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Black Widows on the Web
Watch Out!!
Lurking undercover in the darkest corners of the Internet lies an extremely venomous
creature. Precariously perched in the binary shadows, it extends its tempting invitation to
unsuspecting victims, masking itself in the flashy JavaScript of pretty webpages, waiting
to strike at the opportune moment. Its bite is fierce and often lethal. Its fangs penetrate
deeply into the thickest of skin as the life-sucking process begins. Your money and your
time are drained. Then, perhaps your self-confidence and ultimately... your dreams.
These are the Black Widows of the Web.
Let’s personify this 21st Century vermin and call him J. Alfred Swindler.
J. Alfred Swindler is a smooth operator. A cool, calm and classy con artist. More often
than not, he spins his web in the golden silk threads of the Get Rich Quick MLM. The
poison here can be of the paralyzing variety. Your very lifeblood is drained in the slow,
sadistic ritual that is as old as the networking industry itself. There are hundreds of new J.
Alfred’s swindling the MLM-inclined every month. Average life expectancy? One year,
or when their pockets are full, whichever comes first. Mostly, all the MLM failures are
planned of course. When the first crop ripens, harvest and then burn it (and you!).
Only a few MLM companies ever see their second or third year. Why? Because there is
always an overabundance of hungry-hearted good people like us to fill the matrixes,
binaries or whatever the comp plan of the month is. Take the money and run. Tens of
thousands of innocent people have their wallets (and dreams) plucked by J. Alfred.
A rule of the unbitten thumb – a cliché - if it sounds too good to be true, EXIT!!
Avoid being stung! If an appealing, apparently legitimate MLM comes your way –
research, research and research some more. Another cliché is applicable here - "keep
your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground". My advice is pretty simple - take
your time, investigate. Up, down and sideways. Make damn sure there is a solid, unique
product "on the shelf". Check out, and if you can, meet the owners. The Better Business
Bureau for credibility and Dunn & Bradstreet for financial stability. Communicate with the
associates. Your sponsors upline, downline and crossline. Ask what their experiences
with the company have been. What recruiting methods they use. How much money
they're making. How long it took them to make it. Be careful to sort the fantasy from the
fiction. If you feel ANY kind of pressure to sign up, forget it. The opportunity will be
there a month from now.
I’m not slamming all MLM’s. There are some very good opportunities out there for
people who gravitate to this concept. Just be careful, no, be meticulous when it comes to
this most tempting bait, for the web of the Black Widow awaits.
Less likely to maim it’s victims with their free-to-little-cost start-up are the
affiliate/referral programs. These programs need to be researched as carefully as the
MLM’s. Always remember that it is YOUR reputation on the line, online and off, so you
simply must be careful. Some of the household-name affiliate programs are taking a real
bashing with less than favorable reviews across the Web. You need to look into
commission rates, payment schedules (monthly vrs. quarterly), company support and
reputation thoroughly before signing up with any affiliate program. Spending time and
getting information at associateprograms.com, refer-it.com, and quickclick.com can go a
long way towards educating yourself on the current status of this trendy way of doing
business on the Internet.
Then, there’s the non-venomous, garden variety J. Alfred Swindler. The time-stealer.
The "Yes Man". This guy promises the moon and delivers local beach pebbles. By far the
most prevalent arachnid of the species, and although non-lethal you will find this type as
pesky as that crazed mid-summer mosquito. "Talkers" are a dime a bakers dozen in
Cyberspace. It’s hard to hold any "person" accountable when their only existence is a
website or email address.
My experience on the Internet leads me to the conclusion that Talkers will seek you out
(spam email) and Doers, well YOU need to find those precious people. Be it a merchant
account or an affiliate program, you will learn an awful lot by the first communication you
instigate with a new contact. If your email or phone call goes unanswered within 24
hours, forget them! No matter how appealing the façade, or enticing the product and
program, customer service is the ultimate criteria to judge somebody by. If they don’t
answer you, they won’t answer your customers. And your customers will only look to
you for answers.
Now that I seem to have blanketed the Internet in a cloak of evil, I need to state for the
record that there are very honorable companies and people with which to do good
business. The World Wide Web is simply too expansive for there not to be. It’s simply a
matter of spending your time researching and investigating to find that solid network of
good people and companies.
It may take you awhile, but take it from me, the wait will be worth it. For when you find
those kindred business spirits it’s thrilling to know that you’re on the cutting edge, leaps
and bounds ahead of most of the world by having your cyberstuff together.
Just take preventative measures and always be aware. Avoid the Black Widows of the
Web.
Copyright © 1998 Rick Beneteau, InterNiche.net. Reprinted with permission.
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