The Max Murdok Program

Social Networking is bigger than you think!

I guess I am kind of a kill-joy. I posted on my Facebook page about how so called “Social Network Games” are EVIL. Why? It’s kind of an underhanded way for creating lead gen, gathering personal info, and in some cases signing you up for shit your never wanted. MOST people are smart enough to catch on but sadly a lot don’t see the insidious side and before they know it they are stuck with something they either didn’t want or didn’t understand what they were getting into. Suddenly they are hit with targeted spam and their information sold. This can appear as untargeted spam ( Viagra, Penis Enlargement and so on ) all from what seemed to be the simple act of playing a online game, buying currency or tokens – whatever. Once your info is out there, once you agree to a so called “trial” or “offer” and they get your info, your hell can begin. One of the chief offenders is Video Professor. You decide. Visit their site, then read this article. For a company that claims to be legit they sure do have to defend themselves a lot. The problem lies with the ill defined term “deceptive practices” ( It hurts your head trying to figure out the term ). From VP’s point of view they state they are transparent. From the consumer’s point of view they are taken advantage of. Common sense would say, due to all the complaints, Video Professor needs to be even more transparent. They remain steadfast because if they were to say “Free Means Getting Our Stuff Will Cost You $290 Bucks” no one would take them up on their offer. So to most, making that fact hard to find, or buried in fine print puts them in a catagory most would consider a scam. A lot of people find their way to sites like Video Professor from so called “free give away” sites and now from social networking sites that offer games. The tactic is not new. I have to stress this again and again, it’s also not a bad practice. It’s when a person is lead down a path that they think is fair only to find out later that they have been dupped or flim-flammed that it becomes a problem. Companies argue that it’s the user’s fault. They argue that they have integrity. They are honest. They are on the level and the user made bad choices. Once a company has to do those things, they might as well admit their error and their poor business practices. Once a potential customer becomes a victim & the “blame” placed with them, the jig is up.

On the surface current social networking lead gen tactics are a great marketing technique. If it was transparent and you were able to opt out. The problem is none of these so called games make it clear and the implications are not spelled out in plain text. Not everyone who owns a computer is a lawyer or a geek and therefor are at the mercy of what is fast becoming one of the biggest scams online. The second problem is these companies turn around and pay literally millions in advertising on MySpace and Facebook which help keep them in the black. So they aren’t getting rid of these things any time soon.

Sure companies like Facebook, Myspace and others are more than entitled to make a buck. Most ad’s on TV, online, in print include a link to their social network sites as well now. Fine because at it’s root, it’s foundation, it’s a legit & important part of a lot of peoples online life. It’s how we keep in touch with old friends and family. It’s how we keep tabs on our favorite store, sports team, celeb or whatever. But it’s also at a turning point. Eventually, if social networking sites don’t step up and regulate themselves you can be sure that eventually the government will in some form. Up until now they have stayed out of the online arena because the internet is supposed to be “free” of restrictions & regulation. If enough people are taken for a ride and ripped off, the demand will be there for intervention. When that happens we’ll all be going down a very slippery slope. Keep in mind, I am NOT saying all social network sites use underhanded lead gen tactics, and I certainly am not implying that by the graphic up top. Most follow strict rules to keep the shitty unethical scam/spam companies from their sites. I use commission junction and google ad’s on my blog which fall into lead gen and advertising to make a buck. I think I am yet to actually make a buck but in a perfect world I would. There is nothing wrong with making an offer in an ad, it’s how your information is treated after you click on the ad. As a rule, even on trusted web sites be cautious on the info that you share and how much you share. It is an old and tired saying but incredibly relevant. If it sounds too good to be true,…..

I highly recommend reading this article on Techcrunch. It explains things in much greater detail than I can. The goal of all this is to make you aware and for my friends/family that innocently send me what they think is something fun – to explain why I haven’t excepted your offer.

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