Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Justin Lloyd?
Do you have a bio?
Can I link to you?
Can I deep link to a particular article?
How much do you earn from your blog?
How do you make money from your blog?
Isn’t making money from your blog wrong?
Who did your design for you?
What platform does your website/blog run on?
Can you link to me?
How can I hire you?
How can I hire your company to develop a game for me?
I have this great idea for a game, will you develop it for me?
Do you work on-site with me or off-site at your offices?
Are you available for speaking engagements?
If you have a speech impediment how can you be a motivational speaker?
Are you really straight?
Are you really a nice guy?
Can I use your content?
Can I translate your content?
Can I use your content in a book?
Can I work for your software company?
Do you offer private coaching/consulting sessions?
Can you provide printer friendly pages without any of the ads and other stuff?
Can you evaluate my product?
Can you review my product?
What’s the difference between evaluation and review?
Where do I send my product for evaluation/review?
How can I contact you?
Can I interview you?
Why is your/ur/yur/you’re/you’r website full of spelling mistakes?
Did you know you have a really weird writing style?
Can you turn off your recorder when talking to me?
Did you know that you’re breaking the law when you photograph, videotape or record my conversation?
Who is Justin Lloyd?
"Do you mean Justin Lloyd the person or Justin Lloyd the worker?" I’m a CEO. I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’m a writer. I’m a journalist. I’m a video game developer. I’m a software engineer. I’m a personal development maven. I’m a life coach. I’m a photographer. I’m an artist. I’m a life-long learner. So who are you really asking about? Is it Justin Lloyd? Or is it Justin Lloyd? You can read more about me on the about page and also the short biography page.
You can read more about this website or read more about me.
Do you have a bio?
I have a number of small biographies you can use for legitimate purposes such as when I appear at your conference. The different versions can be found on the biography page and below is the standard 99 word bio I use for a lot of publications.
Justin is: CEO of Infinite Monkey Factory, a game development studio. Serial entrepreneur. Technology and photo journalist for numerous print publications. Nascent author. Chapter President for International Game Developer Association Los Angeles. Past-president of Westside Media Community. Working on comic book in spare time.
Justin has: 30+ years developing hardware and software. Art and music in notable games. Contributed to successful Anime titles. 30+ published game titles.
Justin does: Software development. Writing. Teaching.
Justin has been: Stand-up improv comic. Book review columnist.
Justin wants: One day to do something productive. Once he figures out what he wants to do.
Can I link to you?
Please do so. I like getting links to my blog. I would recommend using either of the following styles of link:
For linking directly in to the blog:
For linking to the front page of the website:
You may also deep link directly to individual articles on this blog. I would appreciate it if you used the full title of the article as the link and a proper author credit. Please see the question on deep linking.
Can I deep link to a particular article?
Absolutely. I think this adds enormous value to both of our blogs/websites by linking to something that your readers will find interesting and insightful.
I would recommend the following format as an example:
Giving Up High Fructose Corn Syrup by Justin Lloyd
Or:
Justin Lloyd’s Giving Up High Fructose Corn Syrup
How much do you earn from your blog?
I cannot disclose precise amounts on my blog as my Director of Business Development and CFO have both requested that I do not for legal reasons. I can and will say that I earn enough money from my writing, both directly and indirectly, so as to not draw any salary from my video game development company.
How do you make money from your blog?
I make money from my blog through a number of different means, both direct and indirect.
Directly, this particular blog, as of this writing, uses only Google AdSense to generate revenue. I may expand the advertising in the future to include affiliate marketing and other revenue streams.
Indirectly the blog also helps with bringing business to my video game development studio and obtaining speaking and consulting engagements. I am also using my blog to promote my life coaching/personal development sessions.
Isn’t making money from your blog wrong?
A ridiculous notion promulgated by people so fearfully anxious of the moral fortitude in others that the only response is to tell them "Get over yourself." I also believe that this angst ridden nonsense full of torturous logic is spread by people who generally suck at making money.
Note my statement of making money. I did not say “converting a resource in to money.”
Any damn fool can do the latter.
I am an entrepreneur. I start businesses and I make money. It’s what I do. I pay bills. I make living for myself. I have to do this just as much as any other person on this planet. I dedicate a lot of time to writing articles. That takes time away from other profitable endeavours.
That fundamentally means, "different strokes for different folks."
If you have a problem with me earning a living from my blog, because I am thoroughly concerned about your moral fortitude, I respectively request that you stop reading my free content in protest of this fact. You should stand by your moral outrage. I would hate for you to become a hypocrite.
Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784), an English author and described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history," who you think would have used more eloquent words for the time he was alive, once stated "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
Who did your design for you?
This particular design was modified from one of the publically available and totally free WordPress themes available from the WordPress website.
This is a rare exception that was done as a mental exercise. The majority of my website design work is outsourced through various designers which I have used for several years. The rest of the art and design work for video games, magazines and other uses I have done by my in-house art staff.
What platform does your website/blog run on?
My blog and website run on WordPress with the standard LAMP — hah, that’s a pun, "standard LAMP", get it? LAMP stands – another pun – for Linux, Apache, mySQL, PHP. Don’t argue about whether the "P" in LAMP stands for Perl or PHP, I’m not interested.
I often get asked this question but in the grand scheme of life what the technology solution is doesn’t really matter. Just so long as the technology doesn’t get in the way of writing and publishing my ideas I’m fine with using whatever is available.
Just like blogging, the technology I chose is my medium, not my message.
This is a similar question that I get asked about which language I use to program computer games with. As though the programming language has any bearing on the design of the game or whether it turned out to be fun.
Technology? Programming language? Word processor?
These are implementation details used by people to distract themselves from being productive.
When it comes to any endeavour, and to quote someone far more famous than I, "content is king."
You should never underestimate that if you are thinking of starting your own blog. Technology is the facilitator. Technology is the enabler. The amount of time I spent researching, installing and configuring the technology will, in the final accounting of the time expended, be miniscule to the overall amount of time invested in producing content.
I would have to say the chosen technology platform constitutes less than 0.01% of the entire effort of creating a viable product.
Can you link to me?
Short answer. No.
Long answer. I get a lot of requests for link exchanges and I honestly have to say I have only ever taken someone up on it just once because I thought it was an interesting piece of technology.
Most reciprocal link requests of "I’ll link to you if you’ll link to me" come with the best of intentions. The problem is I just don’t have the time to investigate each site that someone requests a link to. I would need to ensure their website and content is congruent with my own goals and ideals. I would also have to regularly review the websites on my link exchange to verify that the authors are still hosting valid content in line with whatever direction I choose to take my own website.
How can I hire you?
Let’s define what you mean by "hire" first.
Do you mean hire me to give a speech at a gathering or event? I would be very happy to do this, please see the frequently asked question regarding this very topic.
Do you mean hire my video game development studio to perform work for you?
Do you mean hire "me" as an employee or contractor to work directly for you or your company? I rarely work as an "employee" or contractor directly for a company. I have worked this way in the past, perhaps six times in my entire life, and for very brief periods, for very specific reasons. I have found that there is little point in exchanging my most valuable and irreplaceable commodity, my time, for the small amount of pocket change that I receive only once. The reasons I choose to work directly for a particular person are many and complex and usually come down to an invaluable opportunity to help out very good friends that I have known for years.
If none of the above answer your specific question, please contact me with further details and we can discuss your proposal.
How can I hire your company to develop a game for me?
I would suggest you begin by browsing my video game company website. The company website will give you more information on who we are and some of the titles we have worked on. I also have marketing brochures and information that I can mail out to you.
I have this great idea for a game, will you develop it for me?
My personal development website isn’t the appropriate place to discuss that particular subject but if you browse on over to the company website and use the contact details found there I would be more than willing to discuss your proposal with you.
Please be aware that IMF does not fund other people’s ideas. I am very happy to very briefly discuss your idea or proposal (email works best) but as harsh as this sounds you need to be able to raise your funding, which needs to be stable, before we can commence working on your project.
Do you work on-site with me or off-site at your offices?
To get the greatest productivity and ensure success of your project I work off-site and at my offices with my staff. I have worked on-site but only in extreme circumstances with very difficult projects. Even when I do choose to work on-site I don’t allow it to be for extended periods of time. There are a great deal of demands on my time and I must be merciless in how I manage it. It is important to me to give my clients the best service and product I can give them. It is also important to me to maintain a good balance in my life and either working directly for someone, or working on-site as a regular employee, I cannot achieve this.
Are you available for speaking engagements?
Yes, you can make your request by directly contacting me. Please make your request for my engagement as clear and as succinct as possible. If it isn’t clear it will most likely be deleted. Clarity and succinctness is very important in all forms of communication.
Please be aware that if you e-mail me directly I receive many thousands of spam e-mails a day and your e-mail may be detected as spam and automatically deleted. If you suspect this is the case, please use the contact page to reach me.
If you have a speech impediment how can you be a motivational speaker?
By practicing relentlessly and endeavouring to ensure that my speech impediment is not noticeable when I present.
Did you know I’m also dyslexic and dysgraphic and I graduated school with only remedial Math & English skills but write reasonably proficiently and get paid for it?
Are you really straight?
Yes. No doubt about that. Ask any of the many men who have been in my bedroom.
My girlfriend however isn’t so sure. One of the main reasons she keeps me around is all the "gay froufrou shit."
I know about flower arranging and what particular flowers mean — I ran a successful silk flower distribution/wholesale business at one time.
I know how to fold a fitted sheet and how to iron clothes — I owned and operated a clothing outlet at a local market. I also fold my dirty clothes — including the underwear – because I’ve travelled a lot and know how to pack clothes in to small spaces.
I have studied aromatherapy and massage therapy professionally –every girl I’ve ever dated wants a massage, why not give it to her?.
And I can cook really well — my Mother was a very good professional chef and she, along with my Father, who also cooked, ran a nightclub/restaurant for a time.
So lots of non-traditional, non-masculine activities.
Are you really a nice guy?
Yes. It says so on the internet so it must be true.
You might also like to read all about how this vicious rumour got started.
Can I use your content?
No.
Absolutely not.
Not if you give me credit.
Not if you pay me.
Not even if you aren’t making a profit.
Quite simply put, absolutely no way in freezing hell can you use my content.
All of the content on this website is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by my company and may not be reproduced without express written permission which I never have and I never will grant.
Just because my content is on a website and therefore on the internet does not make it free to use, copyright free, or any other misunderstood notion of what you are allowed to do with it.
If you think I am being too harsh about this, too bad. Go create your own content.
Can I translate your content?
No. I am not interested in pursuing this option at this time.
No.
Just “No.”
Stop asking.
The content is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by my company and may not be reproduced without express written permission which is never granted.
Can I use your content in a book?
No. The content copyright and all rights are reserved by my company and may not be reproduced without express written permission which is never granted.
Can I work for your software company?
I am always seeking qualified people to work either as part of the core team or as part of our contractor crew. I operate my studio on the Hollywood scene shop/model shop business model.
This means a highly experienced core team and access to hundreds of contractors at one day or two days notice. Individual members of the core team consist of people with a lot of experience, usually in the range of decades. With multiple shipped titles, if not dozens of shipped titles. Core team members have also fulfilled many different job roles.
For contractors, the requirements are lower and we’re seeking talent, new skills and reliability more than experience.
If you believe you qualify you can send your resume, demo reel and other materials directly to the studio via the address on the contact details page.
Do you offer private coaching/consulting sessions?
Yes, I do offer private coaching and consulting sessions as and when my schedule allows me to.
As of this writing , 1st December, 2008, my schedule is currently full.
I occasionally have a cancellation or need to shuffle dates around based on new priorities so it is always worth contacting me to see if I have any dates available.
Can you provide printer friendly pages without any of the ads and other stuff?
Yes. All of the articles on this website have print ready versions available. Simply choose the "Print" option in your browser and a clean, ad-free version will be printed out for you to read on the train, plane, or at your desk.
Even though I encourage you to print out my articles for personal use and reading at a later time the ease of printing them does not mean you may reproduce the articles in a newsletter or other publication.
Can you evaluate my product?
Probably. The ADD side of me loves looking at new things so you are more than welcome to send me your product for me to look at. Just as stated in the review FAQ, I don’t offer any guarantee of reviewing your product beyond trying it out.
Read the FAQ of where to send products for evaluation.
Can you review my product?
Probably not. I honestly get a lot of products for review and a lot of what is sent just doesn’t fit in to any category that I write for.
I know there are writers out there that will review just about anything and everything but I try and stay focused in what I cover. I review software and hardware products, personal development products, business/marketing products, genre fiction books (fantasy, science fiction and mystery), business books and technology/computer books.
If you think your product fits within these categories, feel free to send it.
What’s the difference between evaluation and review?
In an evaluation I’ll take a look at your product, I may use it anywhere from 10 minutes to several weeks. I might mention I’m using the product in an article either on this website or in a magazine. I might mention your product to other people in casual conversation.
In a review I will actively use your product and write a – usually – long review of it for publication in a magazine. Reviews are a lot more work and I write them for money for print publications. My reviews are based on using the product for an extended period of time, in a real world environment, with a critical eye that comes from 30 years of being an entrepreneur, running a business and developing complex software projects.
Where do I send my product for evaluation/review?
If your product is a physical one, you can send it to the mailing address on my contact page.
If it is a digital download, send the complete product or download details directly to me via the contact page.
Making the download process as painless as possible for me to evaluate your digital product means I most likely will take a look at it.
Sending me only half of a product will pretty much make me ignore it.
"Here’s the first disc, out of a 30 disc set, of an audio programme on learning French." – this has happened.
"Here’s a one-hour trial of our Enterprise level employee time-tracking program for businesses." – this has also happened.
Something like either of those two examples will surely have your product rejected without me even considering it. Time limited demos of complex products are of little interest to me. An hour makes sense for a casual game. A week or month for an accounting package isn’t an evaluation, it’s a product pitch. I need the full, unlocked, non-cripple-ware version to form an effective opinion about it and to consider writing a review of it.
I’m not an editor/publisher trying to get through a slush pile of submitted stories. I assume that you have spent a lot of time, effort and money to bring your product to market and so the product itself already has some merit. Your product has passed a huge hurdle already. If you are going to the trouble of sending your product to me, I am assuming it is worth my time to look at. I’m trying to evaluate your product fully, I’m not interested in skimming the surface of it.
You should probably also read the Can you evaluate my product? and Can you review my product? questions.
How can I contact you?
I love hearing from my readers. I love hearing from people who have had their lives touched by something I have written or created. You can contact me using the contact page.
Can I interview you?
I am available to be interviewed for your publication, radio show or other media outlet. To request an interview please send me information on: The media outlet type, e.g. radio, newspaper, website; readership demographic, audience size, when the interview is to take place, and finally when and where the interview will be aired or published.
As to the format of the interview I much prefer doing an interview over the telephone as I find the entire experience to be faster, more efficient and far more personal. With a telephone interview the interviewer is more engaged with what I am saying and how I am saying it.
Please be aware that as I avidly and openly record all of my interactions with people, through the use of a SenseCam, that any interview you conduct with me will also be recorded on my side as well as your side or whoever you have interview me. This will be clearly stated by me at the beginning and end of the interview.
Please submit your interview request to me via my contact page.
Why is your/ur/yur/you’re/you’r website full of spelling mistakes?
They are not spelling mistakes. They are a clever usage of letters called "English." This clever usage often includes inserting the letter "u" or exchanging the letter "a" for the letter "e" or the "z" for an "s." Occasionally I will slip in the letter “y” instead of an “i” just to make your brain hurt.
I have even been known, on occasion, to use strange made up words like "cheque," "maven," "endeavour" and "programme." You should hear the way I talk! I am practically incomprehensible some days!
I’m not saying there aren’t mistakes in this website. There are. It’s just that more often than not what you think is a mistake is just a different spelling or usage of a particular word than to that which you are used to.
Did you know you have a really weird writing style?
Yes. People have often pointed this out to me. I believe they are referring to something we in the 21st century call "punctuation." Oh, and grammar. And style.
Can you turn off your recorder when talking to me?
No. If you don’t wish to be recorded, don’t interact me with.
Did you know that you’re breaking the law when you photograph, videotape or record my conversation?
Possibly yes.
Possibly no.
And so what if I am.
The law is a complex subject so unless you happen to specifically be a lawyer who has studied all of the permutations, neither you nor I are qualified to discuss this. Besides, I’m a relentlessly self-improving criminal mastermind working on building my globe spanning empire that will enable me to hold the world to ransom, why would I care about your petty regional laws regarding individual rights? 
I’m just acting the same way your government does.