Self Promotion (Changing Values?)

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by JayCall

Atoll-if you had just thought to have some guns (especially from British manufacturers) airlifted to those islanders, maybe along with some Rocna anchors, you might have been knighted!

I have a 3 band Enfield from the Civil War they can have ,might bring down a few coconuts,no anchors thou. ...DVC

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

What I don't get is, why isn't voting with your mouse enough? Why not just accept different strokes for different folks?

I understand where you are coming from - but I also understand folks who like a good moan .....just that I wouldn't pay for reading 'em .

Personally I come from the angle that if someone is willing to buy then I am willing to sell Don't matter what it is, or whether I think it has merit or not. Would I sell my life story line by line / day by day? Certainly not the past - half of it is too dull, half of it is too legal .....I won't rule it out in the future, but I just don't see the money in it.

So I guess that fundamentaly I don't have a problem with others doing that, just not my cup of tea to pay for - especially those who do have little of genuine worth, but think they do . But I make no criticism of those trying to make a buck.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I've done promoting for my own work. Humility doesn't get you interviews.

In some ways I agree. I see evidence of this attitude every day in the disgusting and often bizarre attention seeking of our "celebrities."

The more outrageous their behavior, the more money they make. But at what cost?

It can't always be about the money, can it?

It just seems a tad sociopathic to me.

[ChrisnCate]

I met both Ben and Theresa at a talk they gave promoting their (then) upcoming documentary about seeing an iceberg, this was at the Leeward cafe in Annapolis. My impressions after sitting at a table talking with them for about an hour afterwards was that Ben was a real and genuine guy, and Theresa was as phony as a three dollar bill. The OP was and is spot on.

The impression I was left with that day was that Theresa bills herself as living simply and sailing solo, but she really doesn't and didn't. What she did, as far as I have been told by her and Ben, was a single buddy boat trip with Ben down south that one time, and then the return trip where she had her friend who lives on a powerboat come down and sail back with her (while still buddy boating Ben). She wasn't living simply or even on the boat at that time (of the talk in Annapolis), and that was a couple of years ago.

This meager accomplishment was then parlayed into the documentary sponsorship and website we see today. An accomplishment to be sure (almost (?) sailing alone and running into some water spouts), but hardly worth the Nascar like website and TED X gig.

IMO, her clear and seemingly purposeful omission (almost completely, until recently) of Bens actual role in her "sailing fame" is really gross as well.

Just my impressions and thoughts, fwiw.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

In some ways I agree. I see evidence of this attitude every day in the disgusting and often bizarre attention seeking of our "celebrities."

The more outrageous their behavior, the more money they make. But at what cost?

It can't always be about the money, can it?

It just seems a tad sociopathic to me.

My dad used to say, "Fools names and fools faces always appear in public places."

The internet has really helped out with that.

We all suffer from it on some level. Even posting of CF is some sort of ego thing...

Those that monetize their notariety have always existed and always will. I do my part by not clicking and heaven forbid making PayPal donations to a stranger.

I'd post my 30 years of Asian exploits if I could make a buck but no one would believe me... It would make Jersey Shore seem like Romper Room.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

It just seems a tad sociopathic to me.

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

We all suffer from it on some level. Even posting of CF is some sort of ego thing...

It's not always about Me, Me, Me.........but it usually is

I'd post my 30 years of Asian exploits if I could make a buck but no one would believe me... It would make Jersey Shore seem like Romper Room.

Lol - nowhere near 30 years for me. One rule I always have with tales from SEA is that if the story sounds coherent and reasonable - then it's probably BS. Especially if it mentions Temples . If it makes no sense, half rambly?! and requires a large does of insanity (by both the teller and the reader) then it's likely true (as far as anything down there can be "true").

[Jane.Joy]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I've done promoting for my own work. Humility doesn't get you interviews.

Paul Simon's advice for writers: "Use a humble pen.". But I agree with Rakuflames that folks who want their writing to be READ have got to go out there and tell the world about it - which might be perceived as lacking humility. Really, even the act of writing ANYTHING for public consumption - a cruisers forum post or a novel or a blog or a screenplay - lacks humility. By writing, I am saying HEY! Listen to me, I have something to say that's worthy of attention.

I've been following this thread with great interest because my husband and I blog about our cruising life. We don't want to be "sponsored" and we don't need anyone to "buy us a tropical drink" through a PayPal donation - but we DO hope that people will read our blog. It's a big SOCIAL act for a couple of introverts. We think we can make people laugh, or encourage them to do something crazy (WE'RE doing something crazy, and look how much fun we're having!), or offer some useful tidbit of advice (e.g. forthesakeofallthatsholy ya gotta use CLUMPING kitty litter). We are new to the game, but already we have made some great connections through the blog. And does it boost our egos when a reader tells us that a post was helpful or hilarious or thought-provoking? HA, take THAT, Mr. Humility!

But in the end it is, for us, about making some teeny tiny contribution to the world. There is a SUPER HYSTERICALLY FUNNY blog post that makes this point: it's not about the marketing, it's about the CONTENT - it's about what you offer your readers. Please take a look, and I feel compelled to clarify that I am in no way connected to this blog or its author:

How to get more likes on Facebook - The Oatmeal

I read a lot of cruising blogs. Some are content-heavy, and some are mostly just slick. Some are written by people who are all about self-promotion, and some by folks who genuinely have something to offer up. As David_Old_Jersey recommends, I vote with my mouse. And if I want to buy you a drink, I'll do it under a tiki hut and I will NOT use PayPal.

[mangomuffins]

Yes V.B. You are a curmudgeon...but not to worry...as you can see by this thread, you are in good company....or at least not alone.


mm

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by Jane.Joy

Paul Simon's advice for writers: "Use a humble pen.". But I agree with Rakuflames that folks who want their writing to be READ have got to go out there and tell the world about it - which might be perceived as lacking humility. Really, even the act of writing ANYTHING for public consumption - a cruisers forum post or a novel or a blog or a screenplay - lacks humility. By writing, I am saying HEY! Listen to me, I have something to say that's worthy of attention.

I've been following this thread with great interest because my husband and I blog about our cruising life. We don't want to be "sponsored" and we don't need anyone to "buy us a tropical drink" through a PayPal donation - but we DO hope that people will read our blog. It's a big SOCIAL act for a couple of introverts. We think we can make people laugh, or encourage them to do something crazy (WE'RE doing something crazy, and look how much fun we're having!), or offer some useful tidbit of advice (e.g. forthesakeofallthatsholy ya gotta use CLUMPING kitty litter). We are new to the game, but already we have made some great connections through the blog. And does it boost our egos when a reader tells us that a post was helpful or hilarious or thought-provoking? HA, take THAT, Mr. Humility!

But in the end it is, for us, about making some teeny tiny contribution to the world. JOY!! Jane
www.morejoyeverywhere.com .

I loved your memoriam to yourself, clever idea. Funny, creative blog, thanks for the link.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by mangomuffins

Yes V.B. You are a curmudgeon...but not to worry...as you can see by this thread, you are in good company....or at least not alone.
mm

What is a Curmudgeon
(link below)

All of us know a curmudgeon. We may not think so, because we're not sure what the word means. In a nutshell, a curmudgeon is a type of grumpy person, but they're more than just a grouch.

The dictionary tells us that a curmudgeon is a "a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person." Synonyms for the word include: grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch. But, as is often the case, the dictionary on its own doesn't really bring out the living beauty of the true curmudgeon.

Curmudgeons are different from your basic grumps, grouches, or complainers in subtle ways. "Cantankerous" means to be peevish, hard to get along with and generally grumpy. But that's not quite a curmudgeon, regardless of what the dictionary says. (The dictionary ought to be changed anyway, and go back to the way it used to be!)

A curmudgeon often has a black sense of humor. They don't just complain about things, they do it with flair, style, panache, satire, and a sardonic view of life! That's what makes them memorable. They also, deep down (very deep down), believe that by saying something about it, life will change. Saying even more about it will hopefully make life change faster and sooner.

All it takes to change the world, making life the way it used to be, is for people to pay attention. Instead of running around like a bunch of chickens with no heads, people — particularly young people — should spend a few hours listening to curmudgeons. Then they'd know what the real world is all about.

Your average grump and grouch are just complainers. They moan and groan about how things are going wrong, they don't like this and they don't like that. But a curmudgeon has a world outlook. They see that entire societies and civilizations are going to Hell in a hand-basket!

A grouch understands that things are pretty bad, but they're probably getting better. A curmudgeon knows that things may be getting better, but that everything is about to get worse.

That being said, a curmudgeon isn't only a pessimist. Things may get worse, but curmudgeons have seen it all before.

In the movie "Grumpy Old Men", with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, Matthau is a true curmudgeon. Jack Lemmon plays a good-natured old fella, but Matthau is truly an old fart. It's a fine and subtle distinction, which is why we need to clarify the word.

Curmudgeonry is a character trait. Anyone can grow old — most of us do — but the way we handle that old age is part of our character. A grump or grouch doesn't have to be old, but a curmudgeon realizes he or she is now old. Nothing works the way it used to, and they're not happy about it. But deep down (very deep down), they almost accept that life just is that way.

Another defining aspect of a curmudgeon is the sure and absolute knowledge that the cause of all of life's problem is young people.

Aside from being too young to know anything, young people also are a principle cause of progress. Everyone knows that progress causes things to get worse, so young people are clearly making everything worse.

What ought to happen is for things to be the way they used to be! The key to solving the problems we face today is an advisory committee of curmudgeons, to explain to the world how things ought to be.

The International Society of Curmudgeons (ISOC), formed under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), is the solution. Our mission is to authenticate true curmudgeons, distinguishing them from plain old grumps. Through a complex and sophisticated certification process, made possible only with advances in modern technology, we provide an authentic license to practice curmudgeonry.

We hold that a Master Curmudgeon probably has the solution to anything, no matter what. Such power should be used only for the good of mankind, and so we bring to the world a better way to seek out these wise elders.

What is a Curmudgeon

[mangomuffins]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

What is a Curmudgeon
(link below)

All of us know a curmudgeon. We may not think so, because we're not sure what the word means. In a nutshell, a curmudgeon is a type of grumpy person, but they're more than just a grouch.

The dictionary tells us that a curmudgeon is a "a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person." Synonyms for the word include: grouch, crank, bear, sourpuss, crosspatch. But, as is often the case, the dictionary on its own doesn't really bring out the living beauty of the true curmudgeon.

Curmudgeons are different from your basic grumps, grouches, or complainers in subtle ways. "Cantankerous" means to be peevish, hard to get along with and generally grumpy. But that's not quite a curmudgeon, regardless of what the dictionary says. (The dictionary ought to be changed anyway, and go back to the way it used to be!)

A curmudgeon often has a black sense of humor. They don't just complain about things, they do it with flair, style, panache, satire, and a sardonic view of life! That's what makes them memorable. They also, deep down (very deep down), believe that by saying something about it, life will change. Saying even more about it will hopefully make life change faster and sooner.

All it takes to change the world, making life the way it used to be, is for people to pay attention. Instead of running around like a bunch of chickens with no heads, people — particularly young people — should spend a few hours listening to curmudgeons. Then they'd know what the real world is all about.

Your average grump and grouch are just complainers. They moan and groan about how things are going wrong, they don't like this and they don't like that. But a curmudgeon has a world outlook. They see that entire societies and civilizations are going to Hell in a hand-basket!

A grouch understands that things are pretty bad, but they're probably getting better. A curmudgeon knows that things may be getting better, but that everything is about to get worse.

That being said, a curmudgeon isn't only a pessimist. Things may get worse, but curmudgeons have seen it all before.

In the movie "Grumpy Old Men", with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, Matthau is a true curmudgeon. Jack Lemmon plays a good-natured old fella, but Matthau is truly an old fart. It's a fine and subtle distinction, which is why we need to clarify the word.

Curmudgeonry is a character trait. Anyone can grow old — most of us do — but the way we handle that old age is part of our character. A grump or grouch doesn't have to be old, but a curmudgeon realizes he or she is now old. Nothing works the way it used to, and they're not happy about it. But deep down (very deep down), they almost accept that life just is that way.

Another defining aspect of a curmudgeon is the sure and absolute knowledge that the cause of all of life's problem is young people.

Aside from being too young to know anything, young people also are a principle cause of progress. Everyone knows that progress causes things to get worse, so young people are clearly making everything worse.

What ought to happen is for things to be the way they used to be! The key to solving the problems we face today is an advisory committee of curmudgeons, to explain to the world how things ought to be.

The International Society of Curmudgeons (ISOC), formed under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), is the solution. Our mission is to authenticate true curmudgeons, distinguishing them from plain old grumps. Through a complex and sophisticated certification process, made possible only with advances in modern technology, we provide an authentic license to practice curmudgeonry.

We hold that a Master Curmudgeon probably has the solution to anything, no matter what. Such power should be used only for the good of mankind, and so we bring to the world a better way to seek out these wise elders.

What is a Curmudgeon

exactly (I'm 56)...
Andy Rooney-patron saint of curmudgeonry

mm

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

What is a Curmudgeon
(link below)

Curmudgeon last logged onto CF yesterday

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: Curmudgeon

[barnakiel]

I would rather flash than blog, for free.

b.

[engele]

If you enjoy the blog and read it regularly, a paypal link to contribute doesn't seem out of order. I really could care less if anyone reads our blog. Its for friends and family mostly, there are no adds, and I don't expect to be famous for our little adventure, but if someone manages to extend their cruising life with the help of dreamers who get inspiration from them, or gets a little money from ads, than I cant hold that against them. I have sent donations to blogs that I enjoyed reading.

[Catpainzmcspice]

Oh, man! Your original post forced me to pause momentarily and look at my own situation. Do I come across as a panhandler? I probably do in some respects....

I've been working on my circumnavigation for three years - (I'm leaving in a month singlehanding via the COGH and the Horn writing an adventure novel with a philosophical slant). I started alone... saving money at crappy jobs until I found the right boat (rather, it found me). Once I purchased the boat people took me more seriously. The harder I worked the more people crawled out of the woodwork to lend a hand. If it weren't for those people I wouldn't be where I am now.

I've never asked for a dime from anyone for this journey until a few days ago. As one of my sailing heroes told me, "the start of a voyage is very hard in terms of cash raising - Once you're on your way, I think things will be easier." So with that in mind I started a Kickstarter page to raise the last $8000 I'll need if I expect to shove-off safely before the weather windows close.

I've never promoted myself in my life. I'm not a salesman. It's awkward and sort of shameful. But I keep telling myself the result of peoples' generous donations will help create something beautiful.... and I'm giving away unique gifts to donors.

Bleh. I don't know where I'm going with this. Maybe we all are just shamelessly promoting ourselves. But there aren't a lot of other places besides cruisersforum where sailors can sit around admiring our peers accomplishments. In which case, here's a link to my kickstarter!! :0)

Sailing Alone Around the World and Writing About It