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Adult Webmaster Interaction: Message Boards & Radio
by Max Zambrano, AdultChamber.com
There are a number of ways that Adult Webmasters can interact and
network with one another online. Although there are advantages to
using message boards, IRC and real time chat applications, as well
as webmaster radio and contests, it is easy to lose sight of the big
picture when so many distractions and temptations exist.
Knowing the basic etiquette of webmaster interaction online can make
you appear more professional and respectful of your peers, thereby
increasing your reputation as someone with whom others will want to
do business. But just as there are advantages, there can be disadvantages,
and knowing what to look out for and what to avoid can give every
newbie and experienced webmaster a competitive edge when it comes
to time management and productive relationships with other webmasters.
Message Board Action
Message Boards and Webmaster Forums have been spreading like wildfire,
diluting the professional webmaster resource marketplace that exists
to share knowledge and promote personal growth. More and more often,
the message boards end up as places to clone messages, making you
appear as a "spammer" to the smaller boards and similarly when cross
posting at the larger and more popular boards. How many different
opinions do webmasters really need? How often are these shared opinions
and knowledge put to use? And even more intriguing is the still large
number of "lurkers," or people who visit a board regularly but do
not post.
With over 150 adult webmaster boards from which to choose, where you
spend your time often defines the specific group of webmasters (I
hate to say "clique") with whom you will share information and with
whom you will most likely end up networking at shows and gatherings.
Where to Post
The anatomy of a message board that deserves your time can be easily
identified once you know what to look for. In most cases the board
administrator and moderators will be the most informed and experienced,
post frequently, and are usually well known for knowledge in one or
more specific areas of the Adult Internet Industry.
Take a look at the number of members on the board, and if available,
scroll through the list of members who post most frequently. Get to
know them by viewing their profiles, should you end up in conversation
with them. Also take a look at the total number of posts to the board
and how long it has been in operation. Oftentimes if a board has been
around awhile and you are considering posting a question, do a search
for keywords related to your question to see if it has been answered
or conversed about recently. Many times you can find the information
you need via a search, faster than posting and waiting for replies.
Experienced webmasters tend to only post on boards that are visited
by webmasters they know. These webmasters may have met at the adult
Internet shows, or simply stayed on a board long enough to establish
friendships during the sharing of knowledge. Although it is a good
idea to maintain relationships with those webmasters with whom you
already interact, it's also a good idea to spread yourself around
a bit. By getting to learn new people from different areas of the
Adult Internet community, you can tap into new sources of information
and money making opportunities. For example, although you may post
most frequently at XBiz, don't be afraid to get to know the people
at Adult Chamber's AdultWebmasterHangout.com and at the YnotMasters
Chat Boards. For webmasters, these professional boards may compete
for your attention but would never force you to decide between one
over another.
How to Post
If you are new to posting on boards, don't be shy! Start a topic introducing
yourself, such as on the AWHangout's Webmaster Playground thread "Introduce
Yourself," or by starting your own thread. You will be surprised how
the boards and their members warmly welcome new posters. Let people
know who you are, what sites you have, your experience on the 'Net,
your specialty (skills), and a little bit about yourself - such as
your history in the business. This is a polite way of letting others
know you are there and what you do.
Use this opportunity to set up your signature file (sig file). Your
sig file can be a very powerful tool for promotion, and the main reason
why many webmasters post on the boards - free advertising. Here you
can promote the company you work for or site you own, links to any
webmaster programs you may run, or select a webmaster sponsor program
with which you have had success. Use the sig file as an area of promotion
by which you can either represent your company or make money by referring
webmasters to your program of choice.
A Sig File should include a few primary elements. Start with a nice
banner, typically 120x60, to represent the company you work for, or
your Web site. Add your name, position, company and multiple ways
to contact you which may include e-mail, ICQ, AIM, or phone number.
Consider using a signature file for all your e-mail communications
in order to increase your visibility with webmasters.
There is a new program out for webmasters who wish to sell their signature
file ad space, called SigSwap.com. SigSwap gives webmasters 1 credit
for every 2 times their exchanged signature file is viewed. Paying
$1.00 for every 5,000 impressions, webmasters can either earn money
or ad credits to get their banners more exposure in other shared sig
file spaces. Exchanged spaces can be bought for those wishing to explore
low cost advertising to adult webmasters.
Make sure to read the rules of each board for instructions pertaining
to signature files, such as acceptable number of lines, banner sizes,
and acceptable content.
Once your profile and signature is set up, be sure to consider certain
elements of privacy. If you publicly post your e-mail address, you
are inviting spam. Consider linking your contact information in your
signature to your board profile or your Web site's "Contact Us" page.
Most message boards offer a mechanism for members to contact one another
without revealing the members e-mail address to the sender. This is
designed to keep e-mail harvesters from spamming board members, and
it's a good idea to take advantage of it. Also, consider things like
your location settings. If you do not want to reveal your exact location,
have some fun with this line! Rather than saying you live in "New
York City," put "City that Never Sleeps," or whatever your creative
mind can come up with.
Most boards allow the webmaster to use an 80x80 image, known as an
Avatar. When selecting an Avatar there are a few questions you may
want to ask yourself depending on your position in the industry. If
you work for a company that caters to adult webmasters, or are well
known in name, post your picture in your Avatar so others will recognize
you at shows and gatherings. In such a faceless work environment,
it feels good to be recognized by other members at trade shows. However,
if you are a cam girl, want to hide your face and real name, or simply
do not want to post a picture, again, have some fun! Put the logo
of your best site, favorite cartoon character, or animal.
Finally, if you have any questions about acceptable use and conduct,
contact the board administrator. If you are not sure where to post
your press release or news, or wish to post an announcement on the
main board rather than the "Spam" section, ask! You will be surprised
how much leverage you can gain by simply being professional about
it.
PART TWO: Some
Things to Avoid
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