Is all the "good stuff" in the private section?

It seems to me that GPWA is quickly becoming nothing more than a "sig-link" cesspool. Dozens of posters scurrying around posting bs in every other thread they can just to get their sig links more exposure.

I am puzzled when I see continued exuberance with regards to having 11,000+ members ... really? I can't help but wonder how many of those are bots and spammers looking to leech off the site. Would love to know how many "actual" active members GPWA has - I would guess its well under 1/10 of that number.

Is there actually anything of value going on in the private area or is it too changed so drastically from the sites original intent? Webmasters helping webmasters ...

Just curious!

No it's not all "hidden" in the private sections.

I will admit that some of the old timers and webmasters that were more willing to help their fellow peers are more scarce around here than from a few years ago, but there are still quite a number of nice folks that do honestly care and are willing to help....but many of them are very busy with other projects and tougher to pin down with their time.

Many of the newbies which have joined in the last year just haven't gotten a handle on what this place used to be all about, and are much more concerned in what the GPWA can do for them and their sites and less about what THEY can do for the GPWA and it's members.

Sadly, some of the affiliate programs act in the same way and are more concerned about driving traffic toward their own blogs and sites and sometimes need to be asked questions multiple times before they answer here and keep wanting to take issues private.

Some of them post a topic that could lead to a very good discussion here and I find myself wanting to discuss those issues, and then when I enter the forum or thread to read the discussion I am left with a single paragraph as a tease and a link to somewhere else....(sorry but if you wanna discuss something here, then here is where it should be discussed)

Don't take me wrong because there are some real stars in the group of affiliate programs and some of them go out of their way to help webmasters and other program reps without question....and those are the ones that I personally respect more then others.

Over the years this place as well as the industry has evolved and adjusted to industry as well as personel changes. Hopefully over time more will come to understand why a few of us feel so strongly about this.

Rick
Universal4

I find a lot of value in the private section as long as you can live with the fact that it has a 99% chance of being shared. :D Meaning, if you share it in private, be prepared to possibly justify it in public.

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Originally Posted by universal4

Some of them post a topic that could lead to a very good discussion here and I find myself wanting to discuss those issues, and then when I enter the forum or thread to read the discussion I am left with a single paragraph as a tease and a link to somewhere else....(sorry but if you wanna discuss something here, then here is where it should be discussed)

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I must admit that I have been guilty of doing this a few times, just before I read this thread in fact!

If I read an interesting piece of news on my SEO feed in the morning and want to share it, but can't put it in any better words than the expert who has studied the written subject for a long time, then I will just write a summary then give a link to the post.

Equally, I just started to write instructions on how to implement tracking links for someone an hour or so ago, I thought it should be longer than a forum post so wrote up a massive guide on my blog and posted a link. Was I trying to self-promote? Not at all. I genuinly just thought it would be better displayed and more helpful there.

I agree with you in some cases, like when some sponsor affiliate programs post a thread with a teaser on their blog automatically even though it is not relevant to anyone here. But in some cases I think it is warranted.

Not trying to disagree with you or debate, just felt the need to defend myself since I just did what you said :)

I agree there are times when it is warranted.

But, some people post this way ALL the time.

Rick
Universal4

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Originally Posted by universal4

I will admit that some of the old timers and webmasters that were more willing to help their fellow peers are more scarce around here than from a few years ago.

...

Over the years this place as well as the industry has evolved and adjusted to industry as well as personel changes. Hopefully over time more will come to understand why a few of us feel so strongly about this.

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So do you think the current level of networking and sharing of info which takes place on the current day GPWA, justifies the site taking several hundred-thousand dollars out of our partners hands each year?

That is to say, are members getting enough of an ROI from their personal contributions to the site and/or their knowledge obtained through usage of the current platform or could the members just as easily conduct the same level of networking on a platform which doesn't get rich taking thousands from our partners?

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Originally Posted by arkyt

So do you think the current level of networking and sharing of info which takes place on the current day GPWA, justifies the site taking several hundred-thousand dollars out of our partners hands each year?

That is to say, are members getting enough of an ROI from their personal contributions and usage (knowledge taken) from this current platform or could they just as easily conduct the same level of networking on a platform which doesn't exist to get rich?

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As long as our partners, the affiliate programs, are happy to pay for GPWA representation, then business is as it should be. They are the ones who should answer the question about ROI. However, as far as the affiliate point of view goes, you yourself read and contribute to the GPWA on almost a daily basis, so I guess you've answered your question, and the answer is yes. :clap:

With regards to the GPWA making money, well, it would be naive of me to begrudge them that. Not one of us would be here if there was no potential for income in the online gambling industry. Also, I am happy to see somebody as upfront and respectable as Michael heading a strong affiliate community. Things could be - and have been - much worse.

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Originally Posted by arkyt

or could the members just as easily conduct the same level of networking on a platform which doesn't get rich taking thousands from our partners?

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OF course affiliates can set-up anywhere, but after 12 years of waiting around for it to spontaneously appear I think that we can agree that it will not be EASY. The idea is simple but the execution and support systems are much more difficult.

I know of six or seven "splinter groups" that all seem to be little more than cliques of a dozen or so people - providing a much smaller experience - and many of those people are also posting here as well.

I think you have personal experience of setting up a platform that failed to reach a sustainable level with iGAMI - it was a perfectly serviceable forum but just simply failed to get traction or grow and one day you just closed up the shop.

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Originally Posted by arkyt

So do you think the current level of networking and sharing of info which takes place on the current day GPWA, justifies the site taking several hundred-thousand dollars out of our partners hands each year?

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As to whether the "sponsors" get value for money from their GPWA sponsorship - well that has nothing to do with the level of affiliate networking does it. It's simply down to whether the sponsors get exposure to affiliates or not.

With an active affiliate manager I'd say that it would draw in a handful of affiliates each month - and would probably be worth a minimal payment for an active presence. If that presence can be obtained at "bronze level" then that's fine.

I struggle to see what benefits occur at Silver, Gold and Platinum level that justify significant increases in membership cost - but I'm not really privy to all the information.

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In the end - I'm happy to visit the GPWA - and do so on a daily basis and exchange information with peers and programs on a "free" basis. So my activity is a reasonable endorsement of my opinion of the GPWA as it currently stands.
8-)

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Originally Posted by Fergie

Things could be - and have been - much worse.

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I thought the same until recently; but maybe things will work out in the end; we can only hope. :)

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Originally Posted by TheGooner

It's simply down to whether the sponsors get exposure to affiliates or not.

I struggle to see what benefits occur at Silver, Gold and Platinum level that justify significant increases in membership cost - but I'm not really privy to all the information.

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Yes, but how many affiliates? An inflated 11,000 members or xxx legitimately active members?

As do I struggle, and while I do, I refuse to buy into the notion that its none of the members business. Is this no longer an association? I reckon the answer to that is clearly no - from what I have seen the last couple of years the GPWA is more of a clearly defined financial entity deserving of a .com extension and its moving in that direction more and more every day. Sad because IMO, the members are the ones who give the site its true value and evidently they are no longer a primary concern of what used to be more of a true association.

These programs pay 12000/8000/6000 a year to be listed here ... they pay X to be listed at CAP, they pay X to be listed on AGD, they prolly pay for PAP, they pay X to attend conferences seemingly every other month ... they continue to do this year after year despite the fact that many affiliates these days are seeing lower and lower commissions.

If what I see here, at AGD, at CAP, and on my own ledger rings true - more affiliates are seeing negative numbers at a greater rate. So wheres the money / justification coming from to continue down these one sided avenues? Does that math really add up fair and just at every line or is something going on? It's not making much sense at all to me!