We cry together with another devaluation or how Amtrak Guest Rewards goes down, check out the Latin Hopper United award, get some free crappy Spirit miles, visit Bahrain and go on the best day hikes and more!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
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It is 10.53 pm and I am just now starting this blog post after picking the worthy material here and there throughout the day. I just returned from a 2.5 hour meeting with a client after taking at least an hour to drive to/from their house. I am physically and mentally tired and a bit cranky as today is also one of the very rare days I did not make time to exercise. But I will persevere and hope I finish this blog post at a decent hour before I fall asleep (please note this Starbucks location is the only “Open 24 hours” location in Michigan and falling asleep in it is not uncommon!).
Anyways folks, start looking for a new hobby. The Delta-fication revenue-based transformation of our lovely travel loyalty industry is shaping up in front of our eyes and we don’t like it one bit! And we are powerless to stop it in spite of numerous rants against it from View From the Wing for the industry to not kill the aspirational awards. It has been a hell of a ride indeed. Why, what the hell happened you may ask? Well, when Amtrak goes that route you know the end is near by Frequent Miler.
Two links from a blog did not make it today at TBB because said blog linked to a Titan. There are consequences for blog actions. #myownmoroniccrusade
Jeffsetter shows all about the Latin Hopper United award. Very nice.
If you applied for the Amex SPG cards recently and got only 25k SPG points try asking for another 5k per Doctor of Credit. Tell them TBB sent you. On a second thought, DON’T!
Easy way to extend the life of crappy Spirit Airlines miles! Open a Dining account and do one dine for 1,500 miles.
Next employee benefit? International trips paid for by corporate travel rewards credit card! I somehow doubt companies will fund an award booker staff position though lol.
Picture of the Day: Sassi de Matera, Italy. Thank you Twisted Sifter for another beautiful moment!
Great building photos in “21 Hours in Bahrain” by The Gate.
Best Day Hikes on the Planet. Another AFAR guide!
9 Countries That Ceased to Exist in the 20th Century. Fascinating. Geography was my favorite subject in school. As a kid I had memorized all the world capitals!
How college grads (and everyone else) can retire as millionaires. This is a fantastic personal finance article.
No funny pic to end it…just more inspiration!
It is now well after midnight and as I am still caffeinated I need to rant a bit about blogging. My blog has not seen a single phucking penny from advertising as many blogs (especially in networks such as Boarding Area and Saverocity) get paid every month for all their page views. For more than half of the life of this blog in fact we had not made anything. Then we added the Amazon link and thanks to the prolific sister in law shopper it brings in some ridiculously low revenue that does not even cover what we spend in coffee at Panera every month! Last November I added the Creditcards.com link that gets some apps here and there and my family remains its biggest user! There is nothing more demoralizing than to spend valuable time out of your day to bring a quality read to TBB readers to “entertain, educate, inspire” and NOT EVEN one reader takes a few seconds to use one of my links. But that’s okay as I have gotten used to it. Keeping this up does not make sense for business reasons but for some insane reason I am still at it because someway somehow it has become like crack to me or something. Not that I have ever done crack! So if you are not going to support TBB at least take time to tell me I clicked on a non-Titan link, it gives me equal pleasure! If I had a dollar for every day nobody clicked on my links… And then just when I am about to give up, that rare credit card app and/or multi Amazon order shows up which fuels my addiction and obligation to keep blogging! To the commenter who accuses me of pumping I have one thing to say: Your refusal to click on any blogger’s affiliate links is adding fuel to them eventually quitting. The blogosphere is littered with bloggers who gave up. TBB will join the crowd one day undoubtedly. Zero click days will eventually lead to a “Just Phuck It” moment. And I bet the real pumping bloggers will keep on pumping so YOU contribute to them winning and you will likely keep on reading them increasing their revenue from ads while they rope in newbies. Clap, clap, clap. Ok I feel better now! Off my soap box too 🙂 Clarification: Boarding Area blogs make a hell of a lot of money by ads alone, Saverocity blogs do not! TBB aspires to reach the Saverocity levels FIRST and then we take on…Manhattan, eeer, I mean Boarding Area lol. Big controversial misunderstanding posted at Matt’s blog in Saverocity Travel.
Blog post scheduled on 12.55 am. WTF! Actually, this one was fast #WTF2. I could be Simon-ing and WalMarting instead #facepalm
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At the head of the line for another hit.
Second!
Helixcardinal and Spencer F. sure are not morning people! 🙂
You got that right!
Yep; being on the Pacific coast doesn’t help
Would it be helpful if I knew what a Titan link is? Maybe. So, what is a Titan link?
Titan refers to the big commercial blogs, the ones who have a sales quota to fill and reason for being is to fill that quota FIRST (pun intended) and help the reader second (or third or…u get the idea). They are found here:
http://travelbloggerbuzz.com/blog-reviews/blogs-i-ignore/
The term Titan was coined during the Boarding Area conference recently in Las Vegas appropriately titled BACON14. I wrote a parody post about it here:
http://travelbloggerbuzz.com/top-10-wtf-moments-bacon14-conference-las-vegas/
TBB
Staff of 1
Thanks to the reader who got the Slate card from my site. I now know why no blogger pushes it lol. So no daily tweet pump at noon #hint
I stayed up for the meteor shower last night, wine in hand, it was awesome!
Sweet Third!
Close but just missed the medal! You can atone for it with the orgasmic TBB Amazon link? #justmessingwithuall
Every time I hear the word Titan, I can’t help but think of the awesome anime called “Attack on Titan,” then I start laughing. I highly recommend watching this anime, here’s the trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luYOt2-c2TI (with English subs). The irony is awesome and the parallel’s you can draw from this anime and the Titan bloggers is unreal. 😀
Lol, I am preparing for battle!
To say not that not using any affiliate links at all means that titans win is such a stretch in logic, and is based on a misunderstanding of what type of web traffic is profitable.
Your resident statistician , Ingy, could probably confirm that most of your traffic is direct traffic. That is readers who are coming directly to the blog because it is saved in favorites, or they type in the URL, etc… This is the least profitable web traffic.
Ad revenue is maximized by people clicking on the ads. The traffic which has the highest conversions is organic, i.e. readers directed by search engines. The same is likely true for credit card links.
You’re not profitable because you have the wrong traffic. The titans are profitable because tey kill at SEO and have lots of organic traffic.
Damn. Sorry for the typos. Was commenting from iPhone.
Lover your logic but it is more basic than that.
1. George provides little original content related to the travel game. He is a copy and paste master of other people’s work. People reward original work and thought.
2. George is angry.. He would rather bitch than be grateful. People would rather hang around and support positive influences.
3. He begs for clicks.
4. He is the ultimate hypocrite as mentioned by other commenters. He complains in every post about other Titans actions yet begs and tweets for clicks more than ANYBODY in the space.
5. After watching George for the last three years, and I was one of his original supporters (although for a very short time), I have come to expect whatever would be beneficial for George’s readers and the success of his blog, he will do absolutely the opposite without logical explanation. I give you today’s rant as a perfect example.. Beg and Whine Almost all the Time.
I have to admit, its been interesting to watch his Alexa numbers and number of Twitter followers in relationship to the other bloggers. He whines about the hobby going downhill while riding the same toboggan to the bottom.
It will only take several very simple changes to bring him up but I’m afraid because I’m the one suggesting them, he will never even consider them.
1. Go positive
2. No more begging or whining.
3. Provide actual content from George Papadopolous instead of constantly commenting on others work. I tell you why, this won’t happen, This one takes more work
4. Clean up the language
Unfortunately and fortunately if he does make these changes, he will lose almost all of his current followers and he will start anew with people that will actually use his links under the new format.
Just my two cents worth. Now be ready for the Tweets that I commented on his blog. At least three or four is my guess
Good Luck Buddy
Yawn
1. Go positive ? …… please take your own advise Sir………………….. signed, unsigned.
No WTF or demeaning others on ftg or for that matter any other blog. George has a corner on the that market
Hey Everyone it’s me Jared out on parole. Come meet me in L.V. @ #BACON15, let’s party and go looking for young chicks, I still have 15 Million left over from what those dopes at Subway paid me just cause I was a fat gut who supposedly lost weight eating those really crappy sandwiches everyday, yeah right. Okay, so I killed the Golden Goose and my wife will get half in the divorce and the lawyers will get another half of the half. WTF ya gonna do, and always remember EAT FRESH, SUBWAY!
Kid you should check out the babes in Santa Domingo they sound like your type and be sure to hide your Viagra from customs on they way back.
PS If there are any TITAN Bloggers or maybe you TBB looking for an experienced spokesperson I am looking for a new gig. Hit me up on twitter @ #SubwayStud
Hey Jared, how about a gig at FTG, what do u say? 🙂
Here is another typical TBB tactic: The “misquote”:
“FTG comments how he never pushed credit card links. And just when you thought yr head could not shake more lol ”
WRONG Again George. FTG “pushes” credit card links in their post. The words I used to describe your behavior was “BEG and WHINE” Other blogs push. You BEG and WHINE.
Hire Jared. He’ll give your blog more credibility.
yawn2
….if I only had a brain.
If not a brain, how about a Brian (see below)
Thank you for the link, George. I appreciate it, as always.
By the way, just a clarification for you and Matt of Saverocity: not all “bloggers” at BoardingArea earn “4-6 figures per month”…
Hey Brian/Matt, good to see ya on TBB, any news on this Ben and Jen divorce situation?
Why don’t you put a “donate” button? Some people would rather donate and send some change along your way rather than showing what stuff I bought on Amazon. Besides, many readers have their own Amazon affiliate links!, and some other affiliate marketing links. Try a donate button, and don’t be shy about it.
I am too shy, it just doesn’t feel right to me.
I love it when a reader buys her sex toys with my Amazon link, it turns me on 🙂
I still think you over reacted to my post which I edited it and linked to yours after I finally understood the word that set you off this morning! Accusing me as pumping in it when in the meantime my eye balls have been gouged clearing through the manure of pumping blog posts coming my way makes no sense to me but hey, this blogging thing can get a little too personal sometimes I must admit. I just did not expect it from you man. I sent Mrs. TBB to it and she just texted me we need to talk about TBB tonight…great! If she cuts me off I may be WalMarting again woohoo.
Can you please keep Rick I and Mike over there, geesh!
Scott made a comment at Saverocity’s post. I wil reply to it here as it was addressed to me as I need more hits to increase my ad revenue woohoo!
>>>>>I like TBB,
I like me too, thanks. Most of the time that is. Sometimes my pursuit of relentless perfection may be too much though 🙂
>>>>…but I do think the readership started to decline when he started using affiliate links.
Maybe but I doubt it. There is no scientific way to prove it right? I lost when I stopped posting daily and also lost readers when I repeatedly said I am quitting and then I don’t 🙂
>>>> There was also a change in tone that can and is best described as a whining.
So I stopped being negative and then turned whiny…Can’t win with all readers out in da Internet lol.
>>>>>In the past he also has been contemptuous of his readers for not “supporting” him.
A few clicks here and there make me feel better someone out there cares enough about what my blog is providing them. It’s a mental thing. Kind of phucked up if you ask me!
>>>>>>I usually leave well enough alone but every now and then I can’t help myself.
Yes we noticed.
>>>>>>>I called him out yesterday because it just seemed so hypocritical of TBB to call people out for pushing the SPG and then do it yourself in the same paragraph.
Amazing, just amazing. So others make NUMEROUS templatey posts littered with lucrative direct app links to the SPG cards & you get all pissy about it for me mentioning it (which still requires readers to go find it, click it and then leave it to Bankrate to properly track it…). Wow!
>>>>>>>>I’m also tired of my intelligence being insulted when he claims it is all satire and mockery.
A lot of it IS. I love making fun of all the ridiculous blogging practices out there that are just smoke screens to pump more credit cards to unsuspecting readers. Now that IS INSULTING if you ask me! But if you claim you feel this way why do you read my blog huh?
>>>>>>He is very much kidding on the square when it comes to his poor attempts at salesmanship. Add that with the whining and it can get on my nerves.
Not sure what “kidding on the square” means? Is it some type of slang that I have missed? I AM a bad salesman. Heck, I went into accounting because I hated selling. I had some traumatic super life-defining moments in the hands of financial salesmen. Let’s just say I dislike them…”a little”. As far as the whining goes, you should ask my family members about it woohoo! OK, it will be toned down, I got the message.
>>>>>>>>All that being said, I keep coming back because he does provide a valuable resource in linking to stuff that I would be unlikely to learn about elsewhere and I do appreciate his perspective on the hobby, I mean Hobby.
Thank you. That was my goal from Day one and have fun doing it. It is not easy man!
>>>>>>>> I’m still not going to use his links, however, because I have a philosophical issue with affiliate links.
Out of curiosity, would you ever use a Donate button? Or a subscription fee? I doubt it. And you know I make nothing from ads (I think this media.net outfit is a scam, I will take down these stupid ads when I get around to it one day). So basically you are here reading my staff, commenting and I think enjoying my blog, even though sometimes I get on your nerves (happens I have been told lol). And beating me up once in a while for free. Is this how you show your support for blogs you (I am assuming) also enjoy reading? WELL, THAT BLOWS DUDE! Talk about insulting intelligence. At least tell me I use Saverocity’s or TIF’s links to show support for the work they put into their blogs. I am getting angry now, I better stop.
>>>>>>>Nothing contributes more to the the decline of formerly good blogs than hitting pay dirt on affiliate links, see FTG.
Yes. But you can also add to that this:
“Nothing contributes to the disappearance of good blogs than not getting any real support”. And I don’t mean comments!
Let’s move on…
I need to catch up on sleep now and I am so full from dinner. Yeah those dishes were the starters, we had the chicken/beef/lamb and bunch of falafels next, it was amazing!
I think I have said this before and I will say it again, the killer money making opportunity for this blog is satirical product placement using amazon affiliate link.
As as am example. “VFTW had another wonderful post today weighing in on the very important topic of what’s better SPG personal or SPG business? For such a great and informative post please show your support for Gary by sending him the following t-shit. http://www.amazon.com/Pooped-Today-Funny-T-shirt-Large/dp/B00KEAQ2M6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1439524998&sr=8-2&keywords=I+pooped+today+t+shirt”
Guaranteed money maker!
All right, Scott…
…I clicked on your link; and in the process, I found something for George on which to comment — and if he does not do so in a future article, I will be very disappointed:
http://www.amazon.com/Design-Sense-Generic-Weener-Kleener/dp/B000SPHPWI/ref=cts_ap_1_fbt
By the way, Scott — read what you wrote and posted above. You might notice a very funny typographical error…
Really funny guys. I need to relearn how to make product Amazon links for TBB. I did it years ago when I tried to sell my top 10 Personal Finance books for consumers. I think I sold…two lol.
Monetization related activities were always a low priority around here so when my bollocks get busted by some of you guys it can get a little frustrating at times.
Enjoy the weekend, summer is almost over!
TBB. I may not be clicking away (doesn’t do Amazon), but I’m still reading the best blog out there.
Dhammer53 aka Grandpa.
Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated Dan. Enjoy the weekend!
I just got approved for a card where I went through one of your links to apply. Did so since you don’t pump pump pump them up. Wanted to do you a favor. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much BC, much appreciated!
Will you and Leonard Cohen take Berlin after you take Manhattan?
Yes! And I love that song 🙂