Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Hearing Aids Types — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:15:12 -0000

CAN Wordpress sue them???

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Elevic Pernis — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:47:24 -0000

I love Word Press Direct. I mean I got a paid webhosting service, and I am having a Hard time using Word press with it, although I could use it in the free version.

Wordpress direct takes care of the hassle.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Tony — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:35:57 -0000

WPD is for sh!t. I tried it on both the free 30DC arena and the paid silver version. Sure it puts up a lot of content, but it is crap content. If that is how you want to roll, knock yourself out.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Nick — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:51:24 -0000

Marty Rozmanith has always been a man of not just solid integrity, but also of good sense and of course esteemed technical ability. His move today to "turn off" the spam getteling gun to 9000 unpaid users is a wonderful gesture.

On his blog, Marty wondered if this would be enough to placate the mob. I'm sure Marty must realize that it WILL solve the issue! After all... think about it... 9000 users!!! Why do 9000 flies land on a piece of dung? Huh? Because it's free and it smells good to them!

The quality users who are serious about internet marketing will pay for Marty's great service. And in doing so they will use is wisely because they know how hard it is to do well and to get ranking and quality scores. They know too that it would only be a matter of time before Google slapped them otherwise.

Marty... we won't use your age against you. It was a logical thing to try. Most thinking marketers do appreciate your skill and your company. With the riff raff out of there, I might just try WPD for a few of my blogs. I'm sure you will get others too... who wish to belong to good professional organizations.

Thanks for your efforts!
Cheers...
Nick

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

DeeDee — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:19:01 -0000

Just to provide some balance here, I looked up what I could find as a response to this attack on Wordpress Direct. Read what Marty from Wordpress Direct said about this on another blog:
http://www.plagiarismtoday....

To quote him:
"If you spam your own blog, using our stuff or anybody else's you are a fool. You will be de-indexed by Google and then nobody will notice your well-written content."

So, I think there is way too much uninformed content about what the creator's intentions were with this blogging tool.

Hearing both sides of this issue makes for a better discussion!

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Elizabeth — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:45:25 -0000

To me this is cheating at its best. All you're doing is spreading the same content around, where's the value in that? Assuming that if someone is looking to build wealth online by creating their own internet business, this isn't the way to do it.

Creating a blog built on the efforts of others doesn't offer value, it siimply promotes stolen content and spamming.

Building a business online is not the same as simply making money online. Anyone can make a few dollars selling something but if you want to build wealth on a consistent, long term basis it's goint to take more than a blog that just pulls in information from what's already out there.

I advocate having an online career. If you just want to make money online, then perhaps Wordpress Direct might get you a few ad clicks but it won't build you long term wealth or help you establish a thriving online career.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

DeeDee — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:42:29 -0000

Agreed... the newbies are likely to create even more useless pages on the internet. I don't think this is encouraged by Ed Dale (I've followed the last 2 of his 30 Day Challenges) and I remember him cautioning people from writing "spammy" material which won't get you anywhere. But even if he teaches how things should be done, many of the people taking the challenge are probably not hearing that.

I believe that there is no real problem with badly done blogs because they just won't get indexed by search engines, the people who do that kind of thing won't do the "real" work to be found online or be successful, so they will just disappear eventually (to be replaced by the next batch, hehe)

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Nick — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:18:01 -0000

Good Point DeeDee,
That's how I'd like to see it used for sure. The problem arises when people like Ed Dale round up newbie's by the herds and market WPD in precisely the wrong way. I monitored 30 Day Challenge during that time. You wouldn't believe the number of newbies that poured over this feature. But with questions like, "what's a domain?" I realized they weren't getting too far. Many of them couldn't even set up WPD themselves... and it's pretty much auto pilot! Think of the mess unleashing several hundred of these guys on the net! There goes the pollution scale.

For me... it's like having 200 "nig nogs" move onto your street who own 30 year old cars that pollute!

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

DeeDee — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:31:49 -0000

You are totally correct that if you used WPD or any other autoblogging system and don't create any unique content, you will fail (and I hope all that do that DO fail). But I still think having a tool to help you find relevant content to post isn't so bad.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Nick — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:11:32 -0000

The difference is that Associated Press reporters all have a rule book called "The AP Style Guide" which is about 260 pages long and prescribes how they will behave. It addresses ethics and lays down the rules for writing in a multicultural universe. WPD is like having a kid rid along in your car in the back seat ...eating junk food and tossing the bottles and wrapper out of the window!! It highly pollutive. It's about creating an information coordinate on the back of some one else's work. It leads unknowing citizens to actually think the dipstick using it actually knows something.

What it IS... is expedient. You can't wait. You think you HAVE to post. You decide to use WPD. Now you told the world you're a lazy sod who is quite willing to lower his/her standards for the sake of an expedient post.

Sure.. it will work for a while. But you will fail. And sadly... as you froth up about this issue, you know I am right. Your position is not defensible. I'm sorry.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Dee — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:06:15 -0000

What is the difference between what WordPress Direct does (lets users find articles and videos to add) than what every news site online does when they automatically add the AP wire news?

It is just like copying and pasting articles from ezinearticles, only Wordpress Direct has a tool to help you insert them.

WPD has definitely over-hyped what the auto blogging features are. They are not all that spammy. I know of many more tools made by other companies that are far worse.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Nick — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:46:37 -0000

Say what you want about it. The fact of the matter is that it exists and its real effect upon Internet Marketing will be to devalue overall content. Technically, it should be classified as a "SPLOG". The day Google figures out how to filter "SPLOGS" - It will die. Once search requests begin to clutter up page 1 of Google, you will see a change.

In the meantime, if you use WPD for THAT purpose - to auto post content, then you are a loser. I am not opining here, I am merely describing a fact. In a court of law, you would have handed the prosecution a "prima facia" case. Ultimately you will fail as an internet marketer. You will fail because you are not willing, or perhaps capable, of putting in the hard work it takes to learn the business from the ground up. You are uncreative and lacking in wisdom. You couldn't write Ad Copy if your life depended upon it. You can't even write two line on who your market is. You've never actually looked "ethics" up in the dictionary. And you couldn't engage in a conversation that lasted more than two sentences.

I am sad for you. You're not intelligent enough to attend valuable seminars; you're not capable of understanding abstract concepts. You'll bleed to death on $27 ebook purchases. Your wife flogs you to death over it. You want desperately to get out of your day job, and you'll do just about anything to accomplish that.

You're angry now - reading this post - because you see yourself in these lines. If your exceeding stupid, you're mad at me for pointing out the facts. Either way... it sucks to be you right now.

Take heart however, the light at the end of the tunnel has NOT been shut off. Stop using sites that operate like this. Join the community of Internet Marketers who are mostly VERY willing to help you! There are some extremely nice people in this business. Start reading. Start learning how to use your computer. It does not take long.

Most of all realize this. Instant gain never lasts long. If you want to make a living in this business, you really must do the work at some point.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Maher Dosoqi — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:26:29 -0000

Thousands of great ideas & happy thoughts jumped into my mind while reading the first couple of lines.. Until reading the next paragraph!

This sounds Lame & Unethical.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Martin Andelman — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:09:08 -0000

Oh my God. I'm not entirely sure which aspect bothers me more, and there are so many from which to choose.

Obviously, there's the whole stealing thing, which is to be abhorred and I suppose handled by at least seemingly aggressive tactics, such that an author can afford. But my second reaction was even more icky.

Like as in: Here's an idea... Why doesn't someone invent a technology that people could use to build their own symphony by entering parameters and having software go retrieve the required instrumental components. "I love the tympani player from the NY Phil, and you just have to use the cellist from the Pacific Symphony... he's even better if you speed him up a bit."

Or what about a site that would allow the creation of masterpieces for your own online art museum? Say a Picasso or a Monet. Maybe you could enter at which stage of deterioration you'd like to set Monet's eyesight as the software helps you "create your very own work of art in minutes for free. Upgrade to GOLD and access the Enlightenment".

In either case, it occurs to me that the elements being "retrieved" would not even have to be real. The cello could be synthesized and the art could be picked up from copies. "It's actually 'Ya Ya Mo', but hardly anyone can tell the difference."

Hey, maybe there's something out there that would automatically author an entire article. "Let's see, headline options... okay, I'll take this one. Subject? 'D' looks interesting. Perspective? Hmmm... liberal to moderate. Length? 1200 words. Style? Athletic prose. Tone? Let's go with: 'Sunny, yet insightful." Author? Let's see, that would be me: Martin Andel... Oh, and how convenient... 'Register Copyright'? Sure, why not."

Are they seriously making the case that this was developed in response to a need to make blogging easier? Was there a need to make blogging easier? Like the ability to build a blog in about the same time it takes to soft boil an egg (a'la Blogger, et al) was crying out for a more convenient solution requiring even less effort? Really? Horsepucky.

You know... not everything is supposed to be dumbed down so that absolutely anyone can "do it"... without effort... investment... or consequence.

To those of you that are using the service for good, well alrighty then. But the developer's argument that "our" problem stems from his company's sales and marketing materials not properly representing the capabilities offered and therefore in need of change, to me at least, sounds a tad disingenuous. (Something akin to the Second Amendment fundamentalists that want to change the name of "assault rifles" to "sport utility guns," in order to make their availability more palatable to the more rational population.)

Maybe I'm missing something here and I do plan to look into it further, so I'll write back to say "never mind" if something compels me to do so. Until then... Viva la Revolucion! Someone get a rope.

Like I said... Oh my God. And thank you for posting this seemingly inconceivable travesty of technological progress.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Martin Andelman — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:16:22 -0000

Oh my God. I'm not entirely sure which aspect bothers me more, and there are so many from which to choose.

Like as in: I've got an idea... Why doesn't someone event a technology that people could use to build their own symphony orchestra by entering parameters and having the software go out online to retrieve/steal the required instrumental sounds. "I think I like the tympani player from the NY Philharmonic, and you just have to build something using the cellist from the Pacific Symphony... he's even better if you speed him up a bit."

Or what about a site that would allow you to create your own masterpieces for your own online art museum? Say a Picasso or a Monet. Maybe you could enter at which stage of deterioration you'd like to set for Monet's eyesight as the software helps you "create your very own work of art in minutes for free. Upgrade to our GOLD membership and get access to the Enlightenment".

And in either case, it occurs to me that the sounds or elements of art being "retrieved" from cyberspace would not even have to be real or original. The cello could be synthesized and the art could be picked up from copies.

Hey, maybe there's something out there that someone could use to automatically build an article or even an entire novel. "Let's see, headline options... okay, I'll take this one. Subject? 'D' looks interesting. Perspective? Hmmm... liberal to moderate. Length? 1200 words. Style? Athletic prose. Tone? Let's go with: 'Sunny, yet insightful." Author? Let's see, that would be me: Martin Andel... Oh, and how convenient... 'Register Copyright'? Sure, why not."

You know... not everything is supposed to be dumbed down so that absolutely anyone can "do it"... without effort... investment... or consequence.

Maybe I'm missing something here and I do plan to look into it further, so I'll write back to say "never mind" if something compels me to do so. Until then... Viva la Revolucion! And someone get a rope.

Well, like I said... Oh my God. And thank you for posting this seemingly inconceivable travesty of technological progress.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Tico — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:31:24 -0000

Greetings Mr. Canter,

Thank you for the links. I found the first two links on google and the third being this site. What I was asking in my comment, Why has this site not discussed Firepow? There was a very strong reaction to WPD, what happened to Firepow and its criticism or rants or praise?

Cheers

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Tico — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:35:56 -0000

People,

I am curious why nobody on this site has discussed Firepow? Isn't this the basic equal to WPD? I just think that Marty used this forum either with collusion or a plant to change his service from free to paid.

When I first learned about WPD, I said to myself "what's the angle here?" Often in the online gaming business, we use lures like free accounts but if they win, the still need to deposit a matcing amount. With WPD, it is like, offer free service, create a hailstorm of comments, blogs, reviews, etc and then pull the plug because one site - one blog says something negative. Please folks, how many businesses would be shut down if we all applied this thinking. Do people really believe this is the reason?

Face it, Marty had a plan and it was not altruistic and it seems that mashable played a role in that. But business is business and marketing is a part of that. But to have it wrapped in this, is the new form of "spin marketing" using blogs. Genius if you ask me but to have people genuinely share as if this is real...unforgiveable and a black mark on the credibility of mashable.com

Tico

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Tico — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:53:32 -0000

Lugus,

I signed up for this service as a self hosted WP user, BUT my foot hit the brake as soon as they asked for my ftp login information. It is one thing to ask for my WP self hosted, user ID and pw but for the ftp root?

I was able to install and learn about IonCube and with it installed what is the reason for the ftp access? Does anyone know this answer, it might be a simple one I am overlooking. The only thing I can imagine needing root access for is a)bots b)some other type of bot c)zombie programs d)no idea

Maybe you can help with this question because I am not able to get the information from them or on the SE's

Thanks

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

alexander-social media guy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:54:06 -0000

I have tested this service and based on the sites it pulls from it seems impossible to scrape content from individual bloggers. Sites like YouTube want you to embed their videos which is why they make the code avaiable.

Duplicate content splogs will get Google slapped so no worries there. Take a moment to get past the marketing materials and find out what the service really does and you'll appreciate how much setup time it saves.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

ThriveBlogger — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:41:26 -0000

"...and you've done it without having to write a single article yourself!"

WTH! If you really want to make something of value, it needs to have some of YOU in it. This is weak and any blog built with this will end up sorely disappointed. Decent engines will see these types of sites as what they are, junk.

If you want a good blog, invest some time, start slowly, don't expect everything in 30 days. Take your time and make it something you actually care about.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

aquariumfish — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:10:13 -0000

I have to agree, seem like a spam scam to me

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Martin Beran — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 13:42:48 -0000

Shannon brings up a great point- Why condemn and attack wordpress direct because it is a tool that 'can' be used by malicious people to build splogs? Lets start condemning other tools that have been made that allow people to spam our lives- computers, the internet and email.

I am of course exaggerating but my point should be clear- certain people will use services and tools in ways they are not intended to be used but lets not automatically blacklist wordpress direct for that reason.

I personally tried out the free version and thought that the quality of the articles recommended was terrible. I would have better luck googling a word and looking 10 pages deep in the SERP.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Ari Lestariono — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:44:54 -0000

The problems sustain

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Seshu — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:14:00 -0000

Who is making off with the ad-dollars that these sites could potentially bring in? I suspect it is an easy way for the business to take over ownership of keywords. If we are able to gain from the ad revenue, then this may not be such a bad idea, but I suspect otherwise.

Re: WordPressDirect: Like Blogging Without the Blogging

Mark McGimpsey — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:54:37 -0000

A good and reasoned answer Michelle. Most things in life gives you the opportunity to them for good or bad. The choice is yours, and WordPress Direct is no different. Use this service wrongly and I have no doubt that the search engines will de-index you, so I think people are largely over reacting to this issue.