Alex's Blog
The blogs I tend to keep up with are, naturally, about interests of mine. It could be politics, movies, sex, gossip, media, etc. Or it could be the view into someone's private thoughts and life (which I think mine is like.) Or it could be because I know them personally and want to spy on them, diss them , keep up with them.
Anyway, I started reading Alex’s blog because I liked the thought of reading the blog of a gay single guy in the city. It was hard to avoid because apparently every other blog has links to it. I like his blog, but I soon found that it was 90% about his sex life and I find reading about someone else's sex life boring. I much prefer hearing about their pain or life or problems with their job or their mother. So, I found myself skipping the parts of his site that most people go to it for and gravitating towards posts about his best friend and a new boyfriend.
I've been in business a long time and I know how sites make money from affiliate programs so it did not surprise me to see so many ads. He gets a lot of traffic and why would he say "no" to running ads?
But there's an anonymous poster who is convinced that "Alex" is not a real person, but a cabal of writers dedicated to churning out "real" erotic stories that then compel people to join these other linked for-pay sites.
This anonymous poster is very articulate and is very calm and has clearly made an in-depth study of the site. The other posters who condemn him tend to be more angry than he is.
(As a matter of fact, I have been surprised by many things on many different blogs since I began blogging:
1) Bloggers who kiss-ass bloggers with bigger audiences in the hopes of getting a link
2) Bloggers who act like blind-sided fans/wannabe friends of other bloggers and defend them like the GOP defends Bush
3) Bloggers who write the most evil and nasty shit about other bloggers
4) Bloggers who will do and say anything to make a buck
Nice to know I can still be naïve.)
I think people get different things from Alex and his blog. Some simply get off on the sex, but there are many ways to get off on sex. It has to be more than that. I think that the fact that this blogger has an identity and a life makes it more compelling. It is kind of like a regular reality TV series with a likable protagonist that has a lot of sex.
Based on the comments, he seems to attract several archetypes:
-Some people consider themselves Alex's spiritual brother and feel a kinship with him and "atta boy!" him.
-Some people are probably a little envious of him and wish they had his life but are nice people and coo and “ooh” and “aah” a lot.
-Some people are envious and wish they had his life and are not nice people and say very vicious things to him.
(When that happens, the people from the prior categories rush to his defense)
-Some people are a little older and wiser and just like to hear themselves give sincere advice to Alex on what he should do because it strokes their egos. That would be me. I know myself well.
-And, undoubtedly, there is the majority which just likes to read his posts and masturbate and would never dream of posting a comment.
So, really, Alex, in some way, is like art because people interpret what he does differently and get something different from him.
Anyway, I defended Alex in a comment recently and anonymous poster did not comment back and call me a "naive asshole" but wrote a really provocative scenario on why he thought Alex was a cabal of writers. I did not buy it but a few hours later went to re-read it and...it was gone.
Silly me, I'm so new to this that I did not even know you could remove comments. That really bothers me overall. I feel that as with newspapers and television, there should be a record. Once something is published, there is no turning back. I suppose that is why a lot of bloggers approve posts before they are published. But let me not get bogged down in a grey area that is really another subject.
Alex simply explained that he got tired of the poster's stuff and deleted it.
OK. I personally would never do that. I think the comments enhance the content. Even enhance his mystique. But it's his blog and he can do whatever the hell he wants.
But, it still bothered me. I could not understand why he was so subjective with what he deleted. Every time the anonymous poster made a comment that was articulate and compelling, it got deleted. Yet when nasty vulgar comments appeared from other anonymous posters, he would leave them up. Was he threatened by what anonymous poster was saying? If it wasn't accurate, it should not matter.
Almost more importantly, why would he leave the nasty and vulgar comments up?
Well, the interesting thing is, in general, nasty, vulgar, mean-spirited comments about anyone we like in life tend to make us rush to their defense for various reasons. So, hypothetically, it would be worth it for him to keep those nasty, vulgar, mean-spirited comments up as they attracted a flurry of defenders.
And that's what got me. "Worth it to keep those up."
Worth it. Implies commerce. Implies a business.
Blogging is funny. It requires no legal information or trademarks or disclosures. It's all about self-publishing and you can say whatever you want to say. About yourself, that is.
Like I said earlier, I'm a marketer. Always have been. There's a marketing term called "Seeding." You put a product in the hands of "Key Influencers." Key Influencers are, simplistically, cool people, people you admire. Then that product gets a patina of cool and other people want it. And on and on until it hits critical mass.
It happens most often with celebrities, but marketers do it, too, with kids in high schools and colleges, particularly with sneakers and other gear. It’s getting even bigger and more complicated now with product sampling. You can actually register with companies like Cornerstone Marketing now and, based on your criteria, you might be chosen to use a frying pan that you can then recommend to your friends, but only if you like it.
This kind of stuff is so blurry. I did some work for a liquor company that used to send hot girls out to bars to order drinks with a particular brand of Vodka. It was to build “product awareness.” But it was all staged. But I go off on a tangent again.
Anyway, suppose you knew a really cool person. He was hot, had a great job and always got great sex. He had a life you emulated or aspired to for one reason or another. Well, there's a chance that when he recommended a book or CD or even a car you might buy it.
Well suppose this person was online and the things he recommended were online, too. There’s a chance you might buy those as well.
So, perhaps there are 3 possible Alexs:
1)The Alex who is the guy he says he is who just likes to write about sex and life and direct you to hot sites he finds cool. That he is in a grey area is just the way that it is. What I mean is, he says he loves porn and likes to recommend sites he finds hot. Yet, he is in an affiliate program for these sites which tends to blur the lines a bit. After all, he is making some click-through/conversion money by going on with gusto about these sites. But whatever. That just makes him a bit disingenuous.
2)The Alex that Anonymous Poster says he is who is really a team of writers that have created a false persona designed to direct people to paying sites. Completely commercial enterprise. I think that stakes are far too low for that. Too much time and effort and too little return.
3)The Alex who is maybe a mix of reality and fantasy. An embellisher. He’s one guy and maybe he started out as a simple blogger but as time went by and his traffic increased he got a little corrupted by the thrill of some ad bucks. He’s a good writer and a lot of shit happens to him but not nearly as much as he says. And the power of seeing that he can influence a lot of people to join a for-pay site is intoxicating.* So, maybe he’s really “Brand Alex,” now, and like any good brand manager, seeks to protect his brand by removing potentially damaging comments.
The bottom line is that I have absolutely no idea if Alex is any or none of the above and I fucking love that.
I am so sick of being so cynical and figuring things out so easily, that for me to have to wonder about this, so much so I wrote a fucking essay, well it’s like Christmas in July.
I am going to continue to read Alex’s blog. And continue to wonder. Thank you Alex and thank you Anonymous Poster, I’m indebted to you both for (unlike 90% of the product Hollywood churns out) keeping me guessing.
*Full disclosure. People are motivated by different things. Some by money. Some by power. It’s all very id, ego, superego.
Several years ago I went through a 6 month period on a now-defunct site where I used to cam with other people. They had a program where, if you chose, people could pay to cam with you. All out of the comfort of your home. Well, I loved camming with hot friends but after I realized some not-so-hot people would pay me per minute and I could set the price, it became like a game to keep them talking to me. The money was never huge, but every few weeks I would get a check for $400 or so and it was cool. But the “power” got me high.
Anyway, I started reading Alex’s blog because I liked the thought of reading the blog of a gay single guy in the city. It was hard to avoid because apparently every other blog has links to it. I like his blog, but I soon found that it was 90% about his sex life and I find reading about someone else's sex life boring. I much prefer hearing about their pain or life or problems with their job or their mother. So, I found myself skipping the parts of his site that most people go to it for and gravitating towards posts about his best friend and a new boyfriend.
I've been in business a long time and I know how sites make money from affiliate programs so it did not surprise me to see so many ads. He gets a lot of traffic and why would he say "no" to running ads?
But there's an anonymous poster who is convinced that "Alex" is not a real person, but a cabal of writers dedicated to churning out "real" erotic stories that then compel people to join these other linked for-pay sites.
This anonymous poster is very articulate and is very calm and has clearly made an in-depth study of the site. The other posters who condemn him tend to be more angry than he is.
(As a matter of fact, I have been surprised by many things on many different blogs since I began blogging:
1) Bloggers who kiss-ass bloggers with bigger audiences in the hopes of getting a link
2) Bloggers who act like blind-sided fans/wannabe friends of other bloggers and defend them like the GOP defends Bush
3) Bloggers who write the most evil and nasty shit about other bloggers
4) Bloggers who will do and say anything to make a buck
Nice to know I can still be naïve.)
I think people get different things from Alex and his blog. Some simply get off on the sex, but there are many ways to get off on sex. It has to be more than that. I think that the fact that this blogger has an identity and a life makes it more compelling. It is kind of like a regular reality TV series with a likable protagonist that has a lot of sex.
Based on the comments, he seems to attract several archetypes:
-Some people consider themselves Alex's spiritual brother and feel a kinship with him and "atta boy!" him.
-Some people are probably a little envious of him and wish they had his life but are nice people and coo and “ooh” and “aah” a lot.
-Some people are envious and wish they had his life and are not nice people and say very vicious things to him.
(When that happens, the people from the prior categories rush to his defense)
-Some people are a little older and wiser and just like to hear themselves give sincere advice to Alex on what he should do because it strokes their egos. That would be me. I know myself well.
-And, undoubtedly, there is the majority which just likes to read his posts and masturbate and would never dream of posting a comment.
So, really, Alex, in some way, is like art because people interpret what he does differently and get something different from him.
Anyway, I defended Alex in a comment recently and anonymous poster did not comment back and call me a "naive asshole" but wrote a really provocative scenario on why he thought Alex was a cabal of writers. I did not buy it but a few hours later went to re-read it and...it was gone.
Silly me, I'm so new to this that I did not even know you could remove comments. That really bothers me overall. I feel that as with newspapers and television, there should be a record. Once something is published, there is no turning back. I suppose that is why a lot of bloggers approve posts before they are published. But let me not get bogged down in a grey area that is really another subject.
Alex simply explained that he got tired of the poster's stuff and deleted it.
OK. I personally would never do that. I think the comments enhance the content. Even enhance his mystique. But it's his blog and he can do whatever the hell he wants.
But, it still bothered me. I could not understand why he was so subjective with what he deleted. Every time the anonymous poster made a comment that was articulate and compelling, it got deleted. Yet when nasty vulgar comments appeared from other anonymous posters, he would leave them up. Was he threatened by what anonymous poster was saying? If it wasn't accurate, it should not matter.
Almost more importantly, why would he leave the nasty and vulgar comments up?
Well, the interesting thing is, in general, nasty, vulgar, mean-spirited comments about anyone we like in life tend to make us rush to their defense for various reasons. So, hypothetically, it would be worth it for him to keep those nasty, vulgar, mean-spirited comments up as they attracted a flurry of defenders.
And that's what got me. "Worth it to keep those up."
Worth it. Implies commerce. Implies a business.
Blogging is funny. It requires no legal information or trademarks or disclosures. It's all about self-publishing and you can say whatever you want to say. About yourself, that is.
Like I said earlier, I'm a marketer. Always have been. There's a marketing term called "Seeding." You put a product in the hands of "Key Influencers." Key Influencers are, simplistically, cool people, people you admire. Then that product gets a patina of cool and other people want it. And on and on until it hits critical mass.
It happens most often with celebrities, but marketers do it, too, with kids in high schools and colleges, particularly with sneakers and other gear. It’s getting even bigger and more complicated now with product sampling. You can actually register with companies like Cornerstone Marketing now and, based on your criteria, you might be chosen to use a frying pan that you can then recommend to your friends, but only if you like it.
This kind of stuff is so blurry. I did some work for a liquor company that used to send hot girls out to bars to order drinks with a particular brand of Vodka. It was to build “product awareness.” But it was all staged. But I go off on a tangent again.
Anyway, suppose you knew a really cool person. He was hot, had a great job and always got great sex. He had a life you emulated or aspired to for one reason or another. Well, there's a chance that when he recommended a book or CD or even a car you might buy it.
Well suppose this person was online and the things he recommended were online, too. There’s a chance you might buy those as well.
So, perhaps there are 3 possible Alexs:
1)The Alex who is the guy he says he is who just likes to write about sex and life and direct you to hot sites he finds cool. That he is in a grey area is just the way that it is. What I mean is, he says he loves porn and likes to recommend sites he finds hot. Yet, he is in an affiliate program for these sites which tends to blur the lines a bit. After all, he is making some click-through/conversion money by going on with gusto about these sites. But whatever. That just makes him a bit disingenuous.
2)The Alex that Anonymous Poster says he is who is really a team of writers that have created a false persona designed to direct people to paying sites. Completely commercial enterprise. I think that stakes are far too low for that. Too much time and effort and too little return.
3)The Alex who is maybe a mix of reality and fantasy. An embellisher. He’s one guy and maybe he started out as a simple blogger but as time went by and his traffic increased he got a little corrupted by the thrill of some ad bucks. He’s a good writer and a lot of shit happens to him but not nearly as much as he says. And the power of seeing that he can influence a lot of people to join a for-pay site is intoxicating.* So, maybe he’s really “Brand Alex,” now, and like any good brand manager, seeks to protect his brand by removing potentially damaging comments.
The bottom line is that I have absolutely no idea if Alex is any or none of the above and I fucking love that.
I am so sick of being so cynical and figuring things out so easily, that for me to have to wonder about this, so much so I wrote a fucking essay, well it’s like Christmas in July.
I am going to continue to read Alex’s blog. And continue to wonder. Thank you Alex and thank you Anonymous Poster, I’m indebted to you both for (unlike 90% of the product Hollywood churns out) keeping me guessing.
*Full disclosure. People are motivated by different things. Some by money. Some by power. It’s all very id, ego, superego.
Several years ago I went through a 6 month period on a now-defunct site where I used to cam with other people. They had a program where, if you chose, people could pay to cam with you. All out of the comfort of your home. Well, I loved camming with hot friends but after I realized some not-so-hot people would pay me per minute and I could set the price, it became like a game to keep them talking to me. The money was never huge, but every few weeks I would get a check for $400 or so and it was cool. But the “power” got me high.
posted by Bart at 10:46 PM
7 Comments:
Are you really the anonymous man? Did you cook this all up to get traffic at your blog? Are you one of the people you describe as trying to get traffic off of someone more successful than you? Isn't this whole blog world of intrigue fascinating?
No, but that would be a wicked twist. And right on brother, it is abso-fucking-lutley fascinating!
Bart, thanks for not writing me off as a crazed psycho like Alex and his sycophants would like people to believe. I think he would also like for people to think I'm ALL the anonymous posters on his blog.
About his blog, I've been reading it from the beginning, but like you, I'm not that interested in the sex either.
What kept me reading was that I noticed patterns in the writing. I could usually predict outcomes of many of the major plots and some of the sub-plots.
I also became more interested in the comments and Alex's replies to them, then most of the post. As you pointed out his defenders can be quite strong, but most of them are in the brain dead category of "Great Post Dude".
I'm cynical by nature, but I just never believed the stories he wrote, they're just to much, even for New York. If they're not total fiction then they're highly embellished. That is why I am not convinced he is not just schlepping for the porn sites.
But, after reading your three Alex theory, I could be swayed to #3, it does make the most sense. He is a good writer, I've said that all along, and if he is as young as he says, then he may be drunk with power.
After reading your post, maybe I'll lay off him, maybe, I pissed him off so much he turned back on comment moderation, now it won't be any fun.
Bart, you're a good guy, I'll continue to read your blog it'll be fun getting to know more about you.
Just a few more thoughts Bart, (where are you?) Alex has deleted most of my comments again and I know it's his right, but I also feel that if he really is what he says then he would not be bothered by them.
I'm either coming to close to the truth or he's extremely sensitive and by turning on comment moderation he is only making both these comments appear true.
It has been a fun playing with Alex, to bad he doesn't like to play fair, I would have liked to have continued sparing with him. Who knows, the last time he turned on comment moderation it didn't last long, I may still get another chance.
Yes, I cannot really relate to the comment moderation/deletion thing myself. Comments are free content and I think they can develop a life of their own which can be highly entertaining. If he will not publish your comments, feel free to post them here, I'll read them.
Bart, have you read "I am not myself these days" and if you have what did you think.
I'm about halfway through it, it's a harder read than I thought it would be, not nearly as funny or compelling.
I harass josh over on datalounge almost as much as I harass Alex, but I will say he is a much better sport than Alex.
He is not quite as sensitive and can take a good hearted ribbing. He is very quick witted, not like Alex who has to run off and pout like a baby.
I might as well tell you my name, so you can quit referring to me as anonymous....it's Michael.
I have not picked it up yet because I read something that turned me off somewhere, I cannot even remember where, I think I'm just overloading on memoirs, but I know I will read it eventually. Michael is a fine name and I appreciate the intimacy, although "Anonymous" did have an air of intrigue like "Deep Throat" or the author of "Primary Colors."
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