"How I Know It's Just A Diversion"

After 6 years doing business on the internet I have come to the
conclusion that at least 99% of those who say they are here
doing business are in actuality indulging in a minor diversion.
Just something to occupy their mind when they find themselves
with a bit of spare time. Something to fill those few minutes
when the commercials break into their favorite television show.
Something to take their mind off the real work a day world. Or
maybe to fill that day during the week that the bingo hall is
closed

What brought me to this conclusion, you may be asking yourself.
Well, let me tell ya. This list of "How I Know It's Just A
Diversion" items has been growing daily since 1995 when I took
my first baby steps onto the Internet and into the WWW.

The very first thing I noticed were, what have come to be called
"Banner Farms". You know, those sites that consist entirely of
banners. Usually in 5 or 6 different sizes laid out without the
slightest consideration for aesthetics or even reason. You'll
usually see about 30% of them are no longer attached to valid
URL's and you have little x's peppering the page.

What disturbs me the most about these sites is that the owner
is actually sitting around somewhere waiting for checks to start
pouring in.

The next thing that caught my eye and screamed, "DIVERSION" were
those sites in neon colored backgrounds with a font type and
color that made the pages look like something my dog had
regurgitate after eating a box of crayon's. Have you ever gone
into a brick and mortar business and had the interior lights of
the business burn out your retinas? How about the signs in type
so small you need a ladder to get up close enough to read them.
No, you haven't, because they couldn't stay in business.

How about the ones that ask you to trust them, but have an e-
mail address that bounces, or a phone number that's been
disconnected. Even better than that the ones that have no
contact information at all!! ( actually these guys generally
really are in business, the business of ripping people off )

Then we get to the really well camouflaged diversions. These
actually look like well run business sites. Well laid out, great
use of color and design. Contact information everywhere,
endorsements from all the best business organizations, even a
picture of the owner. Wow! This must really be someone that's
running a business on the internet.

Wrong!! They just watch shows with longer commercials or have 2
days a week without bingo. OH! you know the ones I mean. The
ones that answer every e-mail with an auto responder. I've had
occasion to carry on a conversation via e-mail 5 e-mails deep
all from auto responder. Never was able to locate a human being
at that "BUSINESS"

And then you have my very favorite, those that simply don't
bother answering e-mail at all. I haven't been able to put my
finger on what motivates these people. I do have it narrowed
down to a few possibilities. One is that they just don't give a
damn and can't be bothered. Another might be that they are so
unfamiliar with their e-mail program that they're just not able
to jump over all the mental hurdle's associated with answering
an e-mail.

Then we come to the one that I'm really leaning towards. They
are just so busy making money hand over fist that answering e-
mail ( even if it's just to say, got your e-mail, not interested
don't bother me again ) just isn't in their business plan any
longer.

I do have a hunch, that some of these folks have been so
in undated with spam e-mail that they have turned their business
over to a small program called an e-mail filter. There's just
one problem, that filter really, really can't tell the
difference between my legitimate business e-mail to you that for
whatever reason contains the word "greatest" and the spammer you
blocked by adding that word to your filter.

There are a great number of words in the english language that
can be used in the subject lines and bodies of spammers e-mail.
If your using any of them as filtering words, ( other than the
big 10 ) you are without a doubt blocking some of your
legitimate business e-mail.

I know I'm missing a great number of indicators that it's a
"DIVERSION" not a business, so I'm open to your suggestions and
will include the best ones ( with proper credit given ) in my
next article on this subject titled "How WE Know It's Just A
Diversion"