39 Comments

Happy New Year! Vinny Lingham Sucks?

Jan 2, 2007
by

Happy New Year!

What a great way to start the new year, by finding out that you suck :-) . I must be honest, though – I think that this is the greatest form of flattery. Someone actually took the time to write a special ad copy around my name and tell people not to buy from me (that part I can’t understand, because I don’t sell anything on my blog – I don’t even run adverts!).

So the real question is: When do bloggers earn the right to start Trademarking their names?


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Filed under: Online Marketing
  • http://NETexponent.com Chris Kramer

    Worse than using your name to trigger an ad is the copy they've used. Even though you don't sell anything, by saying that you "suck" they are potentially damaging your reputation – Not cool. Looks like they've targeted just about every Revenews blogger for these ads, I found ones for Peter Figueredo, Scott Jangro, Beth Kirsch, Connie Berg, Wayne Porter, etc. (No Jim Krukal though…)

  • http://www.converseonaffiliates.com Jamie Birch

    They got me too. Looks like they just say that "gurus suck". Wow, I'm a guru, sweet.

    But I got to agree with Chris, it is potentially damaging to your reputation. Vinnie, have you contacted, or considered, contacting your Google rep to have it removed?

  • Jonathan (Trust)

    I wouldn't worry about it. This is America, people can say people suck even if it's not true. I saw you did this :)

    I do not suck, Rich Jerk
    Vinny Lingham's blog does not
    sell anything. I am a victim here. http://www.vinnylingham.com

    If anything bid on Rich Jerk and send the traffic here.

    <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=rich+jerk&quot; rel="nofollow"&gt <a href="http://;http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=rich+jerk” target=”_blank”>;http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=rich+jerk

    Just a bunch of late night infomercial types going at it. I always thought the guy is a clown.

  • http://www.revenews.com Jim Kukral

    Yeah, it's flattery Vinny. When you've been google bombed like I have for a curse word (no, I'm not going to say it here), you'll be even more flattered, I think. :)

    Jim

  • concerned

    Easy answer to send a message is for people to communicate to The Rick Jerk team (Partnercentric) that because of these 'attacks' you will no longer promote any Partnercentric managed programs, and also communicate this to other folks at Partnercentric as well.

    I'm a fan of hitting people where it hurts the most, several A-Tier affiliates doing this and dropping emails to several employees at Partner might solicit some change.

  • http://www.costpernews.com Sam Harrelson

    "These strategies practically force people to buy things, and the person will happily do so. The market is so wide open for these techniques, it's ridiculous."

    http://affiliates.partnercentric.com/richjerk/

    Ironic that PartnerCentric does media buys here on ReveNews while making money from claiming that gurus suck.

    Maybe that's a web3.0 technique I'm not yet aware of.

  • http://www.wayneporter.com Wayne Porter

    Well…I suck, I'm even hated. I am now content.

    To go to war and feel good about it.

  • http://www.partnercentric.com Linda Woods

    Folks – we became aware of this tactic today and have already been in communication with the owner of the RichJerk site to stop this kind of marketing immediately. This was not our idea, and is not in alignment with the way we do business at all. We have received confirmation that the Vinny ads will come down immediately, and are getting together with the site owners to see what other names they may be using in this way. I am just as appalled as all of you are. Trust me, this is NOT a PartnerCentric instigated campaign. I will post again when I have some more answers. Thanks. -Linda Woods, President, PartnerCentric

  • http://www.cumbrowski.com carsten cumbrowski

    Cheap redirection of traffic. The Super Domain deal is a reseller offer from an affiliate where you only pay $9.95 a month (at least $2 more than the hosting provider midphase.com charges if you go directly = money for "Rich Jerk" who is probably more dreaming of getting rich than actually being it).

    Oh, you can a single cheap and static HTML page. Whoa! Let's say he pays $0.05 per click. Every 20 clicks he does not convert, one month of commission is burned. People don't tend to change their hosting provider like underwear so a bunch of months commission is reasonable to assume.

    Easy money!
    I would not be surprised if ads for a lot more people using the same scam will pop up in the near future.

  • http://www.thoughtshapers.com Jeff Molander

    Vinny:
    I respect your entry and the way you went about it… see it as being different from the way others handle such issues/problems.

    Sam:
    Please don't take the following the wrong way… you're one of the people who understand what I'm about to say. It's just that the spirit (if you will) of your comment set me off a bit… coming out of the holidays now with (like many of us) a clear head. The following is not a critique of you, rather the phenomenon itself that I, also, engage in (at my own peril and against my better judgement).

    Sorry to say but the hypocrisy seems to be ratcheting up a notch here in the new year. I thought this industry was supposed to be all about relationships? If so, why does so much (the list of potential URLs would be a pretty interesting study) of what transpires in this "all about relationships" industry happen via the Web and the Web alone? Not even e-mail (more personal, private, able to better facilitate personal/relationship bonds) but the Web itself (forums, blogs, etc.) is used.

    Why? Perhaps because the Web is able to forever stain — it's a tempting piece of fruit that one need not assign their name to (anonymous posts).

    Do the non-anonymous people who use it in this way ("correction" through embarrassment… rather than picking up the phone and being a relationship shepherd/friend/mentor/professional colleague) understand the seeds they sow? Public lack of respect (for others, for relationships) through humiliation only serves to degrade the integrity of those who choose this route.

    I realize that we tend to look at blogs, increasingly, as communities but they're more than that. They're public… not walled off.

    Is this industry really all about relationships? If so we should demonstrate respect for the concept through our actions.

    Sorry if I sound snooty or overly fatherly. I just see two things happening — in person behavior and online behavior and they're nowhere close to each other.

  • Jonathan (Trust)

    Yeah, I agree. Some people have even went so far as to make websites about bloggers here just because they disagree with them. Didn't take the professional route and call them to talk.

    "I realize that we tend to look at blogs, increasingly, as communities but they're more than that. They're public… not walled off."

    Agree again. Jangro had a blog about something along these lines:

    Blogs Don't Hurt People

    http://www.jangro.com/a/2006/11/18/blogs-dont-hur…

  • http://www.jimmydaniels.com Jimmy Daniels

    Jeff, thats kind of funny coming from you and some of your posts in the good ol days at abestweb.

    The online and offline behavior thing has gone on forever, wherever and whenever someone posts something, there is someone who wants to slam them. I was slammed when I first came online and I'll probably get slammed my last day online.

  • http://www.vinnylingham.com Vinny Lingham

    Hey Guys,

    Thanks for all your comments and support. I actually thought this was quite funny, hence my response (more comments at : http://www.vinnylingham.com/2007/01/links-for-200…

    In my experience, people can write the biggest load of rubbish about you online, and it obviously doesn't mean it's true. At the end of the day, for a blogger anyways, it's about credibility – whether it's from industry cred, quality of your posts, user base or some other form of recognition. It's never about what some other idiot says about.

    You are responsible for your own reputation – and no one can take that away from you, except yourself. Often, someone else might have a go at you, but that's life. May the wittiest person have the last laugh!

    Update : I'm continuing to add more ad copy to my Google account on my name, targeting Rich Jerk. Enjoy!

  • http://www.cumbrowski.com carsten cumbrowski

    Jeff,

    Jonathan's comment was actually justified and something you have to live with. :)

    To be honest, the same thing popped into my mind as well when I read your comment. Sorry, but I could not help it.

  • http://rosemaryann.blogspot.com Rosie

    Vinny, I think you're quite awesome for getting a response ad up to defend your honor! You definitely don't suck in my book, Rich Jerk sucks! Ha!

  • http://www.thoughtshapers.com Jeff Molander

    Jimmy:
    It is ironic comming from me as I've participated in this shameful behavior for so long. As you can see people love to try and keep it going — by acting as judge and jury. Pageviews and all :)

  • http://www.revenews.com/davidlewis/ David Lewis

    Vinny, you do suck!

    Oddly enough, the suckitude of various "gurus" varies across RJ's ads. Try this yourself and click if an ad grabs your attention. The lists below are by no means exhaustive (just exhausting).

    Vinny sucks. So does Molander. Jim Daniels (is that our Jimmy Daniels?) Ben Padnos sucks… now I'm pissed. I suck more than Ben. I know I write more here than at least Ben! These self-proclaimed (or RJ-proclaimed) gurus get their names in their ads so their suckitude is way high.

    Some of us are lumped together with the title "Gurus Suck": Wayne Porter, Jim Kukral, Beth Kirsch, Jamie Birch, Tim Storm, Shmuly Tennenhaus, Adam Viener, Brad Waller, and Jay Weintraub. We deserve more respect than this. WE SUCK, TOO!

    No suckage: John Battelle, Brian Clark, Brook Schaaf (I even checked Brooke Schaaf), Carsten Cumbrowski (come on RJ, he writes long posts so he must suck), Heather Paulson, Jeremy Zawodny (RJ couldn't spell it), Matt Cutts (RJ knows not to mess with Matt) and Jeremy Schoemaker (aka Shoemoney).

    I thought Al Gore was a guru. He doesn't suck, or at least RJ doesn't think he has enough suckage for an ad. Neither does Dr. Phil but don't you think Dr. Phil sucks?

    It's funny that RJ is calling us gurus and saying that we suck. Websters (gurus?) defines a guru as "a person with knowledge or expertise". If RJ isn't a guru by that definition, why should anyone trust him?

  • http://www.costpernews.com Sam Harrelson

    My comment "set you off," Jeff?

    I would respond but I'm dumbfounded at the irony.

    If you were in one of my upcoming classes this semester ("Irony in the Ancient Near East"), I'd have given your comment an A.

    Since you're arm-chair commenting with little to no room to talk about being a "meanie" I'll have to give you an F.

    Seriously, Jeff… a little advice… if you're going to comment about such things, at least remove the plank from your own eye.

    Thanks for the laugh though :)

  • http://www.costpernews.com Sam Harrelson

    This whole thing has got me thinking about a larger issue.

    Wayne says I'm too nice and should be about "Cost Per HATE" rather than "Cost Per Love" and insist on bloody cage matches, etc.

    When did it all go wrong?

    This is a very small niche in a relatively small industry. Why in the hell do we insist on tearing each other down whether it's creating a blog about a fellow colleague that you despise or "vinny sucks"?

    The answer is not cage matches because we are only isolating ourselves and playing to our own ego's by such tactics.

    Let's elevate. Otherwise, this is all just mental masturbation.

  • http://www.cumbrowski.com carsten cumbrowski

    Gaehn.. What's up with all that Gurus and Sucks stuff?

    Regarding "Gurus": Did I mention that I am not religious. I am also too busy to waste my time on worshiping a golden calf.

    Regarding "Sucks": There is nothing wrong with talking about something that sucks and say that, but while you do that, make sure to tell everybody why it sucks and what would make it less suck.

  • http://www.flamingoworld.com Connie Berg

    I see Vinny is no longer sucking. I however am still sucking, and suck more than David Lewis.
    I emailed, tried to contact the Jerk but no luck.
    I do sell things from my website, well have links that sell things. I don't need my visitors somehow coming across this and thinking they shouldn't use my site.
    At least the guy's name is fitting, he is a Jerk.
    From looking at Google results for his name, I'd say he can't make it on his own merits, he has to play games and use other people to try to make it.

  • http://www.jimmydaniels.com Jimmy Daniels

    David, no, that's another Jim Daniels, an entirely different online marketer, there is also apparently a wrestler named Jimmy Daniels, but at least I'm number one for my name, hehe.

    Is it goog or bad that I don't suck, hehe.

  • http://www.kaylacam.com Kayla Quinn

    Don't feel too bad…you should see some of the things written about ME! *giggle* No matter how many conventions I speak at, how many seminars I do…it ALWAYS comes back around to my my film career…

  • http://schaafco.com Brook Schaaf

    I just wanted to give you props for your Google ad, Vinny. That's pretty funny.

  • http://www.imwave.com Adam Viener

    I am just glad to be included in the list of thouse that suck! Nice to be considered a guru.

    Honestly, I think it's a rather interesting guerilla marketing technique.

    Props to the RichJerk! You are welcome to keep running the ad under my name if you like. I might even click on it once in a while as I am probably the only one searching for myself!

    Adam

  • http://www.stopscum.com Steve Shubitz

    For Linda Woods of PartnerCentric:

    Can you please provide a status report on your efforts to either terminate this RJ affiliate or have the offensive G advert removed in multiple instances.

    It still appears at:

    <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=vinny+lingham&btnG=Search&quot; rel="nofollow"&gt <a href="http://;http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=vinny+lingham&btnG=Search” target=”_blank”>;http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=vinny+lingham&btnG=Search

    Thanks in advance

  • Heather Paulson

    Yes Adam very interesting Marketing tactics, I have never seen anything like this before in PPC.. After the shock wore off I checked out the RJ blog, interesting material. I like the idea about having someone in a bikini or "Speedo" on the home page of a site,, hey Wayne or Jim would be great for Revenews.com..

    I got curious and clicked on Kayla's **Giggle** link, and have discovered we ware attracting the Hooters crowd with the high density of the keyword suck on this page… Nice..

  • http://www.partnercentric.com Linda Woods

    I'd like to announce publicly, that effective immediately, PartnerCentric and RichJerk have parted ways. While I enjoy edgy ways of marketing, I am not in favor of this type of negative marketing, and don't want this community to think that our company had anything to do with this RJ campaign.

    Plus, I guess I'm a little miffed that I don't suck either. (Didn't even make David's list of non-suckage folks) :) I have been called a guru before, but I guess my name doesn't pull in Google. I do think Vinnie has the right idea about just joking right along with RJ. And I also firmly believe that this professional forum is not the place for insulting each other in our own community.

    Sam, thanks for posting this: "When did it all go wrong? This is a very small niche in a relatively small industry. Why in the hell do we insist on tearing each other down whether it's creating a blog about a fellow colleague that you despise or "vinny sucks"?"

    and I think Jeff was trying to say something similar. I heartily agree.

    Let's at least play nice with each other even if we do disagree articulately (and humorously) from time to time.

    Happy New Year, friends. Let's cooperate, not tear each other down. Hope to see you all in Vegas at AS later this month.

    Thanks!

    Linda

  • http://www.stopscum.com Steve Shubitz

    For Linda Woods of PartnerCentric:

    Outstanding work. Thank you!

    Next on the hit parade (pun intended) would be ClickBank and AdSense. Are you willing to DO SOMETHING yesterday?

  • http://www.partnercentric.com Linda Woods

    Steve – I'm not sure what you think I (or anyone) can "do" about how RichJerk markets themselves. They are not an affiliate, they are a merchant selling online marketing courses, CD's, etc. Not sure what you mean by "doing something" about ClickBank and AdSense. PartnerCentric was simply managing their affiliate program in CJ. That's all. We agreed to part ways, so they are no longer a client of ours. Any other aspects of their marketing that you have issue with should be directed to them, not to us.

    Thanks!

  • http://www.flamingoworld.com Connie Berg

    Ok I must be dense but I just don't get it. What could the Jerk have to gain from this? How does this help him? No one searches on my name anyways, so why target my name with something that has nothing to do with anything I do?
    It would be like a commercial for dog food aimed at people without dogs who are alergic and will never have a dog.

    Can someone explain to me the purpose, anticipated outcome the Jerk is hoping for?

  • http://www.stopscum.com Steve Shubitz

    Linda, my appolagies. My previous post was poorly worded so let me try it again.

    Congrats to YOU for taking this action. Outstanding!

    It appears that RJ also has affiliate/merchant relationships with ClickBank and AdSense. I'm using his sample pages/sites for turn key sites to determine this. As you point out, he is also a CJ merchant. It would be fantastic if THESE three Companies stepped up to the plate and did something positive for our industry and told RJ to either stop the "Suck" Campaigns or leave the respective programs.

  • Jonathan (Trust)

    "Can someone explain to me the purpose, anticipated outcome the Jerk is hoping for?"

    He got it, this thread. He successfully baited and got people talking about him.

  • Jonathan (Trust)

    Also, have you figured out if it's actually him bidding on your names or an affiliate of his program?

  • http://www.schaafco.com Brook Schaaf

    That's a good point, Jonathan. When I clicked through on the links I saw a parameter in the URL with an ID that looks like an affiliate – reberry99.

    I pinged Jeff Reberry of Turn Commerce and he said it wasn't him. (It would have surprised me if it was.)

  • http://www.affiliate-software-review.com Peter

    Connie – he gets cheap traffic to a lame affiliate offer for "free hosting" which when you follow through to the cart at some point you see that it's actually not even free. I suspect he was sucking in enough traffic to make it worth his while.

  • http://www.cumbrowski.com carsten cumbrowski

    As I already said i my earlier comment, "Rich Jerk" is the Affiliate in this case and not the merchant. They don't use their CJ program for this. Rich Jerk is an affiliate of Midphase.com, a hosting provider that offers a cheap "change the logo" co-branding solution to its affiliates.

    "Rich Jerk" slammed their logo on the Midphase site, offer hosting for only $9.95 and pay themselves only $7.95 per month (tops) = at least $2 per month commission for everybody they get to sign up for this "get a free one html page website" and make money like all the "Gurus out there that suck and charge you more than $9.95 per month" or something like that. They play the reseller game.

    And for this particular thing did they try this schema to see if it works. It caused a lot of comments on at least one blog so far, but I don't know about the number of $9.95/mo. hosting packages RJ was able to sell because of it.

  • thedudette

    Looks like Vinny sucks "on candy" now. Clever.

  • http://www.costpernews.com Sam Harrelson

    And apparently Vinny and the Guru gang have all scammed Laura 13 times so far.

    Btw, I do love the irony of "Jeff Molander Sucks" underneath "ProtectMyMark.com".

    So… is anyone going to call in their name trademark or just let the guy continue the Google defamation?