Jagstang & Rokkin.com

Just sent him this:

I was a pretty regular lurker a few years ago and now I'm back. I like the new site design.

I started up a new site, Rokkin.com, which is kind of like Digg for music lessons and the 1st 2 things I submitted were a couple of David's Songs For Beginners lessons. Take a look and submit anything from GN I may have missed in the last couple of years.

Anyway, I'll be around and maybe try an online jam. Those always looked fun.

Hi

Is Rokkin.com your site? I have to say I'm a bit confused. When you read this (taken from the home page):
Something big is happening in the world of Rock Music. Musicians of all skill levels are coming together to create the biggest collection of online music lessons ever found in one place. One place to find every lesson you need. One place to share every lesson you've ever seen. And one place to rate them all. Forget about the hype. Our community decides what's hot and what's not. The Rokkin community tells it like it is, and so can you. Join us today and let your voice be heard. Find the best. Share the best. Be the best. Once you start Rokkin, you won't ever wanna stop.

Isn't this an out and out lie? The lessons aren't here at Rokkin.com. You're merely posting links to lessons from other sites. Maybe I'm missing the point, but you're billing yourself as something you're not.

Now, if you were to say
Something big is happening in the world of Rock Music. Musicians of all skill levels are coming together to create the biggest collection of links to online music lessons ever found in one place. One place to find a link to every lesson you need.

then you'd be more accurate.

I'm not trying to be nit-picking here. I'm trying to be fair to all the authors and musicians whose hard work (not to mention the exclusive website agreements some of them may be contracted to) you are citing. It's great that you are providing the service that you do with Rokkin.com, but if you truly care about music and musicians and authorship (not to mention integrity and how you're bound to be viewed by other musicians/writers/teachers), then you should not make it sound like your website is publishing these lessons. It's not. That's plain and simple to see.

So be a leader in your community and do the right thing. Thanks.

By the bye, good to see you here at Guitar Noise again. How have things been going with you?

Peace

David

Think it will work?

Peace

I hope so - give it a whirl.

It's worth a try. Some sites have a button where others can request permission to link. I don't think we do and wonder if we should. That would give Paul some control over who's linking to the site and how they do it, or at least give him better information about who's doing it.

It does defeat the purpose of having revenue generating advertising on your site. I hate ads as much as the next guy, but they keep the site running. If another site just link directly to the page well...

I got an email from the guy at Rokkin.com a few weeks ago asking for a link exchange. I was fairly unimpressed with the site and ignored the email.

I can see what he's trying to do. I think he has a genuine enthusiasm for David's lessons, and perhaps a greater enthusiasm for getting rich from the Internet. I just don't see this venture being a successful one. Running a guitar lesson website isn't that lucrative - or I'd be living in Bali already. :D

... or I'd be living in Bali already. :D

Ah-ha! That's the path of migration.

Don't we have a linking policy? Must give credit and link back to GN, etc.

Don't really have a linking policy. It's a lot of work to monitor who links back - and it doesn't seem to help. In fact, we don't even have a links page anymore and no one has noticed.

I got an email from the guy at Rokkin.com a few weeks ago asking for a link exchange. I was fairly unimpressed with the site and ignored the email.

I can see what he's trying to do. I think he has a genuine enthusiasm for David's lessons, and perhaps a greater enthusiasm for getting rich from the Internet. I just don't see this venture being a successful one. Running a guitar lesson website isn't that lucrative - or I'd be living in Bali already. :D
Paul, Bali is cheap. Nice food, pretty women, cold beer, what more can you want?

Hmmm. He's picked Easy Songs For Beginners numbers 14 and 25. Although he's acknowledged the link to GN and it does link straight to David's lesson, I suspect it won't be long before we find links to all David's hard work there.

Does it generate revenue for GN that way?

Gee, I have been linked to GN for a couple of years now and haven't made a penny HaHa. Actually, that link to the forums gets clicked on a lot.

I can see what he is trying to do but either he is very underhanded or just uses a poor choice of words.

Well Jagstang's not claiming any credit and the links go straight to GN lessons....so it might attract more people here who otherwise wouldn't find GN.

I think basically his site is just a collection of links to other sites - kind of like an index of guitar lessons. I followed the link to one of Kirk Lorange's lessons, it took me straight to his "Guitar For Beginners And Beyond" forum.

:D :D :D

Vic

I think the thing that is a bit worrying is that he is not saying "Come here and find links to the best lessons on the web" He's burying the "links to" bit in a lot of self aggrandising waffle, giving the superficial impression that they're his lessons. "Disingenuous" is the word that comes to mind

If we get more traffic, because of it, then it can only do us good (unless, "He who shall not be mentioned" decides to make a return :D ).

David,

Have you had a reply to your message to Jagstang yet? Just curious!

No, nothing yet. Will keep you all posted if that changes.

Peace

EDIT:

This just came in while I was posting to Leslie:
Thanks for the input David. I agree that since the site isn't hosting the lessons or creating the lessons then that should be clear. I'll change the intro text to reflect that.

I have enormous respect for the content creators. The site is supposed to act as a filter and help highlight what's really good. I think some guys are unrecognized or are working for a small audience and a site like Rokkin.com can help those creators find a larger audience.

I have been e-mailing creators directly so they have first shot at submitting links to their lessons. I though if they submitted their best quality stuff then it would help promote their efforts. I sent an e-mail to contact2008@guitarnoise.com on July 27th but it could have been spam filtered.

Again thanks for the input. Like I said, the 1st 2 things I put on the site were 2 of your lessons for beginners that I really liked. I'm a fan and I wanted my site to reflect that right away.

Now, this is a pleasant answer. I'll post my response when I get to it. Afternoon's booked up with lessons and I'm working on some "non-deadlines" for Paul since the fifteenth of the month is right around the corner and there's a new Podcast due up online on Monday.

Peace