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Monday, April 8, 2013

I am quite the idiot when it comes to IT stuff.

Friends have given up asking me to use Excel and Powerpoint. At one point, I thought Excel meant to do well at work and Powerpoint was some special power which magic users had in Dungeons and Dragons.

Talk to me about Cloud and I will tell you it is all about dew point and ADLR which stands for adiabatic lapse rate. Hey, I could sound Greek too, you know, but just from a different corner of the island.

Actually, I have been reprimanded by a fellow blogger before for not becoming IT savvy. I am sure he means well and I do see why he thought I was not doing enough. 

Hey, I even gave up Facebooking after a few months but I only started a Facebook account because a friend told me my blog should have one. I didn't do it voluntarily.

To me, isn't having a blog good enough to reach out to people? Apparently, it isn't! 

Oh my goodness, it is just too much for my Jurassic Age brain to process. Woe is me.

A meeting over the weekend with someone whom I later found out to be an internet marketing guru set me thinking about my blog. 

I was impressed when I found out how he harnessed the power of the internet and made very good money. 

Passive income, I thought. No, he said, not passive. It is still a business that has to be maintained.

Oh dear. That sounds like work to indolent me.

I did some reading on internet marketing over the weekend and I am still quite lost. I mean I have ads in my blog and I also recommend some value for money deals in my blog. So, I guess these are considered internet marketing too, right? 

Then, why don't I make big money from blogging?

Of course, anyone who has followed my blog for a while would know that, for me, blogging was something that happened not by design. 

I started this blog out of boredom and curiosity. 

Any internet marketer would look at my blog's URL and shake his head. Too long. Too hard to remember.

Over the years, I just kept blogging and sharing my ideas. If I made some pocket money from blogging, I was happy but it was, obviously, not a major consideration despite what some people might think and say.

Now that I have been offered a peek into what I might be able to do with my blog, one question is, of course, how do I go about doing it? 

Another question is whether I want to do it?

Truthfully, I am more interested in learning about how to do it than to be actually doing it. After all, it could be something I might be able to do in future. 

A retirement pursuit? Maybe.

In a way, being really passionate about blogging without any overarching need for monetary rewards could have been a good thing because over the last few years, just doing what I enjoy doing, without any plan for branding, I found that I have established a brand. 

What do I mean?

If we were to Google "ASSI" or "AK" or "ASSI AK", my blog would appear at the top of the search results! 

It is true! Go ahead and try it.

I have known this for some time but the significance of it did not hit home until very recently. It is both exciting and scary. 

I am an anonymous public figure! 

I am an oxymoron! 

How is that for wow factor?

Anonymous public figure.

Any marketing person would tell us that a strong brand is an incredible asset. So, could I be sitting on an asset? 

If I could think of how to make this asset work for me, I could quit my day job and become a full time blogger like XiaXue and Mr. Brown, couldn't I?

Ahhhh... (picture Homer Simpson in a daze).

Ooooh... (nope, this is not a paid advertorial for Pizza Hut). 

Sigh... (allow me to look phased out for a while).

OK, back to reality. Hard landing. Ouch.

Anyway, I am just thinking out loud here, as always. I hope I have not offended anyone.

Blogging power!


I think I should be a fashion blogger!

I could start a trend. No?

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi AK71,

What software do you use to write your blog? Do you use any apps?

Garfield75 said...

U can survive with your passive income from shares and blog just to kill time!

AK71 said...

Hi Dividend Chaser,

Software to write blog? I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to. Hints? I am really a dinosaur. Apps? As in? :(

AK71 said...

Hi Garfield,

There is really no certainty that the current level of passive income I have from S-REITs and stocks will have longevity. It is always good to have a back up plan. That's me. ;)

However, it would be fantastic if I could just blog to kill time in my retirement and not have any overarching need to make money from blogging. That would be very nice. :)

Cory said...

Even without Excel and Power Point. The way you able to maintain this Blog savvy enough, i will give you "A+"

AK71 said...

Hi Cory,

You are very kind. Thank you. :)

Ray said...

haha, for some reason, when I search ASSI, I got Assisi Hospice.

LOL

Ray said...

Having a blog is good and blogger.com is just enough. but in this age, people just facebook alot so if you can that to your presence, i'm sure you will get more attention. however, knowing you (or i like to think i know you haha) u dont seek attention as much as some bloggers i know so just stick to whatever you're comfortable with :)

AK71 said...

Hi Ray,

Yikes! Shouldn't all search results be the same? I mean if we Google for the same word, shouldn't we get the same results? I am confused. :(

I am way too indolent to Facebook and be more active socialising in cyberspace. Socialise more to get attention? You are right, that is not me at all. ;p

Ray said...

hi AK,

well, apparently not all searches of the same word yield the same result. Especially if you have a google account and was logged on the whole time you do searches. Google apparently note down your search preferences and profile you so searches are slightly different between individuals :)

Well, it's good that you don't seek attention and don't hard sell courses. I recently block the news feeds on Facebook from one blogger who's busy posting ads about his investment courses. lol.

AK71 said...

Hi Ray,

Oh, I see. It makes sense, I think. Thanks for educating me. Haha... ;p

I don't visit other blogs as often as I used to but it is normal for people who conduct investment courses to set up blogs to reach out to a wider audience. That is how they make a living. :)

However, for originally plain vanilla bloggers to start conducting investment courses and to hard sell the same is not something I have heard of. Any hints which blog is this?

Actually, many readers in the past have suggested that I conduct courses or "meet the readers" session (sounds like a politician) but I have always declined.

Firstly, I do not think I am qualified. Don't want to wu ren zhi di. Hahaha... ;p

Secondly, I value my privacy too much to want to have too many people know who I am.

There are other considerations of time and costs as well, of course, but they are secondary reasons.

Anyway, I am not against bloggers conducting courses. I am sure readers are intelligent enough to make their own decisions whether to attend such courses.

Also, these bloggers could be erudite enough to conduct courses and could be doing a good thing. :)

SnOOpy168 said...

AK

I am not keen on all the bells and whistles on some website & blogs. Gets annoying.

It is the contents that I am after. Your sharing are to the point and contains good information. You are Double speak ranting like some other blogs, which I had since classified them as old man making noise for the sake of saying something or selling their koyok.

AA ratings for your contents and please keep them coming. ^-^

AK71 said...

Hi SnOOpy168,

You are one of my blog's earliest readers and I think that you could be bias in your glowing review of my blog. Hahaha... Thank you. ;)

EY said...

Hi AK,

If you turn into a money-face blogger, not sure if there's still authenticity in your writings.

A changed blog = a changed man

For better or worse, it would be your decision though. :D

But if you can be 'authentically' rich, who cares right? Time to put your BD skills to good use!

Cheers,
Endrene

AK71 said...

Hi Endrene,

First warning shot from Ray (a rather oblique one). Second warning shot from you (more direct). Hahahaha.... ;p

All of us have to make money doing what we do but our conscience must be clear.

However, for some of us, there could come a time when money becomes a secondary consideration or not a consideration at all.

Having said this, it is still nice to make some pocket money from my blog although I must draw a line somewhere.

I am selective in the kind of ads and advertorials that find their way to my blog, for example.

No tobacco ads. No gambling ads. Nothing socially undesirable. (No hard selling of courses... ahem.. ;p ..)

I am actually too lazy to change anything in my blog now. I am also very comfortable with the way I blog. Will this ever change? Unlikely but never say never. ;)

SnOOpy168 said...

AK

Me bias ? Nah. 0*0

Seriously, I found the word to sum it all up. It is a case of Noblesse Oblige on your part.

If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

AK71 said...

Hi SnOOpy168,

Oh my goodness. I had to Google for this meaning and it is French! So atas!

"the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth."

Er... I do not have high rank or high birth. I was a CPL in the army and I think I was born in K.K. Hospital... ;p

Seriously (too), this honor is too "high" for me to accept although I do appreciate the thought. :)

SnOOpy168 said...

hahahaha... I had not used this term for decades, and you made me dig it out (and googled for correct spelling)

Sama-sama on rank & place of birth lah. But you are rated highly, on ranking, for passive income. That's something, in today's yield, that I will need a Big Sweep 1st prize as capital to generate.

It's reporting season now. Looking back at some of the past discussions, while killing time at the airport lounge, makes me wonder. How far & daring was this path of passive income for me. Right place, at the right time and reading the right blog ?

Looking at those dates, I am hoping for more pocket $$$. LMIR - had better buck up their DPU.

Still, deep inside me (and many others). It is Thank you AK. +1 ^-^

AK71 said...

Hi SnOOpy168,

Well, thanks to you, I learned a new phrase today. French too, no less! How to pronounce har? ;p

Very often, there is no explanation for how things happen in our lives. Fate?

Right place, right time, right blog? That we could make a connection with one another in cyberspace sounds like Fate to me.

If I did not feel bored on a Christmas Eve so many years ago and if a friend did not plant the idea of blogging in my mind, ASSI would probably not exist today.

Having said this, there are many things in life that should not be explained by Fate.

Choosing what to invest in, for example, is an exercise in free will. How they perform as investments for us could be a matter of Fate.

The management have the free will to do what they think is best for the organisation but we investors must trust them to do what is right. When we trust others to make decisions for us, we are surrendering to Fate.

OK, I will stop rambling now. Old man is like this. ;p

Unknown said...

Hello,

Judging from the layout of your blog, I doubt you are IT idiot as you claimed to be.

I am very impressed by your content and like to read your articles for the past few years, though I still don't believe in REITS.

Is it possible to do a link exchange? My blog is SG Web Reviews (www.sgwebreviews.blogspot.sg)

Look forward to sharing of investment views. My email is sgwealthbuilder@gmail.com

Thank you.

AK71 said...

Hi Greatsage,

You are too kind and polite too. ;)

Sure, we can do a link exchange. You will see you blog listed in the left sidebar under the heading "RESOURCES".

I look forward to reading more of your sagacious blog posts in future.

AK71 said...

Reader:
on some days - every hour got calls. emails also no joke - 1-2hours answering questions on emails. whatsapp also. fb messenger also. Distracting me from REAL work.

AK:
You need staff dedicated to this function. 🙂
Having a FAQ section will help.
Many readers keep asking me the same questions over the years. I just cut and paste links to blogs and tell them to read.

Reader:
i dunno how you do it for free man hahahaha

AK:
Because I think of it as a hobby. 🙂
I am a hobbyist blogger.
If I were to do it for a living, eat grass liao. 😛


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