When I first started the Ghacks Technology News blog back in October of 2005, I did not really have any expectations whatsoever. If it would be there after a year, that would be fine. If not, nothing was lost. I also did not really think about making money with the site, or even -gasp- quit my regular job to become a full time blogger. Well, everything changed when the site became popular.
In the beginning I worked two jobs, Ghacks and my regular one. This was a pretty hard time as I had to work before I went to work and after I went home on the site. I was lucky back then that I never experienced any serious down times when I was at work. I’d probably would have taken a sick day or day off then to be able to fix the site.
When the site started, it was all about a tool that a friend of mine had created to make advanced Google searches from the program. It was very handy at that time, but it somehow got dropped along the way. That’s actually where the name Ghacks comes from, Google Hacks.
The day that changed it all was when the guide Using Google To find Movies made it on the homepage of the then popular service Digg. The site, only active for about a week, received tens of thousand of visitors from that exposure. I was lucky enough that I added Adsense some time before to the site. When I found out that the site made more than $100 on that day it made click and the idea was born to make this more than a hobby. Without that, Ghacks may have never become what it is today.
It has been six years now and Ghacks is still more or less a one-man show. Sure, I hired some authors to add different perspectives to the site, but it is me who administrates the site, watches over its financials and contributes to the site on a daily basis. It is a full-time job. Surprisingly though I’m still motivated and do not have that nagging feeling that I do not want to “go” to work because work sucks. I love it.
Now that the site has turned six, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for being a visitor, reader, guest, contributor or whatever it is you are to the site. Without your help, Ghacks would not be where it was today, and more importantly, I would still work my 9 to 5 job.
To celebrate the event, I’d like to provide you with the opportunity to win one of ten Ghacks t-shirts. You can take a look at both available shirt designs here:
The shirts are of high quality. I still have the first shirts I ordered a few years ago when I started offering merchandise.
All you need to do to win a shirt is to comment here on this thread, or mention the birthday on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus or any other site on the Internet (that you are allowed to post on and where it is appropriate).
I pick the winners and contact them asking for their shipping address, t-shirt they want and size. Please note that some black shirt sizes are currently out of stock. It may take some time before they become available again. Good luck everyone.
Update: The winners of the shirts have been notified by email, they are: Paul(us), Ivan K., JFP, JimT, Tinwheeler, Kalmly, Mouser, Midnight, Johan Gustavsson and Matias.
Thanks to everyone for all the great wishes and praise, that was really nice for a change ;)
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Congrats to you for completing six years.
I can proudly say I have been a subscriber of Ghacks since past two years and quality of articles is simply getting better and better.
Keep up the good work. Congrats again :-)
WOW! I’ve been on reading this site for that long???
Congratulations on your staying power.
And no, I don’t need a t-shirt either :)
Wow! I think I must have found your site shortly after it started up. I stop by every a.m.
Congratulations. Your hard work has paid off!
Joyeux anniversaire Ghacks, que l’Esprit binaire soit ton compagnon pour l’infini.
================
GHACKS
Joyeux Anniversaire
Happy Birthday!
Great great site — one of the first places i go every morning. Thank you for all you do.
Here’s to the next 6 years martin!
-mouser
Congratulations Martin and team.
You have done a wonderful job. Hope you celebrate many more years to come.
Thank you for all the hard word.
“Happy Birthday: Ghacks :cheers:
Wow! that black shirt is awesome, would like to purchase if available. And also congratulations. Ghacks.net is one of the few website in my Adblock+ whitelist.
Happy 6th Anniversary to Ghacks and wishing you many more to come!!
You have done us all proud, Martin with your great posts and giveaways!!
Keep up the good work!
I look forward to reading your articles every day!! :)
Congratulations for having a consistently useful site.
(I don’t want a shirt.)
Congratulations and a hearty Happy Birthday, ghacks!
You’re one of the three must reads in my Google Reader daily feeds.
Cheers to a bright future!
Happy birthday ghacks.i’m regular reader of ghacks since last year
Congratulations Martin. Happy Birthday, Ghacks!
Happy 6th Birthday GHacks. I’ve moved to a mac comp but I still read GHacks so I know the latest info concerning Windows and what not, plus I still own my windows comp. :P Would love a t-shirt but hey if I don’t win I’ll still stay subscribed to the RSS feed. :) Congrats on your success. !!!!!!
Happy b-day and thumbs up! I think its time to turn off add block, because its 2-3 years… ;)
That would be nice ;)
Happy Birthday and many more to you.
Congratulations Martin.
I with that in the 7th year all applications reviewed will be portable apps :-)
Kudos ghacks and of course Martin et al. This is definitely one of the tech sites I make a point of checking out. Good job as always and here’s hoping there are many more years of great tech posts here.
Happy birthday Ghacks.
Ghacks was a great website, is a great website and will remain a great website as long as Martin is here. Ghacks contains tonnes of articles that I read everyday. I also thought of contributing to Ghacks forums but it looks as if the forums are dead. I have often referred people in the Mozilla support forum to your articles. And I plan to share some of your articles at My Blog.
Please don’t send me Ghacks T-Shirt.
Congratulations Martin & GHacks!
SFdude
Congrats, Martin. Not only on 6 years of Ghacks, but also on your personal achievements in that time (MVP status etc.).
Here’s to another 6 great years ahead!
Thanks RD, but I never was a MVP ;)
Oops! *facepalm* I was thinking of Mike, sorry.
Hi Martin,
Best wishes to GHacks Team and All the best for its future endeavours.
I started my blog on the same date back in 2007 :)
I won this giveaway some years back…but NEVER received the tshirt martin!
:)
Ghacks is one of the best tech blogs out there. I really like the way that other writers contribute to this site. I still remember the days when i corrected typos here,Ghacks has progressed so much since.
happy birthday Ghacks…. keep up the good work Martin.
Congratulations GHacks!
Have saved many of your posts with Feeddemon synced with GReader.
Don’t need the t-shirt though.
Martin,
Congratulations.
You have a fantastic geek website that is both informative and simply a good read.
Thanks for the past 6 years and the next 100…
SuilAmhain
Martin, Congratulations and a very Happy Birthday Ghacks. I have been a regular reader of your blog for quite some years now and have always found it to be very useful and informative. Keep up the good work Martin. I already have the red tshirt and would like to have the black one :-). Cheers once again.
Wow! It’s been 6 years. I’ve been with this website for the last 3 years when I first discovered it.
Don’t stop the work now, keep on going – this website is a wealth of information that is a geek’s paradise.
Here’s for another prosperous year for Ghacks!
Well done to Martin and the crew!
WOW!! 6 Long Years… You and your blog have traveled a long time. To be honest i have been following your blog for sometime now and i must i thoroughly enjoy each and every article you publish. Not only they are informative but also well written so that anybody can understand. I would definitely like to congratulate you for successfully completing 6 years and i wish that you cross many such milestones in the future.
I would also like to thank you for this nice giveaway. It will be my honor to wear a gHacks T-shirt and i would definitely cherish that moment. I really really hope that i be among the winners but even if i don’t win this giveaway then also nothing will change……..
gHacks is and will always remain one of the best Tech blog.
Thank you :)
Congratulations,
GHacks is now a source of everyday relevant news, and as you have posted a while ago, the new “Lifehacker” to me. Again, keep up the good work, stay motivated and have fun!
A must read on Google Reader daily feeds.