When I first started online, I was taken under the wing of Jimmy Brown who hired me for some niche work and taught me all about conversational online writing for eBooks, articles, etc. Then, I realized I could make more writing sales copy (and some projects required it of me). So I set out to study. I bought books, joined forums, and one of those was Michel Fortin’s Copywriters Board.

Sadly, it closed yesterday. He’s not sure if it’ll ever open again. I’ll admit I wasn’t there on a daily basis, as I am in the Warrior Forum. The Warrior Forum is like coffee – I have to have it every day. With the Fortin Copywriters Board, I went when I needed a fix.

There are some amazing copywriters who hang out there, Harlan Kilstein among them. I like to learn from the best, so I would try my hand at my copy and approach the pros for some feedback. It was always politely presented to me with the right amount of critique and encouragement so I didn’t feel stupid

I personally never encountered a problem on that board, but apparently, as Michel stated in a Warrior Forum post, others did. Newbies, he says, were demeaned and ridiculed and grown men and women argued and acted like children. That always amazed me – how 30, 40, 50, and older people can turn around and act like 8 year old bullies on the playground.

It’s the Internet. It does that to people. It makes otherwise happy couple split because one spouse is living some fantasy online. It makes a 30-something year old man stick his chest out and beat it like an ape because he doesn’t have to worry about looking foolish in front of people. It’s just a screen name, after all. It makes grown, married women act like 16 year old giggly schoolgirls, flirting with every Tom, Dick, and Harry they encounter (I see this in our business, too!).

I don’t blame Michel for shutting down the board. This kind of stuff gets draining. I get drained reading it, and whenever I see one of those bickering posts, I normally click right out and go on to something else. Such a time waster!

I’m sure many people will hate to see his board close. It was a good resource. The Warrior Forum also has a copywriter’s section, which I also use. But it’s never bad to have more than one tool at your disposal, right? People – let’s all try to remember there are real people with real feelings online. An angry email or rude comment stings. Is that really what you want to put out there in this world?

Not me.

Tiff

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