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Thread: Kicked out of SitePoint

  1. #1
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    Kicked out of SitePoint

    SitePoint was planning a Website Revenue kit that I was supposed to write. Obviously I also had my blog. I wasn't doing any of that for money, I do very well as most people know, but I thought it would be a nice opportunity, the kit that is. The blog never paid anything (atleast not yet), the kit would have been pay but in the grand scheme of my income (grossed 700k last year) it wasn't much.

    I received an email this weekend stating they wished to have a conference call with me today. I assumed it was about the kit. In fact as recent as yesterday I was still emailing them back TOC revisions (despite the fact that apparently they'd already made this decision).

    No, the call was about them not wanting me to write the kit, be a forum moderator, or blog for them anymore. Suddenly I had become a pariah.

    The reason for this? They were "realigning their style" and "changing their focus." Who else was asked to leave? No one.

    I'm not stupid, I can read between the lines, I did or said something either recently or in the past that they, or their new general manager, didn't like, and they decided to sever ties. Either that or they see my webmaster site as competition (I can't believe that, but you never know).

    I was the most senior of the volunteer staff, and even have been a forum moderator longer than MMJ. The only person who has been a mod longer than me was Nicky. I visited this forum the first day it launched under a different name than it is now, and I registered within a couple months and have long been one of the top posters.

    Always the forum staff has been managed by the admins and other forum staff. Never to my knowledge has SitePoint stepped in to promote or demote someone. Other than today.

    After I got off the phone I was shocked, but I figured I should come and say my farewells. There is a private staff area you members do not know about and usually when someone leaves (and again usually it's their choice) they post there. Well, by the time I had gotten off the phone my access to that area of the forum had been removed.

    I feel like the rug got pulled from under me and I am not happy about it. That is not how you say goodbye to someone who has put that much time in.





    So... I think I shall launch a blog here, I really have seen now how blogs can be useful.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  2. #2
    Registered The New Guy's Avatar
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    Wow. Crazy. The ONLY thing I could think of was that mabye you were alittle to self promotive but they could have just said something. Its like they just took away everything in an instant. Bad form sitepoint, bad form.

  3. #3
    Giant Steps lo0ol's Avatar
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    I'm as confused as you are. And angry.
    I run good-tutorials.com.

    It's how I roll.

  4. #4
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    I was never that self promotive. I've quite frankly never posted a link to this site from the forums (other than in the marketplace areas maybe), and only links to other sites when I needed an example.

    Also... I should say that I didn't have an agreement over SP with this Kit.

    They had asked me a couple years ago to write a book for them. I wanted to write something like what this site is about, they wanted something more about selling SEO services to clients & doing PPC marketing. So, after weeks or months or outlines and whatnot, they changed their mind.

    So I always took their kit discussion with a grain of salt. We were working on this TOC, then they'd base a schedule around the TOC, and then build it into an agreement and we'd sign. In fact I have a copy of the agreement right here, the only reason it hasn't been signed is that the TOC wasn't finalized.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  5. #5
    Registered The New Guy's Avatar
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    I am totally confused too. They said some BS about some new direction (corporate double talk) but yet they want to find a replacement. Seems contradictory. This is very fishy indeed.

    lo0ol your pretty successful you might be next

  6. #6
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    Ya... new direction. Apparently I'm the only blogger or forum staff member that is incompatible with their new direction.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  7. #7
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    Atleast one good thing should come of this.... so far a bunch of new people have registered on the forum and a large number of guests are browsing...

    Our little forum here is quiet, but its like a small town, everyone knows everyone else, and by and large the members here are business owners, making it a slightly different crowd.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  8. #8
    Future AstonMartin driver r2d2's Avatar
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    Man, that is seriously bad manners. You must have put weeks/months worth of time into that site, for no return, and thats how they treat you??

    This is gonna give them a really bad reputation.

  9. #9
    Is Still Alive! Johnny Gulag's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris
    Atleast one good thing should come of this.... so far a bunch of new people have registered on the forum and a large number of guests are browsing...

    Our little forum here is quiet, but its like a small town, everyone knows everyone else, and by and large the members here are business owners, making it a slightly different crowd.
    I decided to join Figured I might as well.

  10. #10
    Registered The New Guy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris
    Ya... new direction. Apparently I'm the only blogger or forum staff member that is incompatible with their new direction.
    Its funny too. How long was Harry MIA and he comes back without skipping a beat.

  11. #11
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    You know... my blog post about Amazon-sense (a story I could have broke here, but rather I broke there) resulted in probably more trackbacks and incoming links than any other blog post they've ever done. Moreso I did 4 interviews about it in which I mentioned SitePoint, getting their name, and in somecase links, in major media publications.... like here: http://news.google.com/news?q=amazon...en&sa=N&tab=wn

    The thing is.... and I talked this over with them when I first started blogging. Most of the bloggers get something out of it. For instance Brendan Sinclair. He is constantly talking up his business, basically the guy is a salesman 24/7 and when he isn't selling a product he is selling himself. He undoubtedly gets clients from SitePoint, all the bloggers do. I'm unique in that I don't take on clients. I really wasn't getting much benefit out of blogging...

    So in short my blogging was benefiting them far more than it was benefiting me. I guess it just kinda makes it more insulting.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

  12. #12
    4x4
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    WOW, sorry that it happened!

    I`m sure your blog will be just as succesful here - sitepoint sig time I guess

  13. #13
    Junior Registered Frozentoast's Avatar
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    I hope you didn't mind me signing up, Chris. I eagerly await your blog and perhaps your own amazing book.

  14. #14
    Man, that sucks! Sorry to hear that. I kinda enjoy the "small town" feel this forum has to it. Even though I joined SitePoint first and still love to post there...I think I've got more out of this forum thus far than I've got in replies from SP.

  15. #15
    Administrator Chris's Avatar
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    I'd also like to say that I never asked for anything front SitePoint.

    I never asked to be made a member of forum staff, and back when I was made a member it was by application (now its by invite only) so you had to apply. They asked me if I wanted it.

    Likewise, when I was made team leader, I did not ask for it, they gave it to me. In fact the administrator at the time said the choice was obvious.

    I never pitched a book idea to SitePoint, but they twice asked me to write a book for them.

    I never asked to blog for them, they asked me.

    So, over the past 7 years I've received nothing but positive indicators from them that they liked what I was doing. Afterall, why else would they continually ask me to do more things?

    Then today I find out their new "General Manager" reviewed my work and decided against me. This is some guy hired from outside the company, I don't know exactly what his job description is, but I definitely place the blame at his feet because if the others didn't like me I'm sure they would have never asked me to do the things they asked me to do.

    I really don't get why they even need a general manager. They're not that large a company, I've seen the staff photo. Plus, I Googled the general manager and as far as I can tell he has no experience running websites or web businesses. If its the same Luke as here it seems like his background is in setting up computer systems/networks for businesses.
    Chris Beasley - My Guide to Building a Successful Website[size=1]
    Content Sites: ABCDFGHIJKLMNOP|Forums: ABCD EF|Ecommerce: Swords Knives

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