Everyone read this and comment

I don't think getting rid of the downloads would crush the forum.

Frankly I think it would only be better because it would cause more
really good content to surface. Plus it would force people to stop
downloading and start doing, which would be better for everyone
involved.

Would you rather have a ton of strategies already put together and
thought out in a thread or a bunch of books to wade through and
then test if it actually works.

Frankly I'd rather have good content than a bunch of books.

Sure some of the books help, but most don't. I can guarantee you'd
find more info within the posts of our fellow members than you would
in 99% of those books. Plus the info in these posts are from experience
and things that people have actually done and tried.

Of course that is just my opinion, but I don't think getting rid of the
downloads would cause much harm. It might even be beneficial to
the members that are suffering from information overload. It could
cause them to become more focused and start to take action.

If all members want is just the downloads and software then there
are sites for that too. It doesn't hurt to be a member of other sites
that offer all the downloads you could want.

If you feel different, then shout it out that is what this thread is for!

Guys, here's a reality check. And please everyone read into it what they want.

At this moment in time (which is about 6pm here in the UK, 1pm on the East Coast and work the rest out for yourself) the number of viewers on this forum is:

Downloads - 84
Black Hat SEO - 44
Black Hat Tools - 21
Cookie Stuffing - 20
Making Money - 42
Buy, Sell or Trade - 21
The Shit List - 15

No other part of the forum has more than 10. (And, yes, it varies by one or two as people move about the forum - but it's pretty consistent).

I've checked this at various times since this thread started and it's usually the same pattern. Downloads consistently comes out double the nearest other area and, overall, generally accounts for about 25% of the people who are on line.

I guess that provides the ammunition for both sides of the argument.

PhiltheBear said:

So, it was OK for you - but now you don't think it's OK for anyone else?

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Maybe your confused because you didn't read the rest of my post.

I didn't say it was OK for me - but now I don't think it's OK for everyone else. The DL's is what brought me here in the first place, but it wouldn't hurt to get rid of some of the repost and useless crap.

Anyway, Diamond Dave the Admins and the VIP's have made BHW what is today. A great place where anyone can come to learn how to make money online, and I trust they'll keep it that way.

Hey!

Over here... NOOB alert!

Like a few here, I joined for a download (or two, or...) and I have stayed for various reasons.

I pretty much expect as long as the downloads are available, I'll avail myself of the ones that interest, or will help me in my efforts to better my financial and educational situations. If they disappear, or are limited in some way, will I be disappointed? Maybe.

Regardless, I have learned a few things here, from the posts of knowledgeable B-Hatters, and from some of the downloads, and for that I am grateful. As lazysurfer said above this post:

Anyway, Diamond Dave the Admins and the VIP's have made BHW what is today. A great place where anyone can come to learn how to make money online, and I trust they'll keep it that way.

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My definition of a NOOB? Someone who needs to learn.
I guess that means I will always be a NOOB...

Hello all,

Since Harro asked that everyone read this and comment, I will humbly submit my reply.

I am by all means a noob. I am not ashamed to admit it. I am making good, steady progress.

1) With regards to downloads, I have found the occasional download useful. I usually download products before marketing them so I can write more convincing ad copy. I suppose if I were truly successful, i.e. rich, I wouldn't need to be so miserly, but at this point I am still learning, so I tend to market many products until I find the best converter. I have not found cracked warez/programs to be as useful.

2) With regards to content, I agree that there is a lot of crap, and only a few gems... but that has been my experience everywhere. Even somewhere with paid membership like Wealthy Affiliate (Ok, maybe that program is crap) or SQUIRT forum has a high fluff to value ratio (maybe SQUIRT not as bad, but still not great). I am uncertain if a solution exists, other than extreme exclusivity.

3) I would like to comment on the "blackhat" nature of "blackhatworld". Although I can appreciate blackhat methods, the most valuable posts here, are in my opinion, not blackhat, but simply "smarthat". I come to this forum more often than any other, simply because I think of it as "smarthatworld". Really, the sticky or best posts here have very little to do with blackhat, and are just about smart ways to make money.

4) I can understand that noob download requests are obnoxious. I will attempt to limit my future requests (I have made one in the past). However, I do find selling or marketing by "gurus" to be equally obnoxious. I basically never enter the BST section. However, I keep running across interesting threads outside of BST turning into BST-type content (without approval from moderators, I might add!).

I have been exposed to internet marketing long enough, that I just ignore all the BST and marketing crap. Just as a small staff cannot moderate noobs and warez, I doubt they can moderate BSTs... Seriously, forum marketing to noobs is part of making money 101.

I guess in the final analysis, download/warez is what brings the "prey" noobs in, which keeps the "predators" well fed with their forum marketing. Disrupting the ecological balance can have unintended ramifications. Just saying. It is late at night and I am starting to ramble, so good night. Here are my two cents.

EDIT: By the way, thanks to people who run this site. You guys are great.

1) With regards to downloads, I have found the occasional download useful. I usually download products before marketing them so I can write more convincing ad copy.

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paul65359. You are so right. I'd probably bet that 90% of affiliates do not own, nor have read or used the product they are touting. I know because I am guilty of that myself. Since I've been here I have read several ebooks that I promoted, but had never read. once I read these ebooks I had a far better view of the product. In a couple of instances I stopped promoting them as the content did not live up to the seller's sales pitch.
For this reason alone BHW has helped me streamline by affliate enterprise.

Thanks, I agree there should be a lot more discussions

ehhh there is one thing I have learned in my years in IM. Quality beats quantity any day of the week. This site is NOT a profitable venture for the admins or mods. They just want to cover bandwith costs. Honestly - do you know how much these guys make? This is not about money for them. I know it's better if people are donating, but fuck man do you want to be DP? I have not been here all that long, but I have seen a lot of changes. It happens with growing forums. The same thing that makes us rich (leverage of the internet) is the same reason this forum has so many lackluster posters. It's really not that bad of a thing. Downloads is really not all that bad of, clean up the shit posts, and weed out the requests. Simple. Bring in more mods if needed. You have to understand that the more retarded newbies that come here and chime in, means the more great posters we get.

It's just like sales - a numbers game. for every 100 tards we get 1 prodigy. Now tell me you haven't learned ONE thing, or met ONE person from this board to make it worth sifting through the occasional shit. Man this forum has paid for itself 100 times over for me, time value of money wise. I would like to think in my time here I have at least contributed enough to make up for what I have gained.

PhiltheBear said:

Guys, here's a reality check. And please everyone read into it what they want.
...
I guess that provides the ammunition for both sides of the argument.

Click to expand...

Here's my 2 cents

The real issue is surviving on the edge. My suggestion to the administrators is to be flexible—even arbitrary when needed—and do whatever it takes to:

1. Stay under the radar, and
2. Attract new members.

All the rest is the rest. You guys have exercised good judgment up to now. Why not keep doing it? Simply change the rules when things get out of hand and change back if you think they are too harsh to be permanent when things settle down.