I Wanna Be a John Chow Clone…
Posted on May 8th, 2008 by GrandmasterB under Rambling OnI can’t believe it, but it seems like every blogger out there reads the story of the infamous John Chow and wants to be just like him. Some think it’s cool, others think it’s hilarious…me, I think it’s friggin’ lame. This is going to come as a surprise to my readers, but I think for today’s post I’m going to flip the switch to the dark side and it might get ugly. Fear not, the true GrandmasterB will return shortly.
I have only seen one spinoff of the John Chow idea that really impressed me and got my attention…John Cow. I mean how could it not get your attention? Taking a famous blogger’s name and turning it into a cow theme is hilarious and well done. Alas, I am not here to talk about John Cow, because quite frankly it’s not really a clone…it’s original. What I am here to talk about are the no talent hacks that somehow believe that they are the next great thing on the Net. Guess what clones (or should I say clowns?)…you’re not even close.
Duckeldannys Money Blog
I found the “clown” of the day while dropping a few EntreCards a week or so ago. At first I didn’t really give it much attention; afterall, I was in card dropping mode and not paying much attention. Then the second time around I noticed that trademark image in the header. Two exotic cars facing each other nose to nose…AHA! Another clone has entered the building. This guy isn’t satisfied with your normal clone job…oh no, it gets better. The title of his blog is almost identical to John Chow:
- John Chow: “I Make Money Online by Telling People How Much Money I Make Online
- Duckeldanny: “I Make Money Online by Telling People How to Make Money Online with your Money Blog”
Granted it’s not spot on, but it sure is close. Let’s move onto item number two in the complete and total ripoff of John Chow the Make Money Page. Holy freakin’ crap if it isn’t the same exact text almost word for word. See for yourself if you don’t believe me…I have to get a tissue to wipe away the tears of laughter while you look.
John Chow: Make Money
DuckelDanny: Make Money
You see…I wasn’t lying! The pages are identical. I am sure that I could go on and on all night ripping this guy apart, but I think you get the point. I couldn’t figure out how he managed to get a PR3 in a little over four months, but now I know. It’s pretty easy to jump that fast when all the work has been done for you already.
So…Can He Help You Make Money?
What I find humorous is the guy really believes that he can help his readers make money. However, I highly doubt anyone with any sense is going to follow the tips of someone who can barely form a coherent sentence. Take a look:
I have buyed this great looking theme and I have try it, but the theme is don´t compatible with my content and my ads. So I have decided that I sell the Theme. Original cost the Theme $99,95 but I sell you this for only $39,95. You save $60. I think this is a very good deal.
You can see a Demo of the “Original Pemium News” Theme here and you will see, it looks fantastic.But I think its not very useful if you have already a good blog. If you are starting, blogging with Wordpress this is the best Theme to start your Business, News or other Niche Blog.
Here you can see all the Themes of “Premium News Theme dot Com” and the list o all the prices.
Are you freakin’ kidding me? Who in there right mind is going to take advice from someone they can’t even understand. I know the guy isn’t from the States and English probably isn’t his first language; however, his audience is probably 80% English speaking. FYI…if you’re going to try and sell to English speaking individuals you might want to brush up on your grammar and writing skills a tad. The unfortunate thing about this guy is he’s actually (according to his earnings post) making some decent money. I guess there are people out there that think he’s got something worthwhile to read…I’m just not one of them.
What do you think of these ripoff/clone sites? Do you think it’s wrong to steal content from other bloggers? Give me your opinion…
~ GrandmasterB





May 9th, 2008 at 5:36 am
One day there will be a GrandMasterP and a Fuzoogle because we are the next John Chow blogs to go crazy on the net.
haha
great find GMB, always good for a funny laugh. Usually to copy is a form of flattery but I highly doubt John Chow feels flattered.
cuzzys last blog post..Is Amanda Kimmel going down?
May 9th, 2008 at 6:20 am
I didn’t realize how much I hate the Make Money Online niche until I was well part of it. That is why I have vowed not to become like the rest of them.
John Chow sucks anyway. Who gives a f*#@ what the guy eats for dinner!
Jeff - buzzmyblog.coms last blog post..Daddy Got A New Pair Of Shoes!
May 9th, 2008 at 7:35 am
This has to be one of the funniest days of my blogging career. The sad part is this guy is making more money than me. I am not mad but I do find this guy funny. GrandMasterb thanks for taking the time to put the spotlight on this. When I got this in my email, I just had to come to your blog and read this.
KushMoneys last blog post..Project Payday
May 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I’m honestly surprised that this post hasn’t caused a firestorm of comments. I’m glad you guys got a kick out of it. I know I got a laugh or two when I was writing it.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I have been seeing more and more of these the past few weeks as I follow peoples blogrolls from place to place, and most of them are really really annoying.
I might try to make a couple bucks on the side with my blog once its all done, but gimme a break, how many blogs out there actually make 4 figures a month, much less 5. Its pretty ridiculous out there.
Mr Pappagiorgios last blog post..Star Wars: The Clone Wars Trailer
May 9th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I agree. Also, I’m really sick of all these ‘make money online’ blogs. Basically, the content in all these sites are identical and are of no use. Personally, I like John ‘Cow’ better than ‘Chow’. Chow just rambles on about what he eats…quite boring.
By the way, if you would like some more John Chow bashing, please visit - http://www.michaeltalk.com/2007/blogging/6-things-i-dont-like-about-john-chow/
Michaels last blog post..response-twitter-avatar [Flickr]
May 9th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Michael…thanks for the comment. I actually have that post linked in my Heads Up Seven Up Blogroll from May 7. That’s why I figured you’d enjoy this one. Thanks for visiting…hope to see you around soon.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Hey - Saw you on Alex’s site.
http://www.notjohnchow.com - another site which makes fun of John Chow.
John Chow is so phony - I saw one of his posts where he recommended using business cards to promote your business. He said that he ordered some “free” + shipping business cards from Vistaprint (who hasn’t heard of them?) and then linked to them with his affilliate ID. Now, I looked at Vistaprint. VP gives $3/referral for the free products. With 20k readers, how much did John Chow just make with that referral? Quite a bit.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
My bad - I missed a “h” in the URL.
http://www.notjohnchow.com/
Teen Business Forums last blog post..Proxy site for sale….
May 10th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I don’t believe any of his numbers (the money ones). But on his part it is pretty smart taking advantage of the blog lemmings. Oh he made 30k last month, I am going to keep reading this blog.
I used to read it (for a day) and it got boring fast. If the numbers are true, good for him but there has to be something else to it than just having a superior blog.
JOhn Cow is funny and entertaining and offers something.
cuzzys last blog post..What are you reading?
May 10th, 2008 at 8:07 am
@ Teen Biz - Anyone that promotes Vista Print as their printer of choice for business cards is definitely just in it to make a buck. I’ve had cards printed by Vista Print and they were awfule. Bad color, bad card stock and almost every one of them was cut crooked. I’m really not making “fun” of John Chow though; I’m more or less making fun of the wannabe clones.
@ cuzzy - You made it longer on that site than I did. It’s an ad festivus and near impossible to navigate. I think John Cow has a far superior site and actually offers readers some insight into the MMO world. Reading posts about John Chow’s last meal at a fancy restaurant is not my cup of tea.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Really? I didn’t have any problems with VistaPrint business cards…although nowadays I just use printable business cards (easier to customize/lower print costs)
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/388302/Office-Brand-Matte-Business-Cards-x/
May 13th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Lol, Why????????????????? Man, that’s all we need to. To stupid chows.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:17 am
great post… much better then some of the one’s i’ve come across on the blogs mentioned in it… when it comes to this mentioned above “Do you think it’s wrong to steal content from other bloggers?” I totally agree!!! I hate it! I’ve found SEVERAL blogs with similar if not the same content on theirs that I originally wrote on mine… come on people be creative think of your own ideas!
androos last blog post..My Installation of IKEA Laminate Floor Process