one way or the other; though right now it appears Black men do Blog less, much less.

 

If it turns out that the vast majority of Bloggers are women, I would disagree that it would be of no consequence.  I think it would be a bad thing.  The Black male perspective is important.  If it is missing we have a problem.  

 

Much of what we see online is dominated by what appeals to youth.  The voices of wiser, more senior people are completely crowed out, as if they don't matter, or even undesirable.  This is a problem too.

 

When I was at Blogger conference recently most of what I was hearing did not resonate, At least two women, during their presentations, mentioned issues dealing with wearing high heeled shoes. Many were wearing flip-flops by the end of the day.  That whole issue of women's feet hurting in shoes is either nonsensical or boring to me; as it would probably be to many men.  The same goes for hair issues, fashion, weight loss, Christian (fill in the blank), etc...

 

Of course I'm not saying these types of Blogs have no place, I'm saying we need masculine Black bloggers and content providers on the web.

 

In a culture where the vast majority of Black men are raised by soley by women, or by a couple where the man was not raised by a man, is anyone confused as to why young Black men are killing each other at such an alarming rates?

 

What does this have to do with the lack of male Bloggers?  What does it have to do with the lack of American born Black in decent coporate jobs and in colleges? What does it have to do with are high rate of incarceration?

 

I dunno, perhaps nothing, but more likely everything.

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