The Failure of Wickedfire
As a few people know wickedfire is an affiliate marketing forum created in May 2006 by Sitepoint member MookJon. The original selling point of wickedfire was to create a ‘free speech’ community where people can discuss affiliate marketing without all the constraints and rules of traditional forum edicate. For example, you could cuss or flame someone without be given a warning. For the fist few months months following its launch Wickedfire was a pretty cool place to hang out. There were lively discussions about Adsense arbitrage and various other forums of internet monetization.
However, in the past few months the forum has become very cliquish and the posting activity has fallen markedly. Noobs and anyone with an opposing views are usually banned immediately by one of the many mods without even a single warning. A simple question such as “What affiliate programs work best” will be greeted by flames by Jon’s loyal legion of sycophants and diciples, and the orginal posted will eventually be banned.
In addition, these people have little sense of humor. It is extremely easy to agitate them since most members are unable to differentiate a harmless joke or irony versus a personal attack. ‘Free speech’ certainly exists on wickedfire unless, of course, someone gets offended or insulted. But isn’t the who point of ‘free speech’ to protect UNPOPULAR viewpoints? As a result, trolling wickedfire has become a perverse hobby of mine. In the past nine or so months I have created probably thirty troll aliases. Of all the forums I have visited they are BY FAR the easiest to troll. It is effortless and entertaining provoking these prudes into trite arguments.
As for the future of wickedfire it will continue to smolder until Jon either closes it down to work on another project or enough people get fed up at the hypocrisy and decide the leave the forum. Posting activity has declined markedly in the past four or six months and I expect that trend to continue. Even Jon’s loyal legion of ass kissers can’t save Wickedfire from its inevitable failure.