Nov
30

How to Lose an Argument (or, What I Learned on Thanksgiving)

Justin on November 30th, 2009

Last night, as we were preparing for our 4-hour return trip to Baltimore, Ann and her brother got into a debate about the meaning of life.  The specifics of their claims are pointless, since these are the kinds of arguments no one ever “wins.”  (If anything, they just irritate both sides — just like a [...]

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Nov
25

If It’s So Easy to Make Money Online, Why Aren’t We All Millionaires?

Justin on November 25th, 2009

It’s Thanksgiving week in America, and like most people, I’ll be busy doing “real world” tasks until Monday.  But while I’m out visiting family and eating pie, I’ll also be wrestling with the same soul-churning question you are: If it’s so easy to make money on the Internet, why aren’t we all millionaires? Fortunately, Michael [...]

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Nov
24

3 Ways Online Charity Backfires

Justin on November 24th, 2009

‘Tis the season for charitable requests on Twitter, Facebook, etc.  Over the next few weeks, everyone you know will be asking everyone they know to donate $$$ to Charity X.  But there’s a fine line between a feel-good wave of DIY philanthropy and the kind of manipulative pandering that pollutes the very idea of charity. [...]

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Social Media, Sociology, Twitter View Comments
Nov
23

How to Get Hundreds of New Twitter Followers Without Actually Wanting Them

Justin on November 23rd, 2009

Last week, I tweeted a link to a blog post I wrote called Deconstructing an MLM Pitch, which detailed one of the asinine ways multi-level marketers pitch their “opportunities.”  That link was retweeted by a few of my Twitter followers, and each of us then experienced what can only be referred to as “Tweeter’s regret.” [...]

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Nov
20

Deconstructing an MLM Pitch

Justin on November 20th, 2009

As I’ve learned from my recurring discoveries of marketing douchebags, an MLM (or Multi-Level Marketing) opportunity can find you at any time.  Here’s how I came across one completely by accident, and how my amazement escalated as I soaked it all in. Step One: The Accidental Discovery This week, I was searching a generic phrase [...]

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