The idea has been discussed a few times in the past, but a bunch of us finally got the ball rolling and set up a few conference calls to discuss it more seriously. Four Pillars and other Canadian Personal Finance blog are going to join forces!
The resulting site will look something like a newspaper, where each of the former individual blogs makes up a column. We’re going to set up collaborative filtering (like Findory if you ever used it), so the site will use each reader’s individual history of clicking on posts to determine the layout. E.g. if you like debt reduction blogs, then the specific writers you like and other debt reductions blogs will be given more prominent placement. Of course there will always be a random “injection” from other blogs that you haven’t read before to expose readers to new blogs and ideas (which is the whole point of this idea).
Each “column” will have its own RSS feed (and direct link), so if you want to bypass the main page and just keep reading your favourites, that’ll be easily possible too.
Part of what swayed some of our fellow bloggers was how well Mike and I have been able to join our blogs together, so the rest of the crew offered to let us “break the story”. Expect to see announcements on most other Canadian PF blogs later today and throughout this week.
One of the sticking points (and the reason for so many drawn out conference calls – sigh) was figuring out what a good name would be. Our current working title (complements of Mrs. Pillars – she’s great with names!) is “Canadian DreamQuest for Four Thickening Capitalists on a Million Dollar Journey in a Garden of Pillars of Guinness Clawing Their Way Through a Financial Jungle With a Foxy Squawker, Larry the Wealthy Canadian and the Middle Class Millionaire Using a Financial Wallet full of Financial DIY Looking for Growth in Value and Wondering Where all the Money Went In Canadian Mortgage Trends in the 416“. We’re hoping that something catchier may present itself before we go live (or soon after so a rebranding isn’t TOO painful). Please feel free to make any other name suggestions here or in the announcements that should soon be appearing on other Canadian PF blogs.
Wish us luck, this is going to be great!!!
Late breaking news
We’ve just recently completed a deal which would mean that Bill Gates will be doing monthly guest posts on the new blog so watch for that!
27 replies on “Big Announcement”
LOL, i love it! When do we start?
Keep it up guys, great initiative!
can I join? ;-D
goodluck with the merge!
I tell ya, I’m so disappointed to be left out 🙁
Ha! That’s so funny. Thanks for a laugh in the morning.
Great joke,
Tim
That’s great! And I love the title. I want to join too though … but I think I am going to wait until April 2nd before submitting my official request! 🙂
Peter
FB – you were left out by mistake (I’ve added you in).
CC – you are in there (whether you like it or not!).
Damn, this would definitely crush those wussy yankblogs in its mighty wake. And possibly be bought by the Globe and Mail.
Oh okay. Thick Capitalist. I like that! 🙂
Will you be verbally abusing your monthly guest poster more often?!?
Dang, I’m a doorknob. I had to read this post 10 times. I blame jet lag. You guys are the best.
Do you think we could have an acronym for the name? (I won’t even attempt it) hahahahaha.
Great idea, I like the format, and thanks for including me!
Don’t forget Nancy Zimmerman and Money Relations, I love both those Cdn blogs.
Which part of this is the April’s fool?
I assume Gates took an equity stake in lieu of salary?
Gates will be working on a pay per post basis.
Man, you ride Gates harder than the Justice Department! Remind me not to merge my blog with yours.
Wow, I almost missed this today as I was finalizing my new job – I had until today to get all my licenses to the IDA so I could fulfill my registration requirements. I’ll break the news here since work doesn’t track your blog like they do mine: I’m no longer an advisor, and will be running a quant based hedge fund. The best part: no MER unless we beat the TSX – strictly performance fees. The highest hurdle rate I’ve ever seen has been T-bill rates – so wish me luck. Should have a good start though seeing as we are in a good market for buying.
Anyways, thought I had missed the conference call email or something. Good on ya! Funny thing is, I might want to have my blog absorbed since I won’t have much free time in the next while…
TMW – we had considered asking you to join us a while back but we were afraid you would deliver 14 tons of legal papers for us to sign… 🙂
WDAMMG – kudos on the new job. I’m assuming that’s NOT a joke.. 🙂
Interestingly enough I have a post on hedge funds this week…and it’s not a nice post on hedge funds either!! Your hurdle rate will be very tough.
Mike
No, it’s still April 1. Fair game until midnight!
Or is it noon?
Actually, if you are interested, I pulled one April fool’s prank 2 years ago that is on YouTube. It doesn’t make much sense without the context, but I had my friend come in and interview a lady in my office about “a career in the financial services”. We took the video and I wrote out every sentence she said, I then took a few hours to create NEW questions that when spliced into the video and re-joined with her responses made it look instead that she wanted to kill her boss for a promotion.
It’s a bit “amateur hour”, but you can see the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO7TngF02E4
Preet, the video is brilliant!
You are quite an actor.
Mike
Darn, you got me going for a minute there until I realized the day.
The reason I fell for it because it’s something I would do 😛
It’s actually a brilliant idea and emminently marketable/saleable … even on April 2nd … I wonder if I can get oot and aboot and become a kanuck?!
I’m a little late in reading this. Got me scratching my head for 10 minutes. I don’t remember particpating in a few conference calls.
Can’t believe you got me twice within a few weeks. Shame…
Pinyo – you should do it!
AJ – sure, but we only accept Canuck citizens.
FJ – we will keep repeating this exercise every few weeks until you gain a healthy level of skepticism!!!
🙂
Mike
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