Its Obvious To Me

The following was sent to my business partner, Kevin Lee. For those who might not know this, Kevin and I run Didit, a Search Engine Marketing firm based in Long Island. We’ve maintained a Web presence for more than a decade. So what led this guy to think that we need a $99 Web site? Maybe due diligence has gone out of style.

From: JST Business Solutions [mailto:JST_Business_Solutions@email.admail.net]
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 11:15 AM
To: Kevin Lee
Subject: Kevin – Grow Your Business : Long Island Webpage Ads ONLY $99

Dear Kevin Lee,

Did you know that approximately half of the small business owners on Long Island do not have a website?  That’s because most of these companies do not have the resources to create and build a site, let alone host and maintain them.  Unfortunately, the internet has replaced the phone book as the consumer’s main source of finding new business.  No matter what, a good, bad or flat economy, business must always advertise.

Click Here for more information: http://www.admail.net/url/845656/da81b5/

No matter your business, word of mouth can only take you so far.  I have never believed anyone who tells me they have too much business.  You can never have too much business.  I have researched advertising costs throughout Long Island and it can be extremely costly.  Anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for most local media advertisements, depending on the size of the ad, the day or days, etc…..for that expense, the cost benefit ratio better be worth it!

Bottom line is just about every business needs internet exposure to be found by prospective customers.  If you have a website and are listed on searchable directories, great!  You can never have enough exposure.

Jstbiz.com will give you a combination of advertising and an Internet presence for only $99.  That is only about $3.33 a day!!! I will upload your company logo onto your Web Page. We will plan a strategy for your business so that potential clients browsing through Google or other Search Engines will be able to find you. Oh yeah, tell your customers to visit your site and write a favorable review for you. I think it’s important for potential customers to read favorable stories about your company!

Click Here for more information: http://www.admail.net/url/845657/da81b5/

OR

If you would like to know more about how JST Business Solutions can help, please do not hesitate to call me today at (631)-828-1919. I look forward to the opportunity to watch you and the business you worked so hard to create flourish.

Joseph Todaro
President, JST Consulting

SEO Spam

Talk about “Instant Karma,” Mahalo, Jason McCabe Calacanis’ infamous content farm, has suffered such a deep drop in traffic that it’s decided to lay off 10% of its staff of low-paid scribes. According to Calacanis, “the Google changes have led to a significant dip in our traffic and revenue. It’s hard not to be disappointed since we’ve been spending millions of dollars on producing highly professional content.”

The claim that Mahalo is full of “highly professional” content is risible; Mahalo’s content is wafer-thin and half-baked. Check out its entry for “How To Become Internet Famous.” Tip # 1 is “Taping yourself enjoying yourself is an easy way to become famous.”

Calacanis is no fool and I’m sure he’s seen the writing on the wall. My bet is that Mahalo won’t survive until Christmas — maybe Memorial Day. That’s the way the cookie crumbles when putative Internet Empires are built on shifty sand.

Article Spam

The spreading stain from the Galleon Group insider trading scandal has apparently ensnared Wall Street big wig Rajat K. Gupta, who was charged with insider trading today by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.

Gupta apparently provided Galleon chief Rajaratnam with inside information relating to big investments made in Goldman-Sachs while Gupta was a board member there. These investments included a $5 billion stake taken by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Ill-gotten profits to Gupta are said to be $17 million for the Berkshire tip-off and $570K for another tip about Proctor & Gamble’s Q4 2008 returns: not a bad take for a couple of phone calls.

Said Robert Khuzami, SEC Director of the agency’s Division of Enforcement, “Gupta was honored with the highest trust of leading public companies, and he betrayed that trust by disclosing their most sensitive and valuable secrets. Directors who violate the sanctity of board room confidences for private gain will be held to account for their illegal actions.”

This kind of allegedly egregious behavior by Wall Street fat cats is especially galling given the current “hollowing out of America” we see playing out in places like Wisconsin, where public services are being gutted and fundamental rights are being taken away in transparently crooked attempts to balance phony budget crises.  It’s obvious to me that we’re well on our way to becoming a Third World (perhaps Fourth World) nation and nobody seems to be able to put two and two together.

You can read more about this ongoing scandal at SEC.gov (the SEC order against Gupta is here).

Criminality

One really must hand it to today’s enterprising spammers, who let no recent global crisis go unexploited. To wit, here is a message I received today from none other than Susanne Mubarak, the wife of the ousted Egyptian leader.

Dear sir ,

Urgent need of a business partner / confidant.

I am Mrs. Susanne Mubarak, the wife of former president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak. I got your contact while I was searching for a neutral and trustworthy partner / confidant who are not known as our associate to assist me in investing my personal fund.

This fund is presently in a financial security company in London with the co-operation of the director of the security company, I have his assurance of releasing my fund via a confidential diplomatic means out of London to a more safe environment or to whomever I confined in to claim this fund on my behalf for safe keeping and further investment arrangement / disbursement. The total sum of money in question is ($10,000,000.00) Ten million dollars only. The partner I seek must be one that is trustworthy and must send me a letter of assurance that he or she is not going to betray my trust and sit upon my fund when it gets to your possession. Please, if you lack such a clout to handle a transaction of this magnitude, do not hesitate to link me to a reliable friend, old school mate or a community leader with a reliable grip on the system. This is very important.

The details of what would accrue to pay for your efforts will be made manifest when you indicate your interest, and, it’s negotiable. You are to work directly with the security company director london, as I have decided to lay low for obvious reasons which are for the good and success of this transaction. More details about this project will be made known to you upon my receiving your acceptance letter.

You are to work directly with the security company’s director, acting as my personal representative.: to avoid us losing this money. Because the Switzerland has freezing my husband account Hosni Mubarak. Please kindly keep this business confidential. And If you are interested Get back to me With Your Full Name… Your Country of Origin…Your Private Tel Number…Your Age… Your marital status….And Your occupation…

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

Regards,
Mrs. Susanne Mubarak.

E-Mail Spam

Take my advice, folks. Never put an ounce of credence into any message you get from somebody who claims to be the Head of File Department at some bank. Banks don’t have File Departments anymore. I don’t know if they ever did. In fact, if you do a Google search on “File Department” the only results you’ll see are some Nigerian spam e-mails that somebody posted to their web sites. Anyway, on to today’s fabulously intriguing, human-engineered Nigerian E-Mail Spam from Mr. Ben (“Forgive My Indignation” ) Coroma!

From The Desk Of Mr Ben Coroma
The Head Of File Department,
African Development Bank (A.D.B).
Ouagadougou Burkina-Faso West Africa.

Telephone +226-75282760.
WEB SITE // http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/tsunami.disaster/
Forgive my indignation if this message comes to you as a surprise and may offend your personality for contacting you without your prior consent and writing through this channel. I got your contact from the professional data base found in the internet Yahoo tourist search. When i was searching for a foreign reliable partner. I assured of your capability and reliability to champion this business opportunity.

After series of prayers/fasting. I was divinely directed to contact you among other names found in the data base Yahoo tourist search. I believe that God has a way of helping who is in need.

I am (Mr Ben Coroma) the Head of file Department in African development bank (ADB). In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $15 million U.S.A dollars ( fifteen million U.S.A dollars).In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along with all his family in the Asia Earth Quake Disaster (TSUNAMI,DISASTER ININDONESIA / INDIA.

Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody apply for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines, but unfortunately i learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the Earth Quake Disaster (TSUNAMI,DISASTER) leaving nobody behind for the claim.

Therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and i don’t want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.

The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after five years, the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner, and a Burkinabe cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account and 60% would be for me. That means ($6 million) six million dollars for you and ($9 million) nine million dollars for me. There after i will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated.

Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted. Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

I am waiting for your immediate response as you receive this mail. Extend my sincere greetings to your entire family. God bless you and bye for now.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Ben Coroma.

FROM (ADB) OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA-FASO.

(FILL THIS FORM BELLOW PLEASE AND RESEND IT TO ME).

1) Your Full Name………………………………..
2) Your Age………………………………………..
3) Marital Status…………………………………..
4) Your Cell Phone Number…………………..
5) Your Fax Number……………………………
6) Your Country…………………………………..
7) Your Occupation………………………………
Sex………………………………………………..
9) Your Religion………………………………….
10) Your Private E-mail Address………………

POST SCRITUM: You have to keep everything secret as to enable the transfer to move very smoothly in to the account you will prove to the bank.

E-Mail Spam, Nigerian Spam

Amid all the insanity relating to Content Farms, including The HuffingtonPost.com’s recent acquisition by AOL (Huffington is one of the Web’s premiere content farms, one that commentator noted is “powered by galley slaves and commanded by pirates”) and Demand Media’s ridiculous IPO, it’s nice to see some genuine humor emerge in the form of The Content Farm, a site offering “Informative articles about every topic, written by people with a passing knowledge.” If you’ve ever wondered about how to calculate your age, or how to boil water, or how to tell someone you love them, look no further.

Hilarious stuff.

Article Spam

My business partner Kevin Lee received this last week. It’s curious, because Kevin Lee is well-known through the industry as the CEO of Didit, which is of course one of the U.S.A.’s largest SEM firms. Who on earth would think we would want to use the services of an external SEM/SEO agency?

Kevin,
Planning to redesign your website and develop strategies to increase your online visibility can be an overwhelming undertaking. This is where WSD Resource has helped 100’s of businesses nationwide from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies.
Our advantage, and niche in the industry, comes from the diversity and experience of our Team; from graphic design to site development to turn-key search engine marketing solutions.
The significance of these competencies being under one roof greatly reduces project costs, time to launch and delivers a cohesive effort from the Team leaders.
Highlights:
The Team – http://www.wsdresource.com/the-team.php
Our Process – http://www.wsdresource.com/design-process.php
Website Design – http://www.wsdresource.com/website-design.php
Search Engine Optimization – http://www.wsdresource.com/website-optimization.php
If you are considering a redesign of your current site or exploring online marketing such as search engine optimization, a Google Adwords campaign or Social Media placement, we would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about your goals, expectations and budget.
You can call me directly at 888-842-7776 x 202 or request a proposal at WSD Resource.
Thank you.
Linda Savers
Senior Project Manager
SEM Resource
lsavers@semresource.com
www.semresource.com (Search Engine Optimization)
www.wsdresource.com (Website Design)
*Please note if you click ‘reply’ that the address is to bounce-live@ezinedirector. This service forwards your message to our support team for faster response times.

E-Mail Spam, SEO Spam

GoDaddy.com runs a very good hosting service (in fact this Blog is hosted on GoDaddy.com’s servers), but it’s advertising agency should have been fired a long time ago. For years, we’ve been treated to sexist creative that seems to have been conceived by cavemen. This infantile “lad magazine” stuff isn’t just offensive to women – it’s offensive to anyone with a brain.

Which is why Network Solutions is to be praised for launching its funny “Go Granny” series, which uses Chloris Leachman (“the original hot domain babe) to thoroughly skewer GoDaddy’s lame creative in a very funny way that also challenges the business wisdom of plopping down an obscene amount of money on Super Bowl spots.

Uncategorized

You already know how much I dislike content farms. It’s obvious to me that their ersatz content is nothing more than spam gussied up with lipstick and a corset. And the volume of this stuff – 5,000 articles A DAY – is the Web equivalent of KUDZO – that demonic plant that turns  navigable waterways into fetid dead pools.

There’s great news, today, however, from the folks at Blekko, whose very interesting little search engine has been getting a lot of traction recently for its innovative use of slashtags, which let users customize search results very easily.  Blekko has taken a very simple, very effective step to ban odious content farms from its results: it’s banned their domains.

Here are the offending sites banned by Blekko. As expected, quite a few of them are powered by Demand Media:

ehow.com
experts-exchange.com
naymz.com
activehotels.com
robtex.com
encyclopedia.com
fixya.com
chacha.com
123people.com
download3k.com
petitionspot.com
thefreedictionary.com
networkedblogs.com
buzzillions.com
shopwiki.com
wowxos.com
answerbag.com
allexperts.com
freewebs.com
copygator.com

What’s obvious to me is that Google should follow suit, either by banning these domains outright or letting users select them one by one.

Article Spam

The stock market has concluded that Demand Media, the Web’s premiere Content Farm and Article Spam Empire, is more valuable than the New York Times. The twisted bubble world we now live in clearly values content quantity (especially when the topic matter for such content is derived algorithmically) over content quality. Content, once deemed a king, is now revealed to be merely a pawn in a shell game for search engine rankings, churned out by Demand Media’s 13,000 scribes, who work for pauper wages churning out millions of pap items such as  How to Fix a Plastic Zipper and How To Compress Bags crowding out real works of scholarship and literature from Google’s SERPs.

This is such a silly situation that it’s impossible not to laugh at it. Over at Forbes.com, Jeffo Bercovici hilariously skewers content farms such as Demand Media (and its ilk, Associated Content and Mahalo.com), in a great article entitled Congratulations, Demand Media. You’re Still Petty Dumb.

Thankfully, history swings much like a pendulum, and it appears that Google is now striking back, with its new content farm-attacking algorithm already deployed. Well, it’s about time.   Google, which has real clout, has obviously been caught with its pants down on this one. The lesson is that Google needs to spend less time developing irrelevant products and get back to its basic information-finding knitting by putting an end to the mass hackery polluting search results that results in brain-dead crap such as How to Be a Mercenary. This stuff is far worse than e-mail and comment spam because it’s both insidious and its pump is so massive (5,000 articles a day, and that’s just from Demand Media).

Let’s end the insanity now, Google. I know it’s hard to distinguish content that’s actually meaningful from gussied up junk, but that’s what we pay you for, isn’t it? If you can’t handle the job, will you please just set your algorithm so that your users just jump to Page 3 of the search results instead of having to wade through all the crap on Pages 1 and 2?

Article Spam