GGR: GeoGlobal Resources Inc [was GEOG was BOWG] (2000 + )

Top 81. Oct 7, 2000 10:30 AM

» dewam - rose colored glasses ?

Slick, you neglected to address the rose colored glasses. Although, like others here, I have been lowering my cost basis, this aspect should be addressed. I have spent some time looking at other sites within suite 101. We do have the pleasure of hanging around with one of the best sites. I have found sites that will not be here after any type of audit, and others that are really someone's little 15 minutes of fame. If some of these other sites had been my first hit at suite 101, I would not have made another attempt. I have used bout, and suite to research a lot of stuff. I have found them both to be helpful, but I find the links and discussion provided by suite 101 to be far superior on a page that the moderator (Kirk) cares about. There are a number of sites within suite 101 that have people like Kirk that work at providing a quality site. These sites would tend to tint your glasses. I believe in suite 101, and am losing money because of that. I also intend to continue to average down, because of that belief. But do not think it is all rosy, try researching a few things on other subjects. Den

-- posted by dewam

Top 82. Oct 7, 2000 11:52 AM

» Hugs - Oh, fiddlesticks...

More than likely some of you are going to hate me for this. But, maybe some will like it. So, I'll say it. Because, you just have to know something here guys... you can not forget what this is all about.

This is a model.

Have you thought about or know what that means? Whether some editors don't have "great sites" or even "good sites" or even "acceptable sites" isn't what's important here. The fact that only a few are great is very significant. Why are they great? What makes them great?

Think and think and think...

How much of it is "the editor" themselves, and how much of it is "the tools" that are provided for them?

What is the membership of Suite101? What percent of all people have seen, or been exposed to, or know about this site?

(maybe more later...)

-- posted by Hugs

Top 83. Oct 7, 2000 2:07 PM

» Kirk - Rotten Editors

Great Comments Den

I REALLY appreciate well thought out comments and will make sure the big shots see them (but they tell me they follow this thread anyway)

As to lousy editors. Unlike some sites that keep people just for the numbers, I have been told that we are now telling editors to meet minimum requirements or they are let go. I just got an email from a team going through our recommended links and it told me what links were now dead (so I went and fixed these).

While conserving cash, some things go slow, but it sure seems to have been the right choice for the management to have conserved cash, not blown on advertising, etc.

I bought more shares last week and got some with a 6 and some with a 5 as the first number after the decimal point. I hope to laugh about this someday and kick myself for not adding my "maui and windsurfing money" to my "Vegas Money"... 8)

-- posted by Kirk

Top 84. Oct 7, 2000 2:42 PM

» Kirk - SCALABLE model

This is a scaleable model... it has 1200 editors and can easily go 10 or 100 times higher. This was designed in.

Also, start to have a revenue model that pays some editors and you can bet they will grow their site.

Half the reason I am here is to learn what can and can not be done on the internet. I'll say now that I make a profit... 8)

The internet is going to be about community and how to use it to help people and make a profit while doing so. (of course it will have other uses...)

I am convinced you will not have helpful clerks in the hardware store of the 1960's that will spend 20 minutes with you to help you select the best color of paint... but htey might be in India using the internet and video cameras to talk to you... 8)

-- posted by Kirk

Top 85. Oct 7, 2000 2:59 PM

» Hugs - A discourse in fundamentals.

I've decided to ink a few more thoughts here, maybe because if I don't do it now, I know that I never will. Some number of times I've said to somebody the "main problem" that I have felt that I had to contend with on bowg, is timing and "knowing too much." Maybe knowing isn't the right word, really. Maybe it should be expecting too much. Because, yes, I have had and do hold some high expectations for it. Why?

Perhaps in part because from the beginning, I have viewed this as a model. I understood that. Don't know if I could tell you for sure why I did, but I did. I saw the problems of organizing information on the net, and the difficulty of getting to it (and I don't believe I am alone in that by any means.) And, I did and do see the value of "hands on" assistance from a professional (or, at least someone that is knowledgable and skilled) in their field to help sort it out and make better sense of "what's out there."

The value of the role that any individual "expert" or professional isn't something that I intend to undermine. But, I do want to put a certain perspective on it. Like... Who are the experts? And secondly, Why do or would they do it and provide such a service?

I have thought long and hard about those two questions, and some number of others. Many times over, from as many different perspectives and angles that I can posiible think of. And, believe me, I've thought of just oodles and oodles of them. Considering. Evaluating. Re-evaluating. Maybe I'm not "the best" at it, but I trust that neither am I near the bottom of the list at it.

I've seen and know just a few over the years that I know and consider to be "experts" in their particular field of endeavor. Successful people by most normal standards of measurement. And, as a business owner and having employed and trained some of other people over the years, I've learned a few things. One of them is that the employess primarily motivated by "more money" are generally never the best employees. And, it just hasn't been my experience that "the best" were driven (i.e., motiveated to get there) to the top because of their own love for more money. It always has appeared to me that it was their love for the work itself (or something other that money) that compelled them to rise higher and faster and farther than others around them.

I've seen a few things. A good craftsman loves working with good tools. Maybe not in those exact same words, but in principle, I think that holds true for a lot most "experts" in their fields. They love what they do, and they really enjoy "having the right tools" to do it with. "the pay" iself is many times secondary to other considerations. I didn't say they ignore it... I said it just wasn't top priority for them.

Sure, people would love to go to the best experts they can whenever they have questions about anything, and find answers that they can trust as being the most genuinely helpful. I guess they "compromise" that according to what it might cost and what they might be able to afford. The "net" has a ton of "free" information available on it. Well... that's different. It used to be that most good or quality information you could ever get would cost you. Sometimes, a ton. But, it seems that there's a lot of change in the wind about those sort of things lately.

There's been a lot of effort... and a whole lot of money spent (literally billions upon billions) on "collating and distributing" information. What is the net? The "Information Superhiway"? You know, advertising is really nothing other than the distribution of information that somebody is paying for.

What if you were rather good at a particular area of expertise in life? What if you had the ability to least find and recognize "good stuff" on the net regarding a particular subject matter? Why might you "do that" or "share that" for or with anybody else on the internet?

For money? Would that be your primary motive? Or, might there be some other consideration? What "motive" do you think the "guides" or experts at About.com have? What other company is out there that is even remotely close to Suite101 that you want to ask that same question of? Maybe you are starting to see where I am going with this... or maybe you don't. I don't know, I guess. But, let me describe for you what I see happening here...

They are slowly building a "workshop" of sorts here. They are setting up and installing tools that can be used. What sort of tools? Essentially, for the collection, collation, and dissemination of information... and monies.

(Ha, ha, ha. Well, that's just a real shocker to you, isn't it? ... maybe not if you've really thought about a few things. What? Now you're going to tell me that you haven't seen that yet, or that I'm nuts? Okay... If you want. But, I have studied the revenue model a little, and thought about it. I guess I've also called and maybe "asked the right questions." I've got a bit of a clue what's "coming down the pike" here. No, it's true maybe we haven't seen much of the money side of that equation yet... unless maybe you're an active affiliate. But, that's okay. Because, that's not the focus at this point in time. And, any unbelief isn't going to change anything. )

Well, I guess that was a rather lengthy paranthetical remark. But getting back to the tools that are more obvious... I guess you really have to ask yourselves something here, and I don't think that I can answer some of these for you:

1.) Do you believe that they have the wherewithall or the ability to convert the membership numbers that exist here into a form of revenue?

(If you say no to that one. then forget it.)

2.) What will attract and retain greater membership numbers here?
3.) Aside from "the experts" or contributing editors that wirte here, why would anyone be attracted to come and/or frequently revist here?
4.) Is that which attracts people here likely to continue improving?
5.) Exactly who are the "experts" that you think should be here?
6.) Exactly what do you think might motivate them to work here, or anywhere?

(Perhaps this might come back to a fundamental belief of what you think genuinely motivates people in life, or rather, what sort or kind of people are motivated by what?)

7.) Does this site have, or will it ever really have, whatever you have answered question no. 7 with?

So really, all of this "good" topics, "bad" topic, good guy. bad guy sort of stuff is actually quite secondary to the main question of whether they (or anyone) can convert personal demographic information and a "membership number" into real and sustainable revenues?

That the first, greatest, and toughest of all the questions to answer here. I think I've got a reasonable decent feel for the other six. And quite frankly, based on what I can answer of those six alone I think the stock is horrifically undervalued at it's current prices. Even if the Bradshaw's were completely clueless (which I don't think they are) as to how to "convert" the membership into a means a revenue, the value that remains to "somebody that could" is amazing.

Consider the assets of 1200 contributing editors, the curremt membership (which, by most every standards is incredible cheap if it were only valued at 5 dollars a head), and the "site" and all it's tools independent of everything else.

Shoot guys... let's forget the "hard stuff" and just look at the "inherent value" of the membership. Let's aim "really low" with it. Let's call it, 280,000. (But, I think it might actually be higher) Times 5 = 1.4 million. Add that to the cash in the bank (let's call it 6 million, but I think that might be a bit low), and then dived by the outstanding:

7.4/13.155 = $ .56/share.

You start loosing track if you think there's any value in the 31 thousand some articles, the 1200 contributing editors, or the hardware and software of the site itself. It's just plain silly.

So, I guess it appears that there is some real conviction out there that neither the Bradshaw's, nor anybody else, is ever going to figure out how to convert membership numbers into any sort of meaningful revenue. In which case,

Do you suppose every internet communities out there should be declared dead?

-- posted by Hugs

Top 86. Oct 7, 2000 3:12 PM

» Hugs - Speaking of tools...

WHERE's an edit feature to fix stupid mistakes?

...patience... just have patience, I'm told...

7.) Does this site have, or will it ever really have, whatever you have answered question no. 6 with?

-- posted by Hugs

Top 87. Oct 7, 2000 3:59 PM

» dewam - Hugs, here is some of my answers

Hugs
1. Yes
2. sites, financial or flowers, that offer information and intelligent discussion of the topic i have interest in.
3.People will come because they were brought here by a friend, or a search engine.Aside from all the experts, it is the members ideas and opinions that I find interesting. Although I rarely speak up, I do feel a sense of community. Something similar to gathering around the water cooler, or community well and listening to gossip. I learn and enjoy my visit.
4. yes
5. The experts are people like you and me. We all know a lot about something, or have a thirst to know more. Our journey to arrive at an answer to a question can be the answer to someone's question. I am what some refer to as a jack of all trades. I know a little about a lot of things, and a lot about very little, but I can offer good advice on more things than most. In my case it learning how to find the answer that makes me valuable. I read what you write because I enjoy your writing, and like the way you think. Because I can follow your writing, and it gets me thinking you get the expert rating. If I wanted to know about flooring, then you might consider yourself the expert. It is nice if someone can answer a direct question with a clear answer, but in life it is just as nice to find someone who can get you thinking towards an answer.
6. I'll have to answer this with a question. What makes you come back? Do you think it is the same thing that makes Rande come back? How about Roger? I enjoy reading just about all you three have to say, but I seriously doubt you all have the same reasons. Kirk says he comes here for practice.
The tools the sight offers have been continuously upgrading, but I still believe it is the people that make or break it. And people do things for the darndest reasons. Money is a good motivator, pride in your work is a good motivator, peer pressure is a good motivator, helping others is a good motivator, guilt is a good motivator. In most things is is some balance of the above.
7.Yes this site has all of those things I mentioned above.

I think the mechanics of the system are very important, but I do not think this site would have gotten this far without the development of people like Kirk and Jen. I have faith in this being a model which will develop into something far different from what it is today. Demographics pay. Den

-- posted by dewam

Top 88. Oct 7, 2000 4:30 PM

» Kirk - ONE reason

...is practice. That got me here...

I was telling people several years ago that the ones that were working 12 hr days 7 days a week or more, like Bill Gates, really loved what they were doing. One of these people, when I was discussing going back into fiber optics and working for him, asked me what I was doing for fun (he sails and we had talked "sailing" over the years). He said my whole body language lit up when I told him about Suite101.com, my writing and my investing stuff. It dawned on me that evening that I should look to do something with my life that "made me light up"... Here I am!

You should see or feel the energy in the room with myself and the people I consult with about investing their clients money (my new part time job). The energy level is wonderful! We like what we are doing and like working together and it really shows.

I get a similar feeling when I talk to the people running this place. We like what we are doing and have a vision for the future. It also helps when others appreciate it and place value on it.

Bill Gates and Microsoft are successful because Bill Gates likes to run Microsoft.

-- posted by Kirk

Top 89. Oct 7, 2000 8:49 PM

» JenL_2 - Club Suite 101

To me it's like belonging to a club that you really really like. You enjoy interacting with the other members in the club. The members share many of the same interests, but are enough different from each other that you learn from each other. If you're a good member you volunteer to help the club become better, hold an office, help out with club events, etc. If you're a good officer you try to find out about the other members strengths and interests, and you try to find ways that each member can use their strengths and interests for the betterment of the club. Since you enjoy your club so much you want to share it with others, so you actively recruit others to join the club. And hopefully the newly recruited members will bring their strengths to the club, and will enjoy the club so much that they go out and recruit others, and so it grows. Yup it's just like a club.....Club Suite 101.....Jen

-- posted by JenL_2