Will You Get Caught?

We listen to a lot of CSPN in our house. My husband is retired and feels it’s his patriotic duty to keep an eye on what our National Government is up to. Right now, drug company representatives are being asked about thier televison ads, and it isn’t pretty. Listening to these executives explain how they’re manipulating laws and regulations, skating up right next to unethical or illegal behavior, my dislike of them is intensifying to a level I didn’t know was there! Watching them squirm is fun, but disturbing. It appears to me they know very well they’re skating on thin ice and thought they could get away with it.

How does this relate to us?

I’m sure you’ve seen  products offered that made you feel a little uncomfortable. Systems that sound too good to be true or that carry information you know is borderline, if not plain wrong. I’m not necessarily talking about the products that advertise themselves as “black hat,” although I tend to discard those immediately. I don’t think a marketing method that’s built to convince me I’m going to “get away with something” is a good idea. It may be on the up and up, but I’ll never know because of the presentation.

However, I have seen offers for products that fly in the face of what I believe is ethical. Perhaps they’re even illegal. I don’t pretend to know all the relevant current computer/internet law, but I do know when something smells bad.

I have a friend who’s getting started in internet marketing who is always sending me stuff about how to bend the rules. I’ve tried to tell him that I am extremely not interested, but he continues. I think one of these days he’s going to find himself out of business or in court, probably both. And I don’t think the few dollars he’s making by skirting ethics and regulations will help him very much when he gets a judgment against him.

There are plenty of ways to make money on the internet, but they require work. Listen to the gurus who tell you about the years of effort it took for them to get to the level they enjoy today. Even their offers of helping you cut corners, so you don’t make their mistakes, don’t diminish the need for your attention and diligence in building your business.

I tend to be an optimistic person - except when it comes to breaking rules. I am absolutely convinced that if I try something shady, I am going to get caught. So, I can’t say that it’s a high sense of morality that keeps me on the straight and narrow, so much as it is fear. However it works for you, internalize the thought that taking the low road will offer you a path to trouble.

Enough of the preaching. I’m back to watching extremely high paid drug company executives get their come-uppance.

Be well.