On January 1, 2011, I “launched” LessonIndex.com — which I believe is already the most useful and relevant directory of Literature Lesson Plans for K-12 teachers.

After gathering data from many sources and launching this version of the site as a “proof of concept,” I’m turning back to refine the ontology, database structure, and import scripts so I can expand the site to include resources for all K-12 content areas.

Some relevant links for my new site:

• Short Index page (with links to directory pages for about 200 literary works);
• Big Index page (with links to directory pages for each of 2,034 literary works);
• blog.LessonIndex.com, which provides update information, suggestions for publishers and merchants, and a list of the “Most Frequently-Taught Works” (works with the most resource links).

Unfortunately, I’ve “stalled” with this project, mostly because of the incredible “loss of incentive” caused by the probable enactment of an “Advertising Nexus tax law” in California. If enacted, the law will force Amazon and other out-of-state retailers to terminate their advertising in California, wiping out much of my advertising revenue overnight.

I’m still doing some organizing and planning work, and I’m making some major updates to the database that “drives” the site, but I’m only allocating a small part of my time and effort to the project.

Despite my ambivalence about the financial outlook for LessonIndex.com, traffic and revenue have continued to grow nicely:

As a web publisher, my primary focus is on providing “relevant and useful” content on topics that interest me.

As an internet marketing consultant, I advise merchants on strategies to increase sales (primarily  using “performance-based” marketing techniques, including affiliate programs and pay-per-click search advertising).

Earlier, I was an attorney.  Before that, I was a reporter, reviewer, and editor for computer magazines, and I co-authored a nationally syndicated newspaper column.

I created my first web site in 1996 to promote my estate-planning law practice; I later sold that site to another law firm. I also created a web site about “web site banner advertising” in 1996, which evolved into Adbility.com, which I also sold in 1999 (via eBay auction).  I’ve also created and sold several directory web sites, including LitPlans.com (a directory of lesson plan resources for English teachers).

I generally don’t disclose information about my current web publishing activities, because competitors often try to “poach” my successful work.

I have lived in California since 1985, and in Alameda County since 1986.  After 14 years in Pleasanton, I moved to Hayward in 2005.  Earlier, I lived in Dublin, Berkeley, and San Francisco, California; before that, in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in Hopkinton, Westborough, and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; and Port Washington and Waterloo, Wisconsin.

My email address is Mark Welch at Mark Welch dot com.

(Updated June 26, 2010)

Update (Dec. 15, 2010): I’m working on a new “lesson plan index” web site (LessonIndex.com).

My sites succeed only if they “add value” for consumers and advertisers. My successful web sites provide rich original content (including original news articles and advice, product reviews, product comparisons, buying guides, and annotated directories), with advertising and product information integrated or appended via search results, where appropriate).

My niche web sites contain several forms of advertising, including some traditional “banner and button” ads, text-ad blocks (such as Google AdSense/AdWords), and text links, as well as “product grids” (sometimes using PopShops).

Some Site Examples:

• LessonIndex.com (lesson plan directory for teachers).
• Labrador Retriever 2011 Calendars [product grid/search]
• Book Review: 101 Theory Drive [blog]
• Removing Graffiti (Self-Help) [blog]

PopShops: I strongly urge all merchants with “datafeeds” to work with PopShops, which provides convenient tools for publishers to create and manage product showcases or grids that include products from many merchants and networks.  (It’s free for merchants.)

2010 Focus on Web Publishing: From 1996 to 2009, I split my time between work as an internet marketing consultant and a separate role as a web publisher. During the second half of 2010, I intend to focus primarily on my “Web Publishing” role.

Free Advice: I used to charge merchants thousands of dollars for my advice, but in November 2007 I posted much of my “Affiliate-Program Advice for Merchants” for free.

No DTM-PPC: I no longer run any “direct-to-merchant” Pay-Per-Click Search campaigns. When I use PPC to promote my niche sites, I never bid on a merchant’s company name or domain name, nor variations, nor on any prohibited trademarks or keywords.

My Affiliate Networks and Merchants: I work with: ShareASale, AvantLink,Commission Junction, Google Affiliate Network, Bridaluxe, LinkConnector, and Amazon.com. I am currently re-evaluating whether to pursue active relationships with a limited number of merchants who use LinkShare, PepperJam/GSI, HasOffers, ClickBank, ClickXchange, ClixGalore, or ShareResults. I will not do business with Inuvo (Kowabunga/Kolimbo/Think).

Contact:

• Email: MarkWelch@MarkWelch.com
• Telephone: (925) 462-8483
• U.S. Mail: P.O. Box 11355, Pleasanton, CA 94588
  

In 1989, I graduated from Boalt Hall (the law school at the University of California, Berkeley), passed the bar exam, and was admitted to practice law in California.  I worked for a small law firm for three years, before opening my own law office in Pleasanton in 1993, focusing exclusively on estate planning, probate and trust law.

And then came the Internet.  In late 1995, I created a web page to promote my law practice, and by late 1996 my web site was the most popular internet resource on California Estate Planning.  At about the same time, I discovered some dubious companies promising web-site owners money for advertising, and I created a separate web site identifying some of the crooks and con artists in  that nascent industry. By 1998, I earned more money from my “Online Advertising” web site than from my law practice.  In early 1997, I began doing consulting work for e-commerce startups, advising them on how to profitably sell online (initially focusing on “affiliate programs” and later “pay-per-click search”).

I stopped accepting new legal clients in 1999, and effectively closed my law office in 2000, although I maintained my office in an “executive suite” until last September. Each January for the past 10 years, I’ve considered switching from “active” to “inactive” status, but each time I chose to retain “active” status (and pay the $400 annual dues).  Finally, this year, I could no longer think of any reason to remain “active.”  I am seriously considering resigning entirely as a member of the State Bar of California, but for 2010 I’ve decided to only change my status to “inactive” (paying a reduced fee of $125).

As an “inactive” member of the bar, I cannot give legal advice, nor appear in court on behalf of clients, nor hold myself out as being entitled to practice law.  For all practical purposes, “I Am Not A Lawyer” (IANAL), this year.

In 1987, David Malmberg made substantial enhancements to the Generic Adventure Game System, which was renamed the Adventure Game Toolkit (AGT). Over the next few years, many additional features were added to AGT, and versions were released for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, the Apple Macintosh, the Commodore Amiga, and the Atari ST. From 1987 through 1992, AGT was distributed by Softworks of Mission San Jose, California. The final version of AGT, known as the “Adventure Game Toolkit Master’s Edition,” includes some graphics and sound capabilities. The final version of AGT is version 1.7. You can download AGT and many games from The Interactive Fiction Archive.

More than 100 differnt text adventure games have been designed by game authors around the world using GAGS and AGT. Rather than just downloading dozens of games in hopes of finding some good ones, I suggest that you check out Baf’s Guide to the Interactive Fiction Archive, which includes reviews of many dozens of text adventure games, including many AGT games.

Select here to view the Generic Adventure Game System programming tools (version 1.07) available at the “Interactive Fiction Archive” (MS-DOS only).

Select here to view the Adventure Game Toolkit programning tools available at the Interactive Fiction Archive.

Since 1993, the Generic Adventure Game System and the Adventure Game Toolkit have been released as “freeware” (e.g. they are still copyrighted, but may be freely copied and distributed in unaltered form); no registration fee is requested. Freeware is not public domain: you may not distributed altered versions or source code, or use the “Adventure Game Toolkit” product name, without written permission from Mark Welch or David Malmberg! No technical support is available from the authors. David Malmberg is a management consultant. Mark J. Welch is an internet marketing consultant.

Work on AGT-based or derived programs continues:

• Robert Masenten developed AGiliTy, a “Universal” or “Portable” adventure game run-time system, written in the C programming language, which he says should be able to run any AGT games. Additional AGiliTy versions were adapted by Simon Baldwin, David Kinder, and Julian Arnold.
• Kevin Soucy wrote a “converter” program to allow Agate programs to be compiled with the AGT or Magx compilers.

Those interested in text adventure games should explore XYZZY News.

There are two active “newsgroups” for text-adventure-game designers; both are now available through Google Groups): rec.arts.int-fiction and rec.games.int-fiction.