June 1, 2006
\nColumn 257
\nFairclough and Nickolson — Two Smart Guys who aren’t Mates<\/b><\/p>\n
There are two things in life that intimidate me.<\/p>\n
The first of course is women. How when I look straight into their eyes every single one of them on Earth knows that I\u2019m really trying to sneak a peek down their shirts, I just do not understand. It\u2019s a mystery.<\/p>\n
The other is computer techies. Don\u2019t ask me why. I suppose it\u2019s like having a conversation with a Brit or for that matter a woman \u2013 no matter how slowly they talk or carefully they explain something to me, I just don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n
And even when I think I do, I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n
For this column I had to talk to a techie. Fortunately he\u2019s not a she. His name is Ricky Nickolson and he hails form somewhere in Alabama near Corpus Christi. He and his friend Jason Hendrix, a black electric guitar player, have started up a couple of fascinating new darts websites.<\/p>\n
The first can be found at http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>and if you have a darts website anywhere in the world and want to increase your traffic you should take a moment RIGHT NOW and check out Nickolson\u2019s creation. In fairness, since starting this story a similar website has emerged in England. Created by Andy Fairclough of Superstars of Darts fame, it can be found at http:\/\/darts.gotop100.com\/<\/a> and you owe it to yourself and the growth of your website to CLICK HERE TOO.<\/p>\n For the record, Nickolson and Fairclough do not exactly see eye-to-eye on things. This has to do with another website that Nickolson created, a kind of electronic darts newspaper called The Oche (at http:\/\/www.theoche.com<\/a>), which is also worth checking out. It\u2019s a sort of one-stop shop for all the darts news that is wafting about the Internet.<\/p>\n What happened is that Nickolson discovered that Fairclough had not registered a domain name for his very popular Superstars of Darts website (probably the most popular in the world). So, apparently after a weekend binge on Rogue Dead Guy Ale (an Oregon microbrew made from fermented cow dung) Nickolson registered Fairclough’s website as his own domain and directed traffic to his new http:\/\/www.theoche.com<\/a> website. It\u2019s all very complicated, particularly if you\u2019re like me and don\u2019t know what a \u201cdomain\u201d really is.<\/p>\n When Fairclough discovered what happened the thing quickly escalated into a major international incident which Peter Jennings reported on in detail after he died. In short, Fairclough went ballistic and called Nickolson a \u201cpoopy head\u201d and Nickolson shot back by calling Fairclough a \u201cturtle booger.\u201d Fortunately the situation calmed before things got really ugly because Nickolson was too busy registering the domains http:\/\/www.microsoft.com<\/a>, http:\/\/www.google.com <\/a>and http:\/\/www.ebay.com <\/a>to be bothered any further.<\/p>\n So back to local news. What exactly is http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>(and http:\/\/darts.gotop100.com\/<\/a>) and why might they be worth a look? Since I\u2019m no techie I thought the best thing would be to ring Nickolson and have him give you the straight poop. Here\u2019s a transcript of our conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Ricky, this is Dartoid. I\u2019ve got a few questions about one of your websites. Got a minute?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHang on. Gates is on the other line. What an asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n After a minute Ricky returns.<\/p>\n \u201cThat you Ricky?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah. Microsoft bastards, too damn cheap to take out a frickin\u2019 domain name. Yeah, I\u2019ll answer your questions but you gotta promise me something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatcha need?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell Fairclough to screw himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll pass it along.\u201d<\/p>\n So Nickolson (who didn\u2019t really say any of the crap above) explained how eight or nine years ago he and his friend Hendrix were involved with an online game called Strikeforce. That was when they dreamed up an idea for a ranking system for game-related sites on the Internet. The things was, at the time the many games sites that are out there today didn\u2019t exist. So there wasn\u2019t much point in taking the idea further.<\/p>\n It remained in the back of their minds until about a year ago when they realized there were enough darts websites to get their old idea \u201ckick started and populated enough to hopefully attract the interest of the other darts sites.\u201d So they built their site, added a couple of their own darts sites, something called http:\/\/www.EZchalk.com <\/a>(an online scoring system) and http:\/\/www.SteveCoote.com <\/a>(Nickolson is the webmaster for professional darter Steve Coote) and went from there.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing friends with Nick Williams, the mastermind behind Paul Williams\u2019 website, it was easy enough to talk him into adding his site as well. From there I just started spamming and instant messaging everyone who I knew was in some way related to a darts website and threatened to publicly release the photographs unless they agreed to meet my demands.\u201d<\/p>\n Shelia Hadley, the webmistress for the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) at http:\/\/www.pdpa.co.uk\/<\/a> had been helpful when Nickolson was first working on the Steve Coote website so Nickolson contacted her. \u201cI thought of her when the http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a> website was just starting and she immediately signed up not only the PDPA but several other darts websites as well. I didn\u2019t realize how many irons in the fire that lady has! Her portfolio is huge. As you can imagine, she is very busy but she has always taken the time to correspond with me whenever I\u2019ve asked and she is an absolute pleasure to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n So of course I asked Nickolson the question that I know, right at this very moment, is on all of your minds. \u201cWait a minute Ricky. Are you telling me you have photos of Shelia!?\u201d<\/p>\n The rest is pretty much history as there are now over one hundred darts website registered at http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>(though only the most frequented 100 appear on any given day). Fairclough\u2019s http:\/\/darts.gotop100.com\/<\/a>is over half way to that mark and it only started a couple of months ago.<\/p>\n The process is simple for both of the sites. First, you click to them. Second, you register your darts website and your banner or logo. Third, you put a little graphic of Nickolson\u2019s and\/or Fairclough\u2019s ranking website on your website. Then, and this is the amazing part, each day Nickolson\u2019s and Fairclough\u2019s websites keep track of how many people visit your site and rank your website as to where it stands in popularity among all the other sites registered. But they are about a lot more than this.<\/p>\n Nickolson is proud to say that what he originally expected would happen has happened with his http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>website. His prediction was that http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>would borrow from some of the popularity of the top-ranked sites on the list and encourage traffic to the lesser known (but still worth visiting) sites elsewhere on the list. This is exactly what is happening.<\/p>\n In Nickolson\u2019s words, \u201cWhen a user of a http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>website out there, wherever it is in the world, sees the odd graphic, he or she will often click on it and be carried to the http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>page. Once there, they will see ninety-nine other darts sites that they can visit, all ranked in popularity, many of which they probably never knew existed.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, when a site first signs up Nickolson initially receives a lot of traffic from the new site to his http:\/\/www.darts100.com<\/a>. But then, after a couple of weeks, when the \u201cregulars\u201d have all clicked on Nickolson\u2019s graphic, the traffic begins to reverse. People who come to the http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a> website and discover new darts websites on the ranking list, and see the rankings change each day, become curious and begin clicking on the ranked websites and are carried to them.<\/p>\n So, again in Nickolson\u2019s words, \u201cIn essence the traffic to http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a> is only borrowed and repaid with interest because we send far more people out to our listed sites than we get coming into ours. Not a bad way to unite the darts Internet community and introduce people to new sites.\u201d<\/p>\n As of this writing both Nickolson\u2019s and Fairclough\u2019s websites have room for more registrations and could easily expand to formally list more than just the top 100 in any case. If you operate a darts-related website you really should take a moment to list your site: this will certainly gain you traffic. If you don\u2019t have a website but just want to go to websites where the majority of the most popular websites are listed and can be reached with one click, Nickolson\u2019s http:\/\/www.darts100.com <\/a>and Fairclough\u2019s http:\/\/darts.gotop100.com\/<\/a> are the only places to go.<\/p>\n There are of course a few big name darts websites conspicuous in their absence from Nickolson\u2019s and Fairclough\u2019s ranking websites.<\/p>\n The British Darts Organization (BDO) isn\u2019t listed at either but that\u2019s probably because either 1) they don\u2019t want to be seen by the world at the bottom of both listings, or 2) they are about to go out of business.<\/p>\n Phil Taylor\u2019s website is not listed at either, probably because there is no money in it for him.<\/p>\n America\u2019s National Darts Association is not listed at either because, well\u2026 the sites are about darts.<\/p>\n The Professional Darts Corporation is not listed at either. Neither is Bull\u2019s Eye News or the American Darters Association. I don\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n Of course, Nickolson\u2019s website isn\u2019t listed at Fairclough\u2019s website and Fairclough\u2019s website isn\u2019t listed at Nickolson\u2019s website. This I can explain.<\/p>\n From the Field,<\/p>\n Dartoid<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are two things in life that intimidate me.<\/p>\n The first of course is women. How when I look straight into their eyes every single one of them on Earth knows that I\u2019m really trying to sneak a peek down their shirts, I just do not understand. It\u2019s a mystery.<\/p>\n The other is computer techies. Don\u2019t ask me why. I suppose it\u2019s like having a conversation with a Brit or for that matter a woman \u2013 no matter how slowly they talk or carefully they explain something to me, I just don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n And even when I think I do, I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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aren't Mates","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[15],"class_list":["post-7090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dartoid"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2466,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1",520,472,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=300%2C272&ssl=1",300,272,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1",520,472,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1",520,472,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1",520,472,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?fit=520%2C472&ssl=1",520,472,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/darts-image-feature-random-4-1.jpg?resize=45%2C45&ssl=1",45,45,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Dartoid","author_link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/author\/dartoid\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"There are two things in life that intimidate me. The first of course is women. How when I look straight into their eyes every single one of them on Earth knows that I\u2019m really trying to sneak a peek down their shirts, I just do not understand. It\u2019s a mystery. The other is computer techies.…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":15,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"dartoid","display_name":"Dartoid","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png"},"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Seigel","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"\"Dartoid\" is the pseudonym of Paul Seigel, a prominent chronicler of darts for over 35 years. His columns are celebrated for their wit and insight, often detailing his quest for a game in exotic locales worldwide. His writing offers vibrant commentary on the competitive darts landscape, including players, organizations, tournaments and the sport's unique culture. Dartoid's articles are highly regarded among darts enthusiasts, solidifying his role as a pivotal figure in promoting and documenting darts as both a recreational pastime and professional sport."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7090"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}