View Full Version : My New Brainchild
maxiscool1994
12-07-2007, 04:03 AM
A few have you have probably noticed over the past few weeks that I have added a new link to my sigs. or not. Anyway, this is to askthekid.org, an advice column written by me, a thirteen year old. The entire premise behind this blog is to provide fresh, logical advice, from a different perspective. I have been writing a few articles over the past few days, and I was wondering if any of you had any input on the articles, or had any tips for blog marketing, because I have no idea how to get any readers.
rabidbadger
12-08-2007, 04:07 PM
looks good. not having kids and not being one I shouldn't really say much, excetpt that your smart enough to pull it off. good luck.
heyseuss
12-08-2007, 04:49 PM
looks good. not having kids and not being one I shouldn't really say much, excetpt that your smart enough to pull it off. good luck.
well apparently 'your' not. ewwww, BURN Joel. :D
maxiscool1994
12-08-2007, 05:28 PM
Thanks a lot!
Even if you don't have kids, I am coming out with some new articles in the next few weeks that can apply to everyone.
comhcinc
12-08-2007, 07:12 PM
i hate to tell you kid, but i don't see how you can give advice to anyone. you haven't lived long enough to have enough experience to help anyone, nor have you had the time to gather a proper perspective on the experiences you have had. it's nice that you want to help people, but maybe instead of throwing around your two cents now, you can starting thinking about a career in therapy.
ryudo
12-08-2007, 08:47 PM
When I was a kid I had a real rough childhood and gave me better perspectives on life and I even studied Psychology/Philosophy/Sociology as a kid but here is the thing,you can preach and sound very thoughtful and logical with what may seem like great advise on paper(so to speak) many times just does not translate well to real life ESP when you get out on your own life takes all this so called advise turns it sideways and shoves it up your own ass then hits you with a sledge hammer to the head.
Though a kid can sometimes give advise that will work IF there was enough levelheaded people and common sense in the world but more often than not there isn't enough to listen esp when so young mainly because even young people with good wisdom can't overcome one hurdle that only time can cure.
Experience.
I still encourage you to dig deeper and mold this young exciting wisdom but you will find as you get older you will be constantly re-writing past words or just throwing much of what you said before away,though yes this will go on throughout life but less and less as you get older.
Think of this time as you would a book,at the tender age of 13 these are rough drafts.
I hope this helps and does not to discourage you.
Just a heads up.
That is my 2 cents.
at your age you cannot give much helpful advice to others
however you can relate your experiences the dilemmas you face and the conclusions you derive
13 is not too young to begin to develop as a philosopher which entails gaining wisdom from your experiences
in fact starting to seek wisdom at 13 could bring you great rewards in time and then people might be well served to examine your process and your conclusions
knowledge is one thing wisdom is another
rabidbadger
12-08-2007, 10:27 PM
I agree pretty much with everyone above, but I don't think you should stop. I think kids your age need a peer group to bounce their thoughts and ideas through. Everything is new at that age, almost like an infant opening his eyes for the first time. And a smart kid like you can be a sounding board, if not an "expert."
I think you got a lot to offer, if your first posts are any clue. But if the site takes off, I would strongly suggest finding an adult in the field of adolescent psychology to edit, confirm stuff. You don't wanna get blamed/sued cause someone took your advice and screwed up their life, or something.
Keep going, though. Your site getting any hits?
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 03:43 AM
I think this makes for an interesting experiment. Omit the fact that you're 13 on your blog and continue doing it. We all may be surprised how helpful he actually is (especially those asking for help that are ignorant of his age).
rabidbadger
12-09-2007, 04:09 AM
hmmm. contrary. I think THAT he is known to be 13 makes it a more interesting experiment.
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 04:56 AM
hmmm. contrary. I think THAT he is known to be 13 makes it a more interesting experiment.
But take this thread for example, once it was known he was 13 everyone brushed him off despite possibly giving good advice. I'm not saying I don't see everyones point, I just think it would be interesting if the tables were turned. Imagine if he posted this link, made no mention of his age and gave you advice that actually helped. To some, given the same helpful advice while knowing his age may cause them to discard it...but it may be a very different scenario if his age was unknown.
comhcinc
12-09-2007, 05:02 AM
but you can't do that. giving advice without being honest if unethical.
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 05:11 AM
but you can't do that. giving advice without being honest if unethical.
Well, it's not exactly lying. He's just omitting details. If asked by an individual he could answer.
comhcinc
12-09-2007, 05:19 AM
Well, it's not exactly lying.
are you going to be a lawyer? what exactly do you mean by "is"
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 05:21 AM
are you going to be a lawyer? what exactly do you mean by "is"
Haha, I actually thought about being a lawyer for awhile.
ryudo
12-09-2007, 05:49 AM
Haha, I actually thought about being a lawyer for awhile.
Lawyers and Liars,same thing.
Lawyers and Liars,same thing.
not necessarily i am seriously thinking of getting a law degree
not to practice in the usual sense but to have the *****slapping power to deal with people who are not quite honest/fair/doing right and need to be straightened out
But take this thread for example, once it was known he was 13 everyone brushed him off despite possibly giving good advice. I'm not saying I don't see everyones point, I just think it would be interesting if the tables were turned. Imagine if he posted this link, made no mention of his age and gave you advice that actually helped. To some, given the same helpful advice while knowing his age may cause them to discard it...but it may be a very different scenario if his age was unknown.
and what if he gave advice that did not help or even caused harm to someone in serious need of some real backed up with knowledge or experience help ?
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 03:49 PM
and what if he gave advice that did not help or even caused harm to someone in serious need of some real backed up with knowledge or experience help ?
And what if a 30 year old guy in Alaska named Roy did the exact same thing? He isn't claiming to be anything he's not, he's just willing to give advice. It would be a different scenario if he lied about his credentials but he's not. This is an internet "Dear Abby". Without looking online, how old is Abby and what are her credentials? She certainly doesn't make those credentials clear in her articles (at least not in my local newspaper).
Again, if asked by a person he would answer.
And what if a 30 year old guy in Alaska named Roy did the exact same thing? He isn't claiming to be anything he's not, he's just willing to give advice. It would be a different scenario if he lied about his credentials but he's not. This is an internet "Dear Abby". Without looking online, how old is Abby and what are her credentials? She certainly doesn't make those credentials clear in her articles (at least not in my local newspaper).
Again, if asked by a person he would answer.
his studying advice was pretty good
for all my education i never learned to study - i just showed up and listened to the lectures - being aural that was good enough - i almost never opened the book
it took me many semesters to learn to start my final essays before the last minute
i learned to just start then throw in a paragraph or two along the way and by the end of the semester it was almost done
as long as he doesn't try to give advice beyond his experience i see no real problem
i was just arguing for arguments sake (my friends tell me i am a born defense lawyer :D)
though i still think it would be more interesting if instead of giving advice a la dear abby if he wrote about his experiences and reflected on them and wrote from that viewpoint but then i am a philosopher so i encourage that kind of thinking :cool:
njshadow
12-09-2007, 04:44 PM
Contrary to what other people think, I think that this could be a good idea and could really help people. Think about it, being thirteen his mind isn't "cluttered" with some of the crap that comes with being an adult. So, this advice is coming from a simple perspective that, because his life isn't super busy like an adult, could actually help people. I support it.
phatlip12
12-09-2007, 04:58 PM
Contrary to what other people think, I think that this could be a good idea and could really help people. Think about it, being thirteen his mind isn't "cluttered" with some of the crap that comes with being an adult. So, this advice is coming from a simple perspective that, because his life isn't super busy like an adult, could actually help people. I support it.
I get what you're saying, but the argument against it seems to be a lack of experience. I'll be 20 in May and I wouldn't even give parenting advice to a parent as I'm not a parent. Now imagine a 13 year old giving parenting advice.
ryudo
12-09-2007, 05:37 PM
not necessarily i am seriously thinking of getting a law degree
not to practice in the usual sense but to have the *****slapping power to deal with people who are not quite honest/fair/doing right and need to be straightened out
Always an exception to every rule.
You in this case would be an exception to that rule from what I can see in your posts.
heyseuss
12-10-2007, 03:19 AM
I get what you're saying, but the argument against it seems to be a lack of experience. I'll be 20 in May and I wouldn't even give parenting advice to a parent as I'm not a parent. Now imagine a 13 year old giving parenting advice.
A 13 yr old can give GREAT perspective on parenting, especially on being 'parented'.
I wouldn't ask the kid for tax advice, but I thoroughly understand where he is coming from.
To all the people here who feel the need to repeatedly claim how little they get it, age does not correlate to experience.
NJShadow actually made a good point - "Think about it, being thirteen his mind isn't "cluttered" with some of the crap that comes with being an adult."
comhcinc
12-10-2007, 04:11 AM
To all the people here who feel the need to repeatedly claim how little they get it, age does not correlate to experience.
yeah it does. 13 year olds haven't had any experience generally, and even if this one had been thought alot, say maybe the death of a close family member, he still hasn't had the time to gain any type of perspective which could really help any body.
tokenuser
12-10-2007, 04:27 AM
Dear Askakid, My son wants a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, and there aren't any in the store, what should I tell him?
Dear Askakid, We gave our sone a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, and now he wont spend time with the family ... what can we do?
Dear Askakid, Is it OK to break up with your girlfriend over IM?
Dear Askakid, My parental units think I am too young to drive, but I have saved up enough money to buy a cheap car. What shold I do?
Dear Askakid, I think I just got my girlfriend pregnant. What should I do?
======
Five different questions, and I am sure a 13 yo will have a perspective on each of them ... but I would question the validity of his response on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th questions.
BTW - An error of ommission is not lying, but wont win you any friends in a court of law.
BTW2 - You need a law degree to be a lawyer, but not everyone with a law degree is a lawyer since that is a state based professional certification seperate to the law degree.
phatlip12
12-10-2007, 04:39 AM
Regardless, cheers to a unique blog! They're kind of hard to come by these days. :(
BTW2 - You need a law degree to be a lawyer, but not everyone with a law degree is a lawyer since that is a state based professional certification seperate to the law degree.
actually there are a few states that do not require a law degree but to practice law you need to pass the bar exam and be licensed
In 2005, seven States?California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming?accepted the study of law in a law office as qualification for taking the bar examination; three jurisdictions?California, the District of Columbia, and New Mexico?now accept the study of law by correspondence.
unless you are acting for yourself in which case you don't need a law degree or to pass the bar - i could file anything a lawyer could myself if i had the necessary knowledge
yeah it does. 13 year olds haven't had any experience generally, and even if this one had been thought alot, say maybe the death of a close family member, he still hasn't had the time to gain any type of perspective which could really help any body.
that is why i think his thoughts are valuable but not necessarily his advice
i thought pretty deeply pretty young but i had no clue about how my thoughts fit into the practical realities of life
maxiscool1994
12-10-2007, 07:46 PM
wow...I spend a few days off the forums and this thread explodes.
Anyway, I thank everyone for their opinions. I already have discussed a lot of these topics to death with my partents and other family members, and we all agree that I do have a lot of advice to offer. I have done a lot of things, met a lot of people and learned a lot in my short life, and I think that I have some great advice to give.
On parenting: my parents got divorced. During the time before the actual split, I got some of the worst parenting in my life, so I know what to avoid. I believe someone said something about being 'parented,' which is a perfect expression of my experience.
On general life advice: I know how to be around people, and I know a lot about how people work. If you read the Q&A on the blog about being around divorced parents (actually based on my experience-- they are sample posts.), you will see that I can pick up on social minutia that many people can't. Therefore, I do have advice to offer.
A few of you have picked up on my hook: I am young and have a lot to share. This makes my advice different, and yes, somewhat naive. Naivete in advice is not a problem. In fact, most of the time is makes my device much more logical, because my views are not biased by negative experience or social standards.
rabidbadger
12-10-2007, 08:09 PM
see, it's a reply like that that makes me think you are just fine doing this blog, you seem to know your limits, and that is the most important thing.
Also, sounds like you went through the same kinda divorce nastiness that I did when I was your age. Things like that make ya grow up quick.
radzack
12-10-2007, 09:04 PM
Cheers, Max. Keep it up.
rabidbadger
12-10-2007, 09:22 PM
Now just build up some more content, and then market it like crazy!
maxiscool1994
12-10-2007, 09:30 PM
I have two great new articles that I have written that I need to post up.
Also, I am going to start adding Flickr images to my posts (with the correct Creative Commons license) and I am going to change the design.
I have started marketing by adding my blog to all kinds of networks and blog communities. So far, it is not that effective...
Now just build up some more content, and then market it like crazy!
how does one do that
my blog was picked up within six weeks by technorati though i don't know how big or small a deal that is
one thing though you can add a paypal donate button
i just did - my blog is one year old today ~ it is mostly stream of consciousness and a place to keep things i find on the net i like
i started it as an activist regarding noise pollution
after all michaelangelo did not pay for his own marble :cool:
many artists and poets had patrons
maxiscool1994
12-13-2007, 04:44 AM
right now, I am mainly focusing on:
1. Trying to find a good, simple wordpress template
2. Writing articles
3. Trying to publish guest posts
4. Link exchange marketing