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One to Watch: Om goes Pro

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I promised myself I would not post this week, as im on holiday with my daughter for a few days, but I can’t resist congratulating Om Malik as he turns Pro Blogger and ditches his Business2.0 gig.

I think the move had been coming for a while, but I know it must have been a tough decision as when we last spoke a few weeks back it was still undecided — The plunge has been taken though, and with some VC backing (like Aaron, im a little confused by that) there will most likely be some interesting things coming out of GigaOm in coming months.

Congratulations Om!

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Blog Metrics API 2.0 Released!

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The main feedback we had after the last API announcement was that people wanted to be able to retrieve more detailed information, particularly information on recent visitors. We also were asked questions about how features might be achieved, such as a Google Maps mashup or show most popular links, etc. Our aim for this release of the API was to add additional functions that hopefully meet those needs while also being a jumping off point for many other cool ideas.

We would love to hear from you if you do produce something with our Metrics API, you might get your moment of fame on the Performancing homepage plus we have a page in the handbook to promote your Metrics services, blog plugins and tools.

As always, refer to the API handbook for reference but now I will go through the new functions and what they do.

New API Functions

  • getgeodetails – Returns which countries your visitors are coming from and their percentage of total, eg. USA: 65%
  • getpagedetails – Returns detailed information for a specified URL, such as views, clicked links, referrers, comments etc
  • getvisitordetails – Returns detailed information for visitors such as IP, language, browser, resolution, etc plus the pages they visited

Do have a play with these new functions, particularly the last two are very powerful as you will see when you start using them. I’m sure you will be able to think of some very interesting applications for them …

There are also two changes that have been made

  1. You do not need to go through the Auth process if the blog is setup in Metrics to have public stats
  2. Many functions that return repeated rows now have a “Limit” parameter that allows you to limit how many rows are returned

Example Code

The following example returns a list of the most popular links for a particular page of your blog.

“, ““))
{
if(!strstr(GetElementByName($node, ““),$domain)) $links[GetElementByName($node, ““)] = intval(GetElementByName($node, ““, ““));
$data = substr($data, $pos);
}

/*
** sort the array
*/
arsort($links);

/*
** output the array as a list
*/
foreach($links as $name=>$value)
{
print “

  • $name #$value”;
    }

    /*
    ** function to return a specific XML element contents by name
    */
    function GetElementByName(&$xml, $start, $end) {
    global $pos;
    $startpos = strpos($xml, $start);
    if ($startpos === FALSE) {
    return FALSE;
    }
    $endpos = strpos($xml, $end);
    $endpos = $endpos + strlen($end);
    $pos = $endpos;
    $endpos = $endpos – $startpos;
    $endpos = $endpos – strlen($end);
    $tag = substr($xml, $startpos, $endpos);
    $tag = substr($tag, strlen($start));
    return $tag;
    }

    ?>

    First we set the start and end dates, domain, url and how many links we want returning. With that information we can go to the API and grab our XML.

    The information we want is embedded in a series of “Link” tags, we want the “URL” and “Clicks” data and place them in an array. To get at these specific pieces of information I use a function called GetElementByName. If you wanted to display everything returned from the XML you might find it more efficient to just process it as you read it.

    Once we have our array we can sort it, my preference is for descending, and loop through the array either processing it or in the above example just output it straight to the user.

    Over to you!

    Already you have produced some great apps, modules and plugins, as I say above, our hope is that you will take these functions and really surprise us all.

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    • Why NoFollow Was A Failure

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    A year and a half ago, i wrote a long post explaining why nofollow would not work, so it’s no great surprise to be proved right. This hasn’t just happened, it’s not suddenly stopped working: It never worked, and has only had the predicted detrimental effect on the web and the way we link.

    Jeremy, a top bod in Yahoo! Search, who also supported this ludicrous idea, points to this post that lays the blame solidly at Google’s door. Im pretty sure I said so at the time, but if not, let me repeat my thoughts here: NoFollow was a “this will shut them up”, ill thought out, knee-jerk bandaid hurredly implemented to get bloggers and blog vendors off of Google/Yahoo’s back.

    It could never work. As dylan points out, the economics of blog spam are that it is CHEAP to spam comments, and spammers don’t care if some of their efforts are in vain because it costs virtually nothing.

    Since its enthusiastic adoption a year and a half ago, by Google, Six Apart, WordPress, and of course the eminent Dave Winer, I think we can all agree that nofollow has done … nothing. Comment spam? Thicker than ever. It’s had absolutely no effect on the volume of spam. That’s probably because comment spammers don’t give a crap, because the marginal cost of spamming is so low.

    Spot on.

    Jeremy actually has the best advice I’ve seen regarding linking, particularly in the context of nofollow from a Search rep:

    Look. Linking is part of what makes the web work. If you’re actually concerned about every link you make being counted in some global database of site endorsements, you’re probably over-thinking just a bit. Life’s too short for that, ya know? Link and be linked to. Let the search engines sort it out.

    Really, that’s a breath of fresh air.

    Google, and Yahoo, Knew this Wouldn’t Work

    Remember I called this a bandaid? More precisely it was a PR bandaid, hastily slapped on during a crisis when no real answers were forthcoming (not ones that would be popular anyway). I find it impossible to believe that Search reps like Google’s Matt Cutts, NoFollows most ardent supporter, and Yahoo’s Jeremy Zawodny really believed this would work.

    When Search pundits like Danny Sullivan point out that it’s a non solution, aswell as a host of other Search bloggers (some of whom are linked from this thread), why is it that GOOG/YHOO were the only ones who couldn’t see it?

    Note that the people saying this wouldn’t work are as enthusiastic, and as knowlegable about Search as most Search reps.

    The only people that believed this was a solution other than the engines, (who as i’ve said, were only paying lip service) were a bunch of folks who didn’t understand Search or the economics of blog spam.

    Can we have some real debate on solutions now? Is it time yet? Or do we need to hear a few more fairy tales first?

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    Announcing Performancing Launchpad

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    Today, we’re pleased to unveil a new service that allows people to post new gadgets, plugins, services, sites and blogs aimed at the blogging community. Performancing Launchpad will be a great place to get your service or product peer reviewed by the Performancing audience, and kickstart a launch aimed at bloggers.

    How it Works

    If you’re launching a new service or site aimed at bloggers, take a look at the Launchpad Guidelines then simply hit Create Content over on the right, and choose launchpad. Fill in the form, and away you go!

    Who Is It For?

    Launchpad is for anyone creating something cool for bloggers. It would suit the web2.0 crowd, aswell as new sites aimed at bloggers. It would be ideal for new plugins, and services that add value for bloggers in general.

    If you’re unsure of whether your service fits the bill, you’re welcome to email me or Chris anytime (nick@, chris@).

    Kicking It Off

    Good friend of Performancing Chris Matthieu from Numly has been kind enough to kick the new service off prior to official launch, with a Launchpad for his new product Bookfob, so that should give you an idea of how it works.

    All feedback gratefully received, and of course we’re all looking forward to seeing what you’re making out there!

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    Why Micropayments and Donation Biz Models SUCK

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    The news that Kottke ditched the donations biz model he started a year ago comes as little surprise. At the time, I posted that I hoped he had a better plan than that and was none too kind about the whole ludicrous idea of expecting readers to support a blogger for just blogging. I don’t take any great delight in seeing Jason fail, I don’t know him, but Im certainly glad to be able to point to a great example of the models failure. Maybe now we can drop that silly line of reasoning once and for all.

    We have talked about models where one would pay to get into the archives of a particularly useful blogs content, and indeed it seems to work well for some, but that’s a very different model to simply holding out your hand and hoping enough pennies come your way to feed the family.

    Maybe it’s just me, though i suspect not, that finds the idea of the donation button repulsive?

    Gettin’ Creative

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    I’m usually all numbers and Adsense and affiliate links yada yada yada, if you haven’t figured it out by now (and some people have) let me spell it out for you: I’m not very creative.

    But Perfomancing member Cigar Jack is.

    I’ve put together a flyer that says “You’ve Been Jacked” and sending it out with a few cigars to different people on cigar websites. The rules on the flyer ask that they replace two of the four cigars and either hand it off or mail it to another cigar smoker. It encourages them to log on to my site to find out where the package has been.

    This is the kind of out of the box thinking that rarely ever comes to me. And when it does, I usually try to ‘crunch the numbers’ in my head, and probably over-conservatively, talk myself out of it. This is a major weakness.

    In keeping with my uncreativity, I’d like to suggest there are three levels of execution in this game:

    • Creativity + little elbow grease — have some fun maybe, make a pittance
    • A lot of elbow grease + little creativity — make a decent living, but not getting [really] rich (I’m here!)
    • Creativity + a lot of elbow grease — at this level, several years in the game can net you seven figures

    So what do yah’ll think of Cigar Jack’s idea? And what other creative marketing campaigns have you done? Discuss at Performancing forums: Word of Mouth Promotion

    Handling Hate

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    Chris posted on the dangers of revealing personal info on your blog. I’d like to explore the issue of negativity a bit further: a surefire indicator that you’ve made your mark in the blogosphere is that you receive hate. What is it, why does it happen, what to do about it?

    What I mean by hate

    When I use the term “hate” I mean any type of negative language that is not meant in a constructive spirit; for instance, if someone says “Gee Andy I thought this Handling Hate post was a bit boring, I wish you would go back to the Monetization Makover series”, that would not qualify as hate.

    What would qualify as hate:

    • Consistent trollish comments meant to degrade, hurt feelings, slander, etc.
    • Name calling / hate posts which go beyond disagreeing with your ideas and instead ridicule your religion, appearence, sexual orientation, etc.
    • Certainly any type of threat or violence (although keep in mind if something reaches this point it is time to call the police AND your personal attorney)

    Why does it happen?

    • For some reason people say and do things on the Internet that they would never do or say in the real life.
    • Jealousy: however hard you work to make something a success, you can be assured that others will try just as hard to tear it down. The beauty is, if you’ve built something truly good, no amount of hate is going to bring it down (although it may hurt your feelings).
    • Stupid kids: I also think a lot of it comes down to the matuirty level of much of the blogosphere. I suppose it mirrors the Real World: it just isn’t that high. Further, there are a lot of teens and young’ens on the Net who may not know exactly where the “line” is (I know that when I first got on the Net, I sure didn’t).

    The funny part is, I think the more successful you are, the more hate you get. Usually (*exceptions) if you’re getting hate, you’re doing something right.

    What to do about hate

    To me this question does not have one answer; it depends on the situation you’re in and what type of hate you’re getting.

    • Constructive hate: this is the best type of hate. Someone tells you how to make your blog better, without attacking you. In fact this isn’t really hate at all! How I’d react: read their criticism (with a grain of salt), and possibly act on it.
    • Good-spirited hate: hate that pokes fun at you but isn’t really mean spirited (e.g., parody). How I’d react: Either ignore it, or participate/reply (showing you have a sense of humor and humility will usually win you more fans). Again, this doesn’t really qualify as hate.
    • Comment trollers: How I’d react: If they do it once, moderate their comment as you please. If they do it twice (or thrice, or whatever threshold you like), ban their IP, as well as username (if applicable). Remember it’s your blog and you can do as you like!
    • Slanderers: If someone states something untrue about you, which they know to be untrue, with the intent to do you harm, you may have a legal case (in the USA, at least). No I don’t think you should use the legal system to solve all of your problems but if it’s slander that’s harming your biz, you should definitely act.
    • Name callers / racists / personal insulters: This one is a judgement call. If you think the person is an ***hole but harmless, you may wish to highlight their behavior (without namecalling back); you’ll be surprised just how many readers will come to your defense, and the hater may lose some reputation. However depending on the seriousness of the hate/insult, you may wish to do any of the following: ignore the hate; (if the language is very offensive) send an email complaint to their Web host; or if it’s really bad see the next point…
    • Threateners / weirdos / stalkers: You never know about people, esp. on the Net. There are a LOT of crazies out there. Don’t take any chances. Seriously. If someone has threatened you, it is time to call the police AND your personal attorney.

    Personal reflections on hate

    In the past I’ve gotten some hate and haven’t reacted very well. In hindsight, yes, I wish I would’ve handled things differently. I’ve also hated on people more than I should have (though I’ve never gone “too far” of course).

    Part of it was that I was young & foolish, and part of it is that when it happens to you for the first few times, it really blindsides you, and you’re not sure how to react. Sometimes I just reacted too fast, when I probably should have “slept on it” before replying / posting / emailing.

    But burnt hand teaches best. These days, when I see something like this, I’m less inclined to think “those bastards!!” and more inclined to think “Wow I’m in great company there” instead, and have a quiet laugh.

    (As I side note, I find it odd that this poll has only received 12 votes to date, either it’s turning most members off from participating, or that forum just isnt very popular.)

    Search Engine Friendly Redirects

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    While we talk a lot about how you should build your blog for people not search engines, of course many bloggers do want to get lots of search traffic. This post will help you fix common mistakes that causes Google to stumble on your content.

    There are two problems with Google that have frustrated webmasters for a little while.

    The first is the issue where Google sees links to www.domain.com and domain.com and thinks they are two sites with duplicated content. And Google doesn’t like duplicate content, oh no it doesn’t. D’oh!

    If someone wants to create problems for your blog or website they can just link to the version of your URL that you do not commonly use. This can get you indexed and cause you problems. No guarantees but do you want to take the risk?

    Another way a competitor can cause you problems is to use a temporary redirect to link to your content. In many cases these are put in place perfectly innocently, they are easier on many platforms than permanent redirects and are often done just to count clicks. Problem is Google can see the redirecting site as owning the content (and therefore the rankings) rather than the target site. D’oh again.

    The solution to both is to use permanent redirects.

    If you are moving a blog from one site to another, or just changing the folder structure, perhaps a blog software change, you need to put in place permanent redirects too. This tells search engine spiders that they should treat inbound links to the old URLs as valid links to the new URLs. As you know, links are important in search rankings so you want to keep as many as possible.

    301 permanent redirect in .htaccess

    If you use Apache then you should be able to redirect using your .htaccess file. Now, being a Microsoft fanboy I am not too much of an expert in the old Apache business but even I can manage this little bit of magic, here is the code to use


    RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.domain.com
    RewriteRule (.*) http://domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

    This redirects using a 301 permanent redirect any request for the www. version to the non-www version of the URL. Just replace domain.com with your domain name.

    PHP 301 permanent redirect

    PHP can perform permanent redirects too by sending the 301 moved permanently header.

    If you want to redirect a single page you just need the two header lines and change the location: URL to your target.

    Summary

    This is a “just the facts” summary of the issues, you can read more about the Google problem at threadwatch, stuntdubl has a list of more articles on performing redirects on his blog.