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The technical side of IM'ing makes me feel stupid. :(

by Robert M Gouge
11 replies
Just kind of a rant, I guess.

Been spending all day trying to implement custom optin forms on my site.

The process goes something like this:

- Try to construct opt-in form via html
- Realize OptinSkin will completely break if not formatted in CSS
- Learn CSS to try and construct custom opt-in form
- Create optin form template (YAY!)
- Attempt to add/modify aweber code to custom optin form
- Realize you're not as proficient at CSS as you think
- Learn how to write custom form fields from scratch in CSS using aweber details
- Finally get it working in chrome and firefox, then realize that optin form is not displaying at all in IE.
- Scream
- Punt 3 kittens in frustration.
- Punt 2 puppies in frustration.

Just an example, but it's pretty much par for the course with any type of customization to anything (wordpress theme modifications, plugins, graphic design software, everything), it seems. Get it working one place, something else breaks in another place. Debug this thing, only to realize it causes this other thing to completely cease to function.

I haven't even had time to write any content for my site in almost two weeks due to constant hang-ups like the one above.

Yes, yes, I could outsource everything, but I think it's imperative to know/learn this type of material to save money and have better control over your web properties.

Just really frustrating, makes me feel really stupid, and causes the completion of my to-do lists to take forever.


Can anyone relate?

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.


Edit: On a side note, if anyone has extensive experience with OptinSkin and serving custom optin forms, I'd *love* to chat with you to try and resolve a couple issues I'm having.
#feel #iming #makes #side #stupid #technical
  • Profile picture of the author icoachu
    Fiverr can help you with this so you can focus on what's important-strategy.
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  • Profile picture of the author vgvetter
    Would the Wysija plugin work?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessica Lynn
    "Can anyone relate?" Hell yes. I've been there and done that. It takes time if you want to learn the technical things yourself. There's no way to get around it - learning new skills is time consuming and often frustrating.

    Oh, and judging from your willingness to problem solve and the way you write, I highly doubt you're stupid.
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  • Profile picture of the author wetech01
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author TheEye
      You seem to be caught in the I'm the only person that can do this right trap.

      This problem has got in the way of you getting things done.

      Sort these type of learning problems in your spare time not your work time.

      Use a black box solution until you have the spare time to learn how it is done.

      If you want to you could post a gig on fiver for somebody to find you a tutorial on how to do this.

      As a friend of mine keeps telling me, concentrate on being the organ grinder not the monkey. The organ grinder gets the money, the monkey gets peanuts.
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      • Profile picture of the author Robert M Gouge
        Originally Posted by TheEye View Post

        You seem to be caught in the I'm the only person that can do this right trap.

        This problem has got in the way of you getting things done.

        Sort these type of learning problems in your spare time not your work time.

        Use a black box solution until you have the spare time to learn how it is done.

        If you want to you could post a gig on fiver for somebody to find you a tutorial on how to do this.

        As a friend of mine keeps telling me, concentrate on being the organ grinder not the monkey. The organ grinder gets the money, the monkey gets peanuts.
        Well, the majority of the work has been on initial setup/design of my site and various features. Such work only has to be done once.

        I also think that knowing the in's and out's is invaluable to a website owner. Not only that, but once you learn these skills/techniques, you can use them again, for the rest of your career.

        Could you imagine having to outsource every time you wanted to make a change on your site?

        I've actually been doing some freelance work for clients who do just that.
        Aside from maybe uploading a couple photos and making a post or two, they have to pay someone else to do any other sort of customization. But, you're right, they certainly don't have to waste time learning the website stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
    Yes, yes, I could outsource everything, but I think it's imperative to know/learn this type of material to save money and have better control over your web properties.

    How long does it take you to earn $5 on a normal day? I'm guessing not nearly as long as you've been laboring over this form.

    I have experience in scripting. I could probably learn CSS if I sat down and spent 3-4 hours on it. But I don't, because in 3-4 hours I can make well over $100. And that won't change a year from now, when I'll have another project that requires CSS. It still won't be cost-effective for me to do it myself.

    Get it working right by having an expert do it. Then, when you need to make changes, odds are you can puzzle it out on your own. It's much easier to start with something that you know works.

    fLufF
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    • Profile picture of the author Black Hat Cat
      Banned
      I haven't even had time to write any content for my site in almost two weeks due to constant hang-ups like the one above.
      Just really frustrating, makes me feel really stupid, and causes the completion of my to-do lists to take forever.
      Yes, yes, I could outsource everything, but I think it's imperative to know/learn this type of material to save money and have better control over your web properties.
      What's wrong with this picture?
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  • Profile picture of the author Gec
    Everyone who's tried doing "tech stuff" on their own, no matter how simple, can relate .

    I'd say, if you're dead set on learning this thing, the fastest and frustration free at this point is to just outsource it on fiverr, and then look at how they do it and learn.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chetz Togom
    I can totally relate.

    I just spent a few hours for the past 2 days trying to figure out why my page got an error message after I upgrade my Wordpress to 3.4.1.

    Solved that already. But the thing is, I like this stuff and that this is how I help my clients and make my money.

    If you're not going to sell something like "How to create your own opt-ins", then like most of the advice here, get some help.

    Or give yourselves a time limit, like "I'm going to do this for 2 days and if I still can't solve it, I'll get someone to do it".

    Give a short period, two weeks is a long time man. You should focus on your content.

    All the best!

    Chetz
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy Fletcher
    If you want to get anywhere in business you need to get over this ASAP. Do what you're good at and pay someone to do what they're good at.

    I'm awesome at two things. Technology and talking to people and even one of those I don't do any more (despite having a degree in it!).

    My job is affiliate recruitment, because I love networking, I love getting to know people, I love spending time helping others get their stuff sorted. So that's what I do, all day, every day.

    I don't write copy (because I write mediocre sale copy at best).

    I don't design the sales pages (because when I do it looks like a drunk eight year old discovered MS Paint for the first time).

    I don't write the code (because I have people who can do that).

    I just do the highest leverage, highest paid stuff I can and get other people to do the rest.

    If you continue to obsess over learning how to do everything yourself, you'll never spend time learning higher level (ie higher paid) skills such as project management.

    I know you don't want to hear it. I know you're not going to listen to me and you're just going to say again, "I think it's important to know how to do everything myself." because you truly believe that. But I invite you to come back to this post in six months and ask yourself how much further along you could be if you got someone else to do the stuff you suck at.
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Every successful person I know has had to come to terms with this, on and offline. I know a guy who was an author, then he began to get big success in the seminar business. But that success stalled until he took on more instructors and a staff that could handle his increasing business. He told me the hardest thing he ever had to do was to turn his baby over to other people to run. But it was the most profitable thing he ever did.

    Once he started delegating he had three New York Times best sellers because he focused more on his natural talent and let his people take care of stuff he was never good at in the first place.

    That's an apt parallel to your problem and many others. Here's the key. We all get one, maybe two stellar talents. It's up to us to recognize that and run with it. Hire the rest out and spend your time working with what God gave you.
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