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Monday, June 23, 2014

Blog and Blogging Explained

Let me start on how the word blog originated and was termed as blog or blogging.

There was this man, named John Barger, who coined the word "weblog".  Weblog is the term when you log distinct entries of data at the World Wide Web or what is now commonly known as the internet.  It was later shortened to the word "blog".

Basically, blogging is a form of sharing an information in the internet.  It can be in the form of videos, written words, audios or images.

Blog can easily be created by an individual, called a blogger. As long as there is an internet connection and a blog website, blogging exists.  I'll explain this further as we go along...

How Man Started Blogging?
Before you can start your blog, you need to know the history behind it.  This will give you a wide idea about the world of blogging and that's the time when you can start and tweak blogs at your own.

To start with, this will be a good example that I can share about how man started the concept about blogging.  Although it was not called as blogging back then, we can safely say that it was the evolution of man's blogging.

Let's go back to the primitive time where computer does not exist and even fire was still yet to be discovered.

Primitive people tend to tell stories through songs and dances.  The most important thing they did was to carve on the walls of rocks in caves, or anywhere they can make their carver dig in.

They scribble and draw symbols of animals, plants and basically all that they see everyday.

As time goes by, the one who carved on the walls had died or migrated to other places, yet he left his masterpieces on the walls and new settlers can now see it.

When paper was discovered, man writes letters or draws images on it.  These papers can be posted on the walls with a photo of a man and a written word "MOST WANTED" ads so others may see what's the newest public enemy number one or as simple as job postings.

Then, man invented the television wherein a certain group of people, called the media, creates news about anything that happened recently so others can watch it everyday at their picture tubes.

In this modern era, internet is now present and the carvings, paper and television can now be created or viewed through a screen.  The best invention in this century is that these media can be saved as data, can be retrieved and viewed at the other side of the globe.

When men carve on walls, write on paper, and creates media on televisions, they are sharing an information of something.  It can be visions seen yesterday, at present or the future.  This is how man started the concept of blogging.

What Are the Examples of Blogs?
As what I explained above, Blogs can be in the form of videos, images, audios or words.  All of these types can also be combined in a single blog.

There are tons of blogs out there and it comes with different styles and types, I'll name a few:
  • Video blogs - this form of blogging is through visual.  Readers or viewers can view the blog by watching it.  A great example of this is my driving skills in YouTube.  You can view lots of videos out there made of random topics by random people.   
  • Audio blogs- this blog is audible, which means you can listen to it.  It can be in the form of music, narrations and commentaries.  This is commonly known as PodCast.  One example is the RadioLab. You can listen to it.
  • Words blogs - a common type of blog where everything you see are all words or with limited amount of images or videos.  An example of this kind of blog are my blogs and few others, such as:
    • BenAlagnam.com - there were few images or videos in it.  It's an 80% word blog.
    • MeMovingToCanada- you can also seldom see images or videos in it.  It's just words with colors.
    • Twitter - A micro blog that consists of only 140 characters.
    • MakeFutureIncome - a blog that is about blogging by using characters to form words.  
  • Image blogs - consists of contents that are expressed through the use of images.  A perfect example of this is the I Love Photo Blogs.  This is usually made by bloggers who are photographers and also people who loves to share their photos online, called the photo bloggers.
The next example that I will show you is quite surprising.  You are probably using it right now and you might not know that it is a form of blogging.  It is an example of a blog where all media are combined.  
  • Combined media blogs - it consists of videos, audios, words, and images in one platform.  A perfect example of this type is FACEBOOK.  Subscribers can post any type of media, comment and like anything on the platform.  These people are posting something on their walls, so it's a form of blogging.  Surprised??? You should be...
There are many types of blogs as you can see at my examples.  Then you wonder how to start one or what are the topics to start with?

No problem...

The next posts will be more interesting.  This is the time when you can change your mindset to a different perspective, it would be for blogging.

You can follow my blog and I'll explain more of it until you can make your own and earn additional money.  Eventually, this will become your future business and achieve your goal to Make Future Income.

If you have questions about this blog, you can leave your comment below or email me at benalagnam@yahoo.com

Friday, May 23, 2014

What Happened to My Travel Networking Business

On my previous blog, I had discussed about a travel business.  I will give you the update and tell you more about my story on how my travel business went. But first...

I just came home from work.  As usual, I can hear children and teenagers playing basketball and shouting because just outside my window is a basketball court and a playground.  The voices and the sound of dribbling is fun to my ears and I like it. - Ben

What is a Travel Networking Business?
The business that I'm in to was a travel business.  A travel business with a networking business model or should I say a pyramid scheme.  If you are not familiar with a pyramid scheme, it goes like this...

A person recruits or invite another person, 2nd person, to join and buy a product.  The customer, the 2nd person, will be the downline of the 1st person and will be placed at his lower right side.  Then when a third person joins who was recruited by the 1st, then he will be at his left side.  So goes for the 2nd person and the 3rd once they invited persons down their line.  It forms a pyramid.

The product is about travel.  Once you join the "team", you can have discounts on holidays, which the company offers and the air ticket bookings as well.  You can have your own website where you can book your ticket or someone's ticket, which you also earn a dollar per booking.

The perks and the offers are really great, no doubt.  If you compare to other holiday offers, this is cheaper. 

You will attend a scheduled conference with the trainers and the highest earners but with a cost.

What Are The Advantages as a Member?
Aside from having benefits as stated above,
1. You can also learn how to sell, especially how to convince people just to watch a video presentation of the co-founder.

2. The team will teach you how to talk to the phone with friends or strangers and having them convinced to meet with you in a place and watch the video presentation.

3. You can learn the art of networking and how not to be shy in front of strangers.

4.  Working hard will earn you more.


Are There Disadvantages?
Sure, if there are advantages, there will also be disadvantages.

1.  The team is always on the move, every after office work, to visit the new clients and to present the networking videos, the product and convincing them to join.

At this type of selling, I find it too difficult and time consuming.  It will consume 4 hours of my time and if someone signs up, lucky if it's from my invite, I can just earn $20 per person. 

It is difficult for me to convince people this way because of the nature of the marketing.  We go from house to house and it reminds of me of an electrolux man, a door to door salesman.

We go home at 1:00am, everyday!  This is totally not for me.

2.  Yes it's true that the holiday vacations are cheaper, but this is a scheduled holiday.  You can not choose anytime you want.  This is not for me.

3.  The airline booking is cheaper as compared with the normal booking at the airline booking itself.  But the airlines they offer are the expensive ones.  I only take budget airlines when I go back home.  It is much cheaper and I still can go home by air.  This is not for me.

This is Not For Me
I was holding the membership for 4 months while paying the monthly fee.  This is one of my regrettable investment in my life. 

The joy of leaving the company and informing my upline that I'm quiting is great!  Of course, at their minds, I'm a quitter! 

Lessons Learned
I was convinced by my friend to join the team in just 4 hours and I paid through my credit card. 

I should have thought of it overnight and haven't brought my credit card with me.

Do not join a group or a business without discussing it with some experienced person or checking the whole legitimacy of the business. 

Tell that someone who recruited or invited you that you have to think about it for 2 days.  If he or she still persists, don't bother to join the group or ask them more questions until you're totally convinced and think of it for 2 days...

Please check my post about why I started this blog to know more about me and my blog.  Don't forget to subscribe.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Planning Your Money Matters for the Future




Money is the output of what we do physically, if we are going to view it at the viewpoint of a non-investor.

I was once a non-investor and the thought of saving money in a piggy bank or in bank institutions are the only way to save money in the future.

This video taught me on how to prioritise my money in a planned way.  The lesson that I learned are the following:

1. Prioritize the tithing behaviour.  Tithe is a tenth part of  something or a 10% of our money earned through our income.  This part is voluntarily given to a religious organization or to the government like a donation as what we call it.

This is optional, some people don't believe in tithing, so it's still ok to cut it down from the list.

2. Saving for an Emergency Fund - We should save something that is liquid, ready to use cash, in case of emergency such as accident, hospitalization, etc..

3. Retirement Fund - What is life after our retirement?  Do we just sit down on a racking chair, smoke cigar and wait for our chicken to be 45 days old in order for us to eat?  NO, we should get a retirement fund while we are still capable of earning money so we can still continue our life the same as when we were young and able.

4.  Freedom Fund - This is the fund that you are free to use to whichever money making scheme you are interested in investing.  May it be in the mutual fund or to the stock market.

5. Investing in Stocks - The venue where your freedom fund goes.  This will make your money grow when invested in a trading stocks or in a long term investment period.

I think one thing is missing from the list is paying all your debts first.  This is the most important initial step before planning for the step no. 1.

My views on money, after watching this video, has now changed and my priorities as well. 

Follow me to my journey on Success. Let me know how your views had changed after watching the video.  Leave a comment below.
Ben Alagnam - MeMovingToCanada