I have to qualify first that I personally did not attend this course held recently in Kuala Lumpur by facilitator Alvin Phang, on the topic of how to make money online or by blogging. The title of the workshop escaped me but it’s something to do with teaching people how to make money on their blogs.
I believe Alvin Phang comes from Singapore and claims to have made many thousands of dollars through his blogging, mainly from affiliate programs. Someone I know went for the course and after completing the 2-day course which was held at Wisma MCA during a recent weekend, I asked how it went, what he learned and gained. He kindly shared with me and to my horror, I found that people should be made aware of some hidden agenda. Read below on how I think Alvin cheats on his earnings from affiliate programs and Adsense.
Firstly, I would like to qualify also that I believe Alvin Phang has made his course specially for people who do not know anything about blogging and setting up blogs. He helps them to register a domain of their choice and subsequently helps to install Wordpress on it and proceed to set it up including installing a theme for all participants. They all use a theme designed by him.
They are told that for the RM2,500 course held in Malaysia, it not only includes the workshop fee but they also get the domain name and 1-year hosting of their site. I expected the participants to then get full access to their web host and also domain name manager so that they are fully empowered to manage their own blogs.
As it turns out, they do not have any control over the web host nor the domain name. I figured that Alvin probably earned his affiliate income signing up everyone for a domain name and a 1-year web host service. And since they do not have any control over this and thus will not learn how to manage any of these services going forward, they seem to be locked in for as long as they don’t transfer out the domain and continue using the web host provider they signed up with. Wow, that’s year after year of affiliate income for Alvin, isn’t it?
That’s not all, Alvin also removed the permission to edit any of the theme settings in Wordpress administration. This means that they cannot change the template, cannot tweak the theme in anyway. Not even to install any plugins! All they get to do is post entries, add some widgets in the sidebar, put up some affiliate banners and that’s about it.
Why shouldn’t the owners of the blogs be allowed to manage all these fundamental things in their very own blogs? I’ll tell you why. Or at least I think I figured the reason why Alvin locked it.
Alvin made it known to the participants that he DOES NOT believe in making money from Google Adsense. If you visit his various sites, you will not find a single unit of Adsense being used. Fair enough. But do you know what he has done with all the participants’ blogs? He inserted Adsense into them and those Adsense units are not from the participants’ Google Adsense accounts! Whose are they? Must be Alvin’s, right?
He inserted those Adsense into the sidebar of the blogs but he did so sneakily. He did not insert them using the widgets because blog owners can change and even remove them. He included the Adsense codes into the sidebar.php file which is kept locked and inaccessible to these blog owners. So how are they going to remove these Adsense? They simply can’t.
So if Alvin does not believe in Adsense, why did he so sneakily incorporate them into other people’s blogs and lock it so that it cannot be removed? Answer is simple. Alvin does believe in Adsense. He just doesn’t put them into his own blogs but make his Adsense income via other people’s blogs. God knows how many similar courses he’s conducted and how many participants’ blogs he has set up with his Adsense code incorporated.
Now if you think about it, Alvin is a smart businessman who not only makes money from the seminar fees collected, he is also making affiliate income from all the domain names and web host sign ups, including any clicks of those Adsense on other people’s blogs. No wonder he can claim to have made hundreds of thousands through affiliate programs. So now you understand the secret of his making so much money from affiliate programs. Clever business idea, isn’t it?
I won’t comment on the content of his seminar. I’m sure for beginners they would have learned a lot since they start out with no knowledge whatsoever. I’m only warning you of what he does behind your back, telling half-truths and lying about his sentiments on Adsense when he’s riding on it through you!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wah so good le. I wanna conduct make money online courses and trick people like him le. hahahaha…
I attended his preview but did not sign up for his course. During the preview he was seeking sympathy by talking about his father who had a stroke or something like that and that he needs to make XXX by end of this year. So that’s the way he is going about to make that money.
I do believe in making money and I also believe that it is a do-able as can be shown by people like problogger and many more.
However, I still hold this old fashion idea that money has to be made honestly. Business acumen is one thing, sneakiness is another.
In our society where wealth is fashionable, the onus is on the individual to get principles right. A simple ‘how would I like others to do to me’ would suffice.
I believe this doesn’t make up the majority of Alvin’s online income because the commission for domain & web hosting is very slim; multiply that by the no. of people who attend Alvin’s workshop and it’s just a drop in the ocean compared to the 1000s if not 10,000s Alvin makes monthly. Also, you mentioned about Alvin “sneakily” placing Adsense ads on his participants’ site; well, guess what, most of these participants are newbies and I’m willing to bet that less than 1% will ever make any sizeable income off Adsense. It’s the truth. So I doubt Alvin would make much, if any, from his participants. He’d be better off creating his own sites as he’ll have greater control over the sites and can make more money off it. This irony makes me doubt the credibility of what you claimed. I’ve a feeling this post you made doesn’t speak the whole truth. As a courtesy note, calling someone a “cheat” [reference: "Alvin cheats on his earnings from affiliate programs and Adsense."] without substantial proof to back up your claim is tantamount to slander. As far as I’m concerned, this post of yours doesn’t adequately prove that Alvin “cheats” so I suggest you take this post of yours down; if I were Alvin, I’d definitely take legal action against you. Thank you and have a nice day! J
Thanks for your kind advise to take down this post of mine to avoid a legal suit, but I believe in the freedom of speech. Alvin would be glad to have someone speaking out for him
You have a nice day too, J.
I think it is not a matter of how much Alvin makes. It is the integrity, honesty of the person that matters. If someone cheats another of 5 cents, he is still cheating and if someone steals 10 cents, he is still stealing. If you work on the calculation of 33 people who took his course, he only need to click once everyday on the 33 blogs for 30 days. Wow! that’s a huge amount. Right?
i somehow feel you subscribe to such ethics of Alvin. The newbies may not make much money from Adsense but why take that few cents away from them. A newbie on his or her own earns pittance but collectively of 33 people, this is some numbers that I would like to have too.
“I think it is not a matter of how much Alvin makes.”
> It is precisely how much Alvin makes that makes me doubt he would stoop to such extremes to profit from a mere pittance.
“It is the integrity, honesty of the person that matters. If someone cheats another of 5 cents, he is still cheating and if someone steals 10 cents, he is still stealing.”
> Totally agree. In this case, I don’t see how Alvin has “cheated” or “stole” from his participants. If what the author of this blog said is true, Alvin is merely profiting from referring people to sign up for domain and web hosting. Did he steal? Did he cheat? Hey dude, this is what Affiliate Marketing is all about – profiting from referring other people to another party’s product or service. With regards to placing his Adsense ads on his participants’ sites, he has EVERY right to do so as they are using HIS template. It would have been unlawful if he sneaked his ads into something that doesn’t belong to him. In this case, he OWNS the template which he GIVES to participants at the cost of placing his Adsense ads, that very likely won’t make him a dime, so you call that “cheating” and “stealing”?
“If you work on the calculation of 33 people who took his course, he only need to click once everyday on the 33 blogs for 30 days. Wow! that’s a huge amount. Right?”
> Dead wrong. Adsense will ban your account right away and you won’t get a single cent if you’re suspected of fraudulently clicking on your own ads. By the way – just 33 people???!!!! I bet Alvin made less than a dollar off them assuming he did place his Adsense code on his participants’ sites. I honestly doubt he did such a thing as it doesn’t make profit sense – placing your Adsense code on a bunch of NEWBIE’s sites – and he risk getting lambasted for it like what you guys are doing here.
Ah..J (comment no.4)
Who may you be? You seem to be very supportive of Alvin or are you supportive of the 1% of his earnings that is looted from unsuspecting “students” or whoever uses his theme, bought or for free?
(actually I would believe that those who paid the 2500+ for his course hopes to make some to justify the course fee but you belittled their hopes. I wonder how they feel.)
If you were Alvin you would take legal action..well you do believe in making that 1% no matter how small or how it is done so making threats is part of your psyche. Instead of getting your principles right, you are so strongly defending something which is unethical. Well, good to you but I dread for those who are your friends.
For those 30+ course participants, I hope they are as savvy as you on blogosphere to get to read this but then they are newbies and unlikely to have done so. Maybe someone can give the list to me and I can blast them. Fun to have their views…Anyone out there??
Did Alvin not give each of you all a list so that at least you all can form an alliance to click each others adsense? 30 of you can generate some cash for each other!
To be fair, let Alvin speak for himself. All that is required is a clarification. Wish I’m sure Tipsie would gladly oblige.
I just bumped into this and some interesting stuff is brewing. Will get my gang to come be the jury.
Wow! wonder who J is. He seems to be speaking so strongly for this Alvin guy when Alvin himself is keeping silent. And J seems to know more about Alvin than Alvin himself hehehe.
Waa..like this oso can ah.
Somemore got people fight for him. What is this world coming to? J, you a lawyer ah. Lawyers get paid, r u?
Were the participants told that there is an adsense there and the money lands in somebody’s pocket? Aiyo..
I agree with sf-stealing 5 cents is still stealing. J also agree. A cheat is a cheat. A lie is a lie. So obvious to me.
J said, “Did he steal? Did he cheat?” Hey dude, if it is a RIGHT, why sneak it in? IF the owner of the site consents, I shut up. IF NOT, it is cheating. Alvin, say something. Maybe J can tell him to since you are such a fan.
1% to Alvin is 100% to the RIGHTFUL owner. Hey dude.
..a bunch of newbies site..hey dude.. don’t look down on people like that. Hope Alvin has better respect for people than you. Once Alvin was a newbie.
Adsense will not ban Alvin since he is clicking on somebody’s site. Am I wrong here? CLick click click..or cheat cheat cheat!??!