Cyber Bullies, Flamers, Phishers, and Spammers, Oh My!

As if life wasn't difficult enough in the real world with the daily grind of dealing with rude people, junk mail and telemarketers and really bad drivers on cellphones. Now we are faced with cyber bullies, flamers, phishers, cybersmears, trolls and spammers in cyberspace. Some people just lack social etiquette and the rest of us have to be subjected to their behavior. Bummer for us.

Regardless of the havoc these people may inflict on my life on any given day, I decided to indulge myself and see how they are described in the Urban Dictionary. There's nothing like a little laughter in the morning. Maybe somehow it will make me more productive.


phishers

Any person who uses a computer to illegally acquire another persons personal information such as social insurance number, password to protected websites, credit card numbers, etc...

If newbies don't learn what's up with the internet they are going to get scammed by phishers left, right, and center.


Flamer

A person who, on a message forum of some type, attacks and flames other members of the forum for any of a number of reasons. A real Flamer usually attacks threads because he/she disagrees with the content of the thread or the lack thereof. The difference between a Flamer and somebody who merely disagrees is that a flamer is inappropriate in their responses.They must not be confused with Trolls.

Spammer

A moron who sends out E-mails, filling up your in box so you can't find any real E-mail.

Quite possibly one of the lowest forms of life around. Fills the email boxes of people with offers for increasing the size of male genitals, mortgage refinancing, credit, links to pages displaying every kind of sexual act known to humans, and among other things, pills.

A clever, diabolical person who gets free non-stop advertisement across the globe in millions of peoples electronic mail boxes.

Goodness, I certainly found a lot of interesting and amusing definitions of words I didn't even know existed. It also got me to thinking, isn't there some kind of code of conduct or etiquette guide?

Oh yeah! THE CORE RULES OF NETIQUETTE I wonder if I would be labeled a spammer or a cyber-bully if I started hitting the reply button and sending the Netiquette back to all those spammers.

Hmmmm, maybe I could use it as my own little TOS (terms of service) before I accept anyone as a friend in my social networking haunts. LOL

Oh well, maybe I will just digg it!

Something new and A little off topic!

This morning while I was browsing blogs on Entrecard, I came across RSS Hugger! I love their logo it caught my eye and besides who doesn't want to be hugged? Anyways, I decided to check it out.

I liked it! It's simple, easy to use and I especially loved the TOP 100. Most lists I have seen usually consist of bloggers who have been a member since day one or the professional bloggers who know exactly want it takes to be on top! How can I compete? I want and need traffic just like any other blogger out there.

Yes, I have issues with wanting to be number one! LOL That's exactly why I love RSS Hugger because their TOP 100 resets every month. This is great news for the newbie (underdog) blogger like me! I have a fighting chance.

Take a look at the TOP 100 and make sure you add your blog while you are there!

How Important is Your User Id and Avatar?

I thought this would be an interesting topic because I get a little bit of attention with my user id! I selected my user id name about six years ago when I was playing Yahoo Canasta. I felt the name was appropriate because it was a little bit intimidating to my opponents. If they weren't intimidated, they were certainly amused with my trouble4u2avoid alias.

A few people have commented on my trouble4u2avoid alias. They felt it didn't seem like an appropriate name to promote a business online. As a matter of fact, they felt it was a good way to steer away people. I guess I could agree on some level. However, I feel my user id is for my social networking communities and my paid to reads! Social networking is about having fun and paid to reads are lonely! Who cares what my name is there? Besides, who's to say trouble isn't fun from time to time? Especially the kind you have to avoid!

I enjoy the random quips on get on occasion. My all time favorite was I AVOID anything but trouble. I found it to be very amusing! Like I said social networking isn't just a MONEY thing for me. I social network for fun. Making money is an added perk!

Yes, I am making money in social working! Yes, I am having fun! Yes, I am promoting some money making opportunities. No, I'm not going to change my trouble4u2avoid alias. I can't! LOL I am having too much fun!

The point I'm trying to make is if you are looking to promote a business on a more professionally level, you may want to try selecting an alias to represent your business or business interests. I have seen some really cool business user ids that are catchy and very professional. I have also seen people who simply user their first and last names. I guess it all boils down to what you feel comfortable using.

Another thought to ponder is your avatar. I used to use anime avatars. There are some many cool ones and I thought "WOW" one for every social networking community. I would even change them on a regular basis. Well, I no longer do that. I stopped because it was confusing people. Some people actually complained. That's no way to build friendships.

My suggestion would be to use a real photo of yourself and use it in every social networking community you join. I can tell you I have found a lot of my friends from one network in another because I saw their dazzling smile! Or if you don't want to share your own self portrait, at least use the same avatar everywhere so you can be found.

Maybe if you are computer savvy unlike me, you can design your own avatar/logo. Don't pick an avatar you see everywhere. Try to find something unique, eye catching and memorable.

The importance of being recognized is so you can build a strong network of friends. There will be plenty of people you cross paths with but building a strong alliance with other members will increase your traffic, open you up to new opportunities and build long lasting friendships.

Your user ID and your avatar are very important if you are planning to network on a professionally level. I strongly recommend before you go out there and start joining a ton of social networks make sure you have a photograph and a user id you really like and can use for a long time.

Happy networking! PS...I'm really no trouble at all!

Making Money with Social Networking

Social Networking is becoming one the most enjoyable and easiest ways to make money online. Social networking communities are being created at an alarming rate. Even better news is some come with awesome money making opportunities for their members.

Here are a few of the ways members are earning money with social networks.

Google Adsense

If you have a Google Adsense account, you can earn a share of the revenue generated from the ads on your profile page. Your share of the earnings will be listed in the social network's terms of service. Most range from 50%-100%.

AD Networks

Although Google Adsense seems to be the most popular ad revenue sharing program with most social networks, you can find some which allow you the option of using another ad network such as Yahoo, Bidvertiser etc.

Referral Rewards

It's not uncommon to find social networks paying you to recruit new members into the social network. Some are paying $1.00 per referral.

Activity Points

Some social networks reward your participation in the community with points. In most cases the points can be traded in for cash.

Cold Hard Cash

Yes, you can earn money simply for participating in the community. Don't expect to make millions over night. What you can expect is to earn some extra cash for socializing online. Most people I know are already doing this but unfortunately for FREE.

Like I tell everybody I know, Myspace rocks but it doesn't pay! Look around and see how to make money online with social networking.