It has certainly felt weird not having to watch videos of Ed Dale and the crew from the 30 Day Challenge for the last few days.

I didn’t make my first $1 during the 30 Day Challenge, but in no way do I feel disappointed with how the Challenge went for me. The 30 DC was really all about teaching a methodology to test a micro niche’s viability.

To do this, the challenge was broken down into four areas:
- Market Research
- Traffic
- Conversion
- Product

There were some things that I could have done towards the end of the Challenge, like putting ads on my new blog, which may have helped me earn the dollar, but I chose not to. I made this decision, primarily because I am still going to pursue this niche and felt it was not the right time to place ads on the blog. The blog by the is called Set Up Email Address.

As Ed Dale will tell you, 95% of mistakes in setting up an online business occurs in the market research stage. It was at this point I made a mistake in underestimating the power of domain age in Google’s rankings. This doesn’t mean that my project is a failure or won’t work, but it does mean that it will take a lot longer than 30 days before it will make it to the front page of Google for targeted phrase.

The fact that I can realise this mistake and understand this process, shows me just how much I learnt during the challenge! I now have some other ideas on how I can implement my new knowledge and will be doing so over the next couple of months.

I decided to do the challenge, with the aim of seeing if I could possible make some money online as additional income for my growing family. I have seen that it is definitely possible and now feel that I have the skills to implement some of my ideas.

I would like to thank all the members of Team Lightening, who provided great support and feedback during the challenge. Lightening has also written a 30 Day Challenge Wrap Up. And Journeyer has a contemplative post after the 30 Day Challenge titled What Does The Future Hold.

Be sure to check them out if you think the 30 Day Challenge is something you would like to try. Also all the materials for the 30 Day Challenge are still up and will be so for a while, so its not to late to give it a try if you are interested.

Technorati Tags: 30 day challenge, blogging, internet marketing

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Image by Waffler

This week has been very tiring. I was lucky enough to have the beautiful family of a close friend come and stay with us and also have some friends drop in that I hadn’t seen in months.

However the 30 Day Challenge keeps going and so I had quite a few late nights, catching up and trying to post to my new blog. The project I have selected for the 30 Day Challenge is in the micro niche of setting up an email address, more specifically Gmail addresses as a way to get connected with Web 2.0. You can check out my site Set Up Email Address for more info.

I somehow managed to stay up to date and I am very happy with that effort.  The main reason I kept up with the challenge was because my gorgeous older sister took my two young ones overnight Thursday and then gave them a wonderful excursion to the Aquarium on Friday. Thanks so much!!!!!!!! It gave me some extra hours to focus solidly on my project.

We are in the home stretch now and I really looking forward to seeing what I am going to learn next.  Even though it has tired me out, I have learnt so much from the challenge that I will be able to apply not only now on my new project, but also in to the future, for ideas that I have had swimming around in my head for a while. 

I am truly grateful to Ed Dale and his team for the program they have put together, which is totally free.  It is disappointing that some people have sabotaged efforts by the 30 DC team to teach us through a live and real time example.   Ed had been using a blog himself to test his niche on Vintage Electric Guitars and would show us each new step by implementing it on the newly created Vintage Electric Guitar Blog. 

Unfortunately some people have joined the challenge to cause trouble and have spammed other blogs in Ed’s name, left comments on important sites that says the Vintage Electric Guitar Blog is by spammers and linked Ed’s blog to all sorts of seedy sites that Google doesn’t like.  The end result of this is that for some of the last training sessions, the 30 DC team have been unable to show us live examples, but have had to use old stuff.

I really hope that these people desist from their sabotage.  It is always a shame when a tiny minority ruin it for the rest of the group.  

Only 8 days left now!

Tags: 30day challenge, blogging, family

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This post is my contribution to Bloggers Unite For Human Rights.

As an Australian I can openly express my political views on this blog, on a chat room or in an email without fear of persecution. It is not the same in every country.

The following three excerpts are taken from the Anmensty International Website and detail the current state of Internet censorship in China:

The Great Firewall
That’s Internet censorship, China’s ‘Golden Shield Project’. The Government is watching you.

Behind what has been dubbed the ‘Great Firewall of China’ citizens can be imprisoned for sending emails, posting blogs or passing on information deemed to be sensitive, a threat to national sovereignty or a state secret.

In China the Internet has become a new frontier in the fight for human rights.

Thousands of Internet police
China has reportedly employed between 30,000 and 50,000 special Internet police who, with the aid of Western-provided technology, read private emails, conduct surveillance, remove blogs and block banned websites.

On screen, Internet users looking at China’s most popular websites will see a cartoon cyber-police officer appear every half hour. The cartoon officer reminds them not to view censored material.

Breeding fear
There is no list of what is censored or what authorities are looking for – it’s kept deliberately vague and is constantly updated – this instills fear and uncertainty in Internet surfers in the hope that, on top of all the other controls, they will censor themselves.

China is helped by the Internet companies – global giants Yahoo!, Google and Microsoft, and Chinese companies such as Alibaba and Baidu – who have signed a pledge with the Government, the contents of which have not been made public.

The pledge allows the companies to operate in China, but only under conditions that involve censorship of their users.

What can you do?
Head to Uncensor and keep up to date with the current Internet censorship in China.

If you are in Australia, you can help to Tear down the Great Firewall of China. Volunteers are needed to tear down 20,000 bricks in 90 days, which is a peaceful protest in the lead up to the Beijing Olympic Games.

Each brick of the wall holds an action aimed at the Internet companies who enable censorship in China, such as Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft, Sohu and Baidu, the action cards call on them, to stop assisting human rights violations.

Click here to see when the wall will be in your part of Australia.

For those of you outside Australia, you can take online action to support Shi Tao. Shi Tao is a journalist who is serving a ten-year prison sentence for sending an email to the U.S. Yahoo! provided information to the Chinese Government, which led to his unjust imprisonment.

So if you write on your blog today, read a blog or send an email without fear, then do something for those who do not have the same rights as us.

Technorati Tags: blogging, censorship, china

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I am not going to mention that the last month went ridiculously fast and I can’t believe it is time for me to be writing this again!
Here are some posts that I enjoyed during the month of April:

PARENTING
The first two are from Lin at Telling It Like It Is. Lin writes on many contemporary issues and you will always find something thought provoking to read there.

A Child’s Ten Commandments For Parents
From the view of a child 10 simple things that we can do as a parent to enhance our relationship with them.

So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood in Commercial Culture
How is “sexy” marketing hurting our children?

Kids and computers: is early exposure all that important?
One mum wonders if it is okay that her five year old is computer illiterate.

Myth Busting Momisms
Do you really have to wait an hour after eating to get in the swimming pool, or you’ll get a cramp and die?

The Two Year Old Treasures
Helpful tips on how to handle your precious two year old.

SOCIALLY MINDED
The Odd Disparity between Income and Quality of Life
An example of why increased wealth doesn’t always mean a better life.

Born to Buy: Nickelodeon and the Anti-Adult Bias
Discusses some of the messages our kids may receive through advertising.

Why not drink local?
Shedding some hope that the craze of bottle water is turning around.

Over investing in children
Are we producing a generation of over dependent children?

BLOGGING
Babyos
I think Kate has coined a phrase that will stick in this post. Every mum blogger will be able to relate to this.

Guest Post by Social Media Dad, Darren Rowse from ProBlogger
Problogger delivers 4 tips for social media toddlers.

Five Reasons Why Mom Blogs Are the Blogs to Watch
Cool to see recognition of the potential of mum bloggers being explored.

6 Ways That Bloggers are Like Rappers
Humorous comparison, that gives great insight into the life of a blogger.

5 Productivity Tips for Work at Home Moms
Tips that easily transfer across to mums blogging!

Organising My Emails
Inbox out of control? Guera has some fantastic tips about how to get in back under control.

Grab a cup of whatever is your preferred poison and enjoy some fantastic reads!

NB. I am playing around with the blog theme at the moment, as I was hurried into choosing a new one during the upgrade to WordPress 2.5.1 (my old theme was not compatible). You will see more changes over the next week. If you have any feedback along the way about the theme, I would be more than happy to hear from you!

Technorati Tags: blogging, parenting, social issues

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In early February I remember I received my first blog bling(award) from a fantastic blogger CelloBella. I have to admit to be being so very excited about receiving the Excellent blog award from someone who I respected as a blogger. This week I was just as excited to receive it again from a very well travelled and well written blog A Roaming Aussie Mum . Thank you to you both, I appreciate the awards and would like to pass it on to the following bloggers:

Kate at Picklebums - Kate posts the most beautiful photos of her children and writes with both great humour and honesty.

Domestically Blissed - Domestically Blissed is just across the waters in New Zealand and gives a great insight into alternative preschool education.

Megan at Imaginif child protection became a serious business - her blog is always informative and thought provoking and Megan is amazingly supportive to her sister bloggers.

Preschool Mama - Excellent activities and suggestions on how to interact with your preschooler.

Joh at Joh Blogs - As a parent it is great to hear an independent voice from the other side of the fence - the teacher.

(It was hard to choose and I think it might have something to do with Easter and the spirit of giving, but there is a lot of bling going about at the moment!)

Also this week Karen from The Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum passed on to me the Forever Friends Award. If you haven’t checked out Karen’s blog, do so as she writes beautifully and is a soon to be published children’s author. I would like to pass this award on to the following in the online world:

Cath at mobblegobble - one of my oldest and truest friends.

Laine at icklekids - a new friend but one who gives me great inspiration.

And to those in the real world who I keep telling that they should start blogging! These women have been such a fantastic support to me in getting this blog up an running and then participating in the online conversations as well:

Deb, Lou, Annie, Belinda, Tash, Carolyn, Paula, Sam, Cass and Steph (the last three are my sisters as well as my friends!), MC, Lisa, Angela and Nic

Thank you again for the awards and if you believe in the Easter Bunny, I hope he brings you loads of excellent quality, fair trade chocolate!

Technorati Tags: awards, blogging

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