We didn’t get a chance to post yesterday, with it being Christmas and all.

The morning started with opening tons of presents for my son. After that, of course we had to play with them all! Christmas breakfast then on the road to visit family. The best part about that was, I found my calling.

Yes that’s right I may quit blogging to become a full time Guitar Hero rocker. Yesterday was the first time I played and I felt the crowd behind me. I’m not sure I can balance both in my busy life! Choices… choices.

Sometime after the 1st of the year we hope to announce another BAYB contest, but we have yet to find a contest sponsor. However, today we will be giving away 100 entrecard points. 2 people who leave comments here will each win 50.

Merry Christmas

For some blogging has become more and more about making money and turning a profit. For the most part, bloggers have been able to turn a profit from their blogs. Domains are cheap and hosting can be found at bargains.

Since bloggers have been able to turn a profit on one blog, they use that formula to double that with another. Now seemingly bloggers are collecting domains like baseball cards. Domaining has reached the blogosphere.

Buying and Selling Domains

Domaining is an interesting concept that has a lot to do with skill, but even more so luck. You need to have the skill to find these names and have an eye for something good, and lucky to register it before someone else.

There is a lot more to domaining than just buying and selling domains. There are a lot more factors that a newbie to domaining wouldn’t think of. Is the pagerank of the domain fake? Yes PR can be faked. Does this domain have traffic? Where can you find expired domains? Recently I got a copy of The Domaining Manifesto E-book that can better tell you then me.

Domaining Manifesto

I have to admit, at first I thought this was a program to help you find domains, but as I mentioned it is an ebook.

The ebook covers information ranging from how to register a domain, to selling and trading domains. It’s definitely a good read for someone interested in breaking into the domaining game. As the ebook says it’s not a get rich quick scheme, but there is money to be made. I would of preferred however that they list some examples of domains that they registered and then sold. The best advice comes from examples, and proof of it being done before.

A good tip that often goes overlooked is using coupon codes when registering domains. Buying a domain from godaddy costs about 10$. By entering the coupon code gdm1211d (expires DEC 31) you only pay 7$ for the domain. The digital point forum has tons of threads with coupons.

The Domaining Manifesto gives you information you need that will equip you with how to become an active domainer. The book touches really on everything about domains. Every ebook has a “secret” and this one comes in the form of expired domain websites. They give you the “secret source of domains the pro’s don’t want you to know about.”

A big part of domaining for some are getting expired domains. The Domaining Manifesto does give you a few tools to use. The writer of the ebook, John Motson, goes one step further however and provides his own daily list of expired domains.

The difference between his list and others is that the domains are hand picked. They aren’t like x23123stupidxqz.com. Each domain has it’s own potential that could really make money. Here is a taste of the list given today:

placeofgifts.com
authenticreview.com
scrabblebeta.com
myhotoffer.com

It’s amazing to see some of the domains that have no way to brand or relate to the actual title of the blog or website. To subscribe to the expired domain list sign up an DNXpert.com

Domaining Manifesto Wrap-up

The Domaining Manifesto ebook is definitely a good investment for those looking to enter domaining and learn more about it. Paying 57$ for the information and tools provided, should be made back with the knowledge you gain from the ebook. However, I was hoping for more tools (remember I thought it was a program), but there are enough to get you started. Along with his custom expired domains list it gives you a head start.

Remember to use the discount code dnxpert to get a $10 discount on the sales price. This brings the total to just under 50$ at 47$!

It might be Christmas Eve but that doesn’t mean the dozens of blog contests going on right now across the internet have stopped. Why in less than 24 hours you could have won a brand new Nintendo Wii, and in just a few days you might have $50 more cash in your pocket.

A Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii competition that I’m running over at Contest Beat has less than 24 hours to run, meaning if you want to take the super easy opportunity to win, you need to do so quickly! To have a chance all you need to do is post about the contest on your blog, and if you want a bonus entry you can also subscribe to the RSS feed via email.

$300 Cash

Tyler Cruz wants to get his RSS subscriber count up and is running a $300 contest to do so. Up for grabs is $50 cash for six different winners and entering is as easy as subscribing to his feed via email. Take a look at the contest post here for more info, and enter within the next few days before the contest ends.

$250 plus 1,000 Entrecard Credits

Saphrym.com want to get their readership levels up and so are running a pretty nice contest in order to try and achieve that. Up for grabs is $250 as well as 1,000 Entrecard credits, which is a heck of a lot! To enter you need to make a post on your site about any post on their site aside from the contest post, include a few links and you’re in.

Free Hosting for a Year

Before you say “yeah free hosting from some $2 reseller” this is an official comp being run by Host Gator themselves. They got in touch with me and told me about their Ugliest Website Contest. Basically what you need to do is create as ugly a website as you can and include a small link back to Host Gator on it. The winner as judged by them wins one year free hosting as provided by them.

This has been a guest post by Matt Gibbs of Contest Beat.

Flock vs Firefox : Round 1

Once upon a time…. Forget that this is not that kind of fairy tale so lets get right to it.

I would like to start this off with a bit of a disclaimer: “I, tigg76, am in no way (by affiliation, association or any other form of real or superficial relationship) to be referred to as a trendwhore .” I’ve seen the term floating around about cyberspace for a while now and it commonly refers to maybe a good 99% of those who use the web (not including those who produce things for the web). The reason I am proclaiming my exemption from the ranks of “trendwhoredom” is that I refuse to do something just because it is popular. Sure there are your “web givens” (and even blog givens) like Delicious, WordPress, Blogger, Google, Yahoo, Technorati and others that if you aren’t part of the trend then you better have something better going or prepare to sit in a dark little corner of the internet all by yourself [insert cheesy Eric Carmen “All by myself” verse]. But I’m not one to just jump off the bridge with the rest of the lemmings and sheople because I like for things to be tested and tried before I even lay hands on it. Except in this case.

For years Internet Explorer was the definitive defacto web browser of choice. The only real competition you had at the time was Netscape Navigator and its obvious flaws and shortcomings (which in the end sealed its fate). Internet Explorer was the “future” and Microsoft sat mightily on its throne as king of all things computer. That is until not to long ago. People, I guess, began to get tired of being told what the future was going to look like and decided that they would rather design the future themselves. The people wanted change but not the mandated variety that Microsoft and the “Legion of Nerds” handed down from upon high but the kind that was designed by the creative 16 year old in his disheveled bedroom between after school rounds of doom and internet porn. People wanted the hard edged creative force that the once young “Microsoft of olde” had promised them. So eventually Internet Explorer began to lose its luster. People grew tired of their tyranny and talk of mutiny was on the horizon…

Then came along the new class. The web was still a place of freedom and creativity but it was restricted by what your local browser (and of course bandwidth) could provide. The People wanted a new experience and that’s what they were delivered. I remembered the time where there were so many browsers to choose from that it almost felt as though browsing for “browsers” was going to be the new thing. But most were simple remakes of the two original juggernauts (IE and Navigator). It was depressingly more of the same old same old. That is until in snuck the fox. FireFox, in the beginning, was almost an urban legend. You heard people talk about it, but it was the same as those people that talk about Linux and Unix and you really don’t understand what they mean until you experience it yourself. It seemed like a product built specifically for the nerd elite and anyone that doesn’t know how to bake up some C+ or Java will be left with an empty stomach and empty pockets. Firefox was everything to the contrary. It was one of the most accessible browsers I had ever used. It did anything you wanted to and the best part about was that you could teach it tricks. If you wanted Firefox to fetch your email then you could download a plug-in for that. If you wanted Firefox to do your taxes then there was a plugin for that. If you wanted Firefox to go to bed with you then you needed psychological help. Firefox gained momentum and seemingly became an overnight celebrity. Alternative internet browser were no longer the play toys of “nerdom” but now they were the power tools of the layman and the average man. Slowly the kingdom of Gates began to fall.

Firefox was at the head of the pack. You were considered lame and out of the loop if you even mention anything about IE. Firefox was the in thing. Notice how I said “was”. Although it may seem like the sly fox may be immortal and untouchable we should know from the lessons of history itself that nothing stays at the top forever. Rome, Egypt, Michael Jackson (sorry about that last one), over time everything must pass its baton down to the ones on the come up. So what’s on the way up now? Well, in case you didn’t notice the web is now almost an adult and as a functional adult you must learn proper communication. Now you can make phone calls, send emails, watch movies, buy groceries, look at porn (I don’t do that) all on the web. An entire world of adult activity to make adult life that much more simple. The web is now more social. There are blogs and things like Myspace, Twitter, Delicious, Facebook, etc. All these ways of doing one simple thing, communicate. So with the web becoming more social Firefox has a task of catching up, right? Well, just like IE clawed its way to the so did the fox but the issue is that anyone who wears the crown becomes vulnerable. Fire Fox is now a target but who would take a shot at the “untouchable”.

Ladies and gentlemen feast your eyes on the future of “social” web browsing! All the way from the furthest reaches of the Internet right here before your very eyes! I present to you the one, the only, FLOCK.

What is flock you ask?

Well Flock is probably everything you do right now bundled into one place without the use (or need) of plug-ins and extensions [*remove sexual innuendo from the preceding statement]. Flock has potential. The idea behind it is simple; give those that use the web all the things that they want to do and all the things that they do already a home on the web and let them decide how they want to access those services all from just one place. Flock integrates a long list of social networking and blog sites into the browser interface itself for easy access and quick posting to any of your frequented URL’s. Whether you are a MySpace addict or a Celebrity Blog God, Flock has it built right in to the magic window you use to watch your OK GO videos and check your email.

Sure Flock is not perfect and it is almost a Firefox clone down to the button design but Flock takes the best of Firefox and adds its own flair. Flock, I believe, is what the people want with the same ability that Firefox has with the ability to add even more usability with plug-ins of all sorts (mostly Firefox plug-ins themselves as most are already compatible with Flock already). Flock, if it plays its cards right, has the steam and drive needed to be the next trendwhores’ object of desire. Some of the services built in to the browser itself are Myspace, Flickr, Twitter, You Tube, Facebook, Blogger and of course everybody’s favorite Word Press. It’s built so you can be in the midst of your standard web travels and see an item of interest that you would love to share with the world and just like that (with the simple right click of a mouse) you can shoot it on over to your blog and keep on surfin’ without skipping a beat. Flock has the right spirit but can it become the “best”?

So far Flock is at the same point that Firefox was at the same age where only “nerds” and “know it alls” have anything to do with it but under the surface there is an epic struggle a’brewin’. I myself would love to have front row seats to that battle.

[*Insert Michael Buffer impression]

“In this corner, weighing in at 5.73MB is the ‘Sly Slithering’ ‘Sexy is even the half of it’; ‘Browser champ of the decade’; ‘Quicker than the thought of the speed of light’; FIREFOX!”

“And in this corner weighing in at a hefty 10.2MB of ‘Pure time waisting fun and fulfillment’; ‘The surprise from the skies so you better open your eyes’; Ladies and gentleman, FLOCK!”

Flock versus Firefox sounds like a battle to see. Its too early to tell but I think FLOCK has enough of the goods to bring the pain. Check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me. Oh yeah…

…And they lived happily ever after (but we’ll see). Flock

NeverblueAds was very generous in sponsoring our contest and now have decided to sponsor fellow blogger Tyler Cruz’s Contest.

In this contest they will be awarding 6 people each 50$. Yes, it’s another 300$ giveaway!

To enter simply subscribe to Tyler Cruz’s RSS feed by email. He will select 6 winners from his subscribers. It ends in 4-7 days, apparently no deadline was set.

I am not an expert affiliate marketer, however NeverblueAds is my favorite by far. They have some great offers, including a wide variety of free stuff. If you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to sign up to NeverblueAds.

Usually bloggers set up monthly goals and cross them off as they go. However, I haven’t been too goal oriented, I’ve just always had an idea where I want to go. As well as how far this blog should be along. So far I am very pleased with the blog, our authors, the community, and of course our wonderful readers. There is definite room for improvement, especially with increasing revenue.

For the last several months we have sat at around 10,000 unique visitors per month, we haven’t seen an increase, or decrease. I’d like to double that number, but realistically I’d like to get about 5,000 more visitors per month. To do this I want to further utilize social networks, improve our content, and further promote our stumbleupon network.

Another focus of this blog is to expand and reward our RSS feed readers. Our current RSS subscriber total is flashing an impressive 527. At the rate of 50-100 new subscribers per month, I expect us to grow to over 1,000 in 2008. I’d love to get even closer to 2,000 by the end. I know this is very realistic. Make sure to subscribe to our RSS feed so you don’t miss promotions yet to come.

Our ranking is another thing that I have definite plans for. Even though they are just rankings, for some reason they are very important to me. I like to be the best, if I can’t, I want to be one of the best. Due to our “infancy” we aren’t regarded as highly as we should. This is mostly because of lower rankings. For 2008…

• Our Google rank will hopefully be restored (to 4) and raised to a 5 or 6.
• Alexa should go back down to under 40,000
• I’d really like to break into the top 2,000 in technorati. Right now we are siting just outside the top 4k, at 4552

What are your blogging goals for 2008? Make sure to post your blogging goals and enter in Daily Blog Tips writing project.

I’ve been working on getting the winners picked, to make sure we can get them their money before before Christmas. I want to thank NeverblueAds for being so generous and sponsoring this contest for us and our readers. It’s not too late to Join NeverblueAds and start your affiliate account. There are tons of offers up, including several Christmas ones to promote on your blog. I have lots of their freebie offers on It’s All Free Online.

I did the method of picking the winners a bit different. For the most part it’s still random, but I did hand picked one winner. The contest entry was very touching, so I had to make sure they got selected. After you read their contest post, you’ll see why. Here is an excerpt from HomeSchoolZoo contest entry:

This would be great to use for my Acts of Kindness project. $100 would go a long way toward making it a very special Christmas for two people I work with. There are some other great prizes, too, such as special reviews and a $25 cash prize. However, with three $100 cash prizes up for grabs, I’m shooting for that.

One person I’d like to help this Christmas has two small children. I’d love to be able to get some toys and coats for them! Another person I have in mind to help could use some ordinary things like new socks, tee-shirts, and such things as that. Both individuals have hit it pretty hard the past few months and I’d like to try to make their Christmas just a little merrier if I can.

In the spirit of Christmas we want to help them too, so HomeSchoolZoo is our first 100$ winner. Not everyone can be as fortunate as some of us, so I too hope it can be made a special Christmas for them. The rest of the winners are as follows:

2nd Blog Contest Central – 100$ from NeverblueAds
3rd An Anonymous Journal – 100$ from NeverblueAds
4th DatMoney – Website review from us
5th International Freebies – 25$ from Blogging4everyone
6th Contest Blogging – Website review from Nspeaks
7th It’s Write Now – Website review from SelectIndex
8th My Musings and Stuff – Featured blog at A Links Blog

Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to everyone who participated! For the cash winners please use the contact form and give me your paypal address, or leave a comment. Thanks! Make sure to subscribe to our RSS feed for other chances to win upcoming prizes. I will be giving away entrecard points in the feed in the next days.