Ooh, this is exciting isn't it? I'm not quite what makes you think I'm competing with you, but you seem all too ready to throw down some kind of gauntlet.

Personally I find myself un-concerned for numerous reasons. Primarily that the contraband-network isn't designed to comepte with anything. It is planned as a development tool for aspiring writers and university students/graduates. An area for them to further their skills through constant practice and build some kind of early portfolio. If it turns out to be something that interests people then that is indeed a bonus.

In fact, the only thing I do find alarming is this agressively actioned 'share-deal' that, by way of attempted scare-mongering, would have revenue diverging from the owner and contributors to a man who has nothing to do with the network as of yet. Most shocking of all being that said agressive deal is put-forth by a self-proclaimed Marxist. For shame. This all reeks of capitolist strategy to me ;)

But, in the long run, a 30% deal is something that I'm sure I could live with, being as the network is a not-for-profit organsation. As yet, no advertising or affiliation deals have been discussed with any parties.

Let's also not forget that on your very own "Xbox360degrees.com", aside from the occasional, pointlessly technical and self-important, self-panegyrical news post written by a sycophant lemming, the main body of content that could be considered note-worthy, interesting or remotely professional was produced, by way of good-will alone, by the owner of one "Contraband-Network". ;)

Must say I like the design layout of Paul's competing sites more.

It's a good thing that the colour-schemes and basic layouts are exactly the same as mine then :)

As a side note, I'd like to make a single word comment about my original post above.

IRONIC.

It's not aimed at anyone in particular, but more at the people who will likely read this blog post after this point. I get the terrible feeling that most will miss this most important of elements, because, for the most part, people are without a sense of humour :)

Just like the "daFilm" and "daMusic" sites where created in jest, so was my post.

God forbid I get mobbed by Paul's fan-club :)

Hehe fan club, cute, anyway the colours and stuff may be the same but your sites just look a little plain to me at the moment, thats all.

I guess I'm doing something right in a way then because thats the idea. I want everything on those sites to be about the writing once they are up and running, because the content is the focus of the whole project. Plus, simple graphics with small file sizes means less eating of bandwidth which means lower bandwidth costs. There is a method to the madness ;)