Craig emailed, asking What would you do differently? He wrote:
I aspire to someday have a website and community of commenters like yours, but in my area of interest (redacted). I’m interested in starting with wordpress.com and mailchimp, though I have only introductory experience with each.
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If you were starting all over again from the beginning, are there a few things you’d do differently? Can you suggest a few foundation items that I should pay close attention to and learn about as I begin?
Honestly, I don’t quite know how to answer this.
While there are aspects of ToolGuyd’s operation that I am seeking to improve now, I’m not sure I would have done anything very differently if I could go back to the beginning.
Regrets
I continue to stick to my original ideals, and although my goal to create a complete tool guide remains unmet, it’s still on my to-do list.
My main regret might be not working harder towards YouTube videos, something I aim to improve upon every single year. Maybe this will be the year?
Initial Mindset
My initial mindset for ToolGuyd is still clear to me. Write first, worry about everything else later. I wish I did that with YouTube too, but it has always been easier for me to create written content which can be more easily polished, or even changed over time.
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After fielding the question numerous times, I wrote about how to get started here:
ToolGuyd had a rough look early on, and I refined it over time. I am still updating and refining the look and layout of the site.
I tend to be a perfectionist, but with something like a website, it doesn’t matter how nicely polished it looks if there’s nothing to read. As long as the initial layout is usable, the look and feel can evolve over time.
You learn something like this by doing.
I tweaked the font in 2014, I converted to mobile-friendly in 2015, I asked for feedback and started roadmapping additional tweaks this year, I changed link colors, and I changed the logo over the years. There are some “Wayback Machine” links to how the site used to look, in a 2013 update post.
Even if you can’t post and publish yet, write to Word docs, Microsoft OneNote, or Google Drive.
Continued Mindset
Everyday, I see articles about “WOW, the iPad is on sale at a CRAZY DISCOUNT,” and I cringe. In this particular example, it’s because I know from my personal potential purchase research that it was the same price last week and the week before. I have started to detest such “articles,” but they also help me feel better about not falling into the same hole.
When I started ToolGuyd, I was a little excited about affiliate retailer relationships, but was quickly determined to be cautious and reserved. As a reader, I didn’t like being pushed towards affiliate links then, and I certainly don’t like the out of control affiliate marketing landscape today.
I still try to be cautious and reserved about affiliate links. If I sound too excited, readers might mistake my enthusiasm about a promo to be enthusiasm about driving sales to earn affiliate revenue. So, I try to temper my tone as best I can, and with deal posts, I only focus on promos that I think are of greater personal or potential reader interest.
But also, revenue was very small when starting out. I saw affiliate link revenue as complementary – something that could accent a post in a mutually beneficial way, but something I shouldn’t actively focus on.
At the time, I thought “why be intrusive with advertisements for an extra 15 cents?” Magazines were trying it, and I didn’t like it.
From there, a “reader first” mentality took root and became cemented over time. I wanted a positive reader experience to be the priority.
Today, I see a whole lot of… objectionable behavior online. New bloggers who LOVE everything. Influencers that don’t disclose material connections or sponsorships. YouTubers that manipulate testing to favor an advertiser or partnered company. Abnormal social media “follower” growth. But, there are very many people, blogs, magazines, and channels that are genuine.
With ToolGuyd being a “one man band,” I had to wear multiple hats. I was the author, editor, web developer, and advertising department all in one. There was no manual on how to do things, so I made things up as I went along, following my instincts.
There still isn’t any sort of manual for what I do, and despite having a lot of help (thank you Benjamen!!), I am often alone in decision-making. There have been temptations, but so far I like to think that I’ve followed an honorable path.
So, I stick to one of my early tenets – to provide information, insights, and opinions, so that readers can make their own tool purchasing decisions.
Early on, affiliate revenue provided a way to explore new tools or unfamiliar brands, for the betterment of ToolGuyd, as I told myself. I had been bursting with opinions, review topics, and potential review topics, as well as “cool tool finds,” and my initial lists of potential post topics were full enough without adding new tools into the fray. I thought it was a good idea to put any revenue back into the site.
When ToolGuyd was founded, and for a few years after that, it was a hobby. I didn’t need it to make money. If I broke even on what I had been spending on hosting fees and what-not, great. A small budget to spend on additional tools of communal interest? Sure, that’s better.
Even today, I want ToolGuyd to be a me-friendly website. If I engage in practices that I personally don’t care for, how could I expect readers to care or not feel pushed away?
ToolGuyd is now a business, rather than just being a hobby, but even if I wanted to, my rules, policies, and practices are so ingrained that I couldn’t change them even if I wanted to. What I mean to say is that some of my decisions might not make the most sense from a business perspective, and I know that, but it’s by design, practice, and intent.
I still do doubt myself at times. Was I right to decline a specific advertising arrangement last year? I have “left money on the table” over the years. But, I am also proud of what I created, and the choices I have made.
In today’s world, mobile devices have changed the way readers “digest” web content. However, I check for new comments several (sometimes many) times a day, and it still “makes my day” that readers keep the conversations going with thoughtful and insightful comments.
You, the reader, make everything worthwhile. There’s a cliche out there about how “it’s not working if you’re doing something you love.” But, that’s the way I feel.
There’s still a LOT to do. Right now ToolGuyd is undergoing some… organizational optimizations, for lack of a better word.
Ten years ago, I had no idea that ToolGuyd would become my career. It’s not what I intended, and it’s not what I had wanted. It just… happened.
ToolGuyd’s ethics and ideals have been expanded upon as needed over time, but are firmly rooted in those first days when I made the first decisions. I cannot take all the credit for it, as my early behaviors were adapted from standard practices at a now-defunct tool blog I briefly contributed to prior to ToolGuyd’s creation.
Early on, I was also influenced by other examples of bad behavior, such as intrusive in-content contextual links, and the such. Seeing things I didn’t like on websites, magazines, and forums showed me the kinds of things I didn’t want to do or expose ToolGuyd readers to.
In short, “how can I create the ToolGuyd.com that I would want to read, benefit from, and enjoy?” Change “I” to “readers,” and the answer should not change much.
What would I do differently? I really don’t know. There were always good reasons for every choice I made.
I like to think that the choices I made helped to foster a sense of community. If I had instead set out with a career or business plan, ToolGuyd would be very different today, if it existed at all.
So, How to Start?
The path to ToolGuyd’s creation was straightforward. I found a tool blog, I commented a lot, and I was later asked to contribute. After a few months, personal obligations prevented me from meeting an expected quota of posts, so I took a break. I started contributing more to online forums. Things got political at one particular forum, and entire threads were deleted. But I wanted to keep sharing my tool reviews, insights, and information. So, I created ToolGuyd, a place I could share what I wanted to, at a pace my personal life could sustain, and where nobody else could have the power to delete my work.
Back to the second part of Craig’s question.
WordPress.com is a good place to start. But, also have a domain name in mind. You can do domain mapping (more information here). WordPress.org gives you more control in operating a website than WordPress.com, but you can always change over.
I experimented with WordPress.com before registering ToolGuyd, and also Google’s Blogger. There are other services today, such as Squarespace and Wix (which I only know from their advertisements on YouTube).
There are a couple of different hosting solutions, as well as content management environments, and you can change services if you need to.
Starting with WordPress.com is the easiest way to get to the “write what you want to write about” path. But, you can always change that later on.
Have a plan about what you want to do. What information do you want to provide? What stories do you want to tell? Make a list. How often do you want to write? Establishing a consistent posting frequency is important. How will you get word out about your content? For some content, you don’t have to do a lot before Google makes it visible to the target audience. For others, guest posting, freelance work, or even search engine or Facebook advertising can help.
In today’s world, a social media presence can help. I tend to neglect social media simply because there are too many other things to do, but eventually it will have to be a higher priority. Maybe.
Be genuine. I’ve seen and heard of others purchasing large amounts of subscribers, and I personally find the practice to be ridiculous.
Create content, and then think about how to connect with your audience. Without content, there’s nothing to draw an audience to.
But without an audience, it’s hard to justify the effort that goes into content. Sometimes you can write with a target audience in mind, but other times it will be out of your control.
Self-motivation is important, which makes it important to love the topic.
I love ToolGuyd’s community and commentors, including regular, occasional, and first-time voices. It makes the work and effort very rewarding.
As of the time of this posting, ToolGuyd has 114,130 public comments, 11,980 of which are mine. I am no longer able to respond to every comment, or every email for that matter (sorry!), but I read everything.
One thing to remember is that not everyone wants to have a public voice, and that’s okay. There will be times when growing a new website when there are zero comments. This disappointed me a little early on, but even though there was not a lot of engagement, there was an audience. You will see examples of this on public forums, where there will be top contributors, frequent contributors, infrequent contributors, and a whole lot of people who registered but never post. That’s why self-motivation is important. There will be times when you have to drive yourself forward.
PJ
Probably one of the most interesting reads on this site for me. Since I have my own website I feel like I can relate to several things you have mentioned.
I remember when I started my site, using GoDaddy’s website builder. It was horrific. But a few pages became very popular and it became worth my time to figure out the rest. Everything on my site is 100% from my own research and trial and error. Its not perfect but its something I was able to build.
Anyway, great work on the site and thanks for the insight.
Jason
And all of this is why I love ToolGuyd and check it everyday, multiple times with excitement. Thanks Stuart.
OhioHead
This!
Stewart has taken the king of the hill title from the early toolblogs (toolmonger & toolsnob), keep up the great work Stewart.
Stuart
So, you’re saying that ToolGuyd is better than two sites that have were abandoned several years ago? =P
Kurt
There is certainly advantage to being a survivor, be it in the tool blog wars or the zombie apocalypse.
Gordon
I really appreciate how different your site it. I read everything, even if I have no interest in it because you make it interesting. I think the best part is how you tend to separate out the objective reporting and subjective analysis. That is a refreshing change in today’s climate.
(sidebar, I almost lost my previous job because I flat out refused to write an “advertorial”. Nothing makes me hate a product or service more than feeling like I was tricked into liking it)
I also appreciate the lack of needing Facebook just to comment. Though I do wish the comments were a little bit better.
I think ToolGuyd has change a lot in the right ways. I think it’s less about doing something you love, and more about doing something that is true to who you are.
Flotsam
Congrats on the Anniversary. I think you provide an interesting perspective on tools and I try to follow on a regular basis. Maybe a bit elitist at times, but that is the perspective of the reviewer.
I would like to see you be a bit more open to suggestions for articles from your readers.
Stuart
I have a list of reader requests we’re working on. Some are feasible, others impossible. I am absolutely open to it.
fred
Thanks again for an interesting read – and for what you do to keep us tool aficionados entertained and informed.
I am past the time in my life where I need to actively earn a living (other than to watch my investments) – but recall some points in life where drawing a salary versus reinvesting and growing a business were close to an either-or decision. The lean years taught me that having a plan and staying the course can prove successful. But some ventures also taught me that knowing how to adapt with changing times and economy downturns was important – as well as knowing if and when to bail out. Just as important is an ability to position oneself to be able to take advantage of economic upturns.
My 50 or so years of experience , tells me that our outlook on business is often seen through the lens of current times – which may be rose colored or cloudy grey as things cycle. It is important to realize that “the only certainty is uncertainty.” ( I am reminded that Pliny the Elder to whom that quote is attributed died while boating over to undertake a rescue mission associated with what was happening with Vesuvius. His nephew (Pliny the Younger) who reportedly demurred at his uncle’s invitation to join him, went on to live a bit longer.) So what’s successful today – may be fleeting – and one needs to constantly be looking at new options.
Anyway – please forgive my ramblings – and keep doing what you do and how you do it.
Stuart
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Paul
In terms of what I’d like to see on Toolguyd, frankly a lot of the more recent tool articles talk about tools and I like the blatant honesty of a lot of it but what is missing here and I don’t know how anyone that isn’t a contractor can pull this off, is someone needs to actually use a tool professionally to get to a good, honest review. The “shop” I work at is a typical mechanic’s shop…the guys must supply their own hand tools. Above a certain size/type of tool, the shop supplies it. This also translates into our field crew where I work…we supply our own tools. So we get to see how a tool actually performs in a professional environment all the time. For instance the Nebo line of flash lights start out really good and look bullet proof (and show up at all the supply houses) but after a couple months use they break very quickly and become not much better than the cheap ones. Not sure how you can get this kind of information as a professional tool reviewer without being a tradesman. But tool comparisons or “long term” reviews of this nature are really helpful for those of us in the field. For instance hands down the Nebo Slyde+ is one of the best contractor flashlights there is on the market. You can’t miss it because it is available at almost ever y single contractor supply house. I really want to like it and it is hands down the best flashlight on the market except that I can’t get away from the fact that the on/off button stops working within a few weeks.
Second, I understand the allure of Youtube but would suggest don’t bother because I’ve given up on them. Most are so blatantly advertising or so unprofessional that I gave up. Just try watching tool “reviews” and “comparisons” on Youtube and you’ll quickly see what I mean. As an addition to Toolguyd maybe but not by itself. If you just take a print article and translate it to video, it will fail and there are tons of tool review videos that fail for this reason.
The best Youtube videos are the best because it’s the best format for what is being conveyed. This is the reason for instance that you find guys hanging around for a good hour in the tool belt section of a local store or why women’s clothing stores exist despite every effort to displace them by online retailers. Some things you just have to touch or feel or try on. Youtube videos are the closest next best thing. For instance I specifically did not buy a Milwaukee tool belt after watching a couple Youtube videos about it.
One idea that I would like to see would be cable benders. I’d like to see the Rack-a-Tiers, the Bulldog bender, and the Klein 14″ benders on a video somewhere. I have the Klein’s now (my boss went out and bought a pair) but I can’t help but feel that the Bulldog or the Rack-a-Tiers might be a better option. I have had the Greenlee ratcheting set in the past too. Frankly just last week I needed to move triple 500’s in a retrofit. The Klein’s worked great on one lead, so-so on the next, and basically fail on the third. You just can’t visualize this from ad copy.
Finally just about the only Youtube video series that I subscribe to is “Smarter Every Day”. I don’t know how to describe what I like about it except to say that this is why we all probably used to watch Bill Nye as kids. Not sure how this would work with Toolguyd though without being blatant advertising like walking through the Milwaukee NPS and putting out a video/advert.
Stuart
Here’s the problem – we do pass around some samples for professional testing, sometimes as “second opinion” testing, or for research purposes. However, matching a tool to the ideal tester is a challenge. One electrician I know thinks Hole Hawgs are unnecessary gimmicks. Others swear by them. Just giving a tool to a pro and asking for a review doesn’t always work. There needs to be a perfect match, and that matching process takes a lot of work. Once a tester has a tool in-hand, getting objective and useful feedback or insights from them is another challenge.
Finding a contributor, and not just a tester, who can provide what we need and at the level we need it is a much bigger challenge than anyone realizes. I’ve tried this several times, and it’s not as easy as simply handing off or shipping a tool sample.
I simply avoid reviewing tools that are outside my familiarity and understanding. Something like a large cable bender, for instance, is outside my personal experience, and too specialized to be able to find a field tester for, or at least one that can deliver what is needed for a review in a timely manner.
Regarding videos, some people would rather watch videos than read posts. I would want videos to be complementary, not in place of written reviews. Some things are easier to show in video, such as the operation of new locking pliers, than in still photos. My problem with videos is in their creation. Even a simple video requires multiple takes, and even then I question the quality, what’s said, how it’s said, and so forth. It’s a much more rigid format than written posts, and for me that makes it a lot more difficult.
Very long-term reviews have become more difficult to do. It was my goal and practice to do so, but I changed my mind somewhat recently, and am still in the process of purging older samples, which means donating to the local high school or Habitat for Humanity. The intent to provide long-term testing has been to the detriment of my workspace and at times my sanity. I’m happier long-term-testing my personal tools.
95% of what I need to know about a tool stems from its initial testing. That extra 5% of how a tool performs over time is easier to gather from readers, users, commenters who do write in about any potential problems they have. Let’s say that one particular saw runs into an issue several months down the road, and it only affects some tools. There’s no guarantee that heavy long-term use of that saw will allow me to replicate that issue.
That’s not to say I would be happy with cursory testing. I test tools as far as I need to form a confident impression and defendable opinion, and then some, but there’s also a limit as to how much time and effort can be given a tool over time.
My practice has been to do natural-use testing, and to follow with additional testing. I would hold onto samples for a while, using them more, comparing them in project use, and so forth. But what I found was that 1) that practice rarely provided any additional feedback or information, and 2) having to keep multiple tools around was a huge hinderance to project work or executing new reviews.
At this time, the only way to make changes like that, adding things like pro field testing reviews and long-term reviews is to take off my “contributor” hat full-time, taking on more of a managerial role, and I don’t want to do that.
I did some editing work for a magazine for nearly 2 years, managing assignments for short tool and tech reviews. The communications and logistics for tool samples, photo samples, and finished assignments was a LOT of work, and that was just for maybe 10 stories every 2 months. That’s not even to talk about back-and-forths about content and substance.
It’s easy to think that maybe we can get a pro to test certain things, but the execution is really hard. I’ve tried several times.
Koko The Talking Ape
I’m nowhere near as serious a tool user as most of the people I see here, but I still come here almost daily. Because it still feels real. Carry on, Stuart!
Bryan
Agree. I’m a DIY guy, and prefer quality when purchasing tools. I come here 5x/wk, not necessarily because I need info to make a purchase, but sometimes it’s fun to see what’s new. Call me old school, but I like text over some droning video. Maybe a few more pics in certain reviews. Keep up the great work!
Evadman
The main reason I am here is because your reviews seem unbiased by corporate influence. If I wanted to read info from a marketing shrill, I would do so 🙂
Keep up the good work
D
I totally agree with this
Aaron
I’ve become addicted and a daily reader. I can’t believe how many years of articles I missed (8-9!). I really appreciate the multiple articles a day including the randomness of the tools reviewed making it worth coming back for more during the day.
I really enjoy your writing style. I’m not a fan of videos in general – too slow to get to the point, plus I think production time will take away a lot of time from writing more great articles. I could see video as a supplement for trade shows or big events showing small clips for us readers to get a sense. I would think that the videos could be uploaded or embedded to the article so you keep control of the content and avoid having to go to a separate website.
Only two requests. Adding an upvote or ‘like’ to comments and skipping the downvote. I like that this site really tries to remain positive and self-sensor. Secondly, an ability to edit comments within a couple minutes to fix typos; most important when commenting on mobile.
As to the original question, I’d recommend to start slow and keep working on it. Think of it like a rock band starting out in a garage and then after years of practice and small gigs getting to the big stage. Iterate and find your voice.
Keep up the awesome site, and looking forward to the next 10 years! Thanks!!
Altan
I like your site, it is very easy to use and not complicated, I can find what ever I want easily when I search and I don’t waste hours turning around and getting angry because I could not find what I was looking for. another thing I like here is you (plural you) are aware of every comment it seems which is good 🙂 I have seen some rude and unfriendly comments here very rarely, but nothing like youtube comments swearing at each other non stop. I just feel the air is a little bit Pan-American here 🙂 which can be good in general but not always, I can also feel there is a positive attitude towards German made products (including me) but I don’t know if I should look for a connection between this and your surname or not! That is a joke of course, I am very happy with German made products and also USA made products IF I FIND ANY, Americans are/were very good with hand tools.
I wish you would put some videos on youtube but I think you should not let everybody to comment there easily, I don’t know if there is an option on youtube to select and have a list of commenters, basically anyone who has normal comments here in your blog could have comments on youtube videos that you upload there.
John S
I have enjoyed your site for at least seven of those ten years. Your approach to tool reviews has become more and more refreshing over time… especially because of the normalization of the different marketing practices you mentioned. Well done, Stuart
Michael P
You’ve built a real masterpiece here. Although I do not comment much, I visit the site atleast 10 times a day, hoping for new posts. This is actually my number one visited site over the last two years. Great job and keep it up!
Chris
I check Toolguyd, maybe 10 times a day. Usually cause I’m bored but it’s still worth coming back.
Mike
I think you’re doing a great job man, relavent information and you’ve saved me a lot of dough from the sales/specials info.
Many thanks and keep up the great work!
Steve the Gullible
I’m one of the newer readers but have really enjoyed your site for the last year or two. Your unbiased reviews are great but so are your personal likes because they keep it all human and make me feel I know you. The other great thing about your site is the comments from old hands like Fred and John. I learn by osmosis from their comments and it often sends me off rabbit holing into other areas I hadn’t even considered.
I agree with Aaron, I’m not fond of Youtube. I like to read and reread if I need to. instead of wading through video to get to the part I want to know about. Thank you Stuart.
TonyT
I totally agree with this
RCWARD
I look forward to getting your email posting everyday, while not a tool pro, I love tools. You do a great job , no matter how you spin it, very few people are still “ writers” they take the easy way and do video. I enjoy video but there is something about the written word that just can’t be beat. Great job dude!
Mike Foley
Loved it both personally and professionally for years. Stuart, you are an oasis in an internet world of faceless, anonymous click bait. We love tools, we love coming here because it just feels real. I certainly understand it’s your business and frankly, if I’m going to buy a tool anyway, I’d sure like you to get some kind of credit because your site adds VALUE to me personally. Keep up the good work!
Thom
You’re doing a great job. I read every day. Keep up the good work.
TonyT
A few notes:
1. I found Toolguyd from a Google search for some tool, and found it so compelling I stayed.
2. As far as “leaving money on the table” goes, I think often short term leaving money on the table (IF it would detract from the overall user experience, compromise yourself, etc) will often lead to more in the long term.
3. I still can’t believe how high the signal to noise ratio is in the comments. I’ve learned a lot from various commentators. And it helps to remember that we have a large variety of tool users, including professional, which leads to:
4. I believe commentators are the best source for professional opinions on tools. We have people who use, or who have used, tools in ways no one reviewer ever can.
5. I do enjoy project articles, too, such as the series on 80/20 (both Stuart and Ben V) and Benjamin’s 3D printing posts.
I have to be careful not to spend too much time checking Toolguyd 🙂
TonyT
Also a note on growing your own blog: be realistic about your potential audience size. For example, if you’re going to blog about industrial-sized pipe benders, you won’t have a large audience!
I’ve done some specialized blogging, and there was no way I could’ve made a living at it.
fred
Yep – and the mandrel pipe bender we used in the fabrication shop – would not be what an electrical crew might use to bend heavy walled conduit (pipe) on a hi-rise job – so the market would even be more differentiated and sparse.
Anthony
Hey, I’ve been reading your blog for the past year. Thank you for doing this! And especially for being honorable in how you run the place. A little virtue goes a long way!
Totally get the perfectionism thing. It’s a temptation that can really suck the joy out of life, so I’m glad you’re fighting the got fight there.
…um, speaking of which! You mentioned logo changes, and this has bugged me – shouldn’t the hammer face the other way? ??
Stuart
Oh! The hammer’s being used in nail-removal mode, meant to symbolize the deconstruction of the walls between…
I liked the look of it better this way. =)
JR3 Home Performance
Don’t think I ever really looked at the logo before.
JoeM
I know this is cliche, but I don’t care if it is. When I’ve been at some of my roughest, darkest times, ToolGuyd has kept me from going over the edge. Stuart has even caught some of this before I noticed it, and took the time out of his day to E-Mail me to check if I was okay.
I made mistakes in my youth that prevented me from having more Trades experience than my interests allow, and my budget for buying has dropped to Zero. But my interest in the fields just don’t quit, and this exact Website is more of a home-base than I’ve had for any other interest in my life.
Many users have come and gone since I started reading, but I have learned so much from Stuart and his Staff writers, fred, Altan, Joe framer, and countless others. I may be suffering the effects of a foolish youth NOW, but this site has literally saved my life on numerous occasions, keeping what’s left of that “Maker” fire in my gut going, no matter how little is left for it to burn.
If I was in Stuart’s place, deciding to do Toolguyd… I would hope someone shot me dead before I could ruin it, and make sure Stuart was the one who started it all along. I coudn’t do better on this site, nor could I have brought the likes of such pros, as I mentioned before, together in one place of their own will. Stuart’s Substance-Beats-Style approach hits all my happy places. It’s never about Stuart’s working experience, it’s about the hard facts about a tool. Go anywhere else, including YouTube, and it’s all Demos of the tools, assuming you are already familiar with how it’s used before coming to the page. Then it’s followed by all the “Me Work” the other presenters do… bragging about a job here, and a big company there, all to say “I’d use this tool for this story.” Stuart just sticks to the here and now. “If you buy this, this is what you get. It’s good for X, Y, and Z. Otherwise, don’t bother with it. You don’t need it.”
I honestly don’t feel like I screwed up my choices in life, as badly as I usually feel I have, when I read the articles here. For THAT… I have everyone here to thank for keeping me going.
Dave
Great read and thanks for sharing your insights, Stuart! Having occupied positions ranging from forum moderator to writer to editor on a host of sites spanning various topics over the years, I can relate to a lot of the struggles you detail here, and found myself nodding along to the stories of overzealous editors when I was in a non-comp position or politicized polarization of forums that caused me to abandon years of work.
I’m a semi-regular reader of a handful of tool blogs, but ToolGuyd is the only one I check multiple times a week and read even the articles that don’t pertain to work I’m doing or might do someday. That has to mean you’re doing something right – keep it up!
Yadda
Stuart,
Thank you for sharing. Lots of different ways to get from A to Z, but almost all of them require work and perseverance. Your story is proof of those concepts. Keep it up!
Yadda
Stuart
Thank you!
I wonder if I should have been clearer about not really intending for this to be a “story post.” I was having a hard time answering Craig’s email, and tried to provide enough history to “show” why I can’t really identify things I’d change.
It has definitely been an interesting 10 years, and I might have to share more of that sometime. Way too much has happened to just keep to myself.
Yadda
You were clear on your post. Your response, to be comprehensive had to include some of your history. All good stuff. It is much easier to identify things you would change, but only after having gone down the other path.
PETE
My suggestion so the commenter- only start a website if you LOVE the subject and can create & post without ever planning on getting paid. If that is true then start TODAY! Don’t worry about what you can/don’t know how to do, you’ll either figure it out or end up hiring someone off Fiverr.com to do it for you.
Dave
Never forget that much of America, and a disproportionately large amount of and hands-on serious users like farmers, ranchers, self-employed tradesman, etc, have limited (restricted amount of bandwidth) internet access and can’t/won’t spend time on a site with auto loading videos, flashy graphics, and the like. Of course that type of person isn’t fooled by those things, either, and many of them have 20x as many tools as the average urban person with a zillion bytes of data available each month. Who do you suppose, on average, is more apt to need and therefore purchase a lot of tools each and every year?
Keep it simple. Content beats flashy any day, all day long. Knowledge is best served by content, and knowledge is power. Bells and whistles drive serious users away; they don’t have time for it even if they have the bandwidth to “waste”.
Thanks.
Harry
Stuart, I’ve been reading from the start, and you are correct that you’ve really stayed true to your principles. This admirable community you’ve built here reflects that dedication. Keep up the good work!