Plans take a hit - Day 3 of the StomperNet Experiment

Posted by The Mad Ape as Blogging 101, Experiments, Traffic Building

My plans to implement my Social Marketing Strategy took a bit of a hit today when scribd.com announced that they were stopping outgoing links. Rumor has it that they very success of the StomperNet video ‘”No Secrets” caused scribd.com to cancel this feature. Bummer. I had a plan in place to post some free e-books that I am writing on their site.

From the FAQ section of their web site

Can I include links in my Scribd documents?

No. Due to abuse from search engine optimizers and internet marketers, we have adopted a no link policy. You may place one link in the website field of your profile page. You may not add HTML links to documents on Scribd.

I was hoping to use outgoing links at scribd.com to send traffic to my blog. This would have probably doubled or tripled my traffic. So now I must seek out a similar site that is at the popularity level of this one. Suggestions anyone?Now being a rather curious ape I decided to seek out the truth behind the rumors. Today I sent an email to scribd.com asking them to explain their actions. Whether they take me serious or not, is anyones guess…Time will tell!Here is a transcript of my email:

To: Head Honchos contact@scribd.com

Hello

I am the Mad Ape and am seeking clarification to the rumors
surrounding your recent cessation of outgoing links from scribd.com
by your users.

Can you confirm this to be the case? Further, can
you confirm whether or not this was a direct reaction to the
abnormally high increase in outgoing link (traffic) activity resulting
from people using the advice contained in a video by StomperNet called
“No Secrets”?

I am writing a review on this and would appreciate your input, so I can
report accurately on this matter.

The video can be reviewed on my site at
http://www.tatumba.com/blog/archives/293 if you have not seen it yet.
Thank you for your time.

Sincerely;

the Mad Ape
www.tatumba.com

Maybe scribd.com was threatened by Google? Maybe they felt that they had a hole in their system and decided that they would close it. Maybe it is all coincidence.

Technorati Tags: scribd.com, StomperNet.com, No Secrets Video, Block outgoing links

9 Responses

UglyBoldFatGuyWithGlasses

January 19th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
1

Hi,
I was shocked too, about the link cancellation. It seems that one blogger had complained, about the stompernet.com videos or so… I think it was a great idea to give away these valuable informations but they should have done it more quietly… But chances are that this was just the intention. I mean the SMARTS programm promisses dozens of technikes just like the scribd.com linking strategy. so in future, people might sigh up to their list and buy the infod directly from them. Let’s see if any other social bookmarking sites are drawing any conclusions… By the way, I was plannig to realease some stuff too on scribed.com. I am not saying, that I will no more but it has lost some attraction…

UglyBoldFatGuyWithGlasses’s last blog post..Das Coolste Überhaupt: The Harlem Shake!
The Mad Ape

January 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
2

Perhaps I will buy into the ‘SMARTS’ program at some point, but my philosophy is that my online activities have to pay for it. I am done with out-of-pocket expenses in my Internet endeavors.

Right now this site is turning a profit but not enough for me to buy SMARTS.

As for your comment that this may be a marketing ploy by StomperNet…I sure hope not. If found to be the case then their credibility is down the toilet and I will put them in the same category as the InternetMarketingNinjas.com clowns.

For now I am content knowing what I know and applying it. I can still make this work. Just a bump along the way.

Thanks for the comments and congratulations on being the first to use my new CommentLuv plugin.

The Mad Ape
Matt Ellsworth

January 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
3

Thats nuts. I was just hoping to start uploading somethings there.

Matt Ellsworth’s last blog post..Microsoft Vista Sort Of Catching On
The Mad Ape

January 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
4

Matt

There are alternatives to scribd. Check out hubpages.com. They allow links…for now. My next blog entry is about this site as an alternative.

The Mad Ape
allthingsburberry

April 4th, 2008 at 5:53 am
5

Wow! that’s a bummer, how are people supposed to get there links out then? and why am I still seeing links in newly uploaded content?….things that make you go hmmmm.
fornetti

August 31st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
6

I do not believe this
The Mad Ape

September 1st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
7

What don’t you believe? Please explain yourself. I am all ears!

The Mad Ape
http://www.tatumba.com
auto auction

October 21st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
8

this is bullshit , how can it be cancelled it is the best .Check out hubpages.com. They allow links…for now. My next blog entry is about this site as an alternative.
copcar

November 19th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
9

I’m on my way to go check out hubpages…. hopefully I will find something there…

copcar’s last blog post..20,283 Dodge Police Cars Recalled by Chrysler