Greyhound Handicapping - How To Find Value

Value is a buzzword right now in handicapping circles. We heard it in almost every commentary on the Kentucky Derby. I hear it all the time at the greyhound track when handicappers are talking about what they like in the next race, and why they like it. Everyone assumes that they know what it means, but does it mean the same thing to everyone? What does it mean to you and how do you find it when you handicap a dog race?

To me, finding value means finding a dog that is underrated and playing it to win and/or place and in exactas with other dogs I like in that race. For instance, in a race where there's a standout dog - one who wins 2 out of 3 of its races or more - I might put a dog who wins almost as often but places more often into an exacta box with the standout dog. The standout dog might pay peanuts to win, but a decent amount in an exacta with the value dog. I'll also use that dog in other exotics, like trifectas and superfectas. And let's not forget Pick 3's and Pick 4's and the like.

Figuring out whether a dog is a "value" play is mostly a matter of figuring out how often it comes in and comparing that to its odds in the race its running today. If you bet that dog in every one of its races, how often would it have won and at what payoff? If it wins an average of 1 in 10 races, and pays $10 a race, odds of less than 1-10 aren't going to give you the payoff you need on it. It's not worth risking more money than you can reasonably expect to win on a dog.

Of course, there's more to handicapping than odds and statistics. When we look at a race, we have to look at the factors that will determine who hits the board in that race, things like speed, running style, post position and track bias, if any, on that day. Actually, these are the things we should consider BEFORE we look for value in a race. So, first handicap the race and then look for value by finding a dog that is at higher odds than it should be, based on its likelihood of coming in, judging by its past history in that type of race at that track.

How a Harness Horse Can Help You Win at the Dog Track

Off Keel doesn't owe me any money. I've played this 11 yr old grey gelding pacer for years and seen him cross the wire first in a good number of his races. However, there are times when he's not a good bet, although people still play him then. Not me. I know when he's not likely to come in and I lay off in those races. Even when he was at his peak, there were some situations when his post position or the class of the race put him at a disadvantage. That was when I watched the race and - more times than not - he finished out of the money.

I use the Trackmaster™ harness programs and highly recommend that you do too if you play the harness races. I think their class ratings are better than the on-track programs and they give you so much more information. But back to Off Keel and how he can help with greyhound handicapping... This year, Off Keel has been running well at a class rating of up to 75. That's the CR of the race, not his speed rating or class rating in the race.

When he gets up over a 75 CR, he's a lot less likely to come in. In fact, he hasn't won above that level since May 5th. Another thing that has a big effect on whether or not he comes in is post position. He runs at half mile tracks in Bangor and Scarborough, both of which favor the horse from the 1 through the 5, like most half-mile tracks. Put him outside the 5 post, and he doesn't win.

Harness fans remember that Off Keel was a very good horse when he was younger. They know that he's still a horse to be reckoned with now. But they don't remember or don't know the information about class rating and post position, so they bet on him no matter the class of the race or his post position. Then he doesn't come in and they go off him and he slides down to a CR 75 race and his odds are good and I have him and he wins.

There are a few other horses that are good bets at times and bad bets at other times at the local tracks and at the simulcast tracks too. I keep a list and play them when they're in a favorable situation. I do the same thing with dogs and you can do it too.

It's a little harder, because most greyhound programs don't have class ratings so you have to use grade. When you're handicapping, notice dogs that are always moving up into a higher grade, but never win in that grade. That's their class ceiling just like a CR 75 is Off Keel's class ceiling, this season anyway. Notice dogs who never come in when they're in certain post positions, but do come in when they're in other post positions.

Keep a list and you'll notice that the more you look for these dogs, the more you'll be able to pick them out. They're spot plays, of course, because they have a very good chance of coming in because of a certain situation. Spot plays are my favorite way to make money at the dog track and at the horse track too. In fact, I like them so much that I'm writing a book all about spot plays at the greyhound, thoroughbred and harness tracks. It should be out in about six weeks, if I can lay off playing the races long enough to finish it.

Greyhound Handicapping - How To Find Value

Value is a buzzword right now in handicapping circles. We heard it in almost every commentary on the Kentucky Derby. I hear it all the time at the greyhound track when handicappers are talking about what they like in the next race, and why they like it. Everyone assumes that they know what it means, but does it mean the same thing to everyone? What does it mean to you and how do you find it when you handicap a dog race?

To me, finding value means finding a dog that is underrated and playing it to win and/or place and in exactas with other dogs I like in that race. For instance, in a race where there's a standout dog - one who wins 2 out of 3 of its races or more - I might put a dog who wins almost as often but places more often into an exacta box with the standout dog. The standout dog might pay peanuts to win, but a decent amount in an exacta with the value dog. I'll also use that dog in other exotics, like trifectas and superfectas. And let's not forget Pick 3's and Pick 4's and the like.

Figuring out whether a dog is a "value" play is mostly a matter of figuring out how often it comes in and comparing that to its odds in the race its running today. If you bet that dog in every one of its races, how often would it have won and at what payoff? If it wins an average of 1 in 10 races, and pays $10 a race, odds of less than 1-10 aren't going to give you the payoff you need on it. It's not worth risking more money than you can reasonably expect to win on a dog.

Of course, there's more to handicapping than odds and statistics. When we look at a race, we have to look at the factors that will determine who hits the board in that race, things like speed, running style, post position and track bias, if any, on that day. Actually, these are the things we should consider BEFORE we look for value in a race. So, first handicap the race and then look for value by finding a dog that is at higher odds than it should be, based on its likelihood of coming in, judging by its past history in that type of race at that track.

Greyhound Handicapping - What To Do On Your Day Off

Very few people go to the greyhound track every day, unless they work there. That would be a pretty unbalanced life. No matter how much we love playing the dogs, we have families, friends, jobs and other activities that need our attention too. But, sometimes, if you're like me, you find yourself with a day when you're not going to go to the track and there's not much going on in the rest of your life either. So, what do you do with a day like that?

Well, one thing you can do is put that day to good use by spending it on research. If, like me, you have a library of old racing programs, with notes and information written on them, you can go over them and refresh your memory of what happened at your favorite tracks, and why. Of course, I'm assuming that you keep notes on your programs so that you'll know what you bet that day and whether it came in or not.

If not, you might want to start doing that. Unless you have a photographic memory, keeping a written record of your hits and misses and what happened in those races is one of the best handicapping aids. I also note the weather on the programs and whether or not there was a track bias, a hot kennel or anything else out of the ordinary that I can think of that will help me in the future when I'm playing that track.

If you haven't been keeping your programs and/or making notes, you can still do some research on your day off. Go to http://www.trackinfo.com and check out the free programs, results and charts. Go to the greyhound track sites and read every bit of information on them. Look at the statistics for each track and for articles about the top dogs and trainers and anything else that's going on at the tracks.

To become really good at anything, you have to give it a big chunk of your time and attention. If you just go to the track once a week and take a $20 bill and have fun, then it's a whole different story. But if you go often and want to make some serious money, the more time you can spend immersed in the information connected with greyhound racing, the more likely you are to make a consistent profit from it. Don't neglect your family or your responsibilities. But when they're taken care of and you have some free time, use it to improve your handicapping and your bottom line.

How a Harness Horse Can Help You Win at the Dog Track

Off Keel doesn't owe me any money. I've played this 11 yr old grey gelding pacer for years and seen him cross the wire first in a good number of his races. However, there are times when he's not a good bet, although people still play him then. Not me. I know when he's not likely to come in and I lay off in those races. Even when he was at his peak, there were some situations when his post position or the class of the race put him at a disadvantage. That was when I watched the race and - more times than not - he finished out of the money.

I use the Trackmaster™ harness programs and highly recommend that you do too if you play the harness races. I think their class ratings are better than the on-track programs and they give you so much more information. But back to Off Keel and how he can help with greyhound handicapping... This year, Off Keel has been running well at a class rating of up to 75. That's the CR of the race, not his speed rating or class rating in the race.

When he gets up over a 75 CR, he's a lot less likely to come in. In fact, he hasn't won above that level since May 5th. Another thing that has a big effect on whether or not he comes in is post position. He runs at half mile tracks in Bangor and Scarborough, both of which favor the horse from the 1 through the 5, like most half-mile tracks. Put him outside the 5 post, and he doesn't win.

Harness fans remember that Off Keel was a very good horse when he was younger. They know that he's still a horse to be reckoned with now. But they don't remember or don't know the information about class rating and post position, so they bet on him no matter the class of the race or his post position. Then he doesn't come in and they go off him and he slides down to a CR 75 race and his odds are good and I have him and he wins.

There are a few other horses that are good bets at times and bad bets at other times at the local tracks and at the simulcast tracks too. I keep a list and play them when they're in a favorable situation. I do the same thing with dogs and you can do it too.

It's a little harder, because most greyhound programs don't have class ratings so you have to use grade. When you're handicapping, notice dogs that are always moving up into a higher grade, but never win in that grade. That's their class ceiling just like a CR 75 is Off Keel's class ceiling, this season anyway. Notice dogs who never come in when they're in certain post positions, but do come in when they're in other post positions.

Keep a list and you'll notice that the more you look for these dogs, the more you'll be able to pick them out. They're spot plays, of course, because they have a very good chance of coming in because of a certain situation. Spot plays are my favorite way to make money at the dog track and at the horse track too. In fact, I like them so much that I'm writing a book all about spot plays at the greyhound, thoroughbred and harness tracks. It should be out in about six weeks, if I can lay off playing the races long enough to finish it.

How a Harness Horse Can Help You Win at the Dog Track

Off Keel doesn't owe me any money. I've played this 11 yr old grey gelding pacer for years and seen him cross the wire first in a good number of his races. However, there are times when he's not a good bet, although people still play him then. Not me. I know when he's not likely to come in and I lay off in those races. Even when he was at his peak, there were some situations when his post position or the class of the race put him at a disadvantage. That was when I watched the race and - more times than not - he finished out of the money.

I use the Trackmaster™ harness programs and highly recommend that you do too if you play the harness races. I think their class ratings are better than the on-track programs and they give you so much more information. But back to Off Keel and how he can help with greyhound handicapping... This year, Off Keel has been running well at a class rating of up to 75. That's the CR of the race, not his speed rating or class rating in the race.

When he gets up over a 75 CR, he's a lot less likely to come in. In fact, he hasn't won above that level since May 5th. Another thing that has a big effect on whether or not he comes in is post position. He runs at half mile tracks in Bangor and Scarborough, both of which favor the horse from the 1 through the 5, like most half-mile tracks. Put him outside the 5 post, and he doesn't win.

Harness fans remember that Off Keel was a very good horse when he was younger. They know that he's still a horse to be reckoned with now. But they don't remember or don't know the information about class rating and post position, so they bet on him no matter the class of the race or his post position. Then he doesn't come in and they go off him and he slides down to a CR 75 race and his odds are good and I have him and he wins.

There are a few other horses that are good bets at times and bad bets at other times at the local tracks and at the simulcast tracks too. I keep a list and play them when they're in a favorable situation. I do the same thing with dogs and you can do it too.

It's a little harder, because most greyhound programs don't have class ratings so you have to use grade. When you're handicapping, notice dogs that are always moving up into a higher grade, but never win in that grade. That's their class ceiling just like a CR 75 is Off Keel's class ceiling, this season anyway. Notice dogs who never come in when they're in certain post positions, but do come in when they're in other post positions.

Keep a list and you'll notice that the more you look for these dogs, the more you'll be able to pick them out. They're spot plays, of course, because they have a very good chance of coming in because of a certain situation. Spot plays are my favorite way to make money at the dog track and at the horse track too. In fact, I like them so much that I'm writing a book all about spot plays at the greyhound, thoroughbred and harness tracks. It should be out in about six weeks, if I can lay off playing the races long enough to finish it.

Greyhound Handicapping - Weather and Track Condition Tips

Handicapping is an art, not a science. Never is this more obvious than when the weather affects the track and we have to figure out how it will affect the dogs we like. When the weather is sunny and warm and there's been enough rain in the last few days, the track will most probably be rated as "Fast" and its surface condition won't affect the running of the race that much.

But when it rains, or when it's snowy, dry or very windy - what then? Rain is tricky. If it just rains a little - like it does in Florida's afternoon showers - it might speed up the times a little, but have little effect otherwise. But when it rains heavily over a period of days, or when there's a very heavy shower before or during racing, it's a different story.

On most tracks, heavy rain really affects dogs that run the rail, because that's where the water pools up. That's when I look at mid-track runners. And if it's really, really pouring down, I even look at dogs that run wide and outside, because that's sometimes the fastest part of the track in these conditions. I also like dogs that get out early, because they aren't getting spattered with mud from the other greyhounds.

In colder weather though, I like closers, especially if there's a cold rain and a lot of wind. Breakers tend to fade in weather like this, while the closers, who have more stamina, can hang in there to close at the wire. When times are slow, watch for the dogs who have stamina but lack early speed to finally have enough time to jockey for position and do better than they do when the pace of the race is too fast for them.

When you're playing simulcast races, don't forget to watch the first race and pay attention to both the weather forecast and to what you can see of the track. Note the time of the first race and compare it to recent times for that grade at that track. If it's faster or slower than normal, keep that in mind when you handicap. Faster times favor early speed and slower times usually favor closers, in my experience. Paying close attention to the weather and to the current conditions at the track you're playing is one way to improve your chances of making money at the dog track.

Greyhound Handicapping - What To Do On Your Day Off

Very few people go to the greyhound track every day, unless they work there. That would be a pretty unbalanced life. No matter how much we love playing the dogs, we have families, friends, jobs and other activities that need our attention too. But, sometimes, if you're like me, you find yourself with a day when you're not going to go to the track and there's not much going on in the rest of your life either. So, what do you do with a day like that?

Well, one thing you can do is put that day to good use by spending it on research. If, like me, you have a library of old racing programs, with notes and information written on them, you can go over them and refresh your memory of what happened at your favorite tracks, and why. Of course, I'm assuming that you keep notes on your programs so that you'll know what you bet that day and whether it came in or not.

If not, you might want to start doing that. Unless you have a photographic memory, keeping a written record of your hits and misses and what happened in those races is one of the best handicapping aids. I also note the weather on the programs and whether or not there was a track bias, a hot kennel or anything else out of the ordinary that I can think of that will help me in the future when I'm playing that track.

If you haven't been keeping your programs and/or making notes, you can still do some research on your day off. Go to http://www.trackinfo.com and check out the free programs, results and charts. Go to the greyhound track sites and read every bit of information on them. Look at the statistics for each track and for articles about the top dogs and trainers and anything else that's going on at the tracks.

To become really good at anything, you have to give it a big chunk of your time and attention. If you just go to the track once a week and take a $20 bill and have fun, then it's a whole different story. But if you go often and want to make some serious money, the more time you can spend immersed in the information connected with greyhound racing, the more likely you are to make a consistent profit from it. Don't neglect your family or your responsibilities. But when they're taken care of and you have some free time, use it to improve your handicapping and your bottom line.

Greyhound Handicapping - Should You Play Route Races?

In my opinion, route races can give you the best return for your handicapping buck. While there aren't as many of them as there are sprint races, this isn't necessarily a disadvantage. Most bettors tend to treat them the same way as sprints, and handicap them that way. While there are some bettors who just skip them and turn the page to the next 5/16ths distance race.

I love the longer races. From 3/8ths all the way up to the marathon length races, I've found value galore. Of course, there are a few things that you have to keep in mind when you're handicapping this length race. For one thing, early speed, while it is still important, isn't the huge factor that it is in shorter races. There's more time for closers to get in at the wire. There's more room for dogs to maneuver and get the position they need to win, and this can mean that dogs that get into trouble in sprints, manage to avoid it and hit the board in longer races.

Another reason that I love sprints is that, because there ARE fewer of them, it's easier to follow the dogs who are true routers. At some points in my handicapping life, I've actually saved every 3/8ths mile race page, stapled them together and referred to them when I handicap each program. It's pretty easy to see who's moving up or down in grade, and who can beat who. After all, many of the same dogs compete against each other, race after race.

Of course, there are some dogs, although not that many, who seem to be able to move between short and long races with no problem. These are the dogs you should keep a list of, because people forget that these dogs are multi-talented. They see that a dog has been running in sprints and now it's in a route and they can't see that it's ever won at the longer distance, so they don't play it.

But if you've done your homework, and know that this dog has won at this distance in the past, you're way ahead of the casual player, who only knows what the last six races in the program tell him. This is why it's good to make notes about the dogs and review them every so often. Things change and you have to keep reviewing the results and the dogs that are in different stages of their careers so that you're on top of the changes.

So, if you've never been a fan of the distance races, maybe you should take a second look. Consider following them for a while and see how you do. Look at the top dogs for this type of race in the stats and also notice which kennels have the best dogs for them. Some kennels seem to specialize in dogs who can win at the longer distances. After all, anything that can give you an edge over the crowd is a plus, and specializing in one type of race to the point where you know it in-depth gives you a huge advantage over the people who don't even try to figure it out.

Nail Biting Basics

Nail biting in all its various forms is problematic behavior beset by peculiarity and contradiction. Technically speaking, the correct word for nail biting is ONYCHOPHAGIA.

Nail biting typically begins between the ages of five and 10 and is common among children as well as adults. As many as one in three Americans bite their nails.

One of the more noteworthy and generally surprising things about nail biting is its high instance. It crosses every social and economic barrier. Prevalence figures for children are much higher than for adults.

Results of nail biting can result in short, ragged nails. It may also lead to damaged cuticles as well as bleeding around the edges of the nails. Infections can also develop if nails are not properly attended to.

Most relevant studies have found that nail biting tends to peak out around puberty.h

A study by Malon and Massmer studied the behavior in the Chicago school systems and reported that nail biting is prevalent in about 60 percent of children age eight to eleven. Most people agree it is a learned habit, perhaps picked up by watching a parent or someone else biting their nails.

Nail biting is an extremely tough habit to break and treatment for it varies. One possible solution is identifying the reason for nail biting. Avoidance or modification of these situations can be beneficial to the eventual elimination of the habit.

Improving self-esteem is also helpful when attempting to break the habit. Products such as CONTROL-IT are available on the market and are designed to aid nail biters in breaking their habit. According to www.stopbitingnails.com, CONTROL-IT is a gentle and natural alternative to help prevent biting. A mild unpleasant taste helps to remind users to stop biting their nails.

A host of research efforts both in America and Europe sought to ascertain if in fact nail biting was linked to mental illness in one form or another. Most people would have anticipated they found a high prevalence of nail biting among the mentally disordered; however, they found that nail biting, in and of itself, is not systematic of any form of mental disorder or maladjustment.

Nail biting crosses all national borders, genders, and both social and economic lines and may also originate from a primal need for self-grooming. It affects both the nails and the cuticles; with greater potential harm caused via infection to the cuticle and nail biting tends to be a private affair, and is a relatively isolated form of self-indulgence.

Nail biting may be treated addressing symptom rather than cause; it is a habit, not a disease.

Unique Uses Of Storage Units Around the Globe

Self storage units are not just about storing your excess or unwanted things so as to make more space in your homes or offices. There are so many other uses of self storage other than storing your household products. Some of these unusual and unique uses may surprise you!

Workshop

With increasing rent and perhaps unhappiness from the wife, some people utilise self storage as their workshop. You may need to do some large scale projects at home as a freelancer but there isn't enough space at home and you do not have the financial means to rent a place outside. Self storage units are relatively economical and you have the flexibility to access your unit anytime, making sure that you are able to complete your project within your time frame. You can also move into your self storage unit almost immediately if you wish to and you are able to simply rent it for a couple of months, eliminating the need to be tied down to a lengthy contract.

Art gallery

In some expensive cities like London and Tokyo, some aspiring artists rent self storage and convert them into an art gallery to showcase their works and hopefully get spotted and gain fame. Self storage units have moisture and temperature control features that are able to keep the paintings in a pristine condition and the security features make them well received by the aspiring artists.

Photograph studio

Converting a self storage unit into a photography studio is a very common thing in places such as America. The photography equipment such as the camera and lighting is already very expensive and many photographers are unwilling to spend more on their studio. They also want a place that has flexible rental terms and offers decent security features given their valuable equipment. Self storage units are thus able to provide them with what they need.

Online business

Some online business utilise self storage units as a place where they not only keep their goods, but also do photo shoots for their products. They also hire customer service officers who will answer queries about products and this will not only lower business overheads but also allow them to work anytime they want and access their goods anytime they need to.

There are so many unique uses of self storage units around the world and they are not only used as a personal storage means, but they can also be studios, art galleries and even a base for an online business. Self storage offers a whole lot of flexibility that people needs in this age and time.

Getting The Right Organizational System For Your Home   Storage Units - More Than Just Storing Junk!   Protection And Maintenance Of Your Items In Self Storage   How to Reclaim the Garage Using Closet Organizing Systems   Some Simple Storage Shed Designs   

Social Bookmarking Traffic Results

The results of the social bookmarking experiment I have been carrying out are materialising. There have been some surprising results and some results that have restored my faith in the browsing public. I have been pondering whether or not to release the results as I do not want the spammers to tarnish something that is still relatively pure. But as you can see I finally decided to go ahead and publish.

I have mentioned before that I have been http://www.blogtonomy.com/its-easy-to-digg.php">looking at social bookmarking as a way to drive traffic to websites. The idea behind social bookmarking is that you share your favourite bookmarks with others, the idea being that if you found these links useful then others might too. Some social bookmarking sites also allow visitors to rate the usefulness of your bookmarks, this allows the truly useful bookmarks to become the most popular. So in theory spam should be removed by natural selection. To carry out my experiment I created three articles. Two of these articles were good well researched pieces, whilst the third was self promotional spam, but not too obvious. I posted these articles to twelve social bookmarking sites and then waited for the results. The results were to be measurable traffic to one of my sites.

It was a week ago I started posting the articles so I am still measuring the results but I am able to give you the results as they all point to one conclusion. That conclusion is that social bookmarking to generate traffic does work as long as you are providing genuine, useful, good quality material. If you post self promotional spam no one will read it and it will disappear into the ether where all spam belongs.

Of the twelve sites I posted to the best performing in terms of traffic was Digg. Over a period of several days my site received hundreds of visitors from the good articles and less than a handful for the spam article I posted. Of the other social bookmarking sites the traffic was minimal, even the famous del.icio.us only managed to send a dozen visitors which I was quite surprised at.

The results seem to conclude that Digg is the out and out performer followed a long way behind by del.icio.us and squik. As yet I have had no traffic from the others, that's not to say that they are not worthwhile as some of the sites were very new. I am going to continue to experiment and will bring you more results as they come in.

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to the guys at Digg for producing such a great site. Not only for the traffic that it produces but for also providing lots of really useful bookmarks. My only criticism is the lack of categories which means that some suggestions are not always well matched although there is a search facility.

Social Bookmarking Traffic Results

The results of the social bookmarking experiment I have been carrying out are materialising. There have been some surprising results and some results that have restored my faith in the browsing public. I have been pondering whether or not to release the results as I do not want the spammers to tarnish something that is still relatively pure. But as you can see I finally decided to go ahead and publish.

I have mentioned before that I have been http://www.blogtonomy.com/its-easy-to-digg.php">looking at social bookmarking as a way to drive traffic to websites. The idea behind social bookmarking is that you share your favourite bookmarks with others, the idea being that if you found these links useful then others might too. Some social bookmarking sites also allow visitors to rate the usefulness of your bookmarks, this allows the truly useful bookmarks to become the most popular. So in theory spam should be removed by natural selection. To carry out my experiment I created three articles. Two of these articles were good well researched pieces, whilst the third was self promotional spam, but not too obvious. I posted these articles to twelve social bookmarking sites and then waited for the results. The results were to be measurable traffic to one of my sites.

It was a week ago I started posting the articles so I am still measuring the results but I am able to give you the results as they all point to one conclusion. That conclusion is that social bookmarking to generate traffic does work as long as you are providing genuine, useful, good quality material. If you post self promotional spam no one will read it and it will disappear into the ether where all spam belongs.

Of the twelve sites I posted to the best performing in terms of traffic was Digg. Over a period of several days my site received hundreds of visitors from the good articles and less than a handful for the spam article I posted. Of the other social bookmarking sites the traffic was minimal, even the famous del.icio.us only managed to send a dozen visitors which I was quite surprised at.

The results seem to conclude that Digg is the out and out performer followed a long way behind by del.icio.us and squik. As yet I have had no traffic from the others, that's not to say that they are not worthwhile as some of the sites were very new. I am going to continue to experiment and will bring you more results as they come in.

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to the guys at Digg for producing such a great site. Not only for the traffic that it produces but for also providing lots of really useful bookmarks. My only criticism is the lack of categories which means that some suggestions are not always well matched although there is a search facility.

Social Bookmarking Traffic Results

The results of the social bookmarking experiment I have been carrying out are materialising. There have been some surprising results and some results that have restored my faith in the browsing public. I have been pondering whether or not to release the results as I do not want the spammers to tarnish something that is still relatively pure. But as you can see I finally decided to go ahead and publish.

I have mentioned before that I have been http://www.blogtonomy.com/its-easy-to-digg.php">looking at social bookmarking as a way to drive traffic to websites. The idea behind social bookmarking is that you share your favourite bookmarks with others, the idea being that if you found these links useful then others might too. Some social bookmarking sites also allow visitors to rate the usefulness of your bookmarks, this allows the truly useful bookmarks to become the most popular. So in theory spam should be removed by natural selection. To carry out my experiment I created three articles. Two of these articles were good well researched pieces, whilst the third was self promotional spam, but not too obvious. I posted these articles to twelve social bookmarking sites and then waited for the results. The results were to be measurable traffic to one of my sites.

It was a week ago I started posting the articles so I am still measuring the results but I am able to give you the results as they all point to one conclusion. That conclusion is that social bookmarking to generate traffic does work as long as you are providing genuine, useful, good quality material. If you post self promotional spam no one will read it and it will disappear into the ether where all spam belongs.

Of the twelve sites I posted to the best performing in terms of traffic was Digg. Over a period of several days my site received hundreds of visitors from the good articles and less than a handful for the spam article I posted. Of the other social bookmarking sites the traffic was minimal, even the famous del.icio.us only managed to send a dozen visitors which I was quite surprised at.

The results seem to conclude that Digg is the out and out performer followed a long way behind by del.icio.us and squik. As yet I have had no traffic from the others, that's not to say that they are not worthwhile as some of the sites were very new. I am going to continue to experiment and will bring you more results as they come in.

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to the guys at Digg for producing such a great site. Not only for the traffic that it produces but for also providing lots of really useful bookmarks. My only criticism is the lack of categories which means that some suggestions are not always well matched although there is a search facility.

Social Bookmarking Traffic Results

The results of the social bookmarking experiment I have been carrying out are materialising. There have been some surprising results and some results that have restored my faith in the browsing public. I have been pondering whether or not to release the results as I do not want the spammers to tarnish something that is still relatively pure. But as you can see I finally decided to go ahead and publish.

I have mentioned before that I have been http://www.blogtonomy.com/its-easy-to-digg.php">looking at social bookmarking as a way to drive traffic to websites. The idea behind social bookmarking is that you share your favourite bookmarks with others, the idea being that if you found these links useful then others might too. Some social bookmarking sites also allow visitors to rate the usefulness of your bookmarks, this allows the truly useful bookmarks to become the most popular. So in theory spam should be removed by natural selection. To carry out my experiment I created three articles. Two of these articles were good well researched pieces, whilst the third was self promotional spam, but not too obvious. I posted these articles to twelve social bookmarking sites and then waited for the results. The results were to be measurable traffic to one of my sites.

It was a week ago I started posting the articles so I am still measuring the results but I am able to give you the results as they all point to one conclusion. That conclusion is that social bookmarking to generate traffic does work as long as you are providing genuine, useful, good quality material. If you post self promotional spam no one will read it and it will disappear into the ether where all spam belongs.

Of the twelve sites I posted to the best performing in terms of traffic was Digg. Over a period of several days my site received hundreds of visitors from the good articles and less than a handful for the spam article I posted. Of the other social bookmarking sites the traffic was minimal, even the famous del.icio.us only managed to send a dozen visitors which I was quite surprised at.

The results seem to conclude that Digg is the out and out performer followed a long way behind by del.icio.us and squik. As yet I have had no traffic from the others, that's not to say that they are not worthwhile as some of the sites were very new. I am going to continue to experiment and will bring you more results as they come in.

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to the guys at Digg for producing such a great site. Not only for the traffic that it produces but for also providing lots of really useful bookmarks. My only criticism is the lack of categories which means that some suggestions are not always well matched although there is a search facility.