A Serious Note
Sorry to disappoint you, but this will not be another episode of A Smithy's Life.
I am seriously considering quitting this blog.
I love writing these stories. I probably laugh more than you do reading them. They're every weird, funny thought Ihave during the day put into story form, and I just love doing it.
But recent events have taken some of that joy away.
I was running ads on the top of both of my blogs to generate some additional revenue. It was not a lot of money, but it made the blog feel all the more worthwhile. Like I was making money doing something that I honestly enjoyed.
It was never about the money to begin with. I've been writing humor stories and posts on countless forums for years. These blogs simply offered a new outlet for my creativity. These blogs were just another way for me to entertain my fellow FFXI players and, hopefully, bring them a much deserved laugh.
They money was, however, cool. It felt like a form of feedback really on howmany people checked my blog each day. My funnier days, I seemed to generate more clicks. It was something I could use to understand how you liked or disliked the days update. As well, the ads didn't cost my readers anything.
The company that delivered those ads, however, has decided that I was attempting to generate false revenue by inflating the clicks on my ads. At least, that's what I got from the form letter e-mail I received telling me that all the money I had earned was being taken away for no apparent reason.
I've gone through the appeal process with no success. They've refused to give me any idea why my account is being closed or any proof of impropriety. Basically, it amounts to they have the money so they can take it away.
Unfortunately, this entire situation has left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It's kind of hard to come up with funny ideas after someone basically accuses you of cheating and then takes $100 on you.
As of right now, I don't know what's going to happen. I feel cheated and mistreated. I also don't really feel like being funny right now.
You never know. Maybe tomorrow, I'll wake up and feel like writing again. I really hope so.
If not, I'm glad you enjoyed this blog and I'm glad I was able to make your day just a little brighter for such a short time.
Remember, I'll always hate you.
-Goblin Smithy
I am seriously considering quitting this blog.
I love writing these stories. I probably laugh more than you do reading them. They're every weird, funny thought Ihave during the day put into story form, and I just love doing it.
But recent events have taken some of that joy away.
I was running ads on the top of both of my blogs to generate some additional revenue. It was not a lot of money, but it made the blog feel all the more worthwhile. Like I was making money doing something that I honestly enjoyed.
It was never about the money to begin with. I've been writing humor stories and posts on countless forums for years. These blogs simply offered a new outlet for my creativity. These blogs were just another way for me to entertain my fellow FFXI players and, hopefully, bring them a much deserved laugh.
They money was, however, cool. It felt like a form of feedback really on howmany people checked my blog each day. My funnier days, I seemed to generate more clicks. It was something I could use to understand how you liked or disliked the days update. As well, the ads didn't cost my readers anything.
The company that delivered those ads, however, has decided that I was attempting to generate false revenue by inflating the clicks on my ads. At least, that's what I got from the form letter e-mail I received telling me that all the money I had earned was being taken away for no apparent reason.
I've gone through the appeal process with no success. They've refused to give me any idea why my account is being closed or any proof of impropriety. Basically, it amounts to they have the money so they can take it away.
Unfortunately, this entire situation has left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It's kind of hard to come up with funny ideas after someone basically accuses you of cheating and then takes $100 on you.
As of right now, I don't know what's going to happen. I feel cheated and mistreated. I also don't really feel like being funny right now.
You never know. Maybe tomorrow, I'll wake up and feel like writing again. I really hope so.
If not, I'm glad you enjoyed this blog and I'm glad I was able to make your day just a little brighter for such a short time.
Remember, I'll always hate you.
-Goblin Smithy
posted by Goblin Smithy at 8:55 PM
23 Comments:
Um... do they want letters of commendation or something? Isn't the ad service run by Google? Is there somewhere we can write in your support?
Actually, why don't you just switch to Amazon's ads or their Honor System instead? It's less offensve (you pick what you want to advertise and you know there won't ever be any Gil Sellers) and/or you could just do a paybox so people can give you money through Amazon or buy stuff for you from your wishlist. Screw Google, if they don't want your funny.
Yeah, seriously.
If you have enough of a following on these blogs that they think you're generating false traffic, give us an email address for the ad service.
When all that "false traffic" starts sending them email from legitimate email addresses they might think twice.
Gah... so stupid, I can't edit my comments.
Amazon Associates: http://associates.amazon.com
Amazon Honor System:
go to http://www.amazon.com and scroll aaaaaallllllll the way down to the bottom and click on 'Join Honor System.'
Amazon ads are paid when people purchase products, not that stupid and abusable method of paying for clicks.
I've used amazon ads and they send you a nice check or direct deposit money quarterly.
Under their banner ads, you can select "Easy Links" to get updated content driven from their side so you don't have to go back and build specific links all the time.
You can also customize whatever you want, like make ads specifically for FFXI and post those into your blogger template.
Amazon will treat you nicely. If you ever have a problem, you call them and they fix it and apologize.
Please don't let the jerks at Google ads make you stop. It seemed to me that you were doing this because you enjoyed it, not that you were doing it for money.
Please dont stop, dont stop mr goblin, I need a daily face stab!
i can see why you would have a sour taste in your mouth... i definitely would as well. if i were you, every time i logged in to blog, i'd be pissed for a few weeks, lol.
enjoy your time off, if u really enjoyed it, you'll pick it up again, but don't let those mf's hold smithy down.
I am very sorry to hear about what has been going on. It seems that the majority of companies have been trying to screw their consumers and customers out of things lately. I surely hope that people respond to this post in particular, because this blog has brought me many laughs and keeps me smiling on those bad days (including the shit I go through in FFXI on a regular basis). If you want to really get at the company you are dealing with, you could always ask readers of this blog to sign a petition. I'm sure that there are plenty of readers out there that will openly support you. It's not right for things to end like this. One should never have to walk away from a project or something the love and be angry. I would just like to conclude by saying that I wish you luck and really hope you come back to write more.
Awwww, I feel so bad. I found this and spread it to my LS. They all love it and a few of us read it daily for the awesome laughs. You're very creative and I hope that you keep it up. If a petition is the way to go, I will be more than happy to get you 40-50 votes through my online friends, RL friends, and LS.
I hope all goes well for you!
I deeply feel for you. The things that have happened to you, were done unfairly. All writers, no matter the outlet, magazines, novels, comics, Blogs, all of us, we need breaks from time to time.
I've seriously enjoyed the humor you have shared with us from day to day.
Take a week or two off, and then see how you feel. Perhaps, you'll find that google's mopinions are really just a drop in the bucket compared to the loyalty of fans.
I sincerly hope you will return.
Fauxylady.
Yanno, this hits a little harder to me than it would to most readers. Mostly 'cause I know the Goblin behind the mask. (Please, keep the mask on. D: )
Seriously dude. If anything, listen to some of the suggestions here and run with'em. never know how far you'll get 'till you try. Believe me.
The blog thing has become a HUGE thing, prolly bigger than you thought it would. And I *know* you enjoy it. Maybe take a break, chase down the ad-mongers, beat them with the business end of your knife and get the funny going again.
I know what it's like to not feel like being funny. :/ You update almost every day. I update my comic 3 times a week. Losing the funny isn't, well... fun.
Good luck, man.
ooooohhhh gobling smity u can't go! my husband and LOVE reading ur blog. we love the laughs. dont' let other people steal ur happiness. come back to us.
I'd like to second (or third) what people said about an alternate way of making sure you'd get paid for this. Do a Paypal link. Do a Amazon link. Do *something* that lets us show our appreciation to you in a concrete sort of way, if we choose to do so!
I promise, you'll make a *lot* more from that than you could have with the Other Guys.
And, nobody will be paying anything unless they *want* to. You'll just be setting up a system to enable those who do, to do so.
just another "people actually come here and read this stuff" vote.
I killed Smithy last night. He had to fill in for a goblin in Rollinberry fields. That's what this is really all about. He got his subligar all in a bunch because a level 25mnk/war walked up to him Provoked him by insulting his momma and then ran away (I always run). One of these days Smithy is going to learn not to follow. Don’t get me wrong, I know what he is thinking. Lowbie Galka that insults his mother must die, but really Smithy, this wasn’t about your mother. It was about you and a chance for me to show off to my LVL 25 BLM/WHM friend. Oh I didn’t mention him earlier? Sorry about that, I wasn’t trying to be rude.
So here I am running away. I get some good distance on Smithy since he is a little slow and all I can hear is him complaining about his subligar chafing his unmentionables. He rounds the corner just in time to see “…uses one hundred fists.” You see, this kill was as I said, about showing off. Smithy should have been the one to run.
The great Smithy killed by a couple of lowbies. The next morning I wake up to read about it in the blog and he has gone and quit. Smithy come back, next time I want to death warp from Juno as a level 1 whm/blm I promise I’ll give you first swing.
you need to stay. i'm kinda lame so this right here is one of the main things i look forward to in my day to read your rants, it made XI seem so much more fun to me because everything you make fun of in here is true.
Taking the advice of several posters, I put a Paypal donation button at the top of the blog. I'm researching other ad services, as well, so it's all good.
I do not expect anyone to donate. I'm not that funny. But if you guys keep coming back, I'll try to keep writing.
P.S. I still hate you.
Dude, did you think I would suggest a paypal link and then not toss you a few gil when you posted on?
That'd be like those people who /shout offering dog biscuits for a teleport and then when the white mage invites them into a party, they forget they just said they'd pay 5000 gil.
Also, dude, chicks find big tippers unstoppably cod.
They are Nazis!
There is something worse that feeding these a-holes to one of GM Dave's dragons, sic a lawyer on them. Gobby, if you are interested in some Pro Bono (free) help, let me know. duncanseven@hotmail.com I hate corporate pricks much more than I hate you.
And I hate you a lot!
I believe Goblin Smithy is also the Author of GM-Dave's Blog, this post is exactly word for word to GM-Dave's post when he attempted to run Ad's on his site.
{Hmmm.}
Good work, keep it up though.
this is the almost exact post from the [GM]Dave blog. except the names are changed to goblinsmithy. you are obviously after money. you are pathetic. you are definately not a GM. i did like your blogs until i read this second "serious note". I STRONGLY URGE EVERYONE NOT TO GIVE THIS PERSON MONEY, HE IS DOING IT PURELY FOR THE MONEY AND IN NO WAY IS ANYONE CHARGING HIM MONEY FOR ADVERTISING, NOR HAVE I SEEN ANY ADVERTISING ON HIS BLOG ANYWAY.
this is the same person as the one above. here is the link to the other blog scam this guy runs:
http://bannable-offenses.blogspot.com/2006/04/serious-note.html
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