Spacerangers ..

[Joel]

Hi boys (and girls?)!

I know Tyler had a big discussion with different spacerangers commenting his post on the blog (read it here (http://www.tylercruz.com/2006/06/i-hate-myspace-sites.html)) about "Space Rangers".

Quote from the blog:
MySpace sites are MySpace resource sites that usually offer some type of content or service, usually such as backgrounds, layouts, or other bits of crap. Like MySpace, they are usually ugly and don't really offer anything useful. MySpace webmasters, whom I will hereon refer to as Space Rangers, then litter their sites with either AdSense or YPN.

They then will send bulletins to thousands of 'friends', essentially spamming them. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly since people who use MySpace are morons, a fairly large % of people click on the links contained in the bulletin and then proceed to click with a high CTR on the adverts on the Space Rangers' sites.

What do you think about it? Are you a Spaceranger?

You can also read about Robert Ryall trying to make money out of it at:
http://www.robertryall.com/its-fun-being-a-space-ranger/

Last week I read a post over on Tyler Cruz’s blog in which he (for whatever reason) felt it neccesary to make generalizations about the people who run myspace websites, I think everyone who read it could literally taste the jealously! I was very intrigued by the whole thing and after reading about the amount of money people are making through these resource sites I decided to look into it myself. Yes, I have become a space ranger, and it’s damn fun!

/Joel

[Sam]

I agree with Tyler.

Quoted from Robert Tryall's blog:
So what else has happened? Well, Myspacelot was a fairly boring venture indeed, infact so boring i’m now selling the website. I thought it would be quite interesting at first but after a week of posting bulletins, adding friends and what not I just found myself tired of the mundane tasks ahead of me the next day. I proved to myself I could make money through myspace, I made $55 (or there abouts) since I launched the site, it actually made $15 last week without any promotion or bulletins!

Apparently it isn't fun after all.

[Tyler]

Hehe, read this, one month after that post you quoted.


So what else has happened? Well, Myspacelot was a fairly boring venture indeed, infact so boring i’m now selling the website. I thought it would be quite interesting at first but after a week of posting bulletins, adding friends and what not I just found myself tired of the mundane tasks ahead of me the next day. I proved to myself I could make money through myspace, I made $55 (or there abouts) since I launched the site, it actually made $15 last week without any promotion or bulletins!

[Tyler]

Oops, Sam beat me to it.

[Joel]

It is an intresting phenomenon, I think the most people become tired doing it - there are no shortcuts making big money.

[Tyler]

It is an intresting phenomenon, I think the most people become tired doing it - there are no shortcuts making big money.

Well, maybe it's more relevant to say "There are no shortcuts to making long-term money".

[Joel]

You said it :)

[khalid]

I'd have to disagree, look a Joel Comm with his 500words (http://www.500words.com) idea. He then sold the script and made a shedload more.

His idea was unique, well kinda. I read both Tyler's and Roberts blog. Jumping on the myspace bandwagon may make money, but not long term. I think Tyler was trying to promote spending time on an idea and making something unique rather than spamming others for a cheap return.

You learn from your mistakes though.

[JustinG]

Honestly theses "Space Rangers" probably hate spam email and pop-ups on there computer. Its the same logic behind those annoying bullitens honestly. Its like you keep getting spammed to click links and things of that nature and to me its just as bad as those assholes sending me spam about sending them money to get out of afirca blah blah blah.

[jeremy]

there's an interesting article on techcrunch about how a company can get screwed over by a small change in myspace: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/31/spymedia-launches-photo-bounties-and-a-widget-stillborn-in-myspace/

personally, i don't even have a myspace account. i don't see the spaceranger sites as having long-term potential because they are at the mercy of myspace for their business model. and, if there is money to be made with myspace addons, don't you think myspace is going to get into that market themselves?

[Andrew]

I'm not a spaceranger, however, I would actually consider becoming one as it is, dare I say it, easy money. You setup the site with a script, put some ads on it, advertise the hell out of it, then watch the money come in for not much work. It's not a bad idea, however I can see where your coming from Tyler. :P

[L146705]

I dont have a myspace site, I dont really see anything wrong in providing stuff for people to put on there myspace page. I dont really see it as spam either as people have to agree to become a freind, before bulletins can be sent. They can also remove a person from there freinds list at anytime. A lot of people won't approve of making money off gambling sites. I know which many would consider the worst of the two.

[Anthony]

The sites aren't the problem, it's the argument of whether the bulletins and messages are actually wanted or not.

[Andrew]

You can always remove friends if you don't like the messages or bulletins being sent.

[aloksingh]

I think that deliberate advertising on myspace is not good for anyone's site. If you include your link in your profile, even then you can get decent traffic.

[Submerge]

I was a space ranger, a little before the enormous band wagon came about. And it was easy money, I made thousands of dollars from it and have other incredible resources from it. Was well worth the effort.

[Reckless]

I think people are getting blind for the messages or bulletins being sent

just like alot of webmasters are blind to google ads