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April 1, 2006
Confession Time
By QBlog in Blog News
APRIL FOOL!
The following post is part of an April Fool's Day prank. None of it is true, which is sort of the point of April Fool's Day... you know... to fool people.
Last year I had the site redirect to Quixtar.com for most of the day. And in 2004 I said the site was shutting down. I didn't have anything for 2003 but I'm planning something truly spectacular for 2007. See you next year.
I've been getting a lot of inquiries regarding the decline in updates to this blog and I feel that it's time I come clean on several important matters. Certain events have transpired that allow me much more latitude with how I handle previously confidential information.
Money From Quixtar
Since April of 2005 I've been receiving funds from Quixtar as part of their online Public Relations strategy. Quixtar representatives approached me a few months prior and revealed that part of their web marketing strategy was to place so-called "critical" websites in search engine results.
Yeah, it sounded crazy to me too but as I kept and open mind, and listened to the strategy, it made a lot more sense. Quixtar uses sites like mine to keep certain "rogue elements" in check. What are those "rogue elements?" I can't say but if you look to the IBOAI, you won't be far off the mark. When a "rogue element" needs a little reprimand, certain information finds its way to my inbox and ends up online.
So, Quixtar compensated my efforts and allowed me to post pretty much anything I wanted so the blog would maintain the appearance of impartial reporting. There were other aspects of the arrangement that I don't feel comfortable going into right now but let's just say it's no accident this blog is so highly ranked in Google and Yahoo.
Qrush Blog
Some of you have correctly guessed that I am the author of the Qrush Blog. I originally created it to create an antagonist for this blog but recently, with some cooperation with Quixtar, it's evolved into something more targeted. I think you can guess its new purpose but suffice it to say, that's me behind the Qrush curtain. I just felt you should know.
My Feelings
I don't feel particularly proud of my work with Quixtar and that's partly why I'm coming clean today. I recently severed all relationships with Quixtar and have decided to move in a new direction. They asked me to start blogging favorably about Dick DeVos and his gubernatorial campaign. I had to draw the line somewhere and so I declined. Then my conscience hit me and I knew that I had to end it all and come clean.
So now you know. I'm able to tell you some of this because I never signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement. However, I can't reveal everything just yet because there are still a few unresolved issues. Once those are resolved, possibly by Sunday, I'll tell you more.
Thanks for understanding and see what others understand.
Comments
P.S. - I just realized that it is April 1st. I am praying and hoping I made an ass out of myself as a pose to that post being true!
Actually, I am kinda disappointed with the fact that you are the mastermind behind the Qrush Blog. You were playing with fire. Yet, I think it really needs guts to confess such things.
Anyway, were you laughing on all the debate while people were trying to defend for you? Ironic isn't it?
hmmm... anyway, things might not be the same again... but i'm still a fan of QBlog!
You almost had me Eric! I'm glad I realized the date! Yikes!
I almost had a heart attack. My life started to fall apart and become utterly hopeless...
LOL! That was hilarious, Qblog! I actually bought if for about a minute till someone pointed out the date. You got me there. LOL! This is one of the best April fool jokes ever.
wow, you got me good. I guess we're all April fools.
Last year's was better I thought. Happy April First.
Even though I knew it was April Fools' Day I still nearly believed it. You can't blame me, after you told me about that infection you picked up from that woman in St. Louis I was bound to believe anything you had the balls to do.
I wonder just how many loyal readers almost soiled themselves while reading that post!! I am guilty!! I forgot it was April 1st!!
OK, at first I was wondering what the f@#$? Then I saw the date and realized it was all a ruse. I think we should have saved telling on the comments though, it would have been interesting to see what other kinds of responses this would have garnished.
Guilty - you got met too!
Wilbur, put that thing back in it's holster, it is just a hoax - April fools day.
Qblog,
I, for once, was fooled! HAHAHA!
Happy April 1st!
Oh you're good.. This is a great April Fools joke! Watch for the Quixtar zealots to eat it up hook line and sinker..
Keep up the good work!!!!
I thought Qblog was pulling our leg, but the post went on just long enough that I started to wonder. I didn't make the April Fools connection though.
My Grandparents were married on April 1, 1923 which was also Easter Sunday. If you asked Grandma, they were married on Easter Sunday. If you asked Grandpa, they were married on April Fools Day. Either way, the marriage lasted 61 years.
I think it would be interesting to pay attention for the next few weeks and see if anywhere in the Quixtar world someone gets itchy and only reads certain parts and does not check the comments or link and realize it is a joke. It would be another great rumor spread by the Quixtar folks.
You'll tell me you are Qrush 100 times, I'll believe you 100 times :) there's something about you and Qrush :D :D
Google ranking, yeah that was where I start thinking it can't be :)But rogue element made sense LOL.
This one was much better than last year :)
Ok, I also liked last year's "bit" better.
But, you do show a great knack for coming up with conspiracy theories. You may have neglected talent for Hollywood writing.
You should have held off with the "see what others understand" link until April 2nd and let us twist in the wind like you did with the re-direct link you did last year.
Great writing, though. I still think you could get a book deal out of this premise.
Dave
That was friggin hilarious!!!!
I was totally fooled!!! My jaw just about hit the floor! You are the first of April mastahh!!
Nice try. I had you figured out at the first couple of sentences. You need to try a more subtle approach next year, Dear!
Deb
shesh...I need new boxer shorts now...
you should have put the april fools link at the TOP
"Yeah, it sounded crazy to me too but as I kept and open mind, and listened to the strategy, it made a lot more sense. "
I loved that part - I could picture the Q suits drawing circles in your livingroom and saying "Just Blog for yourself and teach others to do the same..."
QBlog,
Well played Sir.
And as he told me, he blog then sleep :) Blog upline :D
Eric,
I have been a faithful reader of your blog ever since I fell for what I believe now is one of the biggest consumer scams of all time. I felt that your blog, as the 2nd highest entry on google, provided an invaluable indepent opinion on quixtar. I spent some time hoping that this post was a practical joke, and I still hope it is. If it's not, despite all the incredible work you have done towards providing an intelligent p.o.v. towards quixtar, you have completely ruined your credibility. With all your research into this company, did you really think being in their pocket at one point in time or another would not come back to bite you? Based on their incredibly amoralistic past, I cannot see how you fathomed helping them keep their rogue BSM kingpins in check, although well intentioned no doubt, very foolish on your part. Being the author of the Qrush blog is the cherry on the rotten sundae. Acting as if there's some drama about billy florence being the author...an outright lie! Creating a foil to this blog, creating a false aura of independent credibility and responsibility, wielding the power of the 2nd highest research result on google while in the pocket of quixtar when SEO is an ever-increasing concern for major companies, I can't believe it. It is not proper to make accusations of greed/love of money, because this situation is obviously quite grey. At one point you most likely felt like you were doing something beneficial to the public, keeping the kingpins in check from info from corporate. You are dealing with a company who's sole north american business is dependent on whether or not those unsuspecting potentials believe the authenticity of information they find on the internet, and again with most respect towards the work you have done, you have shattered that. There again is absolutely NO reliable, third party interpretation of the quixtar/amway business on the internet. After following this blog for so long, and being silent until now, I really am just feeling, "say it ain't so, say it ain't so!"
Posted by: guitman | April 1, 2006 7:13 AM