Petition to Bring Back the Internet
ByDear Mr. Internet Marketer,
I remember once upon time, the internet was a fun-filled place. It was a place I can come and relax. A place I can meet up with friends, chit chat about our days and lives. A place where I can frolic among the different engaging websites that are fun, entertaining, and/or educational.
Those were the good ol’ days.
Then you came along and f**ked it all up.
You took it from a fun-filled playground where there was plenty of open grassy fields, kids-friendly toys, lots of sunshine, trees, and flowers and turned it into a melting pot of junk. You pissed all over the grassy fields and sprinkled tons of shattered glass around all the toys. You stampeded the flowers and in their place, put in man-eating plants. You took the trees and put barbed wires all around them.
What in the world are you doing? Please stop.
Death of MySpace
MySpace was once a great spot for my friends and me to reconnect and say hi to each other. Heck, it was even a great place to meet new people (it even gave birth to the promiscuous statement, “From MySpace to my place…”)
But then you came along and pretended to be my friend.
You came along and sucked me in just so you can spit on me and my profile. You lied to me when you messaged me calling me “your friend” only so you can sell me your junk.
Please stop.
Cancer of FaceBook
Then FaceBook sought to rectify the situation. It was closed off to you for the longest time. It was only for friends of friends of friends. It was a closed community where true friends can connect. It was suppose to be “better than MySpace” – the Bel Air version of MySpace. It was great and fantastic!
I mean, yes it was just a more complicated and pretentious version of MySpace but at least it was cool and more structured. I was able to reconnect with plenty more of my friends and family in a much more organized manner!
Then you showed up again.
Some way somehow, you penetrated the community. You created applications laced with poison designed to do nothing but sh*t on my FaceBook page and waste my time as I continually deny your invitation and reject your stupid flowers and pillow fights.
Seriously, I don’t care whether you think I am Thao, I don’t care if you could be a celebrity you’d be a chipmunk, I D-O-N’-T care. Why did you think I would in the first place? Now my FaceBook is just a clusterf**k of your junk and sh*t.
Twitter Don’t Go “Tweet Tweet” Anymore
Twitter introduced microblogging. It finally enabled me to tell the world what I am doing while I sit on my john dropping the kids off at the pool. I was able to say things like, “I am tweeting now.” and feel important because I can pretend that the 23 people who are following my tweets actually cared.
I was able to learn of earth-shattering news happening around the world as news flooded the Twitter-land with things like the terrorist attack in India (which brought this info to more people in shorter amount of time than traditional means). I was able to secretly stalk my friends and see their messages like, “I am leaving my house for my 2 week vacation – so yes, my house will be empty, please don’t rob me.”
Then you reared your ugly face.
Sure you may seem to be popular, with your 100,000.8 followers… never mind that you are following 238,898 followers and of those 100,000.8 followers, 8,723 of them are your own fake profiles and the remainders are your internet-cancerous marketing friends.
You flood the Twitter land with stupid messages like, “Hi my name is Bob, please like me and buy my stuff at: http://www.whyiamadouchebag.com” You make Twitter now nothing but a shoutbox – where you do nothing but stand on your little hill and shout on top of your lungs, thinking we care and we actually listen to you.
Go f**k yourself.
Anti-Social Sites
Social sites and social bookmarks are no longer social. Now they are just a cluster-f**k of Mr. Other-Internet Marketers like you. They are filled with empty profiles with nothing but links to worthless websites that ask for your name, email address, and money. These bookmarks are now loaded with links to self-promoting, value-lacking, piss-poor websites that have no business being bookmarked.
Social sites are meant to be social, but gawd damn it I am relapsing back into my reclusive self because these social sites are anything BUT social.
Can I ask you one question Mr. Internet Marketer? “WTF?”
Please Stop
Listen Mr. Internet Marketer. I get what you are doing. I understand that it is your “job” to sell stuff online. But what you are missing is the “add value” aspect of business, of what you are doing.
You are so busy and focused on just SELL SELL SELL, you are starting to piss off more than just me, you are pissing off the big brothers like Google and FTC.
Why do you think the whole idea of Google Slap and Google Ban came around? It’s because you used and abused a system that was designed to improve lives. You took that, warped it for your evil intentions so you can con people into buying your low-quality junk.
And now Google and the FTC are pissed and punishing everyone for it – thanks to you Mr. Internet Marketing A**hole.
Maybe if you get your head out of your arse for a bit you’ll see that by going back to the fundamentals of internet marketing, which is to give without want, and to add overwhelming value to people, you will not only help US but also yourself.
By stopping being such a prick online, stopping thinking of ways to “trick” the people to buy, “trick” AdWords to approve your ads, “trick” FTC to approving your ads, and “trick” your merchant account provider to approve your account… maybe, just maybe, you can bring balance back to the internet.
Mr. Internet Marketer, if there is any sense of dignity, ethics, moral, and self respect, please stop pissing on the internet. Please restore the internet into the beautiful place it once was. Do it for the children.
Signed,
P.S. And if you are NOT Mr. Internet Marketer, please sign the petition below by leaving a comment so we can get this message heard by Mr. Internet Marketer.
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- “Fake Networking” Here’s a great clip of Seth Godin commenting on networking...
- No More Twitter App! Disconnecting Twitter from Facebook There’s a Twitter application for Facebook that I’ve been using...
NEWS FEED
You said it, man!
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing! It’s time for those of use who respect the people who are vital to our very livelihood to stand up and say enough is enough!
As it is with most things, a relatively few people who don’t want to play by the rules have screwed it all up for the majority of us who do play by the rules – and always have.
Just as you’ve described, the greed-peddlers and dream-stealers leave a swath of destruction everywhere they go, as they whisper out of the dark virtual alleys, “Psssst…. Hey buddy! Wanna make some EASY money?” Who wouldn’t?
What hacks me off the most is that more and more of these so-called marketers who are doing this are actually honest decent people who have found themselves backed into a corner by tough times, and are just doing what the “product” or “system” that some self-aggrandizing “guru” sold them for $197 TOLD them to do…
They’ve been led to believe that if they’re going to make money online, THAT’S the way you HAVE to do it if you’re going to make the BIG bucks!
Sadly, a large number of these people fall for it, hook line and sinker, because they have a “lottery mindset, and even worse, they really don’t have the first CLUE about what’s involved in running a REAL business – and sadly, most of them really just don’t have what it takes to run a business in the first place.
But THEY don’t know that! They DO know they want to “fire their boss,” and so they’re willing to listen to the first “guru” who can whip them into enough of a frenzy, and buy their crappy “system” that invariably costs more than it ever produces.
So they buy their weekly handful of lottery scratch-off tickets, head off to the Indian casino, and/or sign up for “the money-making program du jour,” hoping that they’ll eventually “hit the jackpot.” And of course they never do.
You can find them easily enough – just follow the trail of shredded lottery tickets, cheap Indian cigarette butts, and hard drives full of valueless ebooks they’ve never even READ, but continue to try to sell anyway.
They GIVE the leads they work so hard to gather to their “guru” rather than build their own list, which is probably for the best because they also don’t know anything about the art of building a trusting relationship with people before ever asking them to buy something.
Nope – just continue to “crank ‘em through the machine” by DRIVING “traffic” instead of attracting people with needs and wants they can fulfil. But wait – they aren’t able to fulfil anyone’s needs and wants in the first place, because the only thing they have to offer is the same crappy “system” that isn’t making THEM any money!
Consider this reply to be MY John Hancock-sized signature, Ray!
And to “Mr. Internet Marketer” – Start doing things the RIGHT way, or get out of the business! Stop pandering and pimping for “gurus” and start serving the needs of everyday people with goods and services that they want to buy! Not only is it much easier than what you’re doing, but also much more profitable!
But the key is to focus on bettering the lives of people, and not on making money. If you do the first part, the second part will take care of itself!
(I was referred to this article by Nathan Isaac in the forum over at BetterNetworker, and I’m sure glad we did. There’s a growing groundswell amongst ethical marketers to form a co-ordinated campaign to put a stop to the crap that’s been going on in the industry.
Soren Jordansen and Cindy Battye posted an excellent article on this subject recently, which can be found at
http://shrunklink.com/gztt
Let ethical online marketing begin with each of us, and when we encounter someone who’s abusing the internet by abusing and swindling people, let’s confront them and either convince them to change their ways or do what we can to put them out of business by warning everyone we know about them.
We CAN put a stop to it if we work TOGETHER.
(Ray – I’ll PM you at BN to discuss a possible plan of action. Again, great post, man!)
@Nathan your idea could be the next big thing. You could create a site with just that idea. Brilliant.
I have not seen you post this over at BN but I would like to narrate this in a podcast over in the community with our permission.
I love this post Raymond, it speaks every ounce of truth.
Why the heck does that person seem to be allowed at the best places. I think that’s what would make a social networking site better, be able to vote for people and if you are ranked good, then you get to stay. A place where only professional non spammers are. That would be heaven
Nicolas,
Go for it… you might consider toning it down a bit if you are afraid of offending some gentler folks.
Obviously I wasn’t
Raymond
P.S. Credit via backlinks would be appreciated. Thanks.
This is one of the best posts I’ve ever read Raymond.
I am a 54 year young guy discarded from the work force at 51.
I found Dillard in Nov. 07.
Sounds like I was reborn and in a way I was.
Coming from “old school” and a technophobe this 2 + year journey has been the toughest thing I’ve ever done.
So what though …I still don’t get that those pissing on the internet as you say feel they must ram all their shit at me almost evey time we connect. I refuse to buy in to this pissing stuff.
As you say..IT DOES NOT WORK YOU PISSERS SO STOP!
I would like your permission to share this post in my 2 blogs.
I’d like to put it on my business blog which is the one on the link and my personal blog also.
Of course giving you credit since I’m straight up and honest like you.
Don’t know if you read your post replies Raymond but let me know young Sir.
Thanks
This is one of the best posts I’ve ever read Raymond.
I write about this often but I do not have your credibility.
I actually can’t believe that there are not dozens or even hundreds of comments to this post.
I don’t know about the “good old days ” since I really have only been doing things properly for 2+ years..since I found Dillard’s stuff.
I am though a truth teller like you and don’t mince words anywhere in my life and this pissing all over the internet as you say is simply an extention of what is taught in our N.A. school systems ,the media and of course the governments.
I’m Canadian but it’s all the same here of course.
I for one stay professional and refuse always to do the sh– you write of.
The pissing inside social networks is too much to take sometimes and a real turn off to connecting to folks.
I’m picky who I connect with as are you I’m guessing.
Being a 54 year young guy discarded from the job market at 51 I have a partner ..thank God who is at your level or so….much beyond me is what I’m saying.
He’s helped me stay on the level and build out to where all we’ve built is bringing in enough to stay home for me.
Not rich but have a goal to be.
So I hope doing things “properly” ,professionally will allow us to win big.
I don’t know iif you read comments from your blog and reply but I would like your permission to post this post to my blogs.
Of course giving you credit for writing this since I am straight up.
I feel this needs to be shared widely.
I’ll share here and Tweet and whatever.
Thanks for a great post!
Unfortunately some people still believe 100% of what they read on the net. All this crap,plus easy access, has caused the net to loose it’s creditability…yes bring back the good ole days.
This has to be the funniest, but true article I have read in a while great stuff Raymond!!! “Now my FaceBook is just a clusterf**k of your junk and sh*t.” LOL
Hey Ray, very cool post, I like it a lot! Hope to meet with you on an upcoming event.
Keep it up!
Greetz, Swiss-Rolf