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October 31, 2004
TOD is now TEAM
By QBlog in
The Team of Destiny is changing its name. In a message to Team of Destiny members, Orrin Woodward announces that beginning Monday (Nov. 1) TOD will be known as T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More).
Wow, what a creative name for a business. Looks like Woodward and the gang stayed up all night to come up with that one. They replaced one overused cliché (The Team of Destiny) with an even more tired and overused cliché (Together Everyone Achieves More). Rumor has it that the next name for Woodward's business will be "There's No 'I' In Team."
I'm thinking of starting my own MLM motivational business called "Sports Clichés Forever."
Woodward also announces a $1 price drop in motivational CDs (from $7 to $6). Sweet.
Now, I bet everyone will speculate about the "real" reason for the name change and I guess that's inevitable. It sure seems like it will make the Team of Destiny lawsuit against Scott Larsen a little more complicated.
Updated with a dash of sarcasm ;o)
October 30, 2004
$748 Million
By QBlog in
InternetRetailer reports that "sales at Quixtar reached $748 million" this past year. Why is that number lower than the $1.1 billion reported by Quixtar? Because it only represents the E-commerce sales.
"E-commerce sales represent 68% of Quixtar’s total sales of $1.1 billion for the year."That's great and I think it's fabulous that Quixtar is growing and reaching such sales figures but I have one question.
If Quixtar is an E-Commerce business (or I-Commerce) then where do the other 32% of sales come from?
Obey The Rules
By QBlog in
If you're a Quixtar IBO I'm sure that you're already obeying their rules. However, I would like to highlight a couple of Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers) available from the Quixtar Web site. I've added my own comments in italics.- Does an IBO have to buy tools (business support materials)?
No, business support materials -- often referred to as "tools" -- are optional. Success in the Quixtar business is based on desire and the willingness to work. The support available through a system has proven to be a great help for many in building an independent business.
This seems to indicate that signing the BSMAA is also optional. Do you know any active IBOs, in good standing, who have not signed the highly suspicious BSMAA? Do you know any IBOs who've quit the business when they discovered the real facts about the BSMAA?
- If an IBO sells tools, do they have to buy them back if the purchasing IBO requests a refund?
Yes. If an IBO requests a refund within 180 days of the day of purchase, the IBO who sold them the tools must repurchase such tools on commercially reasonable terms (see Rule 7.6 in the IBO Rules of Conduct).
I'd guess that this would include function tickets but apparently not.
- What is the 70% Rule?
The 70% Rule states that in any given month, an IBO must sell at least 70% of the volume they purchased to Members, Clients, or downline IBOs in order to earn a Performance Bonus. This Rule is not intended to encourage IBOs to inventory 30% of the products they purchase, but rather its purpose is to encourage the continued movement of product and to discourage inventory loading.
As I read this, 70% of whatever an IBO purchases MUST be sold to Members, Clients, or downline IBOs or no performance bonus is given. However, Orrin Woodward (a prominent Quixtar leader) has said that "The Seventy Percent Rule does not mean that 70% of products must be moved to Members and/or Clients." Maybe "moved" and "sold" mean two different things?
- May a sponsor just do nothing?
No. Every IBO has the responsibility, under Quixtar's rules, to supply, train, and motivate his or her personally sponsored IBOs. This responsibility does not extend to those sponsored in depth, unless the sponsor is a Platinum IBO. Under the rules, Platinum IBOs have the overall responsibility to make sure that every IBO in their personal group is supplied, trained, and motivated. For added clarification, you may wish to contact your upline, or review section 5 of the IBO Rules of Conduct.
So an IBO is required to supply (give materials?), train and motivate his personally sponsored IBOs. They must do this for free. If an IBO doesn't want to buy tools, it seems like his personal sponsor must still give him the same training and support, for free. The Platinum in that group takes on this overall responsibility. Since tools are optional and no mention of money is made, then free training is a requirement in Quixtar... right?
If you're following the rules of Quixtar then I applaud your efforts. I think many IBOs aren't fully aware of all the Quixtar rules and the result is confusion and sometimes frustration. It's always important to know all the details of your business.
This has been a QSA (Quixtar Service Announcement) brought to you by your friendly neighborhood QBlog.
October 29, 2004
Merchants of Deception
By QBlog in
The Merchants of Deception is an "insider's look at the worldwide, systematic conspiracy of lies that is Amway/Quixtar and their motivational organization."
This is Eric Scheibeler's brand new site filled with audio clips, case studies and much more. I haven't had time to check it out thoroughly but I intend to dig into the site over the weekend. Check out Merchants of Deception. Be sure to get a copy of the book in PDF format, I've read it and it's truly shocking.
Monkey Dance
By QBlog in Web Initiative
"Mommy, why is the monkey dancing?," little Timmy inquires.
"Well, because that's all the silly monkey knows how to do sweety," mother replies.
DISCLAIMER: Technically that's a dancing chimpanzee, which is an ape, not a monkey.
Blogging 101 - The Blogroll
By QBlog in Blogging 101
What is a blogroll?
A blogroll
is simply a list of blogs. Virtually every blog has a blogroll (or should have
one) and it's a good way to showcase other blogs. There is no right or wrong
way to set up a blogroll though many people use some service like Blogrolling.com
to power their links, making them more dynamic. Whether you opt for a service
or to manually add links, if you blog then you definitely need a blogroll.
But what type of blogroll should you set up? Well, there are many different types of blogrolls and I suggest choosing a style that best fits your blog audience, your personality and your blog design. Or you can mix different styles and create your own unique blogroll. It's simple and fun.
Really Long List
The Really Long List is a blogroll that tries to include every blog the blogger has ever read. It can be several hundred links long and is usually not organized into any sort of categories or themes. I don't care for this style because it's just too overwhelming for my sensibilities.Clique List
These blogrolls only list the blogs of personal friends. No outsiders allowed. Such exclusivity generally annoys those not in the clique which is pretty much everyone on the planet.Link Exchange
Link Exchanges aren't so bad but they can morph into Really Long Lists. They work by adding any blog that links back to your blog. So if Blog A links to your blog, you'd add Blog A to your blogroll. Even if Blog A is the worst blog you've ever read, you still add it because you want to get links. Another name for the Link Exchange blogroll is "Link Whore." Another mark against this style is that nobody reading your blogroll knows if you like the listed blogs or not and is less apt to believe they're worth visiting.Google Roll
Popular blogs use the Google Roll to help out less popular blogs. It's a sort of benevolent type thing but there's also the hope that the less popular blog will return the show of support by linking back.Recommended Blogs
A Recommended Blogs list is usually full of blogs that the author really believes are worth reading. Readers can trust that a blog on a Recommended Blogs list is worth reading. Also, the blogger generally reads each of the blogs listed on a regular basis.Topical Lists
Lists that are broken into categories or cover specific topics can be very useful. Such lists can be lengthy at time, but they are carefully arranged into groups and sub-groups to make it easier to understand what each blog discusses. I really like this style and have found it most helpful.Charity Roll
Everyone who's ever run a blogroll has probably come across a dilemma — when is it ok to de-link a blog from the blogroll? I've run into this a few times myself. People can get their feelings hurt if you de-list them and so sometimes links are left up to avoid such a confrontation. Some blogrolls get really long because the author keeps adding people but doesn't cut any blogs for fear of offending someone. I call this the Charity Roll. The way I've dealt with it in the past few months is just to make the quality of the blogroll my top priority, regardless of how someone may feel.
There are other styles and I generally mix a few together with my various blogrolls. Figure out what you want to do with your blogroll and remember, a blogroll can say a lot about your personality. What do you want to say with your blogroll?
Blogging 101 publishes every Friday and the archives can be found by typing "Blogging 101" into the blog search.
The Connection
By QBlog in
What do Don Wilson, Steve Victor, Tim Marks, Don Freeze, Orrin Woodward, Shivaram Kumar, Team of Destiny and Markerman Productions all have in common? Well, they all have Web sites designed by Total Production, Inc. TotalProduction.com is registered to a P.O. Box in Canton, Ohio. Which Quixtar leader lives in that general area? Jody Victor.
What does this all mean? Nothing. I just thought it was interesting that so many different Quixtar leaders use Total Production to develop their Web sites.
October 28, 2004
Show Me The Money
By QBlog in
"Hi, I'm Gung-Ho IBO and you're crazy if you think this business isn't the best opportunity in the world."
"I'm sure it is a great opportunity. How's it working out for you?"
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
"Try me."
"Well, I'm a Double Direct Amethyst and I'm making an annual five-figure residual income."
"Really, you know $10,000 is five figures. And after taxes, that's how much exactly?"
"It's way more than that, believe me."
"Sure, I believe you but could you provide just a little proof to back up your income claims?"
"Well I'd love to but I'm not going to give my personal information to someone like you."
"I see. So black out your personal information then."
"Uh... now you're just being negative."
"Come again? Asking you to prove your income claims is negative?"
"I could just make it up anyway."
"So, don't make it up. Just take your real numbers and black out your personal info."
"Now you're trying to steal my dreams. Well I won't let you steal my dreams. Good-bye! "
"Huh?"
The above conversation is a fictionalized account of many conversations I've had with IBOs over the past two years. The issue of proving income claims seems to be especially troubling to Quixtar IBOs. Why? I have no idea. Well, actually I have a few ideas but nothing I can prove. I've never quite understood why IBOs are so reluctant to back up their income claims with documentation. The most frequent excuse I've heard is a fear of releasing personal information.
Below you'll notice a graphic (which links to a larger version) revealing PV/BV, bonus percentages and qualifying legs. Notice that the name and IBO# is blacked out so the fear of distributing personal info (address, phone number, whatever) is largely unfounded.
The Quixtar screenshot is from the "Managing Your Business" area of Quixtar.com and from what I can tell, it's a pretty good indication of how well an IBO is doing in the business. Previously, the only IBO who sent me any sort of income data was a Team Of Destiny guy calling himself "Bankin' It." He was brand new to the business and so his Quixtar check was understandably "small" ($21.58) but he promised to send along a copy of larger checks as they arrived. I'm still waiting for those check scans.
Asking Too Much?
Is asking for proof of income claims asking too much? Perhaps. Is asking a doctor
to prove the effectiveness of the miracle cure he is hawking asking too much?
Maybe so. Is asking a lawyer how many cases he's won and lost before you hire
him for representation an inappropriate question? Could be. I wonder how many
native Missourians
are Quixtar IBOs.
Radio Raves
By QBlog in
The QBlog Radio is slowly gaining an audience and people simply love the feature. Just read some of these comments:
"LOVE IT! :)""I laughed so hard I cried."
"This one rocks!"
While it's true that all those comments came from one person, it still demonstrates that at least someone likes the QBlog Radio. At least I think it does. Anyway, Give it a try, it's free. The Radio player is at the top right of the home page.
October 27, 2004
Setting the Record Straight
By QBlog in
Who is QBlog and what the hell is he up to?
As this blog's popularity and notoriety have increased, so too have the rumors,
misrepresentations and outright lies about me and my intentions. The about
page was designed to set the record straight but apparently more needs to
be done to communicate the truth. And so I've graciously agreed to be interviewed
by none other than myself. Yeah, it sounds silly but Barbara Walters was busy.
The Self Interview
Question - Don't you think interviewing yourself is a
little stupid? I mean, you control ALL the questions right?
Answer - Well, of course it's stupid but I take what I can get and I was just glad you wanted to ask me the tough questions. And you never know what I might ask, I'm as unpredictable as a hurricane.
Q - But aren't hurricanes... nevermind. Ok, first question. Boxers or briefs?
A - Huh?
Q - Underwear, which kind to you prefer?
A - Not sure what you're asking. Underwear?
Q - Nevermind. Moving right along. Are you now or have you ever worked for Bo Short, Passport or anyone associated with Passport at any capacity?
A - No. Absolutely not. Last I checked, Passport is an MLM and I'm not all that keen on the MLM way of doing business. I'm not saying MLM is bad, just that it's fundamentally flawed and I believe there are much better ways for the average guy to achieve his financial goals.
Q - So you work for Passport?
A - What are you smoking? How can I make this any clearer? I don't work for Passport, never have and never will. In fact, I think Passport is a stupid name for an MLM. It's a great name for a travel agency or something but for an MLM I think it's a crappy name. Of course, that's just my opinion.
Q - But aren't you behind some elaborate conspiracy to manipulate search engine results?
A - No, you've got me confused with Quixtar.
Q - Really now? Then explain your "Indians" post.
A - Gladly. First off you should understand that the "Indians" post was made in 2003, when the only blogs discussing Quixtar were this one and MLM Whatever Blog. The proliferation of blogs advocating and criticizing Quixtar didn't occur until many months later. Secondly, the post was made out of frustration at having to sort through so many poorly organized Web sites to find quality information. My vision (which still exists today) was to create a "Quixtar Watch" site modeled after Microsoft-Watch, MediaWatch and other watch-dog organizations. My idea was to try and develop some type of collaborative effort (similar to Open Source) that would maximize our efforts and minimize duplication and redundancy. I also wanted to create something that was purely objective, removing the "anti-Quixtar" rhetoric that I found all too frequently.
Q - Ok. But what about your "Crazy" post where you seem to advocate Google Bombing.
A - Again, the climate in which that post was made was very different than it is today. You must understand that. Also, it was a tongue-in-cheek "what if" commentary about the imagined frustration Quixtar execs must have felt seeing Scott Larsen's Web site ranked so highly in Google's search results. The post was inspired by a Wall Street Journal article about a group of Web hooligans who successfully tricked Google's search results by Google Bombing. Nothing ever came of the post (to my knowledge) and I never pursued it. The fact that Larsen's site has actually dropped in the Google results should say something about the post.
Q - Right. But why do so many Passport people link to you? Did you tell them to do that?
A - This is the Web. Anyone can link to anyone. No, I didn't tell anyone to link to me. My blogs have also been linked by liberals, democrats, amateur porn sites, Fark, professional journalists, homeless men and many, many others that I just don't know about. Did I tell any of them to link to my blogs? No. I may have suggested a link in a couple of rare occasions but I've never waged any sort of linking campaign. I could do that I guess but it's just not my style. I prefer to create a compelling blog and hope people like it enough to link it up. It's hard work but I love it. Just because someone links to my blog doesn't mean I agree with their opinions.
Q - But you link to a couple of blogs run by Passport Associates, doesn't that mean you endorse them and support them?
A - Are you for real? No dude. It just means I like the blogs and think other people might like them too.
Q - But why don't you point out the problems with Passport? Why do you only focus on Quixtar?
A - I don't "only focus on Quixtar" but this is the Quixtar BLOG and so I'm obviously going to direct most of my attention towards Quixtar. I don't spend much time criticizing the Palestinian suicide bombers either but that doesn't mean I endorse their actions. I do own the PassportBlog.com domain and plan to start up a blog similar to this one, when I get the time. Trust me, I have no special love for Passport, I think it succeeds in some areas and fails in others. I just don't know all that much about it and it's vastly less interesting to me than Quixtar right now. Maybe I'd spend more time discussing Passport if its Associates threatened to shut down my site.
Q - So why do you publish this blog?
A - That's a good question and the best answer I can come up with is that it's exactly the type of site I wished I could have read back when I was desperately searching the Web for objective (and timely) information about Quixtar.
Q - But you are a broke journalist right?
A - Hell yeah. Broke and starving. I have one suit that I wear every day and my kids don't have shoes and we usually eat boiled shoe leather for dinner.
Q - Right. Ok, so last question. What do you think of QRush?
A - Actually, I am beginning to like his blog more and more, especially since he removed all the anti-gay rhetoric. I'm actually flattered that there's some guy out there who's devoting a large portion of his blog to criticizing little ole me. That means I must be doing something right. I've always enjoyed good satire. What I didn't enjoy was the smear tactics being used against Scott Larsen. It seems that QRush has made a change for the better and I applaud the new direction his blog is taking.
October 26, 2004
? Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
? Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
"A gasp in the press room is as meaningless as a standing ovation at an Amway convention."
Quixtar HPC
By QBlog in
What is Home Page Creep (HPC)? Well, HPC is a phrase I use to explain the gradual bloat that happens on many home pages as different features and links are added to increase visibility within a larger site (see Scope Creep). There are many reasons for HPC but ultimately HPC results from poor planning and the inability of Home Page managers to just say "No."
I've had first hand experience with HPC and learned to combat it for the good of the site. And as a result of that experience I've become quite skilled at spotting HPC wherever it rears its ugly head. So imagine my surprise (and dismay) when less than two months after the impressive redesign of Quixtar.com I noticed a severe case of HPC afflicting the famed MLM site. It's sad but true. HPC can strike anywhere and I guarantee that there's some designer in some Ikea furnished room banging his (or her) head against the wall after viewing the Quixtar HPC.
Some of you may have trouble spotting the dreaded HPC so I've set up a couple of graphics to demonstrate.
- Graphic A shows the Quixtar Canada site which looks pretty much like the Quixtar U.S. home page did before being afflicted with HPC. Apparently our friends to the North make HPC resistant home pages.
- Graphic B clearly shows active HPC disrupting the template design and creating a large, empty white space at the bottom of the page. Tsk, tsk. I've added a couple of notes to the graphic to point out the effects of HPC.
- Graphic C shows what the Quixtar.com home page might look like in a couple of months if HPC is allowed to fester. Be warned, Graphic C is fairly explicit and not intended to be viewed by children or those with heart conditions.
What's ironic is that a recent post on the "Real Quixtar Blog" (not to be confused with "Quixtar Blog," "Original Quixtar Blog" or "Quixtar Monkey Blog") touts the perseverance of the Quixtar design crew. Kia, the author of the "Real Quixtar Blog," says:
"I don't think there will ever be a time where we rest on our laurels when it comes to the Quixtar.com site. Our User Centered Design approach means that usability testing will probably continue long into the future, providing ongoing feedback that will help us make continual improvements to the Quixtar Web experience."Indeed. Well, it appears that someone was resting on their laurels at Quixtar.com and allowed the dreaded HPC to sneak in and bust up a previously respectable home page.
I hope Quixtar acts quickly to eradicate the HPC from its home page. If they need any help, I'm just an email away.
- Quixtar Lies
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Quixtar Lies
"Quixtar Company is the biggest offender of their rules"
October 25, 2004
Monday Reader Mail: 18
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's reader mail selection addresses the somewhat controversial topic of homosexuality and Quixtar. I've completely removed the guy's name from this email and replaced it with the name "Mike."
name: "Mike"I appreciate "Mike's" kind words about this blog. I really do try to be as objective as possible and I'm glad that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed. In my email response to "Mike" I basically told him that I never noticed any anti-gay sentiments while my wife was involved with Quixtar but that I never met any openly gay IBOs either. Of course I didn't get around much in Quixtar so my experience shouldn't be considered typical. There may be many openly gay IBOs, I've just never met any in person or online.
date: October 20, 2004message: Howdy, I'm "Mike," and a soon-to-be Quixtar IBO. I greatly appreciate your site. You really do seem to have an objective perspective. Just as listed in the "about" section, many other webpages I've read are strongly pro or con. I've been exploring the opportunity of Quixtar for about 4 months. I've attended several functions, done Google searches, and asked dozens of questions to my potential sponsors. I'm reasonably satisfied that there are no more serious scams awaiting me than anywhere else in life, provided I keep my eyes open and pay attention. Here's the thing, I'm 38 and openly gay, and have yet to find another openly gay Q member. All of the folks in the organization I'll be joining are devoutly Christian.
After searching your site for "gay," I only found a few postings. If you have anything new and not yet posted, I'd love to read about the experiences/consequences of other openly gay Q IBOs. I have joked with myupine that I will be Quixtar's first openly gay diamond, and what a trip it will be when she introduces me and my partner on stage at a function. If you are interested, I'll keep in touch with you about what I experience. I've subscribed to your newsletter, and look forward to getting it.
"Mike"
And though I never noticed any anti-gay attitudes while involved with Quixtar, I have noticed such feelings on various pro-Quixtar blogs. As part of my email response, I intended to include a link the "Sicko" remarks about homosexuality on a certain pro-Quixtar blog but discovered that those remarks had been removed (thankfully). Yet even with the removal of that particular post, the impression some get after reading many pro-Quixtar blogs remains — that there is a sort of litmus test for IBOs before they'll be accepted in the "Quixtar family." The "Right to Differ" may be Corporate policy but it seems absent from much of the culture, at least the culture that's visible online. The apparent characteristics of an "acceptable" IBO are:
- Republican
- Heterosexual
- Married
- Born Again Christian
Obviously there's nothing wrong with such characteristic, they are shared by many great men and women. But such an exclusionary culture would seem to discourage, rather than encourage, diversity within a business. Is there room for an agnostic, openly gay democrat in the "Quixtar family?" I sure hope so in the same way that I hope there's room for an openly Christian, heterosexual Republican in the "Disney family" or the "Proctor & Gamble family."
I hope "Mike" achieves his Quixtar goals. I hope that one day he's able to walk across some stage with his partner as a Quixtar Diamond. Do you share that hope?
Monday Reader Mail publishes every Monday and contains actual emails sent in by actual readers. The content is not edited except when noted.
October 24, 2004
= Questions Regarding Quixtar
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
= Questions regarding Quixtar
"He was approached by a person at a bookstore"
Sunday Tweaks
By QBlog in
I've made a few tweaks to this blog. Those tweaks include trimming the "explainer" text and including an extra link to the About page. The "explainer" was trimmed to make room for the new "QBlog Extras" feature which showcases items that may be of special interest to you.
I've also edited the About page and the Donation page to reflect some of the recent changes made to this site.
Just filling you in on the improvements being made to make the Quixtar BLOG better and more interesting.
Thanks for stopping by.
October 23, 2004
Ask QBlog
By QBlog in
I get a fair amount of email asking questions about my life, this site, my opinions about Quixtar and more. So, responding to inquisitive minds I'm using this post to answer any questions that you'd like answered. Feel free to ask whatever's on your mind but understand that just because you ask it doesn't mean I'll answer. I know very little about Nuclear Physics so you may want to avoid questions on that topic altogether, at least if you hope to get an answer.
So, have at it, ask me a question in the comments and we'll see how this goes. But wait, there are a couple of rules (ah gee) that I insist on.
- Keep questions brief
- See the first rule
Ok, that's it. Now, I'll start this thing off by asking a question of myself.
Question: What is the best blog on the planet?
Answer: The best blog is probably Instapundit because it wields such influence in the media, is updated almost hourly and is run by a Tennessean.
Ok, next question.
October 22, 2004
Blogging 101 - The Importance of Blogs
By QBlog in Blogging 101
Last year I wrote an article optimistically titled "Weblogs Will Save The World." In the article, I laid out some of the reasons I believe Blogs are important. I've decided to republish the article here, to hopefully reach a new audience and expand the dialogue about blogging. And in case you're wondering, the original title was purposely a bit "over-the-top" so as to stir up some discussion (it worked). The new title is less sensational but works nonetheless.- This article was originally published in May, 2003
“The fundamental principle
behind the Web was that once someone somewhere made available
a document, database, graphic, sound, video, or screen at
some stage in an interactive dialogue, it should be accessible
(subject to authorization, of course) by anyone, with any
type of computer, in any country. And it should be possible
to make a reference – a link – to that thing,
so that others could find it.”
- Tim Berners-Lee: “Weaving the Web” - 1999
History
When Tim Berners-Lee (TBL)
created the Web he wanted the content to be instantly and equally available
to everyone and he also wanted everyone to be able to link to that content without
restrictions. This vision of the Web is now a reality and it has manifested
itself in ways that TBL never imagined.
The most important change caused by the realization of TBL’s vision was wresting monopoly control of content from the hands of the Gatekeepers. For centuries (since the printing press at least) content and its distribution had been controlled by the rich and the powerful. Yet, in just a few short years, the Web had removed much of that control and put a lot of the responsibility for content into the hands of the masses. This was one of the sexiest features of the non-commerce side of the Web and is, in part, what drove the wild success and expansion of the Web during those early years.
However, even though the Web provided content to “anyone, in any country,” it was still incomplete. Browsers, HTML and multimedia made it easy for the masses to receive compelling content from a variety of sources but it was not so easy for those same masses to produce content. While creating and publishing content to the Web had become infinitely simpler and cheaper than similar pre-Web methods, limitations remained that often prohibited those lacking the aptitude or skills from creating and distributing content.
A prime example is the “Home Page” craze of the late 1990s. Millions of people created free home pages and had virtually no idea how to maintain, manage or present their content and the result was a giant graveyard of poorly designed Web sites with stale content. The problem was that the masses did not have the time, energy or desire to master the skills required to create and distribute content. While most did have the desire to share personal content, they did not have the motivation to invest the personal resources that a Web site demanded. The costs, while still lower than pre-Web costs, were still too high (or at least perceived to be too high) for the average Joe to realistically consider becoming an active content creator and publisher.
Think of the Telegraph. That technology revolutionized communication. It was fast, essentially free and easy to use – providing you learned Morse Code. Now imagine installing a Telegraph line in every home in America during the Nineteenth Century. In this scenario there would be many who would sit down and learn how to use those dots and dashes and subsequently utilize that knowledge to communicate with others. Yet, there would also be many, many more who didn’t want to spend the time learning Morse Code and would decide to wait a few years for the telephone. Those who opted for ignorance had just as much, if not more, to say as the masters of Morse Code, but for whatever reason, didn’t feel the same compulsion to master a new technology. This is an obviously flawed example but the point should remain clear, the Telephone was much easier to use than the Telegraph.
To put this in the context of blogs we can say that blogs
are the modern day telephones. Or, to use a more appropriate comparison, blogs
are the Browsers of Web publishing.
The Impact of Blogs
Blogs have made the creation and publication of content as
simple as browsing the Web. Blogging tools have removed virtually
all the technical barriers that previously prohibited publication
by the masses. Now, everyone with something to say or share
can do so without needing to learn new skills.
Giving the power of publication to the masses signals the end of the Gatekeepers. There are no more gates to keep when everyone on the planet can publish to everyone else. The paradigm has shifted. Now individuals can run their own mini-Publishing Empires and this has the former Gatekeepers wringing their hands and trying to figure out their role within this new paradigm.
Within this emerging landscape a debate
is raging among bloggers, technologists, former Gatekeepers
and self-proclaimed pundits about the true impact of blogs.
Many argue that blogs are merely a passing fad while others
believe that blogs will soon replace much of traditional media
methods. The truth is probably somewhere in between the extremes
but it is interesting that blogs share some characteristics
with the Open Source and Peer-to-Peer movements.
Blogs are:
- Decentralized
- Driven by community rather than profit
- Often subversive to existing power structures
- Unmanaged and often unmanageable
It is those very characteristics that make the future of
blogging so difficult to predict and the impact so hard to measure. Yet, while
this debate rages on, a very significant aspect of blogging is being entirely
overlooked. That aspect is not how blogs are affecting the Web or media as a
whole but how blogs affect the individual.
Blogs And You
Prior to blogs, content basically flowed one way in relation
to the individual. Content was created and distributed by
the few and then funneled down to the individual for consumption.
While methods existed for individuals to distribute content,
those methods were primarily direct distribution through email,
letters, telephone or group distribution with a newsgroup
or bulletin board. Mass publication and distribution wasn’t
possible for the masses and so individuals passively absorbed
content. It flowed in one direction. (see Figure A).
Figure A
The funnel effect is basically how humankind has received content throughout history. The Web, while vastly increasing the amount of information available (and making it affordable), did little to modify the funnel. The result is that the individual remained a consumer of content without acquiring any real method to become a content producer. Blogs have changed that model.
Now the funnel flows in both directions. A funnel and an inverted funnel. The consumer is now a distributor (see Figure B). Blogs enable individuals to compete and participate in content creation and distribution and that participation is having a profound effect.
Figure B
There are four specific ways that blogs are causing change among the masses.
1. Activism
Media consumption has traditionally been a passive event.
While each medium requires varying degrees of attention and
concentration, very few require active participation. Reading
a book demands thinking and concentration but the act of reading
very rarely motivates the reader to write his own book. And,
for the few who do receive that authorial inspiration, many
obstacles stand between a finished book and publication. The
passive nature of traditional media consumption may be by
design or it may be due to circumstances but the reality is
that blogs DO NOT ENCOURAGE passive behavior. In fact, blogs
are the polar opposite of passive media consumption. Blogs
encourage people to publish their content for the world. By
definition this is an activity and blogging encourages this
activity.
Contrast a habitual television viewer, aka couch potato, with a blogger. The couch potato watches programming and maybe talks about what he saw at the office water cooler. The blogger may watch a similar show or possibly read something interesting on the Web and blogs about it for the entire world to read. Additionally, the content that the blogger published could quite possibly be someone's media consumption tomorrow and maybe inspire posts by other bloggers.
The point isn't that bloggers will change the world but that blogging is an activity and getting involved affects people in many positive ways. Additionally, by blogging, the participants internalize the idea, inspiration or issue that was published. The result of this internalization a sense of "ownership" because personal time and energy was invested in the blog post.
2. Audience
Knowing that people (many or few) consume your content (read
your blog) causes a sense of responsibility (to varying degrees).
It is similar to an actor or a journalist discovering that
people admire or enjoy their work and instantly receive an
additional motivation to do their very best. Not everyone
in life knows what it's like to have an audience but blogs
are changing that and soon, everyone who chooses to will have
an audience. It will be a decision of choice instead of circumstance.
3. Votes
Links are votes. Commenting about a topic is a vote.
Bloggers are trading in votes. With search engines like Google
and services like Technorati, Daypop and Blogdex, every blogger
who adds a link or bitches about a movie, enters a vote for
that particular topic or Web site. The more bloggers that
link or comment, the more important that topic becomes and
the more visible it is to the rest of the world. The more
visible the topic becomes, the more it will be talked about
and the cycle will continue.
That is only one example of how linking and commenting on a topic can register a vote of support or condemnation. Without a blog (or a Web site) it is impossible for an individual to have anything close to that type of impact on a particular topic. Empowering individuals with the ability to actually make a difference with something he or she cares about is a powerful thing. Be careful with those links.
4. Lens
Because bloggers have a means to publish anything
to a global audience they begin to view the world around them
through a blogging lens. Everyday events suddenly become potential
blog posts. An awareness develops that didn't previously exist.
An otherwise ordinary individual is now seeing things in her
personal experiences as possible content for a global publication.
Journalists learn to view life through the lens of “the
story.” Artists learn to perceive the world as inspiration for their next
masterpiece. Musicians learn to gobble up sounds and experiences as fuel for
their next platinum record. Mathematicians learn to see numerical patterns in
nature and are motivated to develop Nobel-winning equations. And now bloggers
are learning to view everything around them as inspiration for their blog.
Optimism
Maybe all of this optimism about blogs is unwarranted. I've
often doubted my personal feelings about the role blogs will
play in the future of the Web and modern society. Maybe they
will fade into oblivion to be shelved next to the Cue Cat
and the <blink> tag. I really don't know. I'm not a
futurist. I just know what I see and what I observe is a continued
lowering of technological barriers that previously prevented
the masses from participating in media creation.
I have a friend who mixes his own audio on his computer. I have another friend who is making an "indie" film on a DigiCam. I know someone else who makes beautiful art with an old digital camera and some editing software. There is a long list of people doing things that weren't possible a couple of decades ago. The Gatekeepers really are dead and what is rising up out of that vacuum may be blogs or something like them.
As those obstacles disappear people will begin to change. How will they change? I don't know. But I think that history shows us that the change is probably a continuation of empowering the people with the skills and tools that were once held by only a few. We, the masses, are keeping our own gates and I'd like to think blogs are helping us do that, even a little.
Blogging 101 publishes every Friday and the archives can be found by typing "Blogging 101" into the blog search. Tune in next Friday when Blogging 101 covers blogrolls.
October 21, 2004
Baseball Rules
By QBlog in
Last night: Sox defeat Yanks.
Tonight: Cards defeat Stros.
World Series begins this Saturday and I can't wait.
- Pyramid people press their point
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Pyramid people press their point
"Coke is available in sleazy bars inhabited by hookers and drug dealers"
October 20, 2004
? Qrush Qrush
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
? Qrush Qrush
"Qrushy Quixtar Britt Amway"
Character Assassin Backpedalling?
By QBlog in Web Initiative
It's generally bad form for a blogger to yank posts without explanation. However, one active blogger (and vocal critic of this blog) has removed an especially vicious and possibly libelous personal assault against Quixtar Critic Scott Larsen and for that I'm grateful. I usually don't like to see content of any sort removed but when that content crosses the line, as it clearly did in this situation, then I'm glad to see it gone.
The post in question came from a guy calling himself "Qrush" and he's basically critical of anyone who doesn't share his extremist ideology. His now-missing August 28 entry was titled "Scott Larsen Sadomasochist Pinko Sicko?" and it began by discussing communists and quickly degenerated into a hate-filled diatribe about sexuality. I was disgusted.
But I wasn't always disgusted with the Qrush blog. When it first appeared, I said that I loved it and I wasn't lying. I admired the guy for being "candid" and saying what a lot of IBOs were probably thinking. However, the "Sicko" post that forced me to reevaluate my original assessment. Is the "Qrush" blog really just the honest (if not misguided) rantings of an angry IBO or is it part of some larger, coordinated smear campaign?
Smear Campaign?
A smear campaign is a systematic attempt by an individual or group to malign another individual or group's reputation, usually to undermine the confidence the public holds in the target. Smear campaigns rarely address the issues, preferring rumors to facts and anonymity to accountability. Several facts about the "Qrush" blog seem to indicate that it's part of a coordinated smear campaign.
- Each month an estimated $100-500 is being spent to advertise the blog on various search engines.
- Billy Florence, a leader in Quixtar's Web Initiative, has voiced his support of "Qrush" on various blogs and in alleged emails.
- The "Qrush" blog is totally anonymous.
- The character attacks are primarily focused on at least two of the four individuals named in Quixtar's Response to the Dateline show, Bo Short and Scott Larsen.
So why did the "Qrush" guy yank the "Sicko" post? I have no idea. Maybe his conscience kicked in or maybe someone at Quixtar ordered him to remove it. Who knows. I'd ask the guy but he doesn't to respond to emails. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad it's gone.
October 19, 2004
PSA Wants Testimonials
By QBlog in
The Pyramid Scheme Alert, a non-profit watchdog organization, wants testimonials from Amway/A2K participants. Not sure about the details but it looks like something's cooking.
If you have been involved in Amway/A2K in the UK, please submit this form to Pyramid Scheme Alert immediately.I think they just want to interview people about their involvement in Amway. Check it out.
+ Experience with AMWAY
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ Experience with AMWAY
"I guess learning marketing and having new friends is quite worth it"
+ Mum had this Amway seminar
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ Mum had this Amway seminar
"The seminar is on how to make your own money instead of earning them"
October 18, 2004
+ Read TOD Rip Off Report
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ Read TOD Rip Off Report
"Check out this article guys"
QBlog Anniversary Contest
By QBlog in
This blog turns two on November 8th and to celebrate I'm holding the QBlog Anniversary Contest. Yep. This is a real contest with real prizes and all that groovey stuff.
The Premise
The "tagline" of this blog has always been "Just one man's perceptions" because, well, I'm one man and these are my perceptions. However, I think it's time for a change, to introduce a new tagline (if only temporarily) and that's where you come in. The contest is pretty simple, submit your "new, improved" tagline to our celebrity judges by November 6, 2004 and you're eligible to win!
The Rules
The winner will be determined by three celebrity judges with yours truly acting as the tie-breaker. The judges are:
- Dwighty (of The Dwighty Show)
- David Robison (of On The Road With Dave)
- lawDawg (of lawBlawg)
"Hey, those aren't celebrities," you may exclaim. To which I reply, "shut up, it's my contest. Indulge me."
- Each new "tagline" must be ten words or less. Anything longer than ten words will not be accepted. The shorter the better.
- Only one entry per person. Double entries will be disqualified.
- All entries MUST be emailed to qblogcontest@webraw.com with "QBlog Contest" as the subject.
- The judges will determine the winner based on which tagline they feel is the best fit for this blog. It could be funny, deadly serious, sarcastic, self-deprecating, etc. As with all judging, the goal is to impress the judges.
- The judges may not participate. Sorry guys.
The Prizes
The winner will recieve any item of his or her choosing from the QBlog Shop. The winner will also have the new tagline displayed on the blog November 8th and if I really like it, I may keep it up there permanently. The winner will be announced the morning of November 8th.
Anything Else?
I don't think I've left anything out but if I did, I'll add it in later. Just a reminder, entries sent in as COMMENTS on any post DO NOT COUNT. You must submit entries via email.
Great Quote About Persistence
By QBlog in
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
- Calvin Coolidge
Monday Reader Mail: 17
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's Reader Mail seems to indicate that the Amway-to-Quixtar confusion continues.
name: current IBOI've never heard of the "5%" explanation before, that's interesting. And just answer the other questions, my wife was officially "in" Quixtar from around February 2002 to December 2003. She was in QBiz which is somehow connected to Yager's InterNET Services. And while on the subject of various groups, it's come to my attention that some groups have serious problems but it's always (without exception) NOT MY GROUP. Just like the invisible "Not Me" kid in the Family Circus comics, all problematic Quixtar support groups are easily described as "Those Other Groups." If you're a Quixtar IBO and would like to start your own motivational group, might I suggest naming it "Not My Group" to avoid confusion whenever various problems surface.
date: June 2, 2004message: I am responding to your question about whether quixtar is amway. When I first signed up in 1999, I was told that Quixtar was started by the Sons of the Amway owners. They wanted to get away from the process Amway uses. And that Quixtar only allows 5% of its products to be from the head Amway company - primarily the cleaning supplies. How long was your wife in the business? And what was the name of her 'group'. There are different 'business' group. Mine is Interbiz in Canada. I know of 'Yagar' in the states.
October 17, 2004
Introducing QBlog Radio
By QBlog in
Today the Quixtar BLOG introduces a new feature called "QBlog Radio." The "radio" is on the right side of the home page and you'll need Flash Player to use it (you already have Flash Player if you see the radio box).
How It Works
Each day the QBlog Radio will feature a new song for your listening pleasure. To listen, click the play button. To mute (or stop) the song, just click the "stop" box. It functions sort of like most music players.
I'm working on a tool that will allow you to comment on each song, request a new song and look up details of any previously featured song. I plan to roll that out sometime this week.
The Purpose
The reason for the QBlog Radio is twofold.
1.) I love music and want to share some cool tunes with the QBlog audience.
2.) I'm always seeking ways to make this blog more dynamic and compelling. Adding a "radio" seems like a good way to enhance this blog and accomplish that goal. Now you have one more reason to visit the Quixtar BLOG (or I guess one more reason to avoid it if you hate the "radio").
Also, I just think it's cool. Don't you?
October 16, 2004
Fair and Balanced
By QBlog in
I'm not picking on anyone but just pointing out something that I've found to be universally true, and demonstrated by many of the comments I've received from this blog. If I say something positive about Quixtar (great new Web site, spiffy customer service, tasty XS drinks, etc.) then many IBOs believe I'm being "fair and balanced" or "unbiased" or whatever. But when I criticize some aspect of Quixtar (bad diapers, crappy old Web site, the "Mysterious Meeting," etc.) many of those same IBOs believe I'm some horribly evil critic out to destroy their dreams.
Such perceptions are commonly observed in the political arena, especially when discussing media coverage of politics. News reports critical of one's favorite political party are often perceived as unfair and biased while congratulatory stories (that sort of rhymes) are perceived as "fair and balanced." That's just human nature, but we can do better... I think.
So, am I "fair and balanced?" I guess I am but I don't really try to be, not in the way some news outlets are by giving each side of an issue equal time. I just try to call a spade a spade, and express my perceptions as honestly and candidly as possible. If that upsets you, then maybe you need to ask yourself why you're so upset. Or I'll ask you, "why are you so upset?"
October 15, 2004
XS Cherry Blast from Quixtar
By QBlog in
My wife and I got our XS baby! Woo hoo!
After waiting nearly three weeks (15 business days) we got our XS Cherry Blast. So excited.
THREE WEEKS?!? Yeah that is a long time but it's all good. Here's what happended. I ordered the product for my wife (and me) on a Sunday, September 26. The Quixtar Web site says to expect the order to arrive in 2-10 business days (we asked for the cheapest shipping option) and so I waited. And waited. And waited. I called my IBO support sponsor guy (whatever he's called) and he said the order was shipped and if we hadn't received it, we should call Quixtar. So, this past Monday (the eleventh business day since the order) I called Quixtar Customer Service. See how patient I can be.
I spoke with a pleasant lady named Colleen (guessing on the spelling, forgot to ask that - d'oh!). Colleen was very helpful and apologetic for the missing order. She indicated that the problem may have been caused by a "private carrier" who handles deliveries in our area. I wonder if it was the old guy in the beat up utility van who used to drop off our orders back in those IBO days? Anyway, she promised to send a replacement order via "express" delivery. Awesome. However, my idea of "express" is a little different than Colleen's.
My idea of express = The next day
Colleen's idea of express = 2-5 business days
Ok,
so Friday (today) rolls around and we still hadn't gotten our order. I'm beginning
to think maybe our family is on some sort of Quixtar Blacklist or something.
But they already charged my credit card so I knew that was nonsense, it was
just taking a bit longer than I expected.
And then later today, when I got home from the zoo (I spend most of my time there with the other monkeys), I was happy to see a box of XS Drinks on my front porch. My son and I did a "delivery dance" on the spot — which consists of shaking the box, stomping our feet and chanting "presents, presents" in unison (we're a strange bunch).
Now, before you think I'm complaining about the order delay let me stop that notion right now. Things get screwed up, that's a fact of business. It's how a business deals with that problem that really reveals the true nature of that business. I thought Quixtar did a fine job of taking care of our order the moment they were alerted to the problem. I would have liked speedier delivery but the order did come in the time Colleen promised it would come. I'm satisfied. Amazon.com has screwed up some orders in the past and I still love the company because they immediately took care of the problem and did exactly as they promised. That's all anyone can ask. I believe this order foul-up was the exception rather than the rule. I'll continue to believe that until I see evidence to the contrary.
The Taste Test
So how did it taste? I have to admit, the stuff ain't bad. In fact, it's pretty
good. I had two of them tonight and the first one I poured into a glass full
of ice. The drink foamed up a lot at first, kind of looked like an Ice Cream
Float. After the foam dissipated, I took a big sip and was impressed with the
smooth, crisp flavor followed by only a hint of an aftertaste (a bit subtler
than the Diet Coke aftertaste, and I love Diet Coke). I've had a Red Bull before
and this was much, much better than Red Bull. I could actually drink this stuff,
I'll never touch Red Bull again.
The second drink was straight from the can and for some reason it wasn't quite as tasty. I can only guess why but my theory is that XS is a bit like wine in that it tastes better when it can breathe in an open glass. I know it sounds stupid but it really did taste better on the rocks. Not saying the stuff in the can was bad, it was fine, it just wasn't as tasty as the XS over ice.
As for the energy boost? Well, I don't have any idea about that. Maybe it boosted my energy, maybe not. I drank a Tall Black Coffee before the XS so I was already pretty geeked. It didn't make me sleepy so that's a good thing.
In summary, I can recommend XS Cherry Blast as a tasty beverage. However, I still need more testing to see if it truly delivers on the energy boost promise, which is really the point of buying something like XS in the first place isn't it? Basically, I'm not quite ready to ditch my eight cups of coffee a day habit. But I'm keeping an open mind.
October 14, 2004
Blogging 101 Takes a Break
By QBlog in Blogging 101
I'm giving Blogging 101 a week off. It will be back next week. It just really wanted to visit Las Vegas for some reason, even though it's not old enough to gamble. Go figure.
Blakey Says!
By QBlog in
Last night Amway lawyer Richard E. Griffin gave me a call to discuss the Blakey Says! apparel for sale at the Quixtar BLOG Shop. Apparently Griffin believed the slogan on the apparel (quoted from Blakey) came from The Blakey Report. The quote actually comes from the opinion of United States Magistrate Judge Joseph G. Scoville and is available on a public Web site.
» Listen to the phone conversation with Richard E. Griffin (mp3)
What I can't really figure out is why Amway is so concerned with Blakey's opinions. That still baffles me. Anyway, here's the quote:
"The Amway business is run in a manner that is parallel to that of major organized crime groups, in particular the Mafia."It will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens to Scoville's opinion. The Blakey Drama never seems to end.- G. Robert Blakey, author of the RICO Act
This post updated with new content Oct. 15
The Quixtar Web Initiative
By QBlog in Web Initiative
Earlier this year the Quixtar leadership developed a Strategic Web Initiative.
Their Initiative is specifically designed to improve the reputation of Quixtar,
its leaders and their respective organizations. The primary goal of the Initiative,
headed by Jody Victor, Fred Harteis and Billy Florence, is to impact search
engine results (especially Google) so that links to so-called "Quixtar Negative"
sites are replaced by links to "Quixtar Positive" sites. The implementation
of their Initiative is a multipronged assault on the Web utilizing Quixtar Product
Information Pages, Blogs, Personal Home Pages, IBO Controlled News Outlets,
Advertisements and Web Reputation specialists.
How Does It Work?
In this Internet Age, people commonly turn to search engines when seeking information
about a particular topic. Search engines, like Google, often assign a type of
relevance ranking to every Web page and then pages with a higher ranking will
be listed first in the search results. I'm grossly oversimplifying this ranking
process but just understand that one of the key factors used to determine that
relevance ranking is measuring the volume and quality of links pointing to a
specific page.
While the Page Rank process
is brilliantly effective, it's not without its flaws. Organizations, businesses
or loosely joined groups of Web site operators can work together to exploit
those flaws and artificially increase the relevance ranking of a Web page. The
most notorious example is the "Miserable
Failure" prank in which many sites linked the words "miserable failure"
to George W. Bush's biography page at the White House Web site. Such antics
are referred to as "Google
Bombing" and some efforts have been more successful than others. Keep
in mind that Google does not like "Google Bombing" because it diminishes
the value of its search results.
The Multipronged Assault
Quixtar's Strategic Web Initiative is a sophisticated attempt to exploit search
engine flaws and artificially increase the search engine placement of sites
they either approve or control. The Coordinated Exercise utilizes several tactics
(including Google Bombing) which I'll carefully examine.
» Tactic 1 - Personal Home Pages
In February (2004) I noticed that the Quixtar.com home page added links to Personal
Home Page (PHP) directory sites. Those links did not exist in January (archived
page). Each of four directory pages contained links to the personal Web
sites of qualified IBOs (Q-12 and
above). The reason for the link additions is unclear. One could argue that
the PHP links were added to simply showcase Quixtar successes but then why are
dozens of separate domains required for such a showcase? Why not put all those
profiles on one page or on one domain? And why does each spouse have their own
PHP domain? Those with Web experience would probably conclude that the move
was a calculated attempt to improve the search engine status of the PHPs by
capitalizing on the enormous status of Quixtar's home page.
» Tactic 2 - Product Information Pages
During the summer I noticed that Quixtar's Product Information Pages
(miniature informational sites) added links to the Web sites of Quixtar leaders.
The inclusion of those links was specifically designed to improve the search
engine status of Quixtar leaders (examples: Jody Victor at quixtar-us.com and
Fred Harteis at quixtarpage.net) and was presented in the context of a "testimonial"
about some Quixtar product. The Product Information Page (PIP) link strategy
works and the Quixtar Web Initiative continues to employ this tactic.
» Tactic 3 - Blogs
The most innovative and complicated tactic used in this Initiative
is the exploitation of the blogging community. Quixtar's blog effort is so extensive
and aggressive that it's difficult to keep up with its numerous (and frequent)
developments. To simplify things I've categorized the Quixtar blog effort with
four distinct labels:
- Adoration Blogs
- PR Blogs
- Google Bomb Blogs
- Character Assassination Blogs
Each unique blog type works with the others to create a complex, yet effective, impact on the search engine rankings.
Adoration Blogs
The Adoration Blogs are more or less legitimate blogs run by people who simply love Quixtar. Most are authored by Quixtar employees and at least one is directly owned by the Corporation itself. Adoration blogs are not new and they do a fine job of extolling the virtues of a business, product or service. Most of the Quixtar Adoration Blogs allow comments and trackbacks which indicates an openness to diverse opinions about the business they love. This rings of legitimacy and an embrace of the "spirit of blogging" even if effecting search engine placement is a secondary motivation.PR Blogs
The Press Release (PR) Blogs are the most numerous and possibly the most interesting. Interesting because they're virtually unprecedented in scope and design. To my knowledge, no company of Quixtar's size and stature has so aggressively exploited blogs in such a manner. The PR Blogs are plentiful and new ones pop up almost daily. However, they are easy to spot by identifying the following traits:- Comments and trackbacks are disabled
- The author is anonymous
- The content is generally duplicated on other blogs or Web sites
- Many posts are made at one time, indicating a massive copy/paste
- The blog lacks any personal flair
- Each post contains multiple links to "sister" blogs or to Quixtar
- Many of the PR Blogs themselves are duplicated across various blog tools (TypePad, Blogger, BlogHarbor, etc.)Alone, each trait means very little. Yet when all traits combine within one blog, the intent of the PR Blogs becomes apparent — to manipulate search results. Sure, blogs can take many forms but Quixtar's PR Blogs have more in common with "comment spam" than with blogging.
Google Bomb Blogs
The Google Bomb Blogs are easy to spot because they are filled with links and devoid of real content. The most obvious example is the "Quixtar Blog: Bob's Quixtar Reviews" blog (quixtarblogbob.blogharbor.com). This blog uses the classic "Google Bombing" tactic of linking words to unrelated sites (ala "Miserable Failure").There's nothing illegal about "Google Bombing" but it does present serious problems because it diminishes the value of search engine results. Similarly, the porn industry negatively impacted the reliability of search engine results by misusing keywords in Web page Meta Tags.
Character Assassination Blogs
Last but not least are the Character Assassination Blogs. These anonymous blogs attempt to intimidate the so-called "Quixtar Critics" by spreading fabricated rumors designed to smear their reputation. While the Character Assassination Blogs can't be directly tied to the Quixtar Web Initiative, there is mounting evidence that the Quixtar leadership endorses and supports (either directly or indirectly) such anonymous attacks. This support is manifested in the form of Google Ads, supportive links and encouraging emails.Additionally, the posts on the Character Assassination Blogs are often optimized for search engine consumption, probably to manipulate search results.
The total number of blogs participating in the Quixtar Web Initiative is unknown
but their numbers are increasing almost daily. The Quixtar Leadership takes
this project seriously and believes that blog exploitation is the primary component
of that task.
» Tactic 4 - Controlled News Outlets and Web Reputation Specialists
Ebuzz.biz is the IBOAI owned "news
outlet" linked from the Quixtar.com home page. Most of its e-commerce focused
content comes from wire services, unnamed authors (typical of press releases)
and the Kamaron Institute (more on that later). EBuzz.biz tries to look like
a real news site but is missing several elements shared by virtually all legitimate
news outlets. There is no "about" page explaining the purpose of the
site, who's behind it or who's editing the content. There is no visible way
to contact anyone at EBuzz. The "Resources" page (linked from the
bottom of the home page) is primarily links to password protected IBO sites,
not other news resources.
The second "news outlet" linked on the Quixtar home page is eSource-news.com.
This site is owned by Margaret
S. Ross of Atlanta, Georgia. Ross is the president of the Kamaron
Institute, a business consulting, executive training, and leadership development
group that specializes in Web Reputation. It's clear that Ross has relationships
with Quixtar leaders like Billy Florence, Orrin Woodward, Jody Victor and Fred
Harteis. A brief review of the eSource-news site reveals that most of the content
(except for wire feeds) is written by either Quixtar leaders or Margaret Ross.
Some believe that Ross was hired as part of the Web Initiative to advise and
assist in implementing the strategy. This cooperation seems to include using
her eSource-news site to improve the search status of the Quixtar leaders.
» Tactic 5 - Advertisements
While claiming that it "doesn't
advertise," Quixtar has dramatically increased its online advertising
efforts. Those efforts by themselves aren't unusual, companies commonly use
ads to improve public perception, but what is unusual are the keywords used
in the advertising blitz. A quick Google search of the name "Jody Victor"
yields no less than eight advertisements apparently funded by Quixtar, the IBOAI
and Victor himself. Similar results can be found for other Quixtar leaders.
Why would a business use the names of its leaders as keywords in an advertising
campaign? Do any other businesses employ these tactics? Does the Quixtar leadership
have a flagging reputation and if so, why?
The Battle For The Web
Those participating in this Strategic Web Initiative believe that they're waging
a battle against the so-called detractors. The Quixtar leadership has said that
this battle is the biggest challenge they will face all year. They are determined
to win and with their resources, capital and organization, they will achieve
their goals of search engine dominance. My objective is not to stop their Web
Initiative but to expose it. I want to shed light on their actions and let people
draw their own conclusions. This is America and if Quixtar wishes to manipulate
search results, then I won't stand in their way (though Google
might not be too happy with their actions).
I believe (perhaps naively) that if I regularly produce compelling content then others will eventually find that content and reward my efforts with a link from their site — a sort of Web karma if you will. I don't have any interest in Google Bombing (though I could do it if I chose) or pimping my site (I've only asked for a link maybe two or three times) to manipulate search results. Every bit of Page Rank bestowed on this blog was earned. While there's nothing specifically wrong with the actions of the Web Initiative, I don't personally approve of its methods. The Initiative seems "spam-like" and misleading. I'm especially concerned with the blog exploitation because blogs are very dear to my heart. It grieves me to see them used in such a disingenuous manner but I guess that's the nature of doing business. A sad reality.
October 13, 2004
Interesting Quote
By QBlog in
"My biggest problem with MLM is the abuse of relationships that were not built for the purpose of expanding a network marketing business."
- lawDawg
New Quixtar BLOG Shop
By QBlog in
Announcing the new Quixtar BLOG shop powered by Cafe Press. This is a real store, selling real products to real people. It's run by Cafe Press, a pioneer in on-demand manufacturing for the e-commerce generation. I design the products and Cafe Press produces them, process the orders and ships them to the customer. Since 1999 individuals and small businesses have been using Cafe Press to sell T-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers and much more.
How It Works
Cafe Press sets a base price for all products. Each shop owner then sets a retail
price over that base price and keeps the difference. In order to preserve the
non-profit spirit of this blog, all proceeds from every sale will be used to
support this site. Any extra money will be donated to the EFF
(see Supporting
Quixtar BLOG).
The Message
The messages on the merchandise are completely satirical, designed to tickle
the funny bone. Those with a sense of humor will probably laugh, those without
one may spend the next few minutes doing whatever humorless folks do when confronted
with old-fashioned satire.
And I'm always looking for new ideas and am open to suggestions. If you have a great idea for a product, tell me about it and I'll design it and add it to the shop. Or you could design it yourself and start your own Cafe Press shop. It's easy and free.
So please check out the new Quixtar BLOG Shop and tell me what you think. And remember, Quixtar BLOG schwag makes a wonderful Christmas gift. ;o)
October 12, 2004
Worst Nightmare
By QBlog in
Question: What is a critic's worst nightmare?
Answer: Being ignored.
The Scream
By QBlog in
Arrrrggghhhh!
- A quixtarian looking for his prey
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- A quixtarian looking for his prey
"Stay away from this folks!"
October 11, 2004
Monday Reader Mail: 16
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's reader mail addresses the familiar issue of "free time." Let's get right to it.
name: Lisa IBOLisa's absolutely right. It's very sad I spend my free time publishing this stupid blog. And so, to make better use of my free time, I've decided to take up the sport of Curling. For each hour that I previously spent tinkering with this Web site I'll now spend practicing my curling.
date: September 26, 2004message: It is kind of sad that you would spend a majority of your free time creating a website like this when you could be doing SOMETHING with your life....
See you on the ice!
October 9, 2004
Out of Town
By QBlog in
I'm out of town visiting family. Our vehicle is having troubles so we may be stuck out of town longer than we anticipated. The mechanics in this small town don't work on the weekends. Oh well. I'll be back when I get back.
October 8, 2004
? Quixtar Qrushy and Uncle Billy
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
? Quixtar Qrushy and Uncle Billy
"My uncle Billy is so smart!"
Blogging 101 - Modifying Posts
By QBlog in Blogging 101
Most blogs are just personal publications. They don't have an editor. There is no payment for posting. No contract is signed determining the content. A blogger is free to write about whatever he wants (within the law), however he wants without much external interference.
However, no blog is an island. By definition, a blog must have an audience (some larger than others) and that audience has certain expectations (justified or not). One of those primary expectations is that posts do not change, at least not without a warning.
The Rules
How does one modify a blog post? Very carefully.
Blogs aren't perfect. Mistakes are made, misspellings occur, facts turn out to be false, minds are changed. Those are some good reasons to modify a blog post but to maintain credibility, those changes should follow some basic rules. I'm not listing universal rules, just the rules that I follow. You should figure out your own rules for your blog. Think of these as guidelines.
- Denote major updates to a post by the word UPDATE or the phrase New Information. That new information should usually append the post, not replace it.
- Misspellings can almost always be corrected without notice. Really bad misspellings might warrant a funny remark, especially if it was commented on by a reader.
- Rewording portions of a post (for clarity) without notice is acceptable if the overall content remains unchanged.
- Bad grammar can be corrected without a notification.
- If an negligent error is made, admit to that error ASAP and provide a correction.
- Never, ever delete a post. If a post must absolutely be deleted, then it should be followed by a detailed explanation.
Keep in mind that it's your blog and you can do whatever you want to your posts. But if you don't follow some simple rules, you'll lose your credibility and probably your audience as well.
Blogging 101 publishes every Friday and the archives can be found by typing "Blogging 101" into the blog search. Tune in next Friday when Blogging 101 deals with... something. Haven't yet decided what the topic will be.
October 7, 2004
+ What do you click on
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ What do you click on
"Two favorite ones"
End The Confusion
By QBlog in
For the sake of the children, please - let's end the confusion.
A couple of days ago I observed that the new Quixtar Web site improved the shopping experience for non-IBOs. The post was based on my personal recollection of the old Quixtar.com site and the frustrating experience I had while trying to order products without a referring IBO number.
But now, I'm questioning the accuracy of my recollection. Some IBOs have told me that one has always been able to shop from Quixtar.com without a referring IBO number. Yet other IBOs remember things a bit differently. They remember that yes, you could shop without a number, but you had to actually call Quixtar to get a random IBO number or submit a request for some IBO to contact you first. Such obstacles do not equate "e-commerce" in my book.
But I'm still unsure. Nobody seems sure. I called Quixtar Customer Support and they told me to call tech support, which had just left for the day. So I guess I'll wait until tomorrow. Or perhaps you can help?
Do you remember having problems ordering products from the old version of Quixtar.com without a referring IBO number? Did you have to make a phone call to order products online? Did you have to wait for someone to email you some information? Or was the process exactly the way it is now, as easy as ordering from Amazon.com or eBay?
Important: I don't care about PV/BV. Apparently PV on non-referral purchases is randomly assigned to Platinum (and above) IBOs in the customer's area, as has always been done. Great. I'm not interested in who gets the PV. I just want to know if the ordering process has been simplified (as I believe) or if it's always been this simple and my memory is failing. Thanks.
October 6, 2004
Blog News Beta
By QBlog in
I set up a Quixtar/MLM themed "news" page. It's tentatively called Quixtar Blog - News and it's a "beta" version. It currently pulls the last three posts from six different blogs (five if you don't include this one). I'll be adding more feeds soon and tweaking some of the formatting. Still working out a few bugs too.
But it's a nice start and I think once it gets 100% it will be a good place to stop by and quickly catch up on all your favorite blogs in one spot.
I'm Sorry
By QBlog in
To my friend,
I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I value our friendship and realize that I made a mistake. I'm glad we could talk about this today. This post will only make sense to one person but I felt compelled to post it anyway.
Thanks for understanding.
October 5, 2004
Supporting the Quixtar BLOG
By QBlog in
As you undoubtedly know, I don't get paid to publish this site. The various costs associated with running the Quixtar BLOG come directly out of my wallet and that's just fine with me. However, as a response to several inquiries on the matter, I launched the Quixtar BLOG Donation Page last November which provided a way for people to contribute funds to this site. Some of you responded with donations and I'm deeply grateful for your generosity.
Yet as the Quixtar BLOG has grown, so too have the needs associated with publishing, maintaining and improving the site. And while your generous contributions have helped defray those mounting costs, the reality is that more money is needed to keep this site out of the red. Because of this reality I decided to explore alternative funding methods. The most obvious alternative is the appearance of Google Ads on the site last month. Google pays Quixtar BLOG a small (taxable) commission each time an ad is clicked. It's not a lot of money but after a month of testing, it looks like it may significantly reduce the maintenance costs.
The Refund
I've refunded every donation given to this site (minus the PayPal service fee). This wasn't easy for me to do, mainly because I was afraid some would perceive me as ungrateful. I refunded the money because it was given at a time when donations were the only source of funding for this site and now that has changed. Because the Quixtar BLOG now receives alternative funding I felt it was necessary to give that money back.
I thought and prayed about this decision for a long time and became convinced that it was the best thing for me to do. Maybe it's a stupid move but it feels right to me and I guess that's all that ultimately matters. If you'd still like to give to the Quixtar BLOG you may do so but you must understand that things have changed.
No Profit
So what's changed? Well, first I'll state what hasn't changed. I am still committed to keeping this site non-profit. I never wanted to make money from this site and that resolve remains intact.
What has changed is how the money will be handled. Previously, I said that I would quit accepting donations if and when the site costs had been met. Obviously that never happened but I'm going to do things a bit differently in this new environment. All revenue will still go towards funding this site, paying for improvements and ensuring that it stays around for a long, long time. However, any money earned beyond those costs will be donated to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization working to protect your digital rights. If you do choose to donate to Quixtar BLOG, you should know that some (if not all) of that money may be given to the EFF (if the site costs have already been met). It was this change that ultimately prompted me to refund all donations.
Conflict of Interest
Some have questioned my motives for publishing this site asking if the content is influenced by the money of various donors. I have remained fiercely independent and uninfluenced by the ideology of the site's supporters. Now that "credibility issue" has been totally negated, how many of my critics can claim similar independence?
Openness
I'm committed to being open and honest with everything I do here and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. I've gone ahead and listed a couple of questions that I anticipate being asked and hope that answers some of your questions.
- Will you pay yourself a "salary" for running this site?
No. All funds received will only go towards ensuring that this site stays operational (paying for bandwidth, software licenses, maintenance fees, etc.). Anything extra goes to the EFF. - Will you avoid criticizing Google since they're giving you money?
Of course not, don't be silly. - Those eyes creep me out.
Uh, yeah. Is that a question?
I just want to extend a big thanks to everyone who's made this site an important place to visit. The Quixtar BLOG has surpassed all my expectations and I can't wait to discover what is waiting for us just around the corner.
Sincerely,
QBlog
Quixtar Does E-Commerce
By QBlog in
Once upon a time Quixtar.com only sold products to Quixtar IBOs, Quixtar Members and Quixtar Clients. The general public had to jump through hoops to be able to shop on the poorly designed "I-Commerce" Web site. It was NOT Amazon.com by any stretch of the imagination.
So why am I speaking in the past tense? Well, all that's changed (most of it anyway). The Quixtar Web site has been impressively redesigned and now allows anyone, I repeat ANYONE, to purchase products with ease. What a revolutionary concept!
Now one can easily shop from the Quixtar Web site without ever meeting an IBO, without knowing that LOA stands for Line of Affiliation and without signing the dreaded BSMAA (Business Support Materials Arbitration Agreement). Fantastic.
Good job Quixtar. Welcome to e-commerce.
October 4, 2004
Google Image Gallery
By QBlog in
Impromptu Internet art exhibits courtesy of Google.com.
| Quixtar - Sample Image
|
Put together your own exhibit and share it with us.
Inspired by Kottke's impromptu Internet art exhibits.
Monday Reader Mail: 15
By QBlog in Reader Mail
Today's reader mail is a commentary on Quixtar's prices and the Point Value (PV) attached to the products. For those who may not know, PV is what determines your pin level (Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, etc.) as well as the percentage of your sales that will be returned to you as a bonus check.
name: saraHonestly I don't have any idea if sara's statements about higher prices and static PV are true but it's similar to what I've heard from other IBOs over the past year. There is a message from Larry Harper explaining that PV is reduced by 4% but BV is increased by 4%. So maybe the lower PV is true but not important because of the higher BV? But wouldn't that just make it harder to reach the next bonus level? All this is so confusing. Thanks sara, now I've got a headache ;0)
date: September 1, 2004message: I am not an active IBO in quixtar due to all the hoopla since the Dateline story and sites similar to yours that have expanded my short termed "tunnel vision". However, I still buy some of the products and today I was going thru the new "Choices" catalog I recieved a couple of days ago. While I was checking out the new (higher) prices on pretty much Everything, I began to notice something else going on too. Not only did the high prices get even higher, but the p.v. didn't budge on hardly anything!!!!! So, now it looks like the active IBO's will be working harder while they're being financially drained QUICKER!!!!
October 3, 2004
Who 'Really' Blogs?
By QBlog in
Today, as I was reading Jason Kottke's post about the Richest Bloggers, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend several months ago.
The friend (an IBO) was questioning the value of blogs and argued that "successful" people don't blog.
"Excuse me," I interrupted. "If successful people don't blog then kindly explain what Jeffrey Zeldman and Mena Trott do with regularity."
"Well, they don't count because they're Web people," he retorted. "They got where they are because of the Web and technology and stuff. I'm talking about people who are known for something besides the Web."
"Well, what about Lawrence Lessig and Glenn Reynolds?"
"They're academics and media types. They aren't businessmen or CEOs or mega-rich entrepreneurs," he said.
Well, things have sure changed in just a few months. The essence of my friend's argument was that blogging wasn't valuable because the richest, most successful businessmen in America didn't bother to participate. Yes, I realize such logic is miserably flawed but I'll just let that slide for now. I'd rather get to the real purpose of this post: To provide three links to three blogs authored by three businessmen on the Forbes list of the 400 richest people in America.
- Pierre Omidyar, $10.4 billion
- George Soros, $7.2 billion
- Mark Cuban, $1.3 billion
And I'll point out that some of these are real honest-to-goodness blogs, unlike some of the pabulum spewing PR sites masquerading as blogs run by people like Orrin Woodward and Jody Victor. For instance, the Mark Cuban blog has a definite "flavor" and opines on everything from Joe Walsh to outsourcing. He even allows comments. Sweet.
So, for all you naysayers out there who still don't grasp what this blogging thing is all about, now you have some "successful" businessmen to emulate. They blog and two of them even have more money than Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel.
Get your blog on!
- Amway's bastard child Quixtar
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- Amway's bastard child Quixtar
"I made the mistake of signing up"
+ e-Commerce Revolution
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ e-Commerce Revolution
"This blog will focus on major economic trends that are creating a huge opportunity"
+ Believe it or not....
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
+ Believe it or not....
"Finalized the deal today and now own a franchise in Quixtar"
October 2, 2004
- The pyramid game
By QBlog in Quixtar Chatter
- The pyramid game
"My poor friend has committed himself"
What's Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing? - IV
By QBlog in
When I first began searching for information about Quixtar, sometime around the summer of 2002, I stumbled across Dean VanDruff's article titled "What's Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing?" Something about the article struck a chord with me and it's points have lingered in my mind ever since. I love the article's pragmatic tone and the meticulous way in which VanDruff defuses each potential objection, the sign of a skilled debater.
At my request, VanDruff has graciously granted permission for me to republish
his article here on Quixtar BLOG. His article analyzes four "problem areas"
with MLM and I will publish each specific analysis as a separate post (see parts
I,
II
& III).
I consider this article required reading for everyone involved in any Multi-Level
Marketing business.
- by Dean VanDruff
IV. Relationship Issues: An Experiential Problem
Learning the Hard WayMLMs grow by exploiting people's relationships. If you are going to be in an MLM, you swallow hard and accept this as part of "building your business." This is "networking." But to those not "in" the MLM, it seems as if friendship is merely a pretext for phoniness, friendliness is suspected as prospecting, and so on. There is no middle ground here, try as you might.
While this is the most difficult point to make, it is perhaps the most important.
Anyone who has any experience with an MLM has strong feelings, either for or
against, and this is the problem. Polarization runs deep.
High-pressure Selling -- Reserved for Pyramids Only
When it comes to selling product, MLM sales reps are probably no more aggressive
or obnoxious than ordinary salespeople. Since most are not salespeople by nature,
and it is characteristic that MLMs attract few people with any experience selling
this particular product or service, they usually sell through pre-fab "parties"
or home "demos." Thus, sales pressure is exerted by situation, if at all.
It should be noted that when selling product, the only distinction from a real-world business is the possibility for deception due to the "looseness" of the MLM and the incentive to exaggerate claims without any accountability. Other than this, selling product in an MLM is fairly similar to selling any product in the real world.
But when it comes to getting you "signed up" as a "distributor," the MLMers get pushy and deceptive beyond the boundaries of polite social norms.
Remember, an MLM is defined by its rewarding people to recruit others in multiple
levels.
"Mother, Let Me Tell You About a Fantastic Opportunity..."
Even ex-accountants are willing to practice the crudest of high-pressure
selling tactics, at least when it comes to "signing people up." The end justifies
the means, when it comes to getting people to come to the "meetings," where
the objective is to get a materialism frenzy going at high pitch through a slick
speaker or video. The reasons for this "confidence building" should be obvious
by now, but here we are considering the relationship cost associated with the
"success" of the MLM.
The above title is meant to be absurd. Most people, no matter how jaded, would
not foist such a con on their own mothers. Even if people don't know the specifics
of what is wrong with MLMs, intuition often warns us: "Don't tamper with that
relationship." The first marks for recruitment are the gullible, or the "expendable"
friends. But successive moral compromise, experience, and desperation... may
yet lead to "good old Mom."
Never Admit You Are Wrong
Many have left high-paying jobs to "pursue their dreams" in an MLM. Having been
conned so dramatically, they do not easily admit defeat. It seems easier to
cling to the bad dream in an increasing cycle of desperation to make the MLM
work against all odds. "Losers" at the bottom congregate into support groups,
perhaps spinning-off another MLM where they can be "boss."
There is an undeniable camaraderie among MLMers. But for everyone else, "there
goes the neighborhood." It is saddening to see people being encouraged against
all instinct and common sense to chase after an illusory "pot of gold," but
what can be done?
Counting the Cost: The First Church of MLM
Many readers will share the experience of observing MLMs divide families, friends,
churches, and civic groups. Lifelong friends are now "prospects." The neighborhood
is now "a market." Motives change, suspicions rise, divisions form. The question
is begged: "Is it worth it?"
Especially nasty is the church situation. Will the pastor join? If not, he will take a dim view of MLM proselytizing at church functions; animosity will rise, factions will form. You are either "in" or out. If the pastor joins, then those who are not "in" will feel a little uncomfortable in this church.
A church (or any community group) can be easily torpedoed by an MLM.
Trust Your Instincts?
For most people, thankfully, the MLM experience usually ends in very quick financial
failure and is then sidelined. Two possible responses are: 1) being embarrassed
about participation, or 2) becoming even more intractable when the MLM has failed.
You will find the latter chasing after the latest "get rich quick" scheme with
similar results. "If we could have just sponsored so and so--they have so many
friends--we would have made it."
Thus, there is reason for the "bad taste" most people have for MLMs. By instinct
if not experience or insight, we wince at the thought of what we know will follow
in the wake of an MLM. Relationships strained, factions formed, deception, manipulation,
greed, loss, a closet full of videotapes, brochures, and useless inventory that
"everybody wants."
Disease Alert: Beware of MLM Blindness
Apparently, it is difficult for gung-ho MLMers to see how they look
from the outside. They can watch lifelong friendships unravel, churches and
civic groups poisoned, the avoidance of friends and family, etc., and never
see that MLM was the cause.
If you try to point this pathology out, you are treated as if you have attacked the very gospel! Perhaps for some, the MLM approach is a new gospel?
They will claim to have made "new friends," most of which are MLMers or new acquaintances who could be considered "future prospects." The shallowness of these "new friends," the stilted conversations among the "old friends," and the embarrassment, in general, for what seems clear to everyone but the MLMer go unnoticed. Callousness sets in; standards are lowered.
Of course, it could be pointed out that this might have happened anyway. Perhaps the die-hard MLMers would have ruined their friendships anyway in some other non-MLM business failure. Is the MLM really the cause, or just the vehicle?
Business failure of any type is traumatic on the relationships involved, but in most small businesses there is at least the chance of success. And this is never the case in an MLM, unless "success" can be defined as profiting off of the failures of others.
Non-MLM real-world businesses that offer products of interest to friends, family, etc., such as insurance agents and small retail shop owners, seem to be more circumspect in dealing with personal relationships in all but a few rare (and grievous) cases. But the MLMer is recognizable by duplicity of friendship overtures, overbearing glad-handing, full-time prospecting, outrageous initial deception, and social callousness. This is no accident, but rather sheer desperation. How could it be otherwise? For the active MLMer is in a hopeless bear trap: with hubris as one steel jaw and oversaturation the other.
And so the MLM relationship "bull" tramples through the relationship "china
closet," blindly ruining fragile and valuable things. Some never pull out of
this, figuring the coldness they experience in their emotional lives is due
to some other cause than their MLM participation.
The Aftermath
One can't help but wish that the "neighborhood" could be like it once was. But
an MLM storm has blown through, ruining valuable relationships with no regret
or conscience. And brace yourself, another one is coming. Perhaps it is in that
smiling face approaching you, or in that nice letter you just received from
a "friend"?
What goes unnoticed to the MLMer is that when the neighborhood is turned into a marketplace, something precious is lost... which is not easily regained.
This aspect of the MLM experience should not be underestimated, and the reflective reader would do well to think twice about the value of friends, family, community, and church fellowship before joining or continuing in an MLM.
Summary of What's Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing
- MLMs are "doomed by design" to recruit too many salespeople, who in turn will then attempt to recruit even more salespeople, ad infinitum.
- For many, the real attraction of involvement in multi-level marketing is the thinly veiled pyramid con-scheme made quasi-legal by the presence of a product or service.
- The ethical concessions necessary to be "successful" in many MLM companies are stark and difficult to deal with for most people.
- Friends and family should be treated as such, and not as "marks" for exploitation.
It is hoped that by clearly pointing out "What is Wrong With Multi-Level Marketing" that many might be spared the inherent and associative pitfalls by avoiding the practice.
As well, for those who insist on practicing MLM, it is hoped that this analysis will serve as a handy framework of problem areas to be avoided if and where this is possible.
- By Dean VanDruff - republished with permission.
My Face Is Red
By QBlog in
Looks like yours truly is the culprit responsible for the latest blog outage. Sorry about that. I'm still looking into what happened but some signs point to me. There was no hacking or anything, I'm sure about that much. Anyway, I'll be back later tonight, I've got to go to somebody's wedding.
UPDATE: The wedding was great but a little on the long side. I prefer the shorter variety.
About the blog, here's what happened. I substituted a "/" with a "?" when closing one of my "href" tags. I'm positive I've done this before without receiving parsing errors but this time, it hosed my blog. So, it looks like I was responsible for this blog being down for most of today. I won't make that mistake again, I assure you.
Sorry for the inconvenience. By the way, the XML and RDF feeds are back up, for those interested?
October 1, 2004
IBO: Help Stop Rumor
By QBlog in
Are you a Quixtar IBO? Did any other Quixtar IBOs send you an email that begins like this?
CREST, TIDE MAKER GIVES MONEY, CLOUT TO REPEAL LAW FORBIDDING SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR HOMOSEXUALSIf so, you should know that, according to Quixtar Managing Director Ken McDonald, those IBOs are spreading "unsubstantiated rumors." What follows are excerpts from an email McDonald sent to IBOs:P&G policy leads to support for homosexual marriage
Dear B.W.,
Procter & Gamble, makers of Crest toothpaste and Tide detergent, has publicly thrown their support and money behind the homosexual political agenda...
Dear IBO:I received a copy of this rumor a couple of weeks ago from a friend (not a Quixtar IBO). I pretty much ignore any email I get with "FW" in the subject line but I saved this one for some reason. What's really bizarre about the email, and Quixtar's swift and unambiguous response, is that from what I can tell, the RUMOR IS TRUE. You can read the entire "email rumor" at Urban Legends which describes the rumor as "true." Snopes also proclaims it as true and gives a lengthy explanation of why it's true.Quixtar has recently learned that there are rumors being circulated that suggest Procter & Gamble (P&G) is promoting same-sex marriages and is being boycotted by the American Family Association. They are unsubstantiated rumors. Under no circumstance should they be repeated...
...To be crystal clear, Quixtar and Alticor do not condone the use of unsubstantiated rumors in the promotion of this business. Disciplinary action shall be taken against any IBO who is found to have used unsubstantiated rumors in connection with their Quixtar business...
...If you have questions or concerns, please contact Quixtar Business Conduct and Rules at qbcr.department@quixtar.com or call 616-787-6712.
Oddly enough, McDonald's email has angered at least one IBO (and I suspect a few more). David McDougal voices his disapproval of what he feels is an effort to suppress his right to "express my personal beliefs in the area that I feel is needed." McDougal sent an email to Quixtar about this matter stating his opinions:
As a IBO, and a christian, I am furious that your firm would bother to try and debunk another christian organization that in even the least is trying to help stop the propogation of at minimum pre marital sex...So does McDonald's email suppress free speech or is the message just the cost of doing business in these litigious times? Who knows, but I wonder how many IBOs share McDougal's sentiments?...How I as a IBO choose to market my products as long, as I am representing a competing products ads in full is legal and a very common practice...
...In closing, thank you for the notice that P&G may be coming after me if I post information about them. Also thank you for sending a email to all your IBO’s basically supporting the a-moral position that P&G is taking.
I should point out that a Sept. 17 article from Money Magazine explains the rumor this way:
...the groups are mixing two unrelated issues. Shelton said the company opposed just the Cincinnati statute and not efforts by the group to amend the Ohio Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.Whatever. So maybe the rumor is sort of true but not completely true? I don't know. But I think McDonald's email demonstrates that Quixtar does not want to be connected with this rumor (true or false) in any way whatsoever. The Randy Haugen incident will never be forgotten.
- Post Updated to add IBO commentary (10/02/04)
Blogging 101 - Blog Competition
By QBlog in Blogging 101
Blogging ain't easy. It looks easy but it isn't. Sure, it's not exactly rocket science but it's not as easy as falling of a log either. Veteran bloggers often experience blogger burnout and limit, or altogether end, their blog activity.
So, how can one avoid blogger burnout? Well, one way that works for me is to nurture some healthy blog competition. Of course there probably won't be any prize for your efforts but those with competitive natures know that the true reward is in the contest itself.
How Does This Work?
The first thing you should do is find a blog you admire and actually read. You don't have to personally know the author(s) but just be sure you know the blog and that it's similar to your blogging style.
Secondly you need to evaluate how your blog compares to the "competition." Does the other blog have a better design? Is it updated more frequently than yours? Are the posts shorter, longer or funnier? Do people seem to like the other blog more than yours (as measured by stats, comments or a general perception)?
Next determine how you can improve your blog. Should you post more frequently? Should you redesign your site? Should you add more links? Should your posts be more personal?
Finally you must work to improve your blog by using the competition as a kind of barometer. Competing can keep you focussed and motivated to continue publishing quality material (whatever that may mean to you).
It's All In Fun
I've been using this competition strategy for a couple of years and it's purely in fun. And while it's been effective for me, it may just be a waste of time for your blog. Everyone has their own way of doing things, I'm simply sharing my way. Hope it helps someone out there. It's helped me.
Blogging 101 publishes every Friday and the archives can be found by typing "Blogging 101" into the blog search. Tune in next Friday when Blogging 101 deals with Modifying Posts!