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Take It Easy On The "Newbies", We Were All There Once (My Somewhat Comical Story)

by LegitIncomes
64 replies
Sometimes I see so many "simple", or "stupid" questions pop up in threads that it makes me want to chuckle. But the truth is, we have to remember that we were all there at one point in time. No one was born from the womb with marketing knowledge.

I remember back when I was 15 or so, I'd buy those "Small Business Opportunities" and similar mags, looking through all of the ads to see what ads ran month after month (because I assumed those would be profitable). Okay, that's a fairly good thing to do, but I was so inexperienced, so new to the game, that I would contact the magazine ad dept and ask them what kind of conversion rate I could expect from placing an ad in their magazine. LOL.

Of course now I know that conversion rates depend on so many factors, and that obviously the ad dept wouldn't be able to answer that question for me. But back then, I had no clue. I honestly thought they'd be able to give me an answer!!

So when you see these types of questions from "newbies", try and answer as best you can, instead of just blowing them off, or etc... we were all there at one time.
#comical #easy #newbies #story
  • Profile picture of the author neojr
    I agree.

    The more we live, the more we learn.

    We should help the newbies the same way we would like to have been helped when we got started.

    Welcome newbies!

    Neo
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    I remember back when I was 15 or so, I'd buy those "Small Business Opportunities" and similar mags, looking through all of the ads to see what ads ran month after month (because I assumed those would be profitable).


    Wow. I did the same thing. I once bought a couple dozen permanent matches. These were little rectangular hard-plastic lighters. They were waterproof too. There was a hole drilled into the top of the thing where a little metal stick sat inside. You put a few drops of lighter fluid into the hole and it would last for days.

    On the end of the stick there was a piece of flint and a wick. The other end was threaded on the top with a little rubber seal to keep water out. When you weren't using it you just screwed the stick thingy in and it was nice and snug. On the side of the plastic casing there was an embedded striking surface. To light it you just unscrewed the stick and struck it on the side.

    I saw this thing in a wholesale magazine and saved up enough to buy the minimum amount. Then I saved up another $30 to take out an ad in the National Enquirer classified section. I ran the shortest ad they allowed. This was it:

    The Last Lighter You Will Ever Need. $1.99.

    Then I put in my address. I had to get more because I sold about 80 of them. I was 14 years old and never told my parents what I was up to. I might have never told them except they wanted to know where I was getting money without working. Ha!
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post


      Wow. I did the same thing. I once bought a couple dozen permanent matches. These were little rectangular hard-plastic lighters. They were waterproof too. There was a hole drilled into the top of the thing where a little metal stick sat inside. You put a few drops of lighter fluid into the hole and it would last for days.

      On the end of the stick there was a piece of flint and a wick. The other end was threaded on the top with a little rubber seal to keep water out. When you weren't using it you just screwed the stick thingy in and it was nice and snug. On the side of the plastic casing there was an embedded striking surface. To light it you just unscrewed the stick and struck it on the side.

      I saw this thing in a wholesale magazine and saved up enough to buy the minimum amount. Then I saved up another $30 to take out an ad in the National Enquirer classified section. I ran the shortest ad they allowed. This was it:

      The Last Lighter You Will Ever Need. $1.99.

      Then I put in my address. I had to get more because I sold about 80 of them. I was 14 years old and never told my parents what I was up to. I might have never told them except they wanted to know where I was getting money without working. Ha!
      That's really cool!
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      I once bought a couple dozen permanent matches.
      I was once working for a guy loading a truck with latex medical gloves (there's a story there, too, but another time). On the side of his storage unit, there were a few large brown cardboard boxes. I asked what they were.

      "Bic lighters," he said, shaking his head. "But I can't wholesale them anymore, because they're not childproof. And I can't throw them away because of the HAZMAT regulations."

      I offered to take them off his hands and dispose of them legally, free of charge. He happily agreed. At the end of the day, I loaded them in my car and drove off.

      Checking the regulations on non-childproof lighters, I discovered that it was perfectly legal to sell existing stock at retail to the end user. And my friend Edward had an uncle who owned four convenience stores in the area. So I got his uncle's phone number, and made a phone call.

      I told Ed's uncle, "I just got a bunch of Bic lighters. Can I put them on your counters as a consignment? I'll pay you 50 cents per lighter you sell." And since Bics were going for 89 cents retail at the time, that was more than he made on his own, so he also happily agreed.

      The lighters were in display boxes of 100. I had about a dozen of them. I went to each of the four stores and set up three of the boxes, labeling them "NON-CHILDPROOF LIGHTERS: $5" with a Sharpie.

      They were gone in a week.

      I made over $5,000 from one simple, idle question on a manual labour job: "What's in those boxes?"

      Always be aware of opportunity. And when you see it... take it.

      Oh, and another thing: if I wrote this up as a WSO and labeled it "$5,000 IN ONE WEEK WITH OFFLINE BUSINESS" it would be completely true and 100% legitimate, but you still couldn't make any damn money with it yourself. Think about that the next time you're reading WSO titles.
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      • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        I was once working for a guy loading a truck with latex medical gloves (there's a story there, too, but another time). On the side of his storage unit, there were a few large brown cardboard boxes. I asked what they were.

        "Bic lighters," he said, shaking his head. "But I can't wholesale them anymore, because they're not childproof. And I can't throw them away because of the HAZMAT regulations."

        I offered to take them off his hands and dispose of them legally, free of charge. He happily agreed. At the end of the day, I loaded them in my car and drove off.

        Checking the regulations on non-childproof lighters, I discovered that it was perfectly legal to sell existing stock at retail to the end user. And my friend Edward had an uncle who owned four convenience stores in the area. So I got his uncle's phone number, and made a phone call.

        I told Ed's uncle, "I just got a bunch of Bic lighters. Can I put them on your counters as a consignment? I'll pay you 50 cents per lighter you sell." And since Bics were going for 89 cents retail at the time, that was more than he made on his own, so he also happily agreed.

        The lighters were in display boxes of 100. I had about a dozen of them. I went to each of the four stores and set up three of the boxes, labeling them "NON-CHILDPROOF LIGHTERS: $5" with a Sharpie.

        They were gone in a week.

        I made over $5,000 from one simple, idle question on a manual labour job: "What's in those boxes?"

        Always be aware of opportunity. And when you see it... take it.

        Oh, and another thing: if I wrote this up as a WSO and labeled it "$5,000 IN ONE WEEK WITH OFFLINE BUSINESS" it would be completely true and 100% legitimate, but you still couldn't make any damn money with it yourself. Think about that the next time you're reading WSO titles.
        Awesome story, that's really cool. Opportunities really are all around us. And as you say: Always be aware of opportunity! And when you see it, don't just stand there looking at it - TAKE ACTION!
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        I was once working for a guy loading a truck with latex medical gloves (there's a story there, too, but another time). On the side of his storage unit, there were a few large brown cardboard boxes. I asked what they were.
        Yikes, this is going to turn into an entrepreneurial thread. Hopefully newbies will see there are lots of opportunities if you only pay attention.

        Back in the eighties I worked in healthcare. I dispensed lots of expensive orthopedic back braces and related items every day. One day I took one home to my seamstress girlfriend and asked if she could duplicate it with some improvements (added value). She did it.

        I schlepped around LA for a couple of weeks finding wholesalers for each of the items used in the production of these things and started making them. They cost $3 to make and wholesaled for a little over $20, about $5 cheaper than they were paying before. I was selling a better product for less to the clinic where I was working.

        Within six months I quit my job and was doing this exclusively, outsourcing all the labor and making three times as much as I did as a worker ant. And I started the whole thing with about $200 out of pocket. Opportunity is everywhere. Okay, your turn.
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        • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
          Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

          Yikes, this is going to turn into an entrepreneurial thread. Hopefully newbies will see there are lots of opportunities if you only pay attention.

          Back in the eighties I worked in healthcare. I dispensed lots of expensive orthopedic back braces and related items every day. One day I took one home to my seamstress girlfriend and asked if she could duplicate it with some improvements (added value). She did it.

          I schlepped around LA for a couple of weeks finding wholesalers for each of the items used in the production of these things and started making them. They cost $3 to make and wholesaled for a little over $20, about $5 cheaper than they were paying before. I was selling a better product for less to the clinic where I was working.

          Within six months I quit my job and was doing this exclusively, outsourcing all the labor and making three times as much as I did as a worker ant. And I started the whole thing with about $200 out of pocket. Opportunity is everywhere. Okay, your turn.
          Another awesome example of someone seeing an opportunity and taking advantage of it! That's what being an entrepreneur is all about! It's a certain mindset. The average person would have done absolutely nothing, an entrepreneur is always looking, always searching. Awesome!

          I like the direction this thread is going - let's keep it up!
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        • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
          Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

          Yikes, this is going to turn into an entrepreneurial thread. Hopefully newbies will see there are lots of opportunities if you only pay attention.
          The hard part is doing something sustainable.

          There are all kinds of wonderful stories I could tell about "I was just walking around minding my own business, and money fell into my lap!" - but that's no model for a successful business, just like strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

          When you really look at the most fascinating stories entrepreneurs tell, they all go pretty much the same way:

          - There was a gap in the market which could be exploited by anyone
          - I stepped up and began exploiting it, having significant success
          - The market dried up and I had to move on

          It's not hard to make things happen once or twice, and it's always thrilling when it happens. But where most entrepreneurs fail, overall, is they don't ever construct anything that can happen repeatedly and reliably.

          Which is why it just makes me roll my eyes when I see the products about "newbie makes huge cash with simple system" coming out. Just because he did it once doesn't mean he can do it again, and it certainly doesn't mean you can do it yourself. Most of these people can't explain why the "simple system" worked, or when it will stop working, or how often it can be expected to work, or how it could be improved.

          And it's consistent refinement of systems that will make a business work in the long run.
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          "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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          • Profile picture of the author CorporatePuppet
            I agree I was actually thinking about this the other day. I tend to get annoyed at newbie type questions and it's something I should stop. I rtemember how green I was when I first started out.

            I remember one time I had sent out an email promoting a bizop offer and someone didn't like it (called me a scammer and every other thing under the sun). Well they redid my page html making fun of my offer and sent it back to me in an email and I didn't understand the web enough back then to know that it was just code in the email.

            I was sure they HACKED MY WEBSITE!!! LOL

            I have to laugh at how ignorant I was to how everything worked back then. I think I probably shut my computer off real fast so the "leet hacker couldn't get me through the computers".

            I try and remember that kind of stuff when someone asks a basic question now.
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          • Profile picture of the author KunTaoM
            Here how I started internet marketing, I was browsing my favorites car Volvo, somehow one particular Ads on this VolVo website that I was browsing through catch my attention. Without wait any longer, I bought the courses that come with CD and printed blueprint.

            It took so long to get that product shipped to me, I was little mad and send bashing email to this Volvo website webmaster where I found the ads and bought there and then.

            I never get their reply and never saw that Ads again. Later I realized the Ads is Google Adsense.. no wonder

            What a shame :-)

            That is how I started internet marketing and full-time with Google Adsense.
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            • Profile picture of the author DJXA
              As a newbie to IM I appreciate this thread!

              In truth I've found the people on this forum to be very considerate and helpful overall, but I have seen some folks ask "dumb" questions and get treated rather harshly for it.

              A nice little post like this once in a while is definitely a great reminder to be nice to the youngins! After all, one day you might be asking us for tips and advise...and we might hold grudges!

              Anyway, thanks for writing this! It makes the board feel even more welcoming to see this.
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              • Profile picture of the author HankTheCowDog
                Heck, as a newbie I shake my head at some of the questions! And I'm sure that's not an original statement.

                Personally, I enjoy reading your personal comments and thoughts sans all the "business at hand" responses.


                Your personalities shine and I like the mix of flavors! There's nothing better than reading well-written commentary, understanding it was written without much effort. It reassures me that as a newbie, I've found the right place to hang a hat.

                Mad skills and wisdom you guys have. As long as you're willing to share, I'm willing to follow. Keep it coming.
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    • Profile picture of the author Teacherman
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post


      Wow. I did the same thing. I once bought a couple dozen permanent matches. These were little rectangular hard-plastic lighters. They were waterproof too. There was a hole drilled into the top of the thing where a little metal stick sat inside. You put a few drops of lighter fluid into the hole and it would last for days.

      On the end of the stick there was a piece of flint and a wick. The other end was threaded on the top with a little rubber seal to keep water out. When you weren't using it you just screwed the stick thingy in and it was nice and snug. On the side of the plastic casing there was an embedded striking surface. To light it you just unscrewed the stick and struck it on the side.

      I saw this thing in a wholesale magazine and saved up enough to buy the minimum amount. Then I saved up another $30 to take out an ad in the National Enquirer classified section. I ran the shortest ad they allowed. This was it:

      The Last Lighter You Will Ever Need. $1.99.

      Then I put in my address. I had to get more because I sold about 80 of them. I was 14 years old and never told my parents what I was up to. I might have never told them except they wanted to know where I was getting money without working. Ha!

      This is such a great story! That's a real entrepreneurial instinct!
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  • Profile picture of the author mezner
    Sometimes the most simple questions are the most essential to online success. I feel like sometimes we try to find these advanced tactics when the answer is so simple (and it's what a new person is asking). We forget about the roots.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tracy411
    Hi LegitIncomes and fellow warriors,

    LegitIncomes, I absolutely agree with what you said, as well as the spirit of understanding in which you stated it.

    We all do have to start from zero and build up. How fast that happens depends on what we are made of, what we do with what we are made of and assistance from those who came before us. Honestly, in my mind, we are all still 'there' to an extent. We all have things to learn, in marketing and other areas of life. Even the so-called gurus mastermind and consult with each other for the simple fact that no one knows everything. Even those abilities & concepts some might term as 'simple' still can't be known to that person until they ask a question and get an answer, whether from a book, a fellow warrior or another resource. As the saying goes, we are done learning only when we are dead.

    As far as people terming a question as 'stupid,' it seems that 'stupid' is a relative term. Honestly, I personally don't even like that word. It strikes me as being rather harsh and judgmental. In my mind, someone who is a beginner and has no way of knowing intermediate or advanced skill sets/information, is not 'stupid.' Questions that, to more seasoned marketers, might be common sense, remain unknowns to those still at the Internet Marketing 101 level. There is nothing wrong with that. We all started there. We are all on a journey, and are at different places on that respective journey. I believe we all need try to remember to respect the place those a bit behind us are at, and be grateful for the lessons and people who brought us to where we are now, wherever that may be. I would even say that gratitude could extend to those who are yet to advance us down our professional paths, at some point in the future that has not yet come to pass- those patient and wise enough to answer our so-called 'stupid' questions when we ask them...because we all will

    So, in the spirit of gratitude, I would like to thank all my fellow warriors for the knowledge and support they are sharing here, in all its forms, who are contributing/will contribute to my development as both a marketer and a person. This is a great little community. And thanks to LegitIncomes for starting this thread.

    Success and happiness to all!
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    • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
      We all have to learn from the beginning. What seems like common knowledge to the more experienced are a world beyond someone new. The real truth is that there is a tremendous amount to learn and it looks awfully difficult to start. Many never make it at all.

      As fast as the net and marketing tactics change, it seems almost impossible to just bookmark a few threads and hand them out to total noobs with information that is still fresh enough to work.

      That really is great LegitIncomes you started at 14 and earned some nice cash. I created a biz at around 24-25 so I could work at home and quit my job. No knowledge of marketing services, but I stumbled through it and managed quite well. That lasted full time and part time for about 6-7 years. The reason I mention it is because I also read the silly ads in the mags from the grocery store and figured that there had to be a way to do it. And, there was, only I needed to figure it out for myself. My friends were quite envious. Good thing it worked, too, because it cost around $3000 out of pocket to get started.
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    • Profile picture of the author rcalabro
      Originally Posted by Tracy411 View Post

      Hi LegitIncomes and fellow warriors,

      LegitIncomes, I absolutely agree with what you said, as well as the spirit of understanding in which you stated it.

      We all do have to start from zero and build up. How fast that happens depends on what we are made of, what we do with what we are made of and assistance from those who came before us. Honestly, in my mind, we are all still 'there' to an extent. We all have things to learn, in marketing and other areas of life. Even the so-called gurus mastermind and consult with each other for the simple fact that no one knows everything. Even those abilities & concepts some might term as 'simple' still can't be known to that person until they ask a question and get an answer, whether from a book, a fellow warrior or another resource. As the saying goes, we are done learning only when we are dead.

      As far as people terming a question as 'stupid,' it seems that 'stupid' is a relative term. Honestly, I personally don't even like that word. It strikes me as being rather harsh and judgmental. In my mind, someone who is a beginner and has no way of knowing intermediate or advanced skill sets/information, is not 'stupid.' Questions that, to more seasoned marketers, might be common sense, remain unknowns to those still at the Internet Marketing 101 level. There is nothing wrong with that. We all started there. We are all on a journey, and are at different places on that respective journey. I believe we all need try to remember to respect the place those a bit behind us are at, and be grateful for the lessons and people who brought us to where we are now, wherever that may be. I would even say that gratitude could extend to those who are yet to advance us down our professional paths, at some point in the future that has not yet come to pass- those patient and wise enough to answer our so-called 'stupid' questions when we ask them...because we all will

      So, in the spirit of gratitude, I would like to thank all my fellow warriors for the knowledge and support they are sharing here, in all its forms, who are contributing/will contribute to my development as both a marketer and a person. This is a great little community. And thanks to LegitIncomes for starting this thread.

      Success and happiness to all!
      Well said Tracy411 and LegitIncomes. Most of us are Warriors because we seek to learn and share. That involves asking and answering questions. The shortest path to knowledge is learning from the experience of those who blazed the trails before us.

      To me, no question is 'stupid'. We are all 'new' to something. Isn't that part of the human experience? I respect those who are willing to ask questions in the hope that more experienced members of a community will answer those questions without labeling the question as 'stupid'.

      Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences in this discussion.
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  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    I remember back when I was 15 or so, I'd buy those "Small Business Opportunities" and similar mags, looking through all of the ads to see what ads ran month after month (because I assumed those would be profitable). Okay, that's a fairly good thing to do, but I was so inexperienced, so new to the game, that I would contact the magazine ad dept and ask them what kind of conversion rate I could expect from placing an ad in their magazine. LOL.
    That's funny because I did the same thing, but I didn't have the money to
    ever do anything. I made a little bit of money mowing lawns, but I always
    bought plastic musical instruments and harmonicas. LOL

    However, as far back as I can remember, my mom always had Reader's Digest, tabloids
    and other important literature (LOL) around the house. I was a voracious reader when
    I was a kid. I read everything that could be read at home.

    I remember being totally fascinated with ads, headlines and everything. I would read
    a headline and it seemed so incredible because of how they made me feel. I was a kid,
    remember, so I wanted to buy everything! lol

    Then I became mesmerized with the words, but it never occurred to me to explore it. I
    finally started about 30 years later.


    Ken

    PS - Sorry to post off-topic. But I agree, beginners need a bit more compassion
    than they sometimes get around here. I also try to help them.
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by KenThompson View Post

      That's funny because I did the same thing, but I didn't have the money to
      ever do anything. I made a little bit of money mowing lawns, but I always
      bought plastic musical instruments and harmonicas. LOL

      However, as far back as I can remember, my mom always had Reader's Digest, tabloids
      and other important literature (LOL) around the house. I was a voracious reader when
      I was a kid. I read everything that could be read at home.

      I remember being totally fascinated with ads, headlines and everything. I would read
      a headline and it seemed so incredible because of how they made me feel. I was a kid,
      remember, so I wanted to buy everything! lol

      Then I became mesmerized with the words, but it never occurred to me to explore it. I
      finally started about 30 years later.


      Ken

      PS - Sorry to post off-topic. But I agree, beginners need a bit more compassion
      than they sometimes get around here. I also try to help them.
      Ya, while most others spent time reading the articles, I was flipping through looking at the various ads. Even back then at that young age I knew I wanted to create my own business, and work for myself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vanessa Rodriguez
    I will always consider myself a newbie because I still feel there's so much I don't know and should never stop trying to learn. Some of the questions are pretty silly but I'm not going to put someone down for it. I remember when I was starting out how overwhelmed I was that I would go around in circles for an hour looking for something that was right there. The nerves and pressure definitely overclouded my common sense.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dean Jackson
    Hehe, I got my first sale when this kid back in high school borrowed $10 off me. I thought "hey, I've known this guy for a few weeks... whatever man, pay me back later".

    Anyway, the kid started avoiding me... I never saw him around school anymore, and I wondered what was up. I saw him one morning and he had this kickass digital camera (they were just blowing up at the time) and I told him I'd take it off his hands.

    I wasn;t pissed over 10 bucks, but when you try to game me, you get gamed lol...

    After a little "coercing" I finally convinced him to sell it to me for $20 (because he already owed me $10, and I was going to "give" him some more later)...

    So I got a new digital camera for $30. Not too bad. I sold it later on for $100 to this Asian kid

    He came back later asking for more money, but I told him to F Off... then he came back with his "crew", but it was SOLD! And my friend wanted double what he paid or nothing. No cigar... kids walk away with their tails tucked.

    Then I used that $100 to buy some refurbished mobile phones my Asian friends were getting from overseas and sell them on a New Zealand trade site called "trademe"... lol.

    It snowballed from there...

    Dean
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by Dean Jackson View Post

      Hehe, I got my first sale when this kid back in high school borrowed $10 off me. I thought "hey, I've known this guy for a few weeks... whatever man, pay me back later".

      Anyway, the kid started avoiding me... I never saw him around school anymore, and I wondered what was up. I saw him one morning and he had this kickass digital camera (they were just blowing up at the time) and I told him I'd take it off his hands.

      I wasn;t pissed over 10 bucks, but when you try to game me, you get gamed lol...

      After a little "coercing" I finally convinced him to sell it to me for $20 (because he already owed me $10, and I was going to "give" him some more later)...

      So I got a new digital camera for $30. Not too bad. I sold it later on for $100 to this Asian kid

      He came back later asking for more money, but I told him to F Off... then he came back with his "crew", but it was SOLD! And my friend wanted double what he paid or nothing. No cigar... kids walk away with their tails tucked.

      Then I used that $100 to buy some refurbished mobile phones my Asian friends were getting from overseas and sell them on a New Zealand trade site called "trademe"... lol.

      It snowballed from there...

      Dean
      So the kid ripped you off, then you decided to rip him off to return the favor?
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      • Profile picture of the author Dean Jackson
        Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

        So the kid ripped you off, then you decided to rip him off to return the favor?
        Exactly

        I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time... I was smart enough to know I wasn't getting my money back any time soon.

        I'd probably deal with it better today than back the days though LOL

        Best,
        Dean
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  • Profile picture of the author ecoverbox
    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    So when you see these types of questions from "newbies", try and answer as best you can, instead of just blowing them off, or etc... we were all there at one time.
    I agree 100%. The reason why newbies go to forums like the ones we have here is that they are looking for more expert opinions rather than just getting generic answers to their queries online. And doesn't it feel great to know that you've enlightened a beginner simply by providing helpful answers to their questions?
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by ecoverbox View Post

      I agree 100%. The reason why newbies go to forums like the ones we have here is that they are looking for more expert opinions rather than just getting generic answers to their queries online. And doesn't it feel great to know that you've enlightened a beginner simply by providing helpful answers to their questions?
      It sure does.

      And you've brought up an important bit of information. People do come to this forum because they are looking for more of an expert answer than they might be able to get from just a Google search. Very good point.
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  • Profile picture of the author Beatrice
    That's a good thread. We all need to start somewhere. Although some questions might seem "simple" replying to the newbies to do a Google search about it does not help. Thankfully most of the warriors are really helpful!
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  • Profile picture of the author Caniac4ever
    As someone that is exceedingly new to all of this, I want to thank you all for your patience with us. I am a full time nursing student, but have the summer off. I decided I would try and use my time wisely and see what I could come up with online to help offset my tuition expenses. Since it's all completely new... well, you know how I felt.

    As someone who has tried many of the scams for investing online, I can't tell you how thrilled I was today to find this place. I actually signed up at Chris Farrell's website a couple weeks ago and have already learned tons. He mentions this forum so I headed over.

    I've read this forum for over 6 hours today, and had decided I would get into the Amazon Affiliate thing for starters. So, I head over there and come to find out, I can't do it in my state! Hence, if anything, I'm more confused than when I got here this morning. Thankfully, I have lots of material to read over without people trying to get me to invest in their scams.

    So yes, a great big thank you and I'm looking forward to learning what all of you have to share with us!
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  • Profile picture of the author DeborahDera
    Thanks for this. I hate it when I see a newbie post an honest question only to see a smart-ass reply from someone more experienced. A forum like this can be overwhelming, especially when you first get started. It would be better (and more ethical, and moral) to politely answer AND point the person in the right direction for future questions of a similar nature. Everyone deserves a chance.

    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    Sometimes I see so many "simple", or "stupid" questions pop up in threads that it makes me want to chuckle. But the truth is, we have to remember that we were all there at one point in time. No one was born from the womb with marketing knowledge.

    I remember back when I was 15 or so, I'd buy those "Small Business Opportunities" and similar mags, looking through all of the ads to see what ads ran month after month (because I assumed those would be profitable). Okay, that's a fairly good thing to do, but I was so inexperienced, so new to the game, that I would contact the magazine ad dept and ask them what kind of conversion rate I could expect from placing an ad in their magazine. LOL.

    Of course now I know that conversion rates depend on so many factors, and that obviously the ad dept wouldn't be able to answer that question for me. But back then, I had no clue. I honestly thought they'd be able to give me an answer!!

    So when you see these types of questions from "newbies", try and answer as best you can, instead of just blowing them off, or etc... we were all there at one time.
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  • Profile picture of the author JamieSEO
    One of my favorite sayings is "there is no such thing as a stupid question".

    The number of screw ups that could be avoided by people asking a question instead of running around trying to do something that they are not sure about is phenomenal!
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  • Profile picture of the author Strange
    Selling golf balls after fetching them from the pond, must of been around 12. Good old days..
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    • Profile picture of the author William Prawira
      these are really fascinating stories. I wish I have one of my own story, but I didn't have any.

      Back to the Newbie's Questions topic, I don't mind pointing them to the direction where they can get answer, but then, most newbies never really read the forum before posting questions. Some of the answers can be found just by using the search function on the top of their screen.

      I just hate those who aren't willing to do a simple search and wish that they can get all the answers just by posting new questions and make it easier for them.

      I remember the day when I started to read the forum. I spent 2 days non stop looking for what I can find in this forum before starting to ask question for answers that are not made available for me (for example, what is inside the "War Room").

      It took me a month later before I could afford the War Room coz I started on low budget thing.
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      • Profile picture of the author HankTheCowDog
        Originally Posted by wp0102 View Post


        Back to the Newbie's Questions topic, I don't mind pointing them to the direction where they can get answer, but then, most newbies never really read the forum before posting questions. Some of the answers can be found just by using the search function on the top of their screen.

        I just hate those who aren't willing to do a simple search and wish that they can get all the answers just by posting new questions and make it easier for them.

        I remember the day when I started to read the forum. I spent 2 days non stop looking for what I can find in this forum before starting to ask question for answers that are not made available for me (for example, what is inside the "War Room").
        I agree, especially on the WF search statement. If a person does not have enough motivation to search for an answer, whether or not it's on here, or on the Internet in general, then why waste your time? I think a lot of people simply want everything done for them. In all fairness and hats off to you folks - I have not seen the "search it out" police. So you guys are way cool in that regard.

        I'm new here, but not to message boards. The first few things I went looking for was a "Read this first" sticky, then an "introduction" sticky and/or section, and lastly, a FAQ type section, or sticky.

        I would imagine a lot of newbie questions might be eliminated by the addition of an IM terms and concepts FAQ. Whenever I find an acronym I'm not familiar with, I immediately search it out on Google, which takes some time. It would be nice to have a quick reference type guide within this site.

        Not complaining, just my observation.
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  • Profile picture of the author 4Frankie
    Thanks LegitIncomes for this thread - I am not that far off newbie and still struggling and I know at first I was sometimes intimidated :confused: by some of the comments and too scared to comment. It doesnt how many years you have been doing this or how old you may be we can all still learn something.
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  • Profile picture of the author PlayTheDeck
    Hey guy's,

    Thanks very much for this thread! I'm a complete newbie to all this IM stuff and I was very intimidated with the idea of posting a question on this forum in view of being seen as "stupid." It is nice to know that there are people here in this forum that are willing to help people like me (and more experienced users) and I do hope that it will always continue like that.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Hate to burst the bubble, but there are indeed stupid questions. The kind of newbie questions we're talking about here don't fit in that category. Mos of those fit more in the "ignorant" category.

      Ignorance can be cured. Asking questions is a great way to do it. Here's a tip, though...

      When you ask your question, do your best to include as many details as you are comfortable with. Tell people what you've already done to find an answer so we don't cover old ground. When we do, it leads to frustration for you, which sometimes comes out. Leading to irritation on our part for the supposed ingratitude.

      Back to "stupid" questions...

      Here's an example:

      "Hi, everybody. Could you give me a list of your most profitable niches, along with your website addresses and your complete, detailed, step by step business plan?"

      (20 minutes later)

      "Anybody?"
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      • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
        Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

        Hate to burst the bubble, but there are indeed stupid questions. The kind of newbie questions we're talking about here don't fit in that category. Mos of those fit more in the "ignorant" category.

        Ignorance can be cured. Asking questions is a great way to do it. Here's a tip, though...

        When you ask your question, do your best to include as many details as you are comfortable with. Tell people what you've already done to find an answer so we don't cover old ground. When we do, it leads to frustration for you, which sometimes comes out. Leading to irritation on our part for the supposed ingratitude.

        Back to "stupid" questions...

        Here's an example:

        "Hi, everybody. Could you give me a list of your most profitable niches, along with your website addresses and your complete, detailed, step by step business plan?"

        (20 minutes later)

        "Anybody?"

        I agree, that would be a stupid question.

        Speaking of stupid, I was just introduced to stupid via private message. Someone sent me a PM today asking if they bought my program, would I set everything up for them and run the business for them.

        I politely told them that I couldn't do that, I have my own business to run, but that I would be happy to answer any questions they have, and make sure they have all the info they need. Their reply: Since you won't operate my business for me, your program must be junk. I can only roll my eyes at stuff like that, LOL. I didn't even reply back...what is there to say to someone with that kind of mindset?

        When you ask your question, do your best to include as many details as you are comfortable with. Tell people what you've already done to find an answer so we don't cover old ground.
        Very good tip.
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  • Profile picture of the author PlayTheDeck
    Hey John,

    I'm sure that it is true that some of the questions posted here like your example are "ignorant," Personally I'll always try my best to find the answer myself on this forum or google and only post it if I am having trouble finding an answer or need help with a specific area, I'd never ask someone for something that they've worked hard to put together themselves, as in the long run it wouldn't help me develop my personal skills.

    That is a great way to structure questions so I will be using it in the future thank you
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  • Profile picture of the author martymc74
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    • Profile picture of the author LooseChange
      The truth is sometimes newbies need some "tough love" to help them get their heads straight.

      I was raised by an Army drill sargeant and my dad never showed me any attention unless I was screwing up and the it was always hard love. I hated him for it growing up but now I bless his soul for having the courage not to hold my hand but to teach me how to hold my own.

      My friends who had parents that worshipped them all ended up in prison or on drugs. Here's one of my classmates, Marty Puccio who's Christian parents never kicked his butt when he was screwing up. They let him do whatever he wanted and look where he ended up.

      LIFE is not full of ONLY positive, good experiences. The sooner someone learns to take the good with the bad and walk away with the experience as a learning tool the better off they will be as a human.

      Most of what I'm reading here is typical "enabler" philosophy.

      So, are you better for enabling someone to continue down the wrong path by being NICE to them or are you actually helping someone change their way of thinking by being TOUGH.

      I'm not pussyfooting around here. I give my honest opinion regardless if someone likes it or not

      This is not a sugar-coated world we live in, truth and reality are disapperaing at an alarming rate amongst the Facebook generation. It's up to most of us to change the world we live in.

      The first step is to be HONEST. Holding your tounge to prevent someone's feelings from being hurt is a lie.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dean Jackson
    One thing I find really interesting in this thread is that most of us who are running online business in some way shape or form, got our starts in the offline world pretty young relatively.

    It really is about the entrepreneur mindset - and as much as it hurts for some people to hear this: Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.

    Some people are better off with a job having someone tell them what to do (like in the response above... someone literally asking if you could run their business!?!?!)... you have to see opportunity.

    The secrets aren't hidden away anywhere. Go to your local book store or library, get your asses in gear, and get educated about success in business and life.

    Nobody owes you success... the most successful people in the world made sacrifices to get where they are. It's not all glory... I sacrificed a lot of time with my friends and family to learn, apply, and hone everything I know (and I still do, just not as much).

    Most people won't even sacrifice their TV shows to squeeze in whatever time they have for learning... or cancelling a few nights out on the weekends... or giving up time wasting loser friends/family who keep you down.

    You can't just want it a "little bit". You must want it as much as you need to breathe at times (I got that out of a little motivational video, but it's a great way to sum it up )

    Do you have what it takes?

    Dean
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by Dean Jackson View Post

      One thing I find really interesting in this thread is that most of us who are running online business in some way shape or form, got our starts in the offline world pretty young relatively.

      It really is about the entrepreneur mindset - and as much as it hurts for some people to hear this: Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.

      Some people are better off with a job having someone tell them what to do (like in the response above... someone literally asking if you could run their business!?!?!)... you have to see opportunity.

      The secrets aren't hidden away anywhere. Go to your local book store or library, get your asses in gear, and get educated about success in business and life.

      Nobody owes you success... the most successful people in the world made sacrifices to get where they are. It's not all glory... I sacrificed a lot of time with my friends and family to learn, apply, and hone everything I know (and I still do, just not as much).

      Most people won't even sacrifice their TV shows to squeeze in whatever time they have for learning... or cancelling a few nights out on the weekends... or giving up time wasting loser friends/family who keep you down.

      You can't just want it a "little bit". You must want it as much as you need to breathe at times (I got that out of a little motivational video, but it's a great way to sum it up )

      Do you have what it takes?

      Dean
      Very good post. The individual who PM'd me (referred to in post #40), definitely needs to read this.
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by Dean Jackson View Post

      One thing I find really interesting in this thread is that most of us who are running online business in some way shape or form, got our starts in the offline world pretty young relatively.
      Another interesting thing is that we're of all different ages now, but our stories - whether they're from the fifties, the seventies, or the nineties - are extraordinarily similar.

      Honestly, not a lot has changed. The general idea that it's all different now because of the internet is just a load of hooey. It's the same damn thing it always was, and takes the same damn thing it always took, and if you couldn't do it then... well, chances are you still can't do it now.

      I also find it interesting that most of us who are thirty and older not only got our start young, but also served in the military. The same cannot be said about going to college; there's a pretty even split among "higher" education and high school or less. But it seems - and I may be off base, because this is just back of the envelope estimation - that a solid majority of successful entrepreneurs were enlisted (but generally not officers) in the military.
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        Another interesting thing is that we're of all different ages now, but our stories - whether they're from the fifties, the seventies, or the nineties - are extraordinarily similar.

        Honestly, not a lot has changed. The general idea that it's all different now because of the internet is just a load of hooey. It's the same damn thing it always was, and takes the same damn thing it always took, and if you couldn't do it then... well, chances are you still can't do it now.

        I also find it interesting that most of us who are thirty and older not only got our start young, but also served in the military. The same cannot be said about going to college; there's a pretty even split among "higher" education and high school or less. But it seems - and I may be off base, because this is just back of the envelope estimation - that a solid majority of successful entrepreneurs were enlisted (but generally not officers) in the military.
        Excellent observations. When I pulled off my permanent match caper it was 1968 and I was 14. I served in the Navy from 78 to 82 as a medic reaching Petty Officer Second Class in four years. I went to college well after the Navy.

        I've got a professional license in healthcare but haven't used it since 1992. I call it an insurance policy. But I'd be a very unhappy camper if I weren't able to figure out how the next project or deal is going to work. I think that stuff is in our blood.
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      • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        Another interesting thing is that we're of all different ages now, but our stories - whether they're from the fifties, the seventies, or the nineties - are extraordinarily similar.

        Honestly, not a lot has changed. The general idea that it's all different now because of the internet is just a load of hooey. It's the same damn thing it always was, and takes the same damn thing it always took, and if you couldn't do it then... well, chances are you still can't do it now.

        I also find it interesting that most of us who are thirty and older not only got our start young, but also served in the military. The same cannot be said about going to college; there's a pretty even split among "higher" education and high school or less. But it seems - and I may be off base, because this is just back of the envelope estimation - that a solid majority of successful entrepreneurs were enlisted (but generally not officers) in the military.
        I never served, a heart condition kept me out, but the desire was definitely there (family members & friends who served probably added to that desire). If I had been healthy enough, I'm sure I probably would have.
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  • Profile picture of the author christina ward
    I am so glad you posted that, because sometimes I have questions and I don't know what I am talking about. I am new to the forum and I don't understand what some people are posting, but I am learning more and more when I read everybody posts.

    Thank you
    Christina
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  • Profile picture of the author TheAnnoyingOrange
    I believe that those who need help should seek the answers from those here, but I am more concerned about all the misinformation that people post in this forum.

    It is no wonder why people are confused as there are 1,000 different ways to choose a keyword/niche, which software to use, how to pick a product, how to sell a product etc.

    Take Care,
    Matt.
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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    Also, we're all newbies at something, right? You may be an expert web designer, graphic designer or squeeze page designer but you suck at SEO, etc.

    Nobody knows everything and there's nothing wrong with asking a simple question even if you've "made it."
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    • Profile picture of the author PatriciaS
      Originally Posted by redicelander View Post

      Also, we're all newbies at something, right? You may be an expert web designer, graphic designer or squeeze page designer but you suck at SEO, etc.

      Nobody knows everything and there's nothing wrong with asking a simple question even if you've "made it."

      Not only that, but since there's not a definitive logical progression to learning this stuff (think, for example, math versus IM -- with math, you must follow a certain sequence in the early stages), there are going to be holes in people's knowledge. I used to be fascinated at how this was the case with people and computers -- they're be terrifically savvy about most things, but have absolutely no idea about other things.

      So with IM, they can have quite a bit of knowledge about a good many things, but zero knowledge about others. In my own case, there's a lot I understand and "know," but I have a few holes. One of mine, for example, is google analytics and general tracking of visitors, backlinks, etc. I can assure you that if I chose to try to ask questions about that on this forum my questions would be quite "stupid" to many of you.

      Which is precisely why I wouldn't even think of asking about that stuff here.

      So another thing I'd ask you to be careful about is assuming that a stupid question about one area means similarly poor to nonexistent knowledge in all other areas.

      Patricia
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      • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
        Originally Posted by chi-whiz View Post

        Not only that, but since there's not a definitive logical progression to learning this stuff (think, for example, math versus IM -- with math, you must follow a certain sequence in the early stages), there are going to be holes in people's knowledge. I used to be fascinated at how this was the case with people and computers -- they're be terrifically savvy about most things, but have absolutely no idea about other things.

        So with IM, they can have quite a bit of knowledge about a good many things, but zero knowledge about others. In my own case, there's a lot I understand and "know," but I have a few holes. One of mine, for example, is google analytics and general tracking of visitors, backlinks, etc. I can assure you that if I chose to try to ask questions about that on this forum my questions would be quite "stupid" to many of you.

        Which is precisely why I wouldn't even think of asking about that stuff here.

        So another thing I'd ask you to be careful about is assuming that a stupid question about one area means similarly poor to nonexistent knowledge in all other areas.

        Patricia
        Hi Patricia...

        You bring up a couple of interesting points. You say there's not a definitive logical progression to learning this stuff. I'd agree there's no formal outline but there could be one for those who would take the time to step back from the whole thing and look at what online marketing consists of.


        There are four essentials necessary for success:
        • Website and all related support stuff
        • Content & Copy and all related support stuff
        • Driving Traffic and all related methodologies
        • Relevant Marketing Strategies
        If people would step back and define everything they could think of that fell under the main categories they'd get a clearer picture of what they might want to do and what they actually have a decent chance of doing.

        I'm a writer and have the second item pretty much under control. I can also get by as Web designer along with some basic Webmaster duties. I suck at driving targeted traffic. I understand very well what needs to be done but I don't like doing it.

        I see the big picture first and the details later. I'm a pretty extreme right brain person and shun detail-oriented tasks. Taking care of all the stuff necessary to get traffic to an offer is torture to me. I'd rather be writing.

        If people would first look at everything that needs to be done they could then easily identify the things they like to do and those they need to find help with. There are only a very few who are good at all of it.

        As for being slammed for asking a question about something and having it appear stupid to some. So what. You seem like an intelligent person and would most likely frame the question intelligently. When you do people most often answer in kind.

        It also helps for newer folks to look at all the resources on this site. Do some exploring before participating. I hung out here for a few months before getting involved. Many of the questions that cycle through this and other boards have been beaten to death. The answers can easily be found with the search feature.

        This isn't directed to you, it's for everyone, including some of the folks who've been around awhile as well. Oh, BTW welcome.
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        • Profile picture of the author PatriciaS
          Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

          If people would step back and define everything they could think of that fell under the main categories they'd get a clearer picture of what they might want to do and what they actually have a decent chance of doing.
          Have you thought this through -- at all?

          Here's the problem: when you're new, you're not equipped to "define everything they could think of that fell under the main categories, yadayada"-- and that's because they're NEW. This is a thread about NEWBIES. You know, people who don't know all the things that fall under the various categories (to repeat myself somewhat).
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          • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
            Originally Posted by chi-whiz View Post

            Have you thought this through -- at all?

            Here's the problem: when you're new, you're not equipped to "define everything they could think of that fell under the main categories, yadayada"-- and that's because they're NEW. This is a thread about NEWBIES. You know, people who don't know all the things that fall under the various categories (to repeat myself somewhat).
            I can see you're going to do just fine, yadayada. Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author dagaul101
    Yeah it's always great to look back in retrospect at the mistakes you made when you were a newbie, but you are right we were all there once
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  • Profile picture of the author rixlo
    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    So when you see these types of questions from "newbies", try and answer as best you can, instead of just blowing them off, or etc... we were all there at one time.
    Thanks LegitIncomes, I'm a newbie here and am getting to know this forum. I do appreciate your patience.
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  • Profile picture of the author meerkat29
    Originally Posted by LegitIncomes View Post

    Sometimes I see so many "simple", or "stupid" questions pop up in threads that it makes me want to chuckle. But the truth is, we have to remember that we were all there at one point in time. No one was born from the womb with marketing knowledge.
    Right. Marketing knowledge is acquired through experience, trial and error, mentors, and discussions with other people in the field.
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  • Profile picture of the author nimi67
    I am a newbie, Thank you for the empathy , I really appreciate it!!
    whew.....I dont even know what questions to ask at this point..lol
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  • Profile picture of the author xxdksxx
    Being harsh to newbies when they ask one of their first questions ruins them. Because generally they are somewhat positive about the whole idea and soaking every bit of information in, to where most people act like their question is insignificant which it isn't no question is.
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  • Profile picture of the author vivaarturo
    I agree the more support we can give the better the forum will be.
    All of us at one point started somewhere
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  • Profile picture of the author Claire Sharp
    You are right... LegitIncomes! It's just a matter of sharing of what you learn. Isn't it great helping those people who need help? To the newbies, just keep on believing on what you do. Have a perseverance and don't stop learning.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scouser
    I posted this a while back, but it seems relevant to the thread so I thought I'd post it again. I'm know all the experienced warriors in here can relate to it - and I thank you all for your "we were once there, we can help you out" attitude. Us newbies really appreciate it. The warrior forum really is my bible.......

    As a newbie, you spend all your time trying to learn, searching out like minded people and seeking answers. You inevitably approach the forums in the hope that you can glean some more information and find some help just by reading what's there.

    You spend hours reading the posts but nothing seems to answer the question that you have been struggling with for days. It might be something so simple, but as a newbie it can seem impossible to figure out for yourself. So you take the plunge and post a question. You sit and wait and stare at the screen, refreshing it every minute waiting for a response.

    Nothing happens. Your heart sinks and you think that everybody is ignoring you. "Maybe it's because I'm a newbie", you think." Did I write it properly?" You check your post again to see if it reads ok. Then you check it for spelling mistakes even though it has been spellchecked before posting. You come to the conclusion that most users are in the US and you're in the UK on a different time zone. You give up and go to bed.

    You awake the next day and head straight for the PC. Someone must have responded by now, you think. Whoo Hoo! You see a few responses and your heart pounds with excitement as you think you may have an answer to the thing that has been burning your brain out for the past few days.

    You start to read the first response......Something about "go and find out for yourself". You feel puzzled. You read the next reply, admonishing you for even daring to ask such a stupid question. Your heart sinks. You read on in the hope that there is some soul out there who has been there before - even though they all have - and might sympathize with you and actually take the time out to answer your seemingly irrelevant question.

    No. More derisive comments. No-one answers your silly question. Instead, you suffer a barrage of slight-handed insults from people who think they know better. You sit back and wonder in disbelief. "I thought this was a forum for people who are trying their best to achieve something", you think. "Why won't they help me?" You remember the kid in school who got ignored by the teachers because they thought he was a bit slow. You understand how he felt now. You ponder for a while, feeling sorry for yourself.

    " If the question was so easy to answer, why haven't you bothered to answer? Why take up so much of your precious time to bother reading it and then replying in such a conceited way? Aren't you too busy making millions with your vast knowledge? And if you're so clever, why are you still in this forum? Oh, I guess it's because you're not as clever as you think you are."

    Smug. Ignorant. Unhelpful. Insulting. Now you're seething with anger.

    "I'm not stupid - I recognize all these traits in people. I just happen to be having trouble with something I don't understand properly. Thanks for your help in getting me nowhere, even more slowly than I already am. I just hope you're not a school teacher - I certainly wouldn't want you teaching my children - I doubt you even could". You sit there for a while wondering whether to hit the post button, but you come to the conclusion you'd best not start throwing insults over the forum. That's only a minority. The majority are there to help you.

    So you struggle on trying to find out how to overcome the problem that's stopped you in your tracks. It takes hours, sometimes days. But you finally get there. All by yourself.

    " Now who's smug?" You smile in self-satisfaction. It might be the simplest of things but you worked out how to do it all by yourself through trial and error, through endless hours of frustration, but you never gave up on yourself. It's something you'll never forget, and looking back on it - your glad - it was all worth it eventually.

    "Next time I'm in a forum, and I can help someone struggling with something like I did, I'm going to help them." you decide.

    *** I'm still learning so much from all the great warriors in here - this is my second home. I hope one day I can grow enough to call myself a REAL warrior! Cheers to you all ***
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    • Profile picture of the author LegitIncomes
      Originally Posted by Scouser View Post

      I posted this a while back, but it seems relevant to the thread so I thought I'd post it again. I'm know all the experienced warriors in here can relate to it - and I thank you all for your "we were once there, we can help you out" attitude. Us newbies really appreciate it. The warrior forum really is my bible.......

      As a newbie, you spend all your time trying to learn, searching out like minded people and seeking answers. You inevitably approach the forums in the hope that you can glean some more information and find some help just by reading what’s there.

      You spend hours reading the posts but nothing seems to answer the question that you have been struggling with for days. It might be something so simple, but as a newbie it can seem impossible to figure out for yourself. So you take the plunge and post a question. You sit and wait and stare at the screen, refreshing it every minute waiting for a response.

      Nothing happens. Your heart sinks and you think that everybody is ignoring you. “Maybe it’s because I’m a newbie”, you think.” Did I write it properly?” You check your post again to see if it reads ok. Then you check it for spelling mistakes even though it has been spellchecked before posting. You come to the conclusion that most users are in the US and you’re in the UK on a different time zone. You give up and go to bed.

      You awake the next day and head straight for the PC. Someone must have responded by now, you think. Whoo Hoo! You see a few responses and your heart pounds with excitement as you think you may have an answer to the thing that has been burning your brain out for the past few days.

      You start to read the first response……Something about “go and find out for yourself”. You feel puzzled. You read the next reply, admonishing you for even daring to ask such a stupid question. Your heart sinks. You read on in the hope that there is some soul out there who has been there before – even though they all have – and might sympathize with you and actually take the time out to answer your seemingly irrelevant question.

      No. More derisive comments. No-one answers your silly question. Instead, you suffer a barrage of slight-handed insults from people who think they know better. You sit back and wonder in disbelief. “I thought this was a forum for people who are trying their best to achieve something”, you think. “Why won’t they help me?” You remember the kid in school who got ignored by the teachers because they thought he was a bit slow. You understand how he felt now. You ponder for a while, feeling sorry for yourself.

      ” If the question was so easy to answer, why haven’t you bothered to answer? Why take up so much of your precious time to bother reading it and then replying in such a conceited way? Aren’t you too busy making millions with your vast knowledge? And if you’re so clever, why are you still in this forum? Oh, I guess it’s because you’re not as clever as you think you are.”

      Smug. Ignorant. Unhelpful. Insulting. Now you’re seething with anger.

      “I’m not stupid – I recognize all these traits in people. I just happen to be having trouble with something I don’t understand properly. Thanks for your help in getting me nowhere, even more slowly than I already am. I just hope you’re not a school teacher – I certainly wouldn’t want you teaching my children – I doubt you even could”. You sit there for a while wondering whether to hit the post button, but you come to the conclusion you’d best not start throwing insults over the forum. That’s only a minority. The majority are there to help you.

      So you struggle on trying to find out how to overcome the problem that’s stopped you in your tracks. It takes hours, sometimes days. But you finally get there. All by yourself.

      ” Now who’s smug?” You smile in self-satisfaction. It might be the simplest of things but you worked out how to do it all by yourself through trial and error, through endless hours of frustration, but you never gave up on yourself. It’s something you’ll never forget, and looking back on it – your glad - it was all worth it eventually.

      “Next time I’m in a forum, and I can help someone struggling with something like I did, I’m going to help them.” you decide.

      *** I'm still learning so much from all the great warriors in here - this is my second home. I hope one day I can grow enough to call myself a REAL warrior! Cheers to you all ***
      That's a long post! And an interesting one! I see you've been a member since 2006, but only 19 posts....what's up with that? Rarely visit, or rarely post?
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      • Profile picture of the author LooseChange
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        I also find it interesting that most of us who are thirty and older not only got our start young, but also served in the military. The same cannot be said about going to college; there's a pretty even split among "higher" education and high school or less. But it seems - and I may be off base, because this is just back of the envelope estimation - that a solid majority of successful entrepreneurs were enlisted (but generally not officers) in the military.
        I served in the Army 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles and also went to college afterwards. Guess what? My military training, to this day, is more fundamental to my business logic than my Masters degree. I also hold NASD 7/63 license and mortgage brokers license that were acquired as part of my work as a software developer for IBM.

        These days, the Facebook kids think they're going to start out at the top, bypass everybody in the field just because they know how to play Farmville.

        The one thing my dad (and the military) taught me is "give respect where it is deserved" so I'm not about to give respect to some newbie who hasn't cut their teeth in real life. I'll extend a hand of friendship and let them know what they're doing wrong, BUT in my world, respect is earned.
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  • Profile picture of the author mrelosa
    I'm a newbie myself. And sometimes, its really hard not to have a mentor or to ask something. I, frankly, can't really understand backlinks and linkbuilding. Good thing I read threads here in warriorforum
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    • Profile picture of the author Tonybuk
      Just nice to know that if we newbies do search and still can't figure out what we are trying to do, we can come back here and ask 'stupid' questions with the knowledge(!) that we will get a proper answer.

      Thanks to all Warriors that have helped so far, and to those that will in the future!

      Regards,

      TonyB
      Signature
      Increase conversions from sales pages - heres how...
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      • Profile picture of the author ExRat
        Hi Scouser,

        ” Now who’s smug?” You smile in self-satisfaction. It might be the simplest of things but you worked out how to do it all by yourself through trial and error, through endless hours of frustration, but you never gave up on yourself. It’s something you’ll never forget, and looking back on it – your glad - it was all worth it eventually.
        This part seems to contradict your underlying point, but I think it's really important.

        What I mean by the contradiction is that this -

        ” If the question was so easy to answer, why haven’t you bothered to answer? Why take up so much of your precious time to bother reading it and then replying in such a conceited way? Aren’t you too busy making millions with your vast knowledge? And if you’re so clever, why are you still in this forum? Oh, I guess it’s because you’re not as clever as you think you are.”

        Smug. Ignorant. Unhelpful. Insulting. Now you’re seething with anger.
        ...leads people to 'do it for themselves' and answer their own questions. The more that they do this, the sooner they will have less questions and more answers and can therefore spend their time here helping others, or just building their business. Who would not want that to happen sooner rather than later?

        I 'encourage' as many people as possible to learn by doing rather than being told. There are many, many reasons for this - all good ones.

        I regularly use THIS to answer someone who asks a question that deserves it.

        Why?

        Because teaching someone WHEN it's better for them to go and learn how to find things in Google themselves is one of the greatest gifts I could give them.

        When you learn to use search engines properly, you are not only less dependent on others to help you out, but you also start to learn something else that's really important.

        See how I didn't spell out the answer at the end of that sentence above? See how I was cryptic?

        I often do that too.

        Why?

        Because it encourages people to think for themselves and when they do that, they are much more likely to remember AND utilise the answer than if I just tell them. Plus, it is forcing them to develop their critical thinking ability, something that's vital in business, especially if you want to be fresh, unique, original, creative and therefore successful more quickly.

        The answer to the cryptic sentence above is that it teaches them how search engines work, which is a vital component of getting traffic to your web pages. It teaches them how they themselves use a search engine when trying to find something. It teaches them (to a degree) how other people search for things and how other people find things and what problems they encounter while doing so.

        They may identify faults with their searching techniques and learn to improve them, but they may also find later on that their web page visitors are not as knowledgeable and therefore when they choose their keywords, they can allow for searchers who know what they are doing and those who don't. If you never learn about using search engines, you won't learnt to do this.

        When I am a little cryptic, or a little abrupt, or seem a bit snarky, or offer some tough love advice, I often get people biting back. That's OK, I know I am trying to help them and I also learn from the exchange.

        But I promise you, not every instance you see here that makes you think 'hey, that guy was a bit abrupt/harsh' etc, is necessarily because the person needs to be told to 'take it easy on newbies.'

        Some of us remember being newbies in some areas (and we are still newbies in many other areas) and we only want to lessen the pain and shorten the curve for others, which is why we spend time posting here for no visible gain. I often like to answer questions that I find hard to answer, because it develops my critical thinking and communication skills.

        Kid gloves is NOT always the best approach and some of us believe strongly that our tough-love approach is the most helpful, for the reasons outlined above, amongst many others.

        Here's an example -

        mrelosa (just above) said -

        I'm a newbie myself. And sometimes, its really hard not to have a mentor or to ask something.
        I agree. Sometimes, it's really hard.

        But making a success of your business is also often really hard.

        Therefore what makes good entrepreneurs who are going to last the course different from the majority of people who will opt to continue to be wage slaves? What do they do that entitles them to expect to earn really good money once they are successful?

        They are not scared of things that are really hard. In fact, some of them actively seek those things out and ignore things that are too easy, because they know that if they are too easy, nine times out of ten they will be saturated, abused and ruined by those who only do things that are really easy.

        They may also have a lot of self-belief and confidence and believe (for good reasons) that their time is better spent on difficult problems - again, for many reasons.

        For example - if you want to avoid being ripped off by sharks, then you will want to adopt this attitude (looking for things that are really hard.)

        Why?

        Because in general, the sharks hang out in places where what they have to do isn't really hard and where their victims are looking for things that aren't really hard.

        So for example, learning to build and operate websites is quite hard for most newbies.

        And this is why you will see a ton of people selling 'cookie-cutter' ready-made websites and selling them with sales spiel that says, 'just throw them up and the traffic will come and you'll be rich.' Or websites that are already hosted and all you have to do is redirect a domain to them.

        By adopting the entrepreneurial approach of seeking out tough-stuff with a 'bring it on' attitude, you avoid a lot of the pitfalls and traps out there. This is just one of the many reasons I suggest this approach and try to pass it on and use tough love when answering questions.
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