VocationHelp.com

Regarding Previous Post

I am going to attempt to have a conversation with the owner of ' Legitimate Online Business.'  They have provided a 'live' operator to whom to direct questions and concerns. 

I believe there needs to be some record of the percentage of success.  It is highly important that a business be forthright, otherwise, they are just another company that uses Google's ad programs to generate revenue for themselves via affiliates selling the information-----in which case, their program might be completely worthless.  I will let you know when this happens.

The adwords and adsense programs offered by Google, while lucrative for some, have historically proven to be just another way unsuspecting people spend their money in a desperate attempt to find a legitimate way to make money from home.  It should not be too much to expect from a legitimate company that they offer up some real testimonial and real numbers regarding their program's success.

I am working now for Demand Studios, but am still spending time in my relentless search for the best for all of you.

Until next time,

Advocate

SPAM

From time to time, articles from other publications will be printed here. (Naturally, with the permission of the author)

Jim Edwards is a well known and respected member of the writing and publishing community.  His recent article on spam follows, then some comments of our own about the issue.

How To Avoid Spam Robots

      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Despite the fact that Federal legislation (the CANSPAM act)
made it illegal, harvesting email addresses from the web
using automated robots remains alive and well.

Spammers who need fresh email addresses release software
spider programs that comb the Internet and suck email
addresses off Web pages, guest books, and anywhere else you
might post your email address.

Once they get your email address, spammers will trade it
around like 5th graders with a new pack of Pokemon cards at
recess and you can expect the avalanche of email to begin
flooding your inbox.

In order to combat this still rampant practice of stealing
email addresses from websites and sending people email they
don't want, the following tips should help protect you.


** Break It Up **

Obviously the best way to avoid getting picked up by an
email harvester is not to post your email anywhere on
anyone's website (including your own).

If the only way someone can get your email is if you give it
to them, that creates a similar situation to operating with
an unlisted phone number.

If telemarketers can't get your phone number, they can't
call.

If you must post your email address, post it in a way that a
robot won't recognize it as an email address. Instead of
posting YOURNAME@YOURDOMAIN.COM, you can put YOURNAME (AT)
YOURDOMAIN.COM and then, in parenthesis, put (replace AT
with @ to email me).

Though it seems like an extra step for legitimate email,
you'll find it a very effective technique.


** Use An Image **

Currently, online spiders (ANY spider, including search
engines) cannot read text that appears in a graphic or
picture. If you must display an email address on a page,
then do it by typing your email address into your favorite
graphics program and saving the image as a .gif or .jpg.
Then post the image onto your web page so people can see the
email, but spiders cannot. This too creates an extra step
for people because they must type in your email address, but
it's an effective solution if you must display an email
address on your own website.

** Use An Email Form **

Another way to cut down on spam originating from your
own website is simply not to display an email at all.

Instead, allow customers and prospects to contact you
through a form where they fill in fields, click a button,
and your website emails you their message.

A note of caution: make sure the form script you use does
not keep your email address visible in the form code.

If the form code contains the email address, spam robots can
find it even though you don't see it on the page.


** Make It Hard To Guess **

Sometimes you'll get unsolicited email because a spammer
guessed your email address.

It's not a far stretch to imagine that someone probably has
the email Jim@yourdomain.com, so spammers will do a
"dictionary" attack on common usernames.

One way to defeat this is to place a "dot" (.) in your email
address, such as Jim.Edwards@yourdomain.com. The dot makes
it virtually impossible for spammers to guess your email
address. 

--
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how
to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted
visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs...

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Need MORE TRAFFIC to your website or affiliate links?
"Turn Words Into Traffic" reveals the secrets for driving
Thousands of NEW visitors to your website or affiliate
links... without spending a dime on advertising!

Take a look at Jim's valuable information here.

While Jim is correct in his assessment about security issues, and simple annoyances with unwanted email, we have to wonder why Microsoft has not taken a more pro-active stance toward eliminating the costly issue of SPAM.

If you have any interest in how MS defines 'pro-active,' this would be the place to visit.  The finger pointing and evasiveness continues.

And the consumer is still at loggerheads with the whole process.

We don't have to guard our real mailboxes with a shotgun-----yet, with personal Internet communications, we are forced to purchase protection.

Reminiscent of Chicago in the 1920's.

Until next time.

ADVOCATE

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Bull-Free-Zone

If you have been around the Internet for any time at all, you have likely encountered Graham Hamer.

If not, do yourself a huge favor and type his name into GOOGLE, and feast your eyes on his many accomplishments.

Graham is a member of our Trusted Internet Publishers.

As such, here is an introduction to him through his newsletter, the Bull-Free-Zone.

Most Newsletters, almost regardless of which "guru" stable they're coming out of, will not tell you anything new. They just regurgitate other people's articles that have been syndicated, and try to get you to buy from their "guru-blessed" affiliate links.

Most eBooks, almost regardless of which self-opinionated Internet marketing "guru" wrote them, will not make you money, and don't tell the truth about the online business game.

Most don't tell the truth because they don't know the darn truth! It takes being in the game to know the real deal about what's going on.

Those empty, rehashed eBooks and eZines will do nothing more than give you a severe dose of mental constipation. They'll never get you to the level of making the big league profits.

They will not solve your problems of getting targeted traffic and gigantic affiliate checks.

• Are your product sales down?
• Are your affiliate sales down?
• Is your website traffic low?
• Are you unable to get top level search engine positions for your key phrases?
• Are you frustrated by the whole Internet marketing thing?
• Are you just about ready to give up on making money online?

If you really want to:

• Stop wasting money on ads that are doomed to fail before you place them!
• Get a waterfall of product sales week after week, month after month!
• Watch your affiliate checks swell up and skyrocket to record amounts!
• Witness your own products caught in a selling frenzy!
• Watch your website rumble and erupt with solid targeted traffic!

Then don't hesitate, sign up for the Bull-Free-Zone™ right now...

"SEVEN Reasons why "Bull-Free-Zone™" is a Winner"

1. You get the exact same battle-tested, traffic-driving, profit-taking strategies I use myself to bank enough cash to stuff a mattress.
    
2. You profit from the wisdom and experience of a real master money maker working on your behalf in every single issue of these Unique Fact Sheets. You'll benefit instantly from all of my e-marketing-epidemics and killer-cash-conquests.
    
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6. Action points to help you succeed. I don't hold your hand and guide you step-by-step, but I do know what needs to get done to guarantee your online success. In many issues, I will be concentrating your mind with a vital "Top Task". Take note, because these are the basic keys to your Internet wealth.
    
7. Bull-Free-Zone™ Fact Sheets are Web-Based.
   What does that mean? - It means that it's irrelevant whether your email system accepts HTML or not. It's irrelevant whether you're AOL or XYZ, you are going to get exactly the same good-to-look-at reports as everybody else... and, since they are up there on the Web, they'll always be available to you as a permanent library.
   
   Bull-Free-Zone™ does things differently .... does things BETTER!

Google this!

My Internet friend of years, Bobbette Madonna (aka Lady Madonna) reminds us today that the omnipotent Google has perhaps violated the boundaries of personal privacy.  Read on:

Google has implemented a feature where in you can type someone's telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and then you will be given a map to their house. Everyone should be aware of this! Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tested it by typing my telephone number in google.com. My phone number came up, and when I clicked on the MapQuest link, it actually mapped out where I live. Quite scary! Please look up your own number. Read below for details. Think about it -- if a child, ANYONE, gives out his/her phone number, someone can actually now look it up to find out where he/she lives. Telemarketers use this feature - do they pay google? The safety issues are obvious and alarming. 

In order to test whether your number is mapped, go to: http://www.google.com/ Type in your phone number in the search bar (i.e.555-555-1212) and hit enter. If you want to BLOCK google from divulging your private information, simply click on your phone number. It takes 48 hours. If you are unlisted in the phone book, you might be in there, but it is a good idea just to check. If your number does come up, when you hit the map link, it will show you a direct map to your house. Please forward on to friends and family. 

Thanks for the heads up.  Perhaps one fine day, Google will partner with the Government's Carnivore program and your Social Security number would reveal every intimate detail about your life. 

Wow, isn't progress wonderful?

Keep your head down.