Prize Twidiots
twid·i·ot [twid-ee-uht] –noun 1. an idiot that tweets way too much about stuff no one cares about all day long. Have you ever followed a celebrity on Twitter only to feel completely let down by what you read in their messages? A number of months ago, after reading books written by Duncan Bannatyne’s ghost writer I decided to...
What Type Of ACORN Are You?
What type of Acorn are you? ACORN is a geodemographic tool used to identify and understand the UK population and the demand for products and services. Businesses use this information to improve their understanding of customers, target markets etc. ACORN categorises all 1.9 million UK postcodes, which have been described using over 125...
Run Frost Run!
You won’t believe how the title of this post still sends shivers down my spine, even though 19 years have passed since I left school! That time of year has come again, where I’ve stupidly agreed to take part in a physical activity that my body is quite clearly not in shape for. On 16th May, I will be taking part in the Bupa Great...
Prize Twidiots
twid·i·ot
[twid-ee-uht]
–noun
1. an idiot that tweets way too much about stuff no one cares about all day long.
Have you ever followed a celebrity on Twitter only to feel completely let down by what you read in their messages? A number of months ago, after reading books written by Duncan Bannatyne’s ghost writer I decided to follow Duncan in the hope that I’d find some of his tweets inspriational. Sadly it’s turned out that they are anything but! They are, howeverm, a good example of how not to behave!
Duncan Bannatyne’s recent TV appearance, Out Of The Frying Pan, appears to have caused a bit of a stir with many people criticising how Duncan treated the chefs. I’ve not seen the actual show and have no intention of watching it, however anyone who dared question Duncan Bannatyne over his behaviour was immediately flamed in monumental fashion by way of his huaghty replies.
If money is to blame for Duncans apparent insecurity, condescendingness, arrogrance and inability to take any cirticism, then I’d rather stop earning now! Very few of us will ever reach his dizzying heights in the world of business or value (estimated £332 million) but I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing to be honest. One thing I am sure of, this UNFOLLOW button was hit pretty damn quickly!
I recall this isn’t the first time Duncan Bannatyne has been spotted arguing on Twitter, after he launched an attack on Gillian Monaghan after she challenged him over how much the multi-millionaire gives to good causes.
Sadly I see Duncan Bannatyne falling into the category of “celebrities” that are fast becoming all to common. Dancing for charity I’m sure is fun and it raised money for chairty. However, what about those lesser known people that raise for charity day in, day out. They, in my opinion, are deserving of celebrity status!
Maybe Duncan Bannatyne should take a leaf out of Ricky Gervais or Stephen Fry’s book, and give Twitter a rest for a bit.
Which Twidiots have you followed?
Read MoreWhat Type Of ACORN Are You?
What type of Acorn are you?
ACORN is a geodemographic tool used to identify and understand the UK population and the demand for products and services. Businesses use this information to improve their understanding of customers, target markets etc.
ACORN categorises all 1.9 million UK postcodes, which have been described using over 125 demographic statistics within England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 287 lifestyle variables. But how good is it really?
What type of Acorn am I?
Officially, I am a 1C9 which translates to;
- Wealthy Achievers (hahahaha yeah right….)
- Flourishing Families (erm… something I don’t know)
- Larger families, prosperous suburbs (kinda…)
ACORN: I am more likely to donate to Disaster Relief and Third World charities via direct debit, when compared to the UK Average.
THE REAL ME: I have a direct debit in place, and setup a Kiva team focusing on Third world charities.
ACORN: I am far more likely to use internet to buy investments / ISAs, and unlikely to use digital TV to make purchases / bookings.
THE REAL ME: As an affiliate marketeer, it would be daft not to use my own links!
ACORN:When it comes to health insurance, I’m more likely to have it with PPP and most likely to spend £20,000 on main car.
THE REAL ME: BUPA (through my employer)
THE REAL ME: BMW 123d M-Sport Coupe
ACORN:I tend to spend £250 of my £5000 credit card limit per month.
THE REAL ME: WRONG! I only have Amex cards for PPC spend as I don’t trust myself with a credit card.
ACORN:Whilst investing in Unit Trusts, Stocks and Share and Income Bonds
THE REAL ME: WRONG! Gold was my choice but now it’s plain old saving accounts.
ACORN:Forget any sign of having a funeral plan!
THE REAL ME: Correct!
ACORN:Bingo is NOT my cup of tea however National Trust membership is a go!
THE REAL ME: Spot on again! A proud yet young, National Trust Member for 3 years and don’t think I’ve ever played Bingo.
ACORN:Wine is ordered by mail order and unlikely to have spent over £500 on catalogue orders in the past 12 months
THE REAL ME: Order my wine from EveryWine.co.uk and I’ve never bought from a catalogue.
ACORN:Holidays…. Winter snow and Canada should be my first choice!
THE REAL ME: New Year 08/09 was in Sestriere skiing and October 09 was on a Canadian Rocky Mountain Road Trip.
How does it compare to the real me? Personally I think thats some scary shit or I am reading into it too much!
Read MoreRun Frost Run!
You won’t believe how the title of this post still sends shivers down my spine, even though 19 years have passed since I left school!
That time of year has come again, where I’ve stupidly agreed to take part in a physical activity that my body is quite clearly not in shape for. On 16th May, I will be taking part in the Bupa Great Manchester 10k Run for the second time, however before then, I need to shed 30lbs (just over 2 stone). Come 16th February I will be saying goodbye to Chocolate, Burgers and such like, and alcohol…. ok the latter is unlikely to happen!
As usual, I’m raising money and this year have opted for The Stroke Association as my chosen charity. In the past I’ve raised, thanks to your kind donations, over £4,000 for some great causes and hope that once again, I will beat my initial £500 target.
About The Stroke Association
Every year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. Of all people who suffer from a stroke, about a third are likely to die within the first 10 days, about a third are likely to make a recovery within one month and about a third are likely to be left disabled and needing rehabilitation. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other medical condition. A quarter of a million people are living with long-term disability as a result of stroke in the UK.
Sponsoring Me
You can sponsor me in a number of ways, all being online;
- simply donate out of the goodness of your heart at JustGiving.com
- sponsor my blog and instead of paying me, donate at JustGiving.com
- pay me to wear your branded t-shirt / shorts / trainers / cap etc
- get extra exposure on my websites in return for donations
By offering additional opportunities in terms of sponsorship, extra website exposure etc, I hope to get a few more merchants and networks sponsoring me this year (tax write-offs).
Spread The Word
I’d appreciate any assistance in getting the word out, whether it be links back here or my JustGiving page.
Of course if you want to use Twitter, then just click here to tweet, and I’ll even write the message for you;
RT @ChrisEFrost: Running for Charity again. Affiliate networks and merchants if you donate I will give you extra exposure http://tr.im/NtCe
Dropbox Goes Mobile
Dropbox is one (free) utility that I can’t get enough of, and have sung it’s praises over and over again.
Having your important files sync with any other computer you choose, and making them availabile online so you can grab them from anywhere, anytime, has proved invaluable to me in the past especially when travelling.
Whethers it’s your CV, plans for a holiday, website ideas or simply a way to quickly transfer an image or word document, Dropbox is a nifty utility.
Nearly all of us carry USB Pen Drives around with us making files mobile, however Dropbox goes one step further – collaboration. You can create and share a folder with other colleagues, friends or family members and allow read or read/write.
I use Dropbox, amongst other things, to keep a spreadsheet updated that I share with a content writer. No need to email what I want and remind them about what topics they’ve already covered. I simply update as and when, knowing that 2 minutes later they have the most up-to-date information to hand.
Now Dropbox have gone one further!
If you’ve ever wanted to use your Dropbox but didn’t have a computer nearby, Dropbox’s mobile website makes it happen. With Dropbox mobile, you can browse and open files in your Dropbox directly from your phone or mobile device’s browser. If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you should download the Dropbox Application for an even better experience.
Worry not Blackberry & Android phone users. Dropbox promise plenty more mobile magic soon!
Read MoreAffiliate Summit – What A Blast!
My body’s got over the jet lag, but I’ve a feeling that my livers recuperation may take a little bit longer following the Affiliate Summit in Vegas last week.
This was the second time I’ve headed over to the Summit and was surprised at how much it had grown and improved when compared to 2007. This year I not only had a lot more fun, but also met up with a lot more people. I continue to find it a little strange that I have to go to Vegas to meet with some UK Affiliate Marketing people (I’m not complaining!).
I finally met Jim Banks, Charlie Calabrese, Jane Copland and the and one and only Steve Pavlovich (even if he did appear very FORWAD at times). Sadly missed this year were Fraser, Shane and Dave & Elaine – a get well present should be on its way 
. In their place, as a welcome addition were Matt Wood, Raymondo and my breakfast partner Chris Clarkson. It was also great to see Steve Brown again (now involved in Poken) and James, Mark and Jamie (cheers for Jet!).
The Summit itself was big. Very big! Sadly, for one reason or another, I didn’t manage to attend all the sessions I’d ear-marked, missing CPA Affiliate Marketing Opportunities in Europe faced by the UK contingent of Matt Wood, James Little and Jim Banks and also missing Drew Bennett’s – Monetizing Blogs for Affiliate Marketing and SEO. One session I did attend and found to be quite informative was Wil Reynolds – How to Fix Failing SEO Efforts. Hopefully, some of the sessions I missed, will have been recorded and should be available to Platinum Pass holders to view at a later date 
Once the Summit was over, 7 of us headed off for a bit of culture and went to see The Phantom of the Opera in the Venetian. The show was fantastic and is certainly one I’d recommend seeing if you ever get the chance.
Now I need to buckle down and put into place some of the things I heard, discussed and dreamt up whilst over in Vegas. One interesting discovery was an alternative to iCodes/Promotions that is due to hit our shores later this year.
Thanks to everyone for making ASW10 so enjoyable… same again in 2/3 years time?
Read MoreASW10 Here We Come!
We’re almost there! It appears there’s more people from the UK attending than originally thought which is great news!
If you’re a Twitter user then there’s two lists that are worth following in the run up to ASW10:
UK Travellers
ASW10 Speakers
Most of us are arriving on either Fri 15th or Sat 16th and it appears that the UK contingents chosen hotel is the Bellagio.
This time round, I’ll be taking very basic business cards, but will also be using Poken, if my device arrives in time! Poken is an online service that allows the exchange of contact details between two keychain devices, using a very short range wireless technology.
Poken allows me to instantly swap my electronic business card with any other Poken device at the Summit, or one of the evening functions. All details are then stored for retreival once I get home making it a bit more convenient than having 100’s of business cards.
The only down side, the devices currently available in the UK aren’t exactly business like! Ah well!
Other suggestions before heading over to Vegas are to have a read of some of the following presentations put together by Shawn:
- Exhibitor Guide
- Build your own ASW10 itinerary
- Read the 1st Timers Guide
- Read Guide To Networking At ASW10
Looking forward to meeting up with a few old faces and a few new ones
Why I Won’t Be Buying A Kindle DX
Early this morning I saw that the much awaited Kindle DX was available in the UK for pre-order, and I know a lot of people who will be rushing to be first in the queue.
A few of us talked about this in work yesterday and we discovered that the “book” prices aren’t exactly cheap. In fact I don’t think I would ever recoup my money over the lifetime of a Kindle which to me, is the first stumbling block.
Its grayscale!
- as I read biographies, old B&W photos relating to the story, wont have the same impact as a real book
- I like photography so any guides, other than B&W Basics, will be 100% useless on the Kindle
- We travel.. a lot! In the next 12 months, we’re hopefully going to see temperatures of between -25°c and 35°c. I’m not convinced leaving it out in the sun while I take a dip, or taking it out in the cold, won’t break my “book”
- Travel guides will not have the same impact as colour photographs
I haven’t looked in to the Kindle that much so I’m not sure on power but hear it lasts 4 days (Kindle2 set to last 7 days), but already when I travel I take 3 or 4 chargers with me. The last thing I’d want to do is add another to my collection, or try and find someone that sells batteries in the middle of a Kenyan reserve, Brasilian village or the Antarctic!
I do think its a fantastic invention which will revolutionise the way we read access in the future – similar to what iPod did for music, or iPhone did for smartphones. Currently the Kindle does have 100’s of practicle uses as shown in the online video.
I never buy technology for the sake of it. There has to be a REAL use for it and sadly, for me, I haven’t found one with the Kindle DX. If I was planning a 12 month world tour and read a lot of books that weren’t dependant on colour, then I would think about it. Unitl then, I’ll be sticking to colourful books that operate in all temperatures and don’t mind getting wet at the side of the pool.
Read MoreSocial Stuff
