GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 12 - April 2010

Earl GunnerMoore | Skinski Lurkandyou’ll learna little, askandyou’ll learna lot! Looking at the names of several of your sites,wehave toask:Areyoua fanofMis- sissippi Delta music? Very much so. I’ve never been one for a lot of electronics in music and just love the sound of the gui- tar and harmonica. I prefer the old tunes over the new stuff.Withmy upbringing I just relate to theold soundsa lotmore.As I was growing up, the family used to get together and play (mostly blues, country and bluegrass). It was quite a lot of fun, justhangingout in theyard,maybehavea pieceofmeaton thegrillwhileplayingand singing tuneswith familyand friends. Do you hang out at any of the House of Bluesvenues? I’ve been to a couple of the shows back several years ago, but here at the local HOB inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, it’smostly theharderrockbands that you’ll find . . . not quitemy choice of music. Andwhere does AaronNeville fit into all of this? He’s not the blues, butman, what a voice! It’s hard to believe that such a high-pitched and soulful sound can come fromamanof his size. In your member bio, you list your occu- pation as carpenter. How do you budget your time? Howmany hours a week for theday job,howmany foryoursites–and howmany for spendingwithyour grand- children? Istarted inconstructionstraight out of high school as a 16-year-old gradu- ate. I loved building, but a few years ago I started running out of breath very eas- ily and was finding it harder and harder to talk. I was diagnosed with cancer and am no longer able to work in it full time. Thankfully I can talk again after surgery (thewifecan’t getme to shutupnow). I’m probably working on the sites 30 to 40 hours aweek (if notmore). The only time you’ll not find me doing something per- taining tomy sites is if thewife isoffwork or someof thegrandkidsareover. I’vegot six grandsons and one granddaughter. Threeof thegrandsons livecloseby, sowe see them quite frequently. One grandson spentmost all of his dayswithme for the first yearandahalf ofhis life . . . I felt that Iwashisdad there for awhile, lol. What do you do when you need to un- wind? I enjoy my vegetable garden when weather permits and I like to read (most anything that’s in print). I’ve had veg- etable gardensmost all ofmy life and just cannot imaginenot havingone.Whennot on the PC working, visiting friends will usually findme out back piddling around in thegardenorby the shed. Are you still a biker? No longer able to ride, but still have some old friends who do. They hold rallies round these parts a couple times a year and I try to go meet witha fewof themwhen they’re in town. It was a groupof those friendswho gaveme thenickname “Skinski”backaround 1980 due tomybeingone to shavemyhead. What are your thoughts on when some- one should stoppromoting apoorlyper- formingsite? I think I’mguiltyof hanging on and continuing toplug a site that’s not earningmemoney too long just because I like thesite (orgowaybackwith it), so I’m probablynot thebestone toask. I’venever been aquitter, but I think that sometimes you have to just cut the strings and start anew. I’m just really starting to learn the correct way to do a lot of things on build- ingpages and such, like tags andkeyword research and all that. That being the case, I’mworkingon somemajor changes at all my sites, and when I get them all set up properly it’ll be a wait-and-see situation. If you’ve done everything possible and a site has not made you money in a few months you definitely should be thinking ofmaking some changes. Howmuch timedoes it take tokeepyour sites updated? I’m usually up and at the computer by seven a.m. After checking my mail I visit the forums at GPWA and a couple others. I then spend the next three or four hours working on updating my sites for the different promotions that I can find, or just adding content. I’ll usu- ally spend the afternoons back and forth – outsidewith the dogs (an old blackLab named Waylon and a Shar-pei named Moe that’s just a year and half old) and inside on thePC to read and to seewhat I can learn frommy fellowaffiliates. Imight even write a bit more content. If I’m not writing something I’m working behind the scenes to straighten out themess I’ve madeon the sites the last fewyears. Doyouuseacontentmanagementsystem tomanageyoursite? No,but it’sdefinitely something I should look intoas I grow. What do your wife (of almost 30 years!), family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? The wife supports me 100%; without that support I’d not be able to spend somuch time learning how to bet- termysites.Sheevenwentoutandbought me a new desktop for Christmas with her bonus. Familyand friends think it’spretty cool, but I don’t think they comprehend just how much work is really involved. Some of them really think that it’smostly all funandgames. What do you know now that you wish youhadknownwhenyoustarted? I don’t knowwhere to even begin! For the most part I spent the first few years too embar- rassed to ask fellow affiliates for adviceor help with problems. That’s something I wish I had gotten over much sooner. Af- filiates at places like the GPWA and PAL are for the most part some of the most helpful people youwill meet online and I wish I would have reached out for advice much sooner. How has the GPWA helped you grow as an affiliate? The active members at the GPWA are a close-knit group, and are al- wayswilling toanswerquestions from fel- lowmembers. I’ve reallystarted loosening up and asking more of those questions that Iwas always afraid toaskbefore, and theamount of helpnow comingmyway is just unbelievable. From codework toSEO to which rooms are the safest places to 54 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series