LOL< I remember my first day here. I popped into the Wa Facebook page and asked a few questions and a member told me the best thing I could do is shut up and just listen, I do not know any questions to ask. I could have ran, but they were right, and I did not. Everyone works in their own way.

Hey Tony,

"My remarks have been taken out of context".

LOL. I've always wanted to say that. :)

No one is denigrating your self-proclaimed "shadowy maverickiness".

If anyone, including Kyle or Carson, had done the same thing, my response would have been identical.

It wasn't what you were trying to get across, simply how you went about it.

It *looked* like you'd deliberately gone trawling around newcomers sites, trying to find faults to put on display in Global Activity. You announced in big red letters "THIS NEEDS FIXING" and then left them in limbo with the equivalent of a pub quiz, as if it wasn't obvious and they couldn't see it, then the inference was that they must be *stupid*.

Well, as you saw from the comments, even some of the long standing Membership were unsure about what you were getting at.

It's no-one's job to give unasked for public critiques on individual's sites, not yours, not mine, not Kyle's nor Carson's. Two of the Members whose sites you made an example of were fortunately strong, confident individuals who were were happy to out themselves and let you know that they "weren't happy" about having their unknowing and unwitting *mistake* singled out for public consumption. However, I had four very similar private comms. from Members basically asking me if this was a general practice and if they deleted their site urls from their comments and profile would they be safe from it happening to them.

It's hard enough to be a newcomer, I'm recent enough to remember it well. Kyle has undoubtedly deliberately left certain things out or hasn't covered them early in the Bootcamp training, simply because people suffer information overload. I remember the original Day 1 "do this, do that", "DNS", "keywords", "etc.", "blah, blah" training which was incomprehensible to me. The Levels and Bootcamp are a massively simplified process that's accessible to all. I'm working through Bootcamp myself and I'm thoroughly enjoying it which wasn't the case at all with the original 30 Day training.

Yes, referrals are very high on everyone's agenda, including mine and should be on yours. That's the WHOLE POINT of Bootcamp, getting referrals and ensuring that WAU is an inclusive and safe place for newcomers. Hopefully they will feel confident enough to ask any question or say that they don't understand something without worrying about being called out publicly for it and ending up feeling they will be made to look *stupid*. We all had to start somewhere, Tony, even you and me.

A lot of us spend many hours every single day meeting, greeting and helping referrals, including yours and those you work for at @WFHW. If you alienate someone's referral by pointing out their *mistakes* publicly and they leave because of it then it ends up being the equivalent of taking money out of the referrer's pocket.

It's just one post you created Tony, and it didn't get a round of applause. That certainly shouldn't be a reason for you to take your ball home and refuse to play.

I regularly have comment *spats* with Vicky, (@veronica.l) who is one of the most respected Members here. That doesn't mean that either of us hold a grudge or aren't friends even though we often disagree passionately on certain subjects. I'd never hesitate to ask for her advice or help, knowing that she's always willing to share her expertise with me regardless of any differences of opinion on other matters.

In truth Tony, if you hadn't blogged this second post, I can assure you that no-one would have even remembered yesterday's *spat* today.

Rich.

I read the quote from Rich and I read it as saying, Showing off the newbies work not you personally showing off. and he is worried he tells people to come join and then their work in displayed as a bad example if front of the whole world. It sounds like if that happened to you, you would not be embarrassed and as you stated we are all different

Sounds to me everyone understood what happened your feelings on it. and all apologies have been said, not to upset you, But I would leave it alone now

Let by gones be by gones and move on to some positive subjects
I agree with Neil
Carry on sharing your knowledge and tips you have, don't stop doing that!

God bless
Kymee

You know Tony - I really like you from the few conversations that we've had online and I have appreciated your obvious experience and success in the world of internet marketing.

I'm sorry that you were hurt by the responses that you had to your earlier post. I know I worked hard to post a reply that made clear what I thought but I hoped wouldn't be hurtful. Perhaps I didn't succeed and I'm sorry if that's the case.

But as you have posted this new blog expressing your disappointment I would like to reiterate a couple of points.

1. Wanting to share and teach is great - You shared a valid point about SEO - but you taught nothing about it in your original post and it was potentially confusing. One member thought they were adverts - when I first looked - I thought you were making a point about keywords!

2. You used examples of members sites - They have invested their emotions into these. You have no idea what they are - what it means to them but without their permission you used them as an example of bad practice. Perhaps you think as it didn't affect me - I don't have the right to respond with a negative - but actually you asked for responses to your post - you just didn't get the ones you wanted. That's the risk we all take when we post.

So let me share my experience as a teacher. If you're 'teaching' and someone doesn't get it - as a teacher you have to say - "What went wrong? How could I do it differently" - what you don't do - is sulk or blame the people who read it. You can be a maverick and as unconventional as you like but if your message isn't being understood you need to revisit it (which you have done) and learn from it .....?

I hope you'll continue to share - 'Throwing the baby out with the bath water' - just because you're 'p...ed off' because not everyone shared your views - seems a pity.

Teacher's hat now off....GET OVER YOURSELF!

It wasn't your musing that upset people it was the way it was done.
By using new members sites as examples.
Then not giving the answer to the problem.
Any new members that read this post would not think the way I do.

With what has previously happened within WA this is a really sore point.
I know you didn't do it on purpose and I do know you are a really good person.
But unfortunately some didn't see it like that.
If you are going to use someone else's website as an example it does pay to ask first then you won't face the wrath.

I break all the rules concerning SEO and I don't really care if someone says to me, "That's Wrong" but I'm tough enough to take that sort of criticism.

As a new member I might think differently.

Carry on sharing your knowledge and tips you have, don't stop doing that!

Neil