Okay… this started a few days ago and if you haven’t heard of it, consider yourself lucky…

Here’s the skinny. A new MLM popped up a few days ago that piggy-backed Facebook’s API (translation: it was an application for Facebook). The deal was that you pay them $6.00 a month and they allow folks to send you a message via their phones to chat with you on Facebook (or vice versa…). And you get $2.00 for everyone you get signed up with this program.

Now I don’t pretend to know everything about this program but I do know that as soon as it started, the spam started flying.

“Join in on the Ground Floor – Facebook MLM!”

Spam started hitting my inbox, my Twitter account, AND my Facebook inbox left and right promoting this as the holy-grail of MLMs “promoted by Facebook” itself!

And for the record… it is NOT promoted by Facebook. It is just some application coded up by some devious fools that uses Facebook.

I was peeved right away. Why? Because I hate spam! I hated the fact that people were jumping on this bandwagon without even doing their due diligence figuring out the long term business plan (if there ever was one). Folks were so busy clamoring over each other trying to get in on the “ground floor” that all sort of common sense (business and not) went right out the window.

Attracting the Wrong Type of People

People became “money-focused“. People became “sheep” – flocking together and doing what other sheep do, all without thinking.

Now, even without knowing exactly what this program I already got a bad feeling about it. Why? Because of the people it attracted! It attracted “sheep” and not “leaders”. It attracted spammers out to make a quick buck instead of business builders. It attracted folks who were blinded by the prospect of making making quick cash instead of those with long-term visions who were interested in bettering people’s lives.

I wanted nothing to do with it right from the get-go because (and pardon my generalization and my harsh judgment) because I didn’t want to be associated with these folks.

I started a thread on Better Networker and boy did the discussion get heated. We had people on both sides. There were folks who agreed with me that it was just SILLY how folks got swept up by the hype… and there were folks who hated me for condemning these spammers.

Better Networker Thread

It’s so interesting to see those that got swept up by the hype get so defensive (and some quite acidic) in their responses.

In the End – Reason Prevails & Order is Restored

Now, after all is said and done… Facebook shut down this application. (Shocking huh… really…)

And here’s the real tell-tell sign why this business isn’t sustainable and will never be and this is also why I would never promote this program. On the website, along with pleads to its members to contact Facebook to get their application re-approved, a petition in the form of a Facebook group, and the email Facebook sent them telling them to shut down, contains this message:

Drug Money...

“LOOK AT HOW MUCH COMMISSION YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE IN 5 DAYS!!! WHEN WE GET IT BACK UP AND RUNNING JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH YOU’LL BE MAKING IN A FEW WEEKS!”

What’s wrong with this picture? The main message behind this “business model“, if you can call it that, is “look at the money you are making”. Never mind how you are making it and whom you are making it off of.

The message isn’t about providing an awesome service or product for people, it’s not about adding value to others’ lives, it’s simply $money$ $money$ $money$.

For some reason, the idea of “druglords” (and the cigarette company) came in my mind when I saw this message.

Be careful of whom and what you represent and be careful of hype.

Like my Hwa Rang Do instructor, Master Lee says… “Man should not chase money, money should chase man.”

Heed that advice well

Raymond Fong