Sun Tzu's Art of War and webmaster work - GoFuckYourself.com

$5 submissions · 08-09-2005, 03:57 PM

I read the "Art of War" recently and noticed that much of his advice can apply to webmaster work. Indeed, historically his work has been applied to any activity that involves both competition, possible conflict, and opportunity ranging from business to personal relationships. Since competition, conflict, and opportunity abound in webmaster work, I found reading the "Art of War" with an eye toward the webmaster biz to be quite eye opening.

If you've read the book, share your thoughts here.

After Shock Media · 08-09-2005, 03:58 PM

First which version. There does seem to be about 3,000 different books by different authors all with interpretations.

RuthB · 08-09-2005, 04:01 PM

Well.. there really only is one version - Sun Tzu's Art of War - but of course that isn't in English so it had to be translated, so who knows if anything got screwed up in the translation or which translation is best!

I have it as an mp3 and have listened to it a few times.

There are some excellent words of wisdom and advice in there and anyone should read it to discover a little more about mankind, psychology and how best to succeed.

Mako · 08-09-2005, 04:02 PM

"When your enemy is strong, copy his galleries"

"When your enemy is weak, buy out his paid spots"

"When your enemy is equal to you, bullshit the GFY board about your earnings"

and...

"When your enemy is p1mpdogg, retreat to Brad's board while the dogg gets himself banned for multi-threaded attacks."

That about sums it up.

After Shock Media · 08-09-2005, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WEGRuth

Well.. there really only is one version - Sun Tzu's Art of War - but of course that isn't in English so it had to be translated, so who knows if anything got screwed up in the translation or which translation is best!

Fucker! you know damn well what I meant.

$5 submissions · 08-09-2005, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

"When your enemy is strong, copy his galleries"

"When your enemy is weak, buy out his paid spots"

"When your enemy is equal to you, bullshit the GFY board about your earnings"

and...

"When your enemy is p1mpdogg, retreat to Brad's board while the dogg gets himself banned for multi-threaded attacks."

That about sums it up.

Dude, you're wrong... it was CONFUCIUS that mentioned galleries and p1mpdogg, get your reading list right

Mako · 08-09-2005, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by $5 submissions

Dude, you're wrong... it was CONFUCIUS that mentioned galleries and p1mpdogg, get your reading list right

Damnit!!!

RuthB · 08-09-2005, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by After Shock Media

Fucker! you know damn well what I meant.

$5 submissions · 08-09-2005, 04:14 PM

One lesson that's key I've seen (many people see this too, I'm sure. I just wanted to share) is:

Always base your strategy on your competition's move.

Lesson 1: learn from their mistakes
Lesson 2: break down their strategy into easy to understand components
Lesson 3: for every component there is one complement that is either similar, strengthens or weakens that component
Lesson 4: the efficacy of any strategy is not absolute--it is wholly dependent on the variable situation it is aimed to address.

Whether you do TGP, blog, software traffic, mail, live traffic, p2p, or whatever you do, Im sure the lessons above would apply.

Aftershock: The version I read was based on the Lionel Giles translation of 1910

psili · 08-09-2005, 04:23 PM

Here's a flash book for the Art of War I did years ago cuz I dug the book so much when I read it as a teen:

http://confesstojesus.com/tmp/artofwar/artOfWar.html

Lame yes. But the full text should be there (if I grabbed the right full text file via the web at that time). Directory list it to get the text file if you want.

tristan_D · 08-09-2005, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by $5 submissions

Always base your strategy on your competition's move.

Lesson 1: learn from their mistakes
Lesson 2: break down their strategy into easy to understand components
Lesson 3: for every component there is one complement that is either similar, strengthens or weakens that component
Lesson 4: the efficacy of any strategy is not absolute--it is wholly dependent on the variable situation it is aimed to address.

this is a good advice. very universal.

TetsuoIronMan · 08-09-2005, 06:06 PM

If good old Sun fires up your brain I can recommend reading a few translations and (serious) interpretations of Clausewitz. He is slightly closer to the modern world as well.

blazin · 08-09-2005, 06:50 PM

Haven't read the book but I believe Mark Joyner made that connection in his book Mind Control Marketing

HammerALL · 08-09-2005, 06:54 PM

I'm finished reading the actual text and am now reading the essays - It's a great book for everyday life on how to deal with any conflict situation as well as great leadership advice.

$5 submissions · 08-09-2005, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TetsuoIronMan

If good old Sun fires up your brain I can recommend reading a few translations and (serious) interpretations of Clausewitz. He is slightly closer to the modern world as well.

I might hit you up on that. This stuff is very intriguing. Although I read it trying to apply it to my business, one of the things that jumps out of the page is that Sun Tzu's advice applies spot on to guerilla warfare.

sltr · 08-09-2005, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TetsuoIronMan

If good old Sun fires up your brain I can recommend reading a few translations and (serious) interpretations of Clausewitz. He is slightly closer to the modern world as well.

agreed, on war is flat out some of the best strategy reading ever

MikeVega · 08-09-2005, 09:40 PM

I have it on my ipod .... i listen to it while i drive to work from time to time ... i also have The Art of Happiness .... that's great on a long ride also ..

dvmspb · 08-09-2005, 09:40 PM

:food-smil

My sponsor #1: BangBrosOniline makes me 91$ per 1000 uniques!

Validus · 08-09-2005, 11:44 PM

I?d say Sun Tzu's Art of War is a must read for anybody in business or at least those who are serious about it.

VeriSexy · 08-10-2005, 12:11 AM

Reading is one thing but learning how to apply it to life is another

Validus · 08-10-2005, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeriSexy

Reading is one thing but learning how to apply it to life is another

Good stuff

Kevsh · 08-10-2005, 12:19 AM

The Art of War is the more over-used/analyzed book in history (okay, next to the Bible...). Business people read it saying a lot relates to corporate management and leadership, sales people say it relates to their need to push products, athletes say it helps them mentally prepare for games ... and now webmasters say it relates to this business.

Take a deep breath.

The book was written a long, long, LONG time ago and based on strategies at fighting armies in the field. There were no corporations, CEOs, strategic business plans, VCs, or geeks working on Linux boxes.

It's a book about wartime strategy. Period.
If you're a general or soldier, it probably will be beneficial for you. For everyone else, it's not for you.

Mr. Tzu would probably be laughing in his grave if he heard you all waxing philosophical on his words.

(Then again, he'd probably be kicking himself for not hiring a publicist and getting a spot on Larry King Live, millions in endorsements and the lecture circuit ...)

je_rome · 08-10-2005, 12:26 AM

haven't read that book yet, and it think it is a bout time i check it out.

SouthernGirl · 08-10-2005, 12:28 AM

you guys should share these mp3s with us

$5 submissions · 08-10-2005, 06:19 AM

Interesting analysis. However, it's application to a broad spectrum of human activities that involve conflict resolution and resource management is quite apparent. Sure, the chapter regarding river fighting and gongs/signals (field communications) could use a facelift, but reading this book sure was eye opening. I haven't gotten intrigued over a book like this since I read Machiavelli's The Prince and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevsh

The Art of War is the more over-used/analyzed book in history (okay, next to the Bible...). Business people read it saying a lot relates to corporate management and leadership, sales people say it relates to their need to push products, athletes say it helps them mentally prepare for games ... and now webmasters say it relates to this business.

Take a deep breath.

The book was written a long, long, LONG time ago and based on strategies at fighting armies in the field. There were no corporations, CEOs, strategic business plans, VCs, or geeks working on Linux boxes.

It's a book about wartime strategy. Period.
If you're a general or soldier, it probably will be beneficial for you. For everyone else, it's not for you.

Mr. Tzu would probably be laughing in his grave if he heard you all waxing philosophical on his words.

(Then again, he'd probably be kicking himself for not hiring a publicist and getting a spot on Larry King Live, millions in endorsements and the lecture circuit ...)

$5 submissions · 08-10-2005, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeriSexy

Reading is one thing but learning how to apply it to life is another

If you only knew

$5 submissions · 08-10-2005, 08:33 AM

Bump for interesting reading.

Rebecca Love · 08-10-2005, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthernGirl

you guys should share these mp3s with us

I was going to say the same!

$5 submissions · 08-10-2005, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psili

Here's a flash book for the Art of War I did years ago cuz I dug the book so much when I read it as a teen:

http://confesstojesus.com/tmp/artofwar/artOfWar.html

Lame yes. But the full text should be there (if I grabbed the right full text file via the web at that time). Directory list it to get the text file if you want.

Looks awesome, man.

jayeff · 08-10-2005, 09:39 AM

Even before General Tzu's book became popular, it was a very basic, common mistake to see competition in business as being similar to military conflict. In most circumstances, you are better off all but ignoring your competition on a day-to-day basis.

Even with no competition at all, you will not be successful unless you sell something which people want to buy. The corollary is that the more people who want what you are selling, the more successful you will be. Thus it must make sense that your customers should always be your primary focus.

Of course it is important to be aware of the activities of others in your field, otherwise you may attempt to supply a demand that is already fully satisfied. And you may not be blessed with original ideas, so you will not have much choice except to jump on other peoples' bandwagons. But unless you are exceptionally good at getting on and off at the right time, at best a business which goes this route will be an also-ran and for anyone with serious ambition, that should always be the last option.

The best business book I ever read was "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters. The basic concept is simple enough, namely that excellent companies are totally customer oriented and know how to get the most from their staff. The real point of the book is to highlight the difference between companies claiming those virtues and the companies which actually put them into practice. Very few businesses fall into the latter category.

08-09-2005, 03:58 PM	#2
After Shock Media It's coming look busy Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn". Posts: 35,299	First which version. There does seem to be about 3,000 different books by different authors all with interpretations. __________________ [email protected] ICQ:135982156 AIM: Aftershockmed1a MSN: [email protected]

08-09-2005, 04:01 PM	#3
RuthB Let's Get Paxumized! Industry Role: Join Date: May 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 7,247	Well.. there really only is one version - Sun Tzu's Art of War - but of course that isn't in English so it had to be translated, so who knows if anything got screwed up in the translation or which translation is best! I have it as an mp3 and have listened to it a few times. There are some excellent words of wisdom and advice in there and anyone should read it to discover a little more about mankind, psychology and how best to succeed. __________________ Send & Receive Mass Global Payments - Mass P2P/Wire/EFT/SEPA - Adult Industry Friendly - Award Winning Payment Service - Fast, Reliable & Secure! Paxum ...... Paxum Bank Email: [email protected] ~ Telegram: PaxumRuth

08-09-2005, 04:02 PM	#4
Mako Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The OC baby! Posts: 1,986	"When your enemy is strong, copy his galleries" "When your enemy is weak, buy out his paid spots" "When your enemy is equal to you, bullshit the GFY board about your earnings" and... "When your enemy is p1mpdogg, retreat to Brad's board while the dogg gets himself banned for multi-threaded attacks." That about sums it up. __________________

08-09-2005, 04:14 PM	#9
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	One lesson that's key I've seen (many people see this too, I'm sure. I just wanted to share) is: Always base your strategy on your competition's move. Lesson 1: learn from their mistakes Lesson 2: break down their strategy into easy to understand components Lesson 3: for every component there is one complement that is either similar, strengthens or weakens that component Lesson 4: the efficacy of any strategy is not absolute--it is wholly dependent on the variable situation it is aimed to address. Whether you do TGP, blog, software traffic, mail, live traffic, p2p, or whatever you do, Im sure the lessons above would apply. Aftershock: The version I read was based on the Lionel Giles translation of 1910 __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

08-09-2005, 04:23 PM	#10
psili Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 5,526	Here's a flash book for the Art of War I did years ago cuz I dug the book so much when I read it as a teen: http://confesstojesus.com/tmp/artofwar/artOfWar.html Lame yes. But the full text should be there (if I grabbed the right full text file via the web at that time). Directory list it to get the text file if you want. __________________ Your post count means nothing.

08-09-2005, 03:57 PM	#1
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	Sun Tzu's Art of War and webmaster work I read the "Art of War" recently and noticed that much of his advice can apply to webmaster work. Indeed, historically his work has been applied to any activity that involves both competition, possible conflict, and opportunity ranging from business to personal relationships. Since competition, conflict, and opportunity abound in webmaster work, I found reading the "Art of War" with an eye toward the webmaster biz to be quite eye opening. If you've read the book, share your thoughts here. __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

08-09-2005, 06:06 PM	#12
TetsuoIronMan Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 140	If good old Sun fires up your brain I can recommend reading a few translations and (serious) interpretations of Clausewitz. He is slightly closer to the modern world as well.

08-09-2005, 06:50 PM	#13
blazin Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,781	Haven't read the book but I believe Mark Joyner made that connection in his book Mind Control Marketing

08-09-2005, 06:54 PM	#14
HammerALL Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,506	I'm finished reading the actual text and am now reading the essays - It's a great book for everyday life on how to deal with any conflict situation as well as great leadership advice. __________________ Mario Amaral AKA: Hammerall Affiliate Sales \| Email:[email protected] Skype: Hammerall \| ICQ: 190272140

08-09-2005, 09:40 PM	#17
MikeVega Porntrepreneur Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New York Posts: 12,788	I have it on my ipod .... i listen to it while i drive to work from time to time ... i also have The Art of Happiness .... that's great on a long ride also .. __________________ Mike Vega-ICQ:253868499-AIM:mikeydicevega

08-09-2005, 09:40 PM	#18
dvmspb Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 80	:food-smil My sponsor #1: BangBrosOniline makes me 91$ per 1000 uniques!

08-09-2005, 11:44 PM	#19
Validus Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 4,012	I?d say Sun Tzu's Art of War is a must read for anybody in business or at least those who are serious about it.

08-10-2005, 12:11 AM	#20
VeriSexy Join The Royal Family Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 25,463	Reading is one thing but learning how to apply it to life is another __________________ Looking for a KICK ASS TEEN SPONSOR? Check out ROYAL CASH - THE KING OF TEEN! Incredible webmaster tools FHGs, Morphing Blog and RSS Feeds, Embedded FLV & WMV Videos. With TOP RATIO Sites like TeenStarsOnly.com - Earn $$ with our New Site & Bonus Payouts!! ATMovs.com \| iTeenVideo.com \| TeenSexMovs.com \| TeenSexMania.com

08-10-2005, 12:19 AM	#22
Kevsh Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: TO Posts: 8,619	The Art of War is the more over-used/analyzed book in history (okay, next to the Bible...). Business people read it saying a lot relates to corporate management and leadership, sales people say it relates to their need to push products, athletes say it helps them mentally prepare for games ... and now webmasters say it relates to this business. Take a deep breath. The book was written a long, long, LONG time ago and based on strategies at fighting armies in the field. There were no corporations, CEOs, strategic business plans, VCs, or geeks working on Linux boxes. It's a book about wartime strategy. Period. If you're a general or soldier, it probably will be beneficial for you. For everyone else, it's not for you. Mr. Tzu would probably be laughing in his grave if he heard you all waxing philosophical on his words. (Then again, he'd probably be kicking himself for not hiring a publicist and getting a spot on Larry King Live, millions in endorsements and the lecture circuit ...)

08-10-2005, 12:26 AM	#23
je_rome Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 6,846	haven't read that book yet, and it think it is a bout time i check it out. __________________ Make money on any traffic. Join KlikRevenue.com Today!

08-10-2005, 12:28 AM	#24
SouthernGirl So Fucking Banned Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: rural TN Posts: 615	you guys should share these mp3s with us

08-10-2005, 08:33 AM	#27
$5 submissions I help you SUCCEED Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Pearl of the Orient Seas Posts: 32,195	Bump for interesting reading. __________________ Need a NON-ADULT income stream? We build your YOUTUBE CHANNEL for only $20 per video! For Hire: $3/hour or $400 per month Marketing Specialist Virtual Assistants

08-10-2005, 09:39 AM	#30
jayeff Confirmed User Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 2,944	Even before General Tzu's book became popular, it was a very basic, common mistake to see competition in business as being similar to military conflict. In most circumstances, you are better off all but ignoring your competition on a day-to-day basis. Even with no competition at all, you will not be successful unless you sell something which people want to buy. The corollary is that the more people who want what you are selling, the more successful you will be. Thus it must make sense that your customers should always be your primary focus. Of course it is important to be aware of the activities of others in your field, otherwise you may attempt to supply a demand that is already fully satisfied. And you may not be blessed with original ideas, so you will not have much choice except to jump on other peoples' bandwagons. But unless you are exceptionally good at getting on and off at the right time, at best a business which goes this route will be an also-ran and for anyone with serious ambition, that should always be the last option. The best business book I ever read was "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters. The basic concept is simple enough, namely that excellent companies are totally customer oriented and know how to get the most from their staff. The real point of the book is to highlight the difference between companies claiming those virtues and the companies which actually put them into practice. Very few businesses fall into the latter category.