Came across this article and was intrigued and amused by it’s mechanics. In essence, since the author could not provide a good answer he opened it up to comments from the readership.

The various comments are “interesting” in approach and, yes, answer the “burning question” adequately.

Enjoy!

Since I’ve delved into the world of web design I’ve noticed that many website owners, in their growth as a “web developer” tend to become specialized in one scripting language…period.

I do realize that when starting out learning ANY scripting language for the web, that the golden rule is to have a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of your favorite alcoholic beverage at the ready. The challenge though is not to become too attached to that one language.

For the majority of us, scripts allow us to accomplish a goal (provide password protection, have a forum, create a TGP, etc.) for our website(s) and unless you are adept at creating your own scripts…the idea of limiting one’s self to one language is problematic when dealing with websites, unless you’re adept in picking up and building scripting applications.

So which is the more popular language to begin with?

I’d have to say…it depends. For now, the popular language is AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML), and before that it was PHP (the “Pretty Home Page” Hypertext Language). As technology improve, new – PHP – or improved – AJAX – scripting languages will emerge and as new developers jump onto the new technology, new applications/scripts will arrive OR more exciting revisions of older applications will spring forth.

So do I just become a JOTMON (Jack of all Trades – Master of NONE)

What I recommend to people working on their own sites is to find that tool/application that best suits your purpose and from there stick with that language as your base. You’ll hear many “evangelists” touting the power of PERL or the flexibility of PHP, blah blah blah…ad nausium. To me that’s putting the horse before the cart…because if you spend the time to master,say, PERL then what do you do when you find a PHP script that seems to better accomplish your goal?

A good rule of thumb is to stick to two scripting languages for your applications…this will make it easy to track application and language updates, general security, and so forth.

Can affiliate programs (AP) make me any REAL money?!?

The simple answer is yes.

Affiliate programs, when managed correctly, work VERY WELL. The trick is to find a few and manage them.

Most people attempting the affiliate program typically do the following (hopefully this doesn’t sound familiar):

• Get several domains – a “prime” domain and several feeder domains (with the prime domain your future cash cow).
• Sign up with multiple affiliate programs – pretty much join a dozen or more.
• Go and find free hosting
• Build sites on each domain, spending about 3-5 hours per site adding your free content (even longer on your “prime site”).
• Letting the sites sit, waiting for the cash to come in.

For some reason, even knowing that more than 50% of the internet traffic is adult oriented – you aren’t making ANY MONEY. Also, If you noticed I don’t mention reading materials and using any tools provided by the programs, marketing, and so on…that’s also on purpose

So…where do you go from here? Nowhere. Stay where you are, you just need to focus and relax.

Firstly, unless you have LOTS of free time, your best best is to stick with no more than two or three affiliates to start. Start with the affiliate programs you have already decided to sign up for and get their help. They provide several resources to assist you – templates, how to’s, assistance via messaging and e-mail. They will definitely help you get the most out of the program (as it’s profitable enough to pay out upwards of 60% of the revenue).

Next, select your affiliate program in a niche you’re not particularly fond of. I say this because I’ve met many people who have become “addicted” to collecting the free content over managing their affiliation! So pick something that won’t have you using less than two hands <smile>, wasting time, bandwidth, and drive space.

Use the tools out there (TGP, blog tools, etc.) that help you manage and rotate content. Use simple management rules to make sure that you update content (i.e. update every Friday night) and stick to it. One you have a “non-static” site – start marketing it to newsgroups, blogs, forums and market it…after all having a site does nothing for you if no one finds it.

Like any program, you need to follow the program to work. There are lots of resources to help you either get started or get moving forward.

Lastly…remember it takes time! You’ll need to do some SEO, etc. to drive the right visitors for conversion to $$$.

When starting an adult site, especially a subscription site, we recommend having more than 2000 pictures and at least 20-50 videos to begin.

Many sites get shut down because they have illegal content – that is to say, content not licensed for use on their site. It is very easy to find good quality content (Usenet, free sites, file sharing tools, etc.), however because it’s on the internet does not mean it’s free for you to use beyond your personal use.

We always recommend becoming familiar with copyright laws (a great primer is available from the US Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DCMA introduced in 1998, as this spells out what is copyright and what isn’t

So…unless you have a small inheritance, or an investor that allows you to purchase content (typically a “canned” photo set of approximately 40 photos runs around $20.00 and a custom photo shoot can run upwards of hundreds of dollars depending upon the category) how do you find good content at reasonable prices or better yet…FREE?

There really isn’t. There is the ability to become an affiliate to an existing site to get content, however just be very careful when signing up. Some require that you use their content exclusively and many will revoke you license if you have not sent enough traffic to them.

Just remember, that many sites spend LOTS of time and effort to make sure that their content is not being abused. Many use standard techniques (which I won’t go into detail for obvious reasons) to ensure their content is protected so if you do attempt to use unlicensed content…expect a knock on your door, a letter via e-mail, or snail mail.

Use this rule of thumb with our content – if you’re not sure where it’s from or if you can use it for your site….DON’T!!!