PureBlogging

Jeremy Schoemaker, who most of you probably know as Shoemoney, recently revealed that he has been the target of a corrupt DMOZ editor. Basically, he was told by the editor that he would have to pay $5000 to keep his ODP listing. Where I come from, that is called extortion.

Unfortunately, the story doesn’t stop there. Joost De Valk reports that that his DMOZ editor account was disabled because he asked why Shoemoney’s URL was removed.

So I posted something like that in the commentthread to the above post, and I added a note to Shoemoney’s URL in DMOZ asking why the URL was removed.

Now pay attention: within 36 hours after doing that, my account was disabled!

And this is not the first time that DMOZ editors have been linked to some rather shady activities.

When you consider the corrupt editors and the fact that it’s impossible to get a site listed anymore, why does Google and others still put so much weight on being listed there? I just don’t get it.

DMOZ is dead but apparently nobody bothered to tell Google.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Just a couple of things that I wanted to comment on:

WordPress Plugins Competition
Weblog Tools Collection recently held a WordPress Plugin Competition and is still taking votes on which of the Plugins you like the most. PureBlogging was a sponsor for the competition and there are some really amazing entries this year. Go check them out and cast your vote.

Comment Relish May be Dangerous
As many of you know I have recommended the WordPress Plugin Comment Relish in the past, well, it appears that I may have made a mistake. Chris Garrett now reports that the plugin may be dangerous. I have disabled the plugin and recommend you do the same.

Romlet Design Award Winner
I was informed this morning that PureBlogging has been selected as a Romlet Design Award Winner! Pretty cool considering I didn’t even know there was a competition. If you’re not familiar with Romlet, it’s the neat little icons in the sidebar on the right under the heading “Recent Referrers”. I installed the widget a few days ago just to check it out.

There’s a Scumbag Among Us
I have received a number of emails about a blogger who held a completely bogus contest. I’m not going to link to him but you can read more about the situation at Contest Blogger, Roberta Ferguson, and Michael Kwan. Just goes to show you… if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Have you heard about Blog Action Day? On October 15, 2007 every blogger who participates will write something related to the environment. Each blogger will address the topic in his or her own unique way within the context their blog.

According to the official Blog Action Day website:

Blog Action Day is about MASS participation. That means we need you! Here are 3 ways to participate:

• Post on your blog relating to the environment on Blog Action Day
• Donate your day’s earnings to an environmental charity
• Promote Blog Action Day around the web

PureBlogging will be participating… are you?

Popularity: 13% [?]

I’m a little late with the Roundup this month but here is a list of our most popular posts from July 2007 just in case you missed anything.

• 3 Ways to Track Your Comments – We all know that posting comments on related blogs is great way to get your blog noticed by influential people in your niche. Unfortunately, tracking all those comments can be a real pain.
• 9 Ways to Reach New Audiences With Your Articles – All successful bloggers have been able to create quality content for their readers. Unfortunately, creating quality content doesn’t guarantee success for a blog. Without readers to notice the quality of the writing, nothing is gained. If you’re having trouble getting readers to notice you, consider using some of the methods listed below. They all focus on getting your articles in front of new audiences, which will increase your exposure and your subscriber numbers.
• Expanding Your Blogging Network – What does every successful blogger have in common? They are all part of strong networks with other successful bloggers. Blogging is very community and network based and because of this you should make it a priority to grow your network. As your network grows, so will the level of your success.
• SEO Advice for Bloggers from Matt Cutts – Lisa Barone from BruceClay.com gives a recap of the SEO advice provided by Matt Cutts at the WordPress Wordcamp this past weekend. There are some interesting tidbits included.
• Effects of the 1000th Comment Contest – I received several requests for a detailed breakdown on how this blog benefited from the 1000th Comment Contest. In this post, I will try to detail the effect that it had on my traffic, the number of comments, and the income from this blog.
• Buying Blog Comments – Many bloggers include commenting on other blogs in their overall marketing strategy and as I have mentioned before, it’s an effective tactic. But what about paying someone else to comment on other blogs for you?
• Sales Page Series: Part Two – In the last installment of the Pajama Professional Sales Page Series, I discussed the questions you should ask yourself before you begin writing your ad copy. In this part of the series, I will outline some of the rules I will follow as I create my ad.
• You Could be a Winner at Contest Blogger – Have you ever discovered a new site and said, “Man, why didn’t I think of that?” That’s how I felt when I heard about Phil Van Treuren’s new project at Contest Blogger.
• Authority Blogger Forum – If you’re like me, one of things you love about blogging is the community aspect. I love sharing ideas and discussing the ins and outs of blogging. I also like to share when I find a good resource.
• PureBlogging Goes Mobile – Some of you know that I am on the road quite a bit because of my “real” job. As a result, I spend a lot of time with my trusty laptop in the hotel at night. But there is something else that helps me check in on the blog and reply to comments when I don’t have time to pull out the laptop.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I’m sure most of you have at least heard of the new Advertorial Service offered by ReviewMe. Basically, it is a paid review where the advertiser gets to write the review instead of the blogger. I would like to know how you feel about this new service.

[poll=3]

Popularity: 8% [?]

Here is a list of our most popular posts from June 2007 just in case you missed anything.

• Wanted: Girls for Blogs – Sara attempts to find out why there aren’t more high-profile female bloggers and comes up with five myths about why girls don’t blog.
• Blogging Basics Part Six: Hacking a theme – Roberta breaks down how she customized the theme for her personal blog.
• 1000th Comment Contest – $200 Cash Giveaway – A little contest to celebrate reaching the 1000 comment milestone on this blog.
• Monetize Your Blog With Paid Reviews – Michael gives an overview of the most popular paid review services.
• Blog Hopping – Some interesting posts that I ran across in my quest for contest ideas.
• Blogging Basics Part Seven: The shameless art of self-promotion – Roberta reminds us that a little self-promotion is a good thing.
• May Roundup – A list of our most popular posts from May.
• Common Blogging Mistakes – We have all made mistakes along the way but I see many new bloggers making the same mistakes over and over.
• Choosing a Topic for Your Blog – A few points to consider before choosing a niche for your blog.
• Become a Guest Blogger – Michael discusses the benefits of becoming a guest blogger.

Popularity: 12% [?]