Keep Turning Left sunk by Google

[Sybarite]

Terrible news Dylan.

I have just posted the following message on the facebook site of Salar Kamangar, a Google VP, who in the last few days is taking over the running of You-Tube from its founder Chad Hurley :

" I participate in the leading UK boating forum organized by the IPC group’s yachting magazines. In it the members are following with a great deal of pleasure the wonderful accounts by a free-lance journalist, Dylan Winter (keepturningleft.co.uk), who is filming his slow trip around the British Isles in a 19’ sailboat.

However it appears that one or more of the subscribers to his site have been too enthusiastically clicking on the adverts with the result that his account has been suspended. He explains his position in the following link.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=257353

As this is an important source of revenue, he finds himself, from one day to the next and through no fault of his own, in a position of difficulty in providing for his family. Moreover, he can find no person in your organization to whom he can turn to discuss the situation.

Given the pleasure that his films provide to so many people, we would very much appreciate it if you could personally intervene to see whether or not the ‘faceless’ decision might possibly be reversed. We would be very grateful to you.

I might add that Dylan did not request this initiative by members."

I don't know if it will do any good but it's the only practical thing I can think of.

Best of luck and I hope you will be back on air asap.

 

[SolentBoat]

I'm very sorry to hear this. And not just because I must have been one of the last subscribers to sign up! That's a big chunk of revenue to lose; a big impact on any family's finances even if you were not using it to fund the voyage.

Sh!tty business practice on their part. And demonstrates the dangers of all-encompassing monopolies - even ones that claim to "do no evil".

 

[Tradewinds]

Dylan,

Gutted for you.

Nigel
(a fish out of water)

 

[dylanwinter]

blimey

As a hack I lose jobs all the time.

I have been let go face to face, through the window of the bosses car, certainly by email and once by text. But I am a freelance. You walk away and start looking for the next bit of wrork.

you feel pretty lonely

This one was beginning to look pretty good - because I was free of the caprice of the boss


Needless to say I have never done anything like KTL - for starters it was not possible until the technology allowed it to happen.

The emails and the forums have brought me into contact with blokes - nearly all blokes - all over the world.

one thing about KTL - I feel sick to my stomach - but I have had some great support from people. Wherever the slug has ended up some bloke has come up to me and offered to keep an eye on it for me.

I have had some great emails from some great people on this.

I hope this does not sound trite

But I don't feel lonely.

But man the dog has done some hard walking these last three days

she is comatose in front of the fire

does not know what hit her


qas I said way back up the thread - about another hours worth of films to come - the alde, Iken cliffe, Snape, Southwold and the Blythe under the bridge, the Braods, north and south including the three rivers race, north Norfolk, the wash and wainfleet - all to come

plus some more nonsense like boiling tin cans and using bread bags as welly liners

I will keep the site going until al least April. Some people have bought subscriptions for KTL as christmas presenst for their friends - so on christmas eve I will be like a digital father christmas - so whatever happens the website will contimue - I shant sell the slug - at worst mothball it until I find another way of continueing the journey

Good one sybarite - you are a very nice man


Dylan

we have google street map - what price google river?

Terrible news Dylan.

I have just posted the following message on the facebook site of Salar Kamangar, a Google VP, who in the last few days is taking over the running of You-Tube from its founder Chad Hurley :

" I participate in the leading UK boating forum organized by the IPC group’s yachting magazines. In it the members are following with a great deal of pleasure the wonderful accounts by a free-lance journalist, Dylan Winter (keepturningleft.co.uk), who is filming his slow trip around the British Isles in a 19’ sailboat.

However it appears that one or more of the subscribers to his site have been too enthusiastically clicking on the adverts with the result that his account has been suspended. He explains his position in the following link.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=257353

As this is an important source of revenue, he finds himself, from one day to the next and through no fault of his own, in a position of difficulty in providing for his family. Moreover, he can find no person in your organization to whom he can turn to discuss the situation.

Given the pleasure that his films provide to so many people, we would very much appreciate it if you could personally intervene to see whether or not the ‘faceless’ decision might possibly be reversed. We would be very grateful to you.

I might add that Dylan did not request this initiative by members."

I don't know if it will do any good but it's the only practical thing I can think of.

Best of luck and I hope you will be back on air asap.

 

[Lakesailor]

Problem with Google/Youtube is that they dance to tune of the man who pays the piper.
If the advertisers are getting no return for their click-through rate then Google /etc have set the rate too high. They must be in the best position to determine the return rate as they are in touch with the advertisers.
All of course tongue in cheek as the advertisers no doubt deal face to face with servers in the same way that Dylan does.

It does start to look a bit like Metropolis with the men at the top not knowing (or caring about) the carnage below.

 

[Sybarite]

I'd prefer to see your account. Your postings bring me back to my boating beginings when I pottered around everywhere in a 17' Lysander. My boat got used nearly everyday whereas the 40' wonders went out for their once-a-week race. Cooking was on a Calor gas ring on the floor of the cockpit. When it didn't rain.

 

[SimbaDog]

Dylan, have you tried posting on the adsense support forum?
Looking at it, seems that people have had replies from real people via it!
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdSense?hl=en

 

[dylanwinter]

latest email

this from the adsense computer - just now

Hello,

We are currently in the process of reviewing your account with the additional information that you have provided. Please understand, however, that there is no guarantee that your account will be reinstated into AdSense. As a reminder, Google does reserve the right to disable an account at any time, as stated in the AdSense Terms and Conditions (http://www.google.com/adsense/terms).

Thank you for your patience.

Sincerely,

The Google AdSense Team

by the way - this is the youtube space that was feeding the family and also funding ktl

http://www.youtube.com/user/dylanwinter1?blend=2&ob=1

17 million hits - 1.5 million a month

#7 - Most Viewed (All Time) - Reporters
#92 - Most Viewed (All Time) - Reporters - Global

still running the adverts on the films - which is pretty amazing. I assume the revenue is now going to charity ..... or maybe not

but it is a good question - should truck lovers be subsidising some pretty self indulgent films about an ugly man sailing an incredibly ugly boat up some muddy rivers in east anglia?

D

 

[sailorman]

Good Luck Dylan.
KTL is a fantastic idea, achievement & commitment, a credit to you
Sm

 

[idpnd]

but it is a good question - should truck lovers be subsidising some pretty self indulgent films about an ugly man sailing an incredibly ugly boat up some muddy rivers in east anglia?

Answer is yes!

Good news re: adsense process still going..

Btw the boat isnt all that ugly really

 

[Porthandbuoy]

BU&&ER! I signed up to KTL only a couple of days ago as well.

So sorry Dylan to read this. Here's hoping the faceless folks at Google take a closer look and reinstate things as they were.

It seems strange to me they can't prevent demon clickers by blocking their IP address.

 

[dylanwinter]

not quite

Answer is yes!

Good news re: adsense process still going..

Btw the boat isnt all that ugly really

adverts still running - but google is donating the revenue to the Ramsgatre Home for Smack boys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui7NvAmBk2Q

although maybe not


D

Ps "the slug isn't all that ugly really2 - condemned with feint praise I fear

As a cameraman I have tried every conceivable angle to make it look good - at best it looks like an egg that sort of sails - actually at the beginning of this jaunt I did consider attempting to blag a crabber. I made one phone call and was told - have you any idea how often people ask us that....

 

[dylanwinter]

I still have many films to post

BU&&ER! I signed up to KTL only a couple of days ago as well.

So sorry Dylan to read this. Here's hoping the faceless folks at Google take a closer look and reinstate things as they were.

It seems strange to me they can't prevent demon clickers by blocking their IP address.

many more to go up between now and the spring

alde, iken cliffs, troublesome reach, snape maltings, southwold, river blythe under the footbridge, south and north broads, Cromer where I holed the slug, the North Norfolks, Blakeney, brancaster, Wainfleet, the wash. Not sure if Kings Lynn and Boston will get visited now

There is story about a peasant who had just trained his donkey not to eat when it went and died on him.....

 

[Searush]

I've always liked Mirror Offshores - since I was a nipper & they were first designed. They have an impeccable designer - Van de Stadt was responsible for some of the prettiest & fastest boats around. The design brief was almost impossible - a pocket family cruiser with a powerful inboard, but it WAS met; and met beautifully. Simplicity is a key element of that beauty.

It is as much a classic as it's baby sister, the Mirror Dinghy. No-one could call the little dinghy "pretty" but it is perfect at what it does. So too, is the Offshore, perfect at what it does. She is lovely, not in superficial ways, but in a deep & satisfying, soul searching way that cannot be beaten. You would not, could not, call her "the Slug" if you did not love her with a passion. And that passion shows in your videos, in the care you put into her repairs - when it would have been easier & possibly cheaper to simply buy something else. But something else would just not be the same, would it?

 

[Gwylan]

Well only one word for it - begins with b and ends in r.
Really sorry to read this. Never really understood the pay per click thing.
Now I don't think I'll try.
Google are just this decade's Microsoft - they'll get theirs in due course. Just that right now they've got yours
Shall spare further platitudes and advice, just hope you get it sorted and will keep an eye out for your new 'electronic home'

 

[Sybarite]

<< Sybarite - is it worth posting the link for the blog of the big cheese you posted to >>

Here it is :

http://www.facebook.com/salar.kamangar Click on the link below his photo.

He has only been appointed in the last few days and probably has a lot on his plate. (Incidentally he is Iranian.)

I personally would caution folks about sending abusive messages; it would be counter-productive to your cause.

 

[Sire]

An 'egg that sort of sails'? She is much prettier than that! I speak as the owner of the original floating plastic camping egg...

Out of interest, would it be possible to have a link to your trucking videos? I hope you don't consider it bad taste for me to express an interest in them at the moment.

Best Regards

'Z'

 

[sailorman]

An 'egg that sort of sails'? She is much prettier than that! I speak as the owner of the original floating plastic camping egg...

Out of interest, would it be possible to have a link to your trucking videos? I hope you don't consider it bad taste for me to express an interest in them at the moment.

Best Regards

'Z'

there are loadsa truckers here

 

[dylanwinter]

truck films

An 'egg that sort of sails'? She is much prettier than that! I speak as the owner of the original floating plastic camping egg...

Out of interest, would it be possible to have a link to your trucking videos? I hope you don't consider it bad taste for me to express an interest in them at the moment.

Best Regards

'Z'

No probs at all

thanks for asking

this the 17 million hit youtube channel


http://www.youtube.com/user/dylanwinter1



and this is a film that has 13.5 million hits







compared to the highest hitting sailing film I made which was this at 25,000 hits







I know which I would rather watch and film and make

but, as many other deluded people have found in the past, weedling the price of a coffee out of the pockets of sailors is a tough one to crack.

The website traffic tells me how many people look at the front page of the website - they watch all the films - staying there for half an hour or more - even the one about boiling cans

and then they don't hit the paypal button.


50,000 hits a day on the truck films - ktl on the web peaked at about 2,000 - its now down to 400 a day.


I have a website that now works really well - and a paypal and login system that also works really well - all put together by sailor Joe Moore

http://messingaboutinboats.wordpress.com/


Google has probably done me a favour by showing that there are not enough sailors keen enough on films about their own coastline - not made by me anyway.

there are a lot more truckers and farmers than there are sailors.

I have a massive back catalogue of films about trucks and farming - blokes telling me about their jake brakes and air-ride seats.

KTL will continue.... but just as a hobby....

unless something else crawls out of the woodwork to save it as a viable project.

but as I get further north on my UK circumnavigation the costs are going to get higher and higher.

650 subscribers is not enough to cover the costs as they start to ramp up.

I shall still get to see our wonderful 20,000 mile coastline - and also film it - I shall vlog a bit as I go - the journey will take even longer - I might die of old age before I finish - but the slug can sit ashore under a tarp until I have enough cash saved for the next section.

but from here on in, as things look at the moment, its trucks first and sailing second

unless something changes

Now then - probably not the best place to ask

- but has anyone got any good suggestions about a good name for a trucking site.

I will join a few trucking forums and find out.


Dylan

 

[fergie_mac66]

I seem to remember a saying about Wells something about it will let you go when its ready!!