Welcome to the premiere edition of 50megs Monthly News. This publication keeps you informed about the profitable, innovative, or just plain fun online activities of your fellow community members. And who knows? The stories we present here may give you great ideas for your own web site!

Mustangs run wild

How would it feel to have your own web site featured in the New York Times? Brad Barnett knows. Brad is a 23 year-old Ford Mustang enthusiast from Birmingham, Ala., and is creator of the wildly popular “Brad’s Mustang Site.” Brad has become known as one of the world’s most enthusiastic Mustang hobbyists.

We recently spoke with Brad about his unique and popular passion to gain some insights into why he does what he does.

Brad, thanks for talking with us.
No problem. Glad to do it.

Could you tell us what motivated you to create your site?
The site started out as just a place for me to save some images of classic Mustangs, but kept growing and growing as I learned more about the cars. Thanks to visitor feedback, I've learned a hundred times more about Mustangs than I did before I created the site. I don't make any money off the site; I just do it because it's fun!

What do you want people to know about you personally?
I'm just a regular guy with a hobby. Sure it's out of control, but it's just a hobby. None if this would make any difference without the support of my wife, friends, and millions of Mustang enthusiasts worldwide.

What mark do you want to leave on the world?
Right now I'm known as the guy with the Mustang site, and that's just fine with me. Maybe one day I'll be the guy with the classic Mustang collection. :-)

How has your web site changed life for you and your family?
The site has become more popular than I could ever imagine. I once had someone come up to me in a parking lot in other state asking if I ran Brad's Mustang Site and that they had recognized my car. My mom coincidentally ran into two of my site's visitors in a grocery store parking lot who were thrilled to have met "Brad's Mustang Site's Mom." The popularity of the site led to two mentions in the New York Times, which has increased traffic and membership in my Mustang club, Magic City Mustangs.

What advice would you give to someone who is just getting started on their own web site?
The most important step is to benchmark. Visit other sites--both related and unrelated to your subject matter. Make a list of what you like and don't like--content, technology, layout, color schemes, navigation, download time, etc. Your best design information will come from others' mistakes. Next, make it unique. What will you offer that will set your site apart? Finally, just get started. If you don’t get going, you’ll never know how successful you might have been.