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Did you know that Wikipedia is in danger of closing down? According to the word on the grapevine Wikipedia has only enough cash to last another three to four months and after that the servers get switched off. ?

Of course, they could bite the bullet and start accepting advertising but it seems there are some senior Wikipedians who are completely opposed to that idea so who knows what will happen. But one thing is for sure, there are some people who hope Wikipedia will disappear forever.

On some search engine marketing boards the news that Wikipedia could close was greeted with cries of delight. While Wikipedia might have problems with the accuracy of the information it provides, these guys couldn't care less about that. They wanted Wikipedia to close because it was of no use to them now that Wikipedia had introduced the 'no follow' tag in all their links.

It's strange how some people can't see the value in advertising on something as big as Wikipedia. These guys are so blinkered in their view of the world that if the link doesn't pass obvious search engine value then it's of no value to them at all. But there is value in links on Wikipedia and there is incredible value to everyone who wants to advertise there.

If the only reason they want a link on Wikipedia is for the search engine value that link may pass to their site then they're not seeing the value in the traffic that Wikipedia can send via a link. Traffic that comes from a link on Wikipedia can have a monetary value too because that traffic may buy what you're selling.

That traffic can also provide the link value that some are so desperately seeking by linking to the site on their own websites after they have followed the Wikipedia link. But these guys just aren't seeing that; all they want is instant gratification for their link on Wikipedia and that's sad.

They have become so focused on their own little world that they're missing the big picture and they're missing the advantages that they can gain from that big picture. And there is a lesson for all of us to learn.

It's so easy to become focused on our own little worlds to the point where, if there is no obviously immediate benefit or application for us, then we're just not interested. When we get to that point we start missing opportunities to make serious money.

And that's the whole point of what I want to get across to you in today's column. Never ever look at something and dismiss it because it appears to be of little use to you where you are right now. Instead, be prepared to look at any opportunity from all angles.

Obviously for those guys who see a link only for the value it might pass to their sites there is little value in links on Wikipedia but what happened to the traffic it might send and the money that might flow from that traffic? And what happened to the branding value that might come from an ad on Wikipedia?

I've talked about advertising in online games here before and I can guarantee that there have been plenty of people who have read that and dismissed it as unworkable or a waste of their valuable time because they weren't looking at it from all angles. But some people must be finding value in it because there is plenty of advertising for adult sites on Second Life.

Someone has looked at that game and decided that there are opportunities to make money and now they're taking advantage of of it. And that's what we all have to be prepared to do.

Don't look at yourself as being only interested in adult online sales and so only focusing on articles and content that relate directly to that. Instead be prepared to read widely about all aspects of marketing, read widely about all aspects of search engines and stay in touch with all things related to the Internet.

You never know when you will come across some important piece of information that you can use to your advantage here in online adult. Just because something appears in an SEO blog doesn't mean that it will be of no use to you. Even marketing newsletters have plenty of great information that you can use in marketing your adult sites.

So be prepared to be flexible and don't be like those search engine marketing guys who can only see things from one angle. Those are the ones who will ultimately miss the important things simply because they can't see further than the end of their nose.