Well, we are all enjoying (hopefully) the year 2010 now, but the year is still young. We still have plenty of time to make plans, make promises to ourselves and generally prepare to try to make 2010 our best year yet.
One thing that many people do every year is to make a New Year’s Resolution, or even more than one. I never have been big on making such Resolutions until the past few years. One of the problems with New Year’s Resolutions is that most people do OK for a couple of weeks, then tend to fall back on their old habits. Soon, the New Year’s Resolution is forgotten, until the end of the year, when these people wonder to themselves how they failed to follow through. Well, I have been lucky that over the past few years that I have begun seriously making such Resolutions, I have been able to follow through and keep my resolutions for the most part. Not 100%, but more like 75% or 80% of my resolutions, I have kept.
Clock ticks over to the new year... time for a resolution!
This year, I have decided to make a LiP New Year’s Resolution. That’s right, I am going to resolve to do something on this site that is different, and I feel better than what I have done in the years of it’s existence so far.
So, what am I going to do? I am going to liberalize my linking policy. What I mean is that I am going to provide links to more related sites in the future.
I believe that LiP is the biggest site of it’s kind, on it’s topic. I know of no other blog related to expat issues in the Philippines that even has close to the amount of readers that LiP has. Because of that, in the past, I have gotten a LOT of requests to provide links to other sites. I usually have been a bit tough on who I will link to, and most sites have not passed the test, thus I don’t link to them.
Whenever anybody starts up a new site about living in the Philippines, or wanting to move to the Philippines, they always come to me first asking for a link. My experience is that most of these sites will end up with 3 or 4 articles over a month, and then they die. They will still be online, but not updated for months, even years. That is why I have never linked to new sites. However, I am going to modify my policy on this. I still will not link to brand new sites, but if somebody has a relatively new site, if they are still posting on it after a couple of months, and posting regularly, I will provide a link in the future.
It is not, nor has it ever been my goal to keep these other sites secret, or keep my readers from finding out about new sites. I don’t believe in that. I want to “share the wealth” with new sites and help them achieve success in the niche. However, for me to do that, the author of the blog must show that he/she is serious about doing it. I don’t want to link to dead sites. So, if you start a site, and you have made it active for a couple of months, please let me know, and I will provide a link to your site!
I have always had a policy that for people who write on this site, they automatically get a link to their site (if they have one) on the sidebar. That, of course, will continue, and I am also going to let all writers know that if they have multiple sites, I will provide links to all of them.
All of this being said, let me emphasize that there are certain types of sites that I will not link to, though. For instance, Adult sites about the bar scene or that kind of thing will not be linked to. I also will not link to sites that continually bad mouth this site. Hey, if you have a problem with LiP, let me know and let’s see if we can work it out. Or, if you write something critical of LiP one time, no problem. But, if it is article after article criticizing this site, please don’t ask me for a link! I mean, why would you want to be linked by a site that you hate?
I also ask that if you want to have a link to your site from LiP, please be fair and provide a reciprocal link to LiP. That is only fair for both of us. Also, if you write about me, or write about LiP in an article, I would ask that you also link to LiP, that is just proper netiquette.
In the near future, I will get this all set up. On my sidebar “Blogroll” I will have links to my sites, and links to the sites of people who write here on LiP. For other links, I will set up a “Links” page that will have links to outside sites. I should have this done in the next week or so, but you can feel free to write to me with link requests anytime.
So, that is my LiP New Years Resolution… sharing the link love with other related sites!
About MindanaoBob
Hi Bob,
Happy New Year to you and your family.
That’s a great idea to share and hopefully grow traffic volumes.
I am hoping to launch a site in the next two months which will focus on over 55′s. One of the areas we will explore is expat living and tourism for over 55′s so I think there may be some synergy between our sites which I hope may warrant reciprocal links.
cheers,
Michael
Hi Michael – Nice to hear from you! It’s been a while since we last connected. If your site has information about expat type issues and such, as you are hoping, I’d be very happy to link to you. Just keep me posted!
I recommend the original: xxxxxxx
Hi Paul – I’m sorry, my friend, I edited that link out from your comment, because I will not link to that particular site. I would like to, but the owner of that site has even banned my name from being used on the site. I have even sent the owner an e-mail seeing if we can link the sites, and he refused. So, unless that person becomes more friendly, and open, I will not be linking to his site.
Sorry about that…
Bob you have for sure mastered the reality that you get when you give. Check out http://www.goiloilo.com It I think it is a good site for you to link with. It offers a perspective that is like yours but focused on a different region of the Philippines. Your site is amazing and your a generous man-a good friend.
Hi Ron – Thank you for your kind thoughts. Yes, I know Bob Hammerslag and would be happy to link to his site.
Bob: I think this can only help the site. The only concern I would have is the content… Something that is tough to control (Sometimes the Adsense ads that pop up on LiP, which, I believe, are totally out of your control, are skirting the line, particularly the dating sites).
Good luck!
BoB: One other suggestion: Since LiP is definitely of niche interest, and you get decent traffic (I think) do you think you could charge the sites for links, much like adsense? It could work and make you a little income, since you reach a very specific demographic of readers.
Hi John – I really wouldn’t charge for links… it would be more of a reciprocal deal, or something that I wanted to make readers aware of.
Hi John – Don’t worry, I would never link to dating sites, adult sites or anything of the sort.
Hi! I have started a blog recently on my husband moving here, which includes some info that I thought might be helpful.
But I am averse right now about asking to be linked. I guess I want to be able to say I earned being linked, meaning I have posted enough and kept the blog alive and interesting, to want to be linked to.
I will just await that time when the owners of this site has found that my site is worth linking to. Right now it is certainly a work in progress… and so is my husband’s moving here.
So until then… more power and God Bless!
Hi Claudette – Thanks for making me aware of your site. I’ll be keeping an eye on it!
Bob
That’s a fantastic resolution, one that will benefit many.
I have just added a link to this site on my webpage.
I hope it brings in many new readers.
Thank you very much Lloyd! When I get the links page set up, I will be adding your site too!
Hi Bob;
I made a New Year’s Resolution in 1964 that I’ve kept to this date. It was to never make a resolution on New Years as I knew then I’d never keep it.(LOL) I have been to a lot of those wanna-be sites and found them lacking for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. I found LIP through Dave Starr’s site using a link he had (Thank you Dave!). And I’m happy I did, so with proper screening I think your resolution is a great idea. If I go to a Honda dealership and all they can tell me, is how bad the other cars are, than there must be nothing good about their product. So let em’ throw stones!
Hi Paul – Thanks for being persistent and finding LiP through Dave’s fine site, PhilFAQs. I’m glad you found us, and have enjoyed your contributions on LiP over the past year!
hi bob–i agree with claudette–my site is not very prolific yet but i hope it will be more interesting this year– i should be back home in digos in mid feb–and i will try to do more writing then –one of the first things i did when i opened my web page was to link to you –so we are half way there– one thing –i do not advertise any things–i am trying to keep my page clean and simple–also i do not have a comment area but have been thinking it would be a good idea–so i may try to find how to accept comments soon– i am just not sure that is the way i want to go–anyway i have read you daily for a couple of years now and found your site most helpful–keep on keeping on–james
Hi James – I hope we can meet up when you are back in the area! I’ll be sure to link to your site when I have things set up.
Hi Bob,
Interesting,always something going on in LiP.
I have an incling which site JKD was referring to.
Problem i have with some similar sites,they paint a picture of the Phils being a Utopian Paradise,which most of us know is untrue.
regards Chas.
Hi chasdv – I fully agree. The Philippines is not utopia, and never will be. The Philippines has it’s own problems, and always will. We just have to learn to deal with a new set of problems!