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spartan's Profile About me ... |
Member since: 6/30/2009 Last login: 2/19/2010 |
I'm a former police officer and have been a certified security expert for the last 23 years. I'm currently working on a masters degree in Information Systems Security. I became involved with internet marketing about a year ago and was appalled at the level of deception and dishonesty that existed. In fact I found it to be the norm rather than the exception. As a result, I set up my own site www.freesiteswizard.com that is dedicated to all the free things that are available on-line to help people advertise, market and promote their on-line businesses using free and honest sources without the rampant hype and scams that permeate the web.
I joined IM Report Card because I believe it has a similar mission as me and I actively promote it on my web site.
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Location: Colorado Interests: Hiking, Camping, Golf, Football, Nature, Peace. My site: http://www.freesiteswizard.com My blog: N/A Twitter: N/A |
spartan has posted 24 comments with an overall 95.1% helpful rating...
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spartan's comment on Wealthy PTR ...
Warning! Run Away! Run Away!
I joined this scam as a free member several months ago just to see what it was all about. It didn't take long for me to realize that there is just no way anyone could afford to pay $10 per link to the over 8,000 members it claims to have. As a free member I never got more than 5 links a day to click on and I didn't even get those on a regular basis, so even if they were going to pay, it would take forever to get to the $10,000 dollars needed to get a payout.
Not all Pay Per Clicks are scams but this one definitely is. My advice is to just avoid all of them. The ones that aren't scams only pay a few cents per click so by the time you accumulate enough money to amount to anything, you'll be in a retirement home somewhere and will probably have forgotten how to count anyway.
In all seriousness, don't walk away from this one... RUN!
spartan's comment on LinkReferral ...
This Is Not Just Another Traffic Exchange
I've been a free member of LR for about 8 months and this is not just another traffic exchange. This one drives a considerable amount of focused traffic to my site through it's search engine and people surfing in a specific category. When you surf at LR you can pick whatever category you want, so if you're looking for electronics, business opportunities, travel & Leisure or whatever, you just click on that category and you surf those sites listed. That's how you get such focused traffic. It's very unique and extremely effective. Although you need to surf 30 sites a day to have your site listed high in the rankings, it takes no time at all to do this, especially if you're surfing a category that interests you. As far as providing a rating for 5 sites a day, I find it takes about an extra 30 seconds to provide a short rating for those sites that I really like or don't like. Another nice benefit that LR provides is whenever someone adds your site to their favorites list, they agree under their membership agreement to receive promotional emails from you. This is a great way to build your list.
What I've found is that just surfing 30 sites usually earns my site a place on the first page and if I add the 5 ratings it puts my site in the top 5. I've never contributed a blog and find it isn't necessary to do so to keep my site on the first page.
As with everything, you're always going to have those people that break the rules at the expense of everyone else but LR has a pretty effective reporting system that I've used on several occasions and they've been very responsive in taking care of the problem.
This is definitely a site you want to join. It's professionally managed and is the most effective and productive TE I've found and believe me, I've tried almost all of them.
spartan's comment on Major League Hits ...
Nothing Special
I've been a free member of Major League Hits for several months and not to sound redundant, this is just another Traffic Exchange, nothing special. The site is well managed and it navigates well. The problem I have with it is the 3:1 surf ratio for free members and the excessive amount of e-mail I receive on a daily basis from Michael Coursey. It's not the emails notifying members of contests he's running for the day that bother me, it's the advertisements he sends out promoting whatever hot new product or opportunity he's trying to sell. There's nothing wrong with the site itself, but I seldom surf there because of the surf ratio, and I am thinking of canceling my membership to cut down on the amount of unwanted email I get.
spartan's comment on Greenfield Online ...
A Waste Of Time
I've been a member of Greenfield for several months and have yet to qualify for a survey. As has been stated already, a lot of time is spent answering questions only to find out I don't qualify for the survey. Frankly it makes me wonder if they're asking the questions they want answered and then telling me I don't qualify so they don't have to pay me. It doesn't cost anything to join but there is a huge investment of time that is very valuable to me. I have found Greenfield to be an enormous waste of time for nothing in return except entries in some obscure drawing that the odds of winning are astronomical. Unless you like taking surveys and entering sweepstakes, my advice is to not waste your time with this site.
spartan's comment on Traffic Splash ...
Just Another Run Of The Mill Traffic Exchange
This is just another run of the mill traffic exchange, nothing special there. I've been a free member for about 6 months and very seldom surf there because of the 3:1 surf ratio. There are so many other sites that offer 2:1 and 1:1 ratios and better surf bonuses that it seems like a complete waste of my time to surf there. Having said this, Traffic Splash is well managed and I have not experienced any problems of any kind. I just value my time and I feel it is much better spent on other sites that offer better surf ratios and more rewarding bonuses.
spartan's comment on Survey Spot ...
I have yet to qualify for a survey
I've been a member of Survey Spot for a little over 2 months and have yet to qualify for a survey. I've spent a lot of time answering questions only to be told that I don't qualify for the survey. Frankly I began thinking it was a scam until I read some of the other comments that said they were actually being paid. All I can say is that I must be in a very undesirable demographic because this site has done nothing for me but waste my time and clutter up my in box. I belong to several other survey sites also and while they don't pay much I at least qualify for a reasonable number of their surveys.
It doesn't cost anything to join Survey Spot so you won't be risking your money but if you value your time I would recommend that you not waste it here.
spartan's comment on ...
It's Done Nothing For Me... But
I joined EZ2x2 about 5 months ago and have actively promoted it throughout the net ever since with no success. I am by no means an expert marketer, but after 5 months one would expect to get at least one sign-up considering the amount of advertising and time I've spent with it.
EZ2x2 has been around for quite some time, so it is a legitimate and well run opportunity. It also provides a wide variety of excellent marketing tools for practically every advertising venue. The only thing is I see it advertised in almost all of the TE's I surf so my suspicion is the market is saturated.
I remain neutral as far as recommending this site. It's done nothing for me but it's legitimate and it provides everything a person would need to be successful with it. After spending the initial $10 it's not costing me anything so I'm going to continue with it and hope for the best.
spartan's comment on Hits2u ...
Don't Waste Your Time
I joined hits2U several months ago as a free member and never received any benefit from it. As near as I can tell it's a front for recruiting members to GDI and World Shopping Mall since they ask you to join both in order to receive full benefit from the site. The site was difficult to figure out at first and after I did I was just not impressed.
Unless you want to join GDI or World Shopping Mall in the owners downline(personally I don't recommend either of them either), this is a site you probably don't want to waste your time with.
spartan's comment on Hit2Hit ...
Good Solid Site
As the preview stated this is a pretty basic site but that's what makes it so attractive. There are very few bells and whistles but good sites like this don't need them to attract members as the large membership can attest. I've been a free member for about 4 months and surf there on a regular basis. It has a 2:1 surf ratio for free members which is much better than the 3:1 ratio at so many other sites. It has top notch management and although I've never had a need to contact the administration, I receive regular updates regarding contests, site maintenance or any other issues that may be of interest or impact my use of the site.
This is definitely a site you'll want to include in your surf routine. It's a good solid site with a lot of exposure for your advertisements and it's well worth your time.
spartan's comment on Traffic Witch ...
Just Another Traffic Exchange
I've been a free member of Traffic Witch for several months and see no difference between this and any other well run TE. The 3:1 surf ratio is time consuming and really not worth my time when there are so many other sites that offer 2:1 and 1:1 surf ratios. Consequently I spend very little time there.
There's nothing wrong with the site but it's just another Traffic Exchange that doesn't offer or deliver anything different than all the others and when you consider that your time is better spent with the sites that offer 1:1 surf ratios, Traffic Witch fails to measure up.
spartan's comment on HitsBoosterPro ...
One Of The Better Ones
I've been a free member of Hits Booster Pro for about three months and I find it to be one of the better ones out there right now. There's a 6 second timer and frequent bonus awards for free credits, banner ads and text ads. The bonuses are also much more substantial and more frequent than most of the other TEs. At HBP you usually get bonuses of 60 to 80 credits compared to 3 or 4 at most others. They also have regular surf contests for cash and prizes as well as regular days when you earn twice whatever your surf ratio is. You won't find a more responsive and attentive owner anywhere or a better managed site. As far as TEs go, Hits Booster Pro is one of the best out there and is on my surf agenda every day. If you're going to spend your time on a TE, your time will be best spent at HBP.
spartan's comment on Melaleuca ...
Great Products... I Just Couldn't sell them
I was a distributor with melaleuca for about 5 months and I can honestly say I've never found better products anywhere. They are eco friendly and seem to last forever. The problem is they are very pricey and it requires a lot of explanation about them actually being cheaper than name brand products because they're in condensed form and after mixing them in measured amounts of water you actually have 4 or 5 times more than the name brand, etc, etc. By the time you've explained all this along with the eco benefit and natural ingredients your prospects either have that glazed over look or they've hung up on you.
I can't say enough good things about the products, the company and the support you receive from your coach and your team. But unless you have this type of marketing and sales in your blood, forget it. The approach reminds me of Amway or Mary Kay marketing. There are a lot of "Rah, Rah" conference calls and "We're So Successful and You Will Be Too" training so if you're into that sort of thing this may be for you. It just didn't work for me and I eventually quit. It was just too far out of my comfort zone.
There is also the requirement to purchase at least $69 worth of their products every month to be a distributor. The products are worth it but if you're not making any sales and you don't have other income, it's pretty hard to justify forking out $69 for just a few items that you could do without during hard times. As I said, the products are great, it's just a very hard sell business.
spartan's comment on Tezak Traffic Power ...
Just Another Traffic Exchange
I joined Tezak Traffic Power as a free member when it first came out. It was heavily advertised and promoted as the best thing since sliced bread. They advertise giving members 11 ways to generate traffic and offer regular bonuses for surfers. Everything they advertise, they deliver. The bottom line is this; Once you wade through the hype and the reputation of the owners, it is still just a traffic exchange and it doesn't offer anything different than most of the other ones out there. They're just better at promoting their site.
In fact, there are several features that make it less desirable than many other sites. For instance; it has an 8 second timer and the images you have to click on to advance the surf require another second or two to figure out. The surf screen doesn't track the credits you've accumulated so you don't know what your credit count is or if the bonus credits have actually been added to your account. The bonus rewards are frequent but they are relatively low compared to many other sites. The 3 to 1 surf ratio is very annoying since many other sites offer 2 to 1 and 1 to 1 ratios for free members.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this site. It navigates well and is superbly managed. But as I stated before, after you strip away the hype, it is still just a traffic exchange and you are not going to get more or any different type of traffic from this than you do from any other TE. You're not going to make any more money or get anything different than you would at most other sites.
If you join this site with all this in mind, you will find it to be an enjoyable site. However, if you think you will find anything different I'm afraid you will be sadly disappointed.
spartan's comment on Hit Safari ...
The Same As Most Of The Others
I've been a free member of Hit Safari for several months and haven't found it to be any better or any worse than the rest of them. They all promise increased traffic to your site and they all deliver to varying degrees. The problem is the people that are viewing your site are people who are surfing to get enough credits to advertise their own site so all you're doing is advertising to advertisers. Hit Safari does have a 2 to 1 surf ratio for free members which is a plus and makes it much more desirable than those that have a 3 to 1 ratio. Having said all this, Hit Safari is a well run TE, it just doesn't deliver any more than the others and don't expect to get quality, focused traffic from it.
spartan's comment on Dragon Surf ...
No Reason To Waste Your Time.
I've been a free member of Dragon Surf for several months, along with numerous other TE's. Frankly I don't see any difference between any of them. The 3 to 1 surfing ratio for free members at Dragon Surf is extremely annoying especially when there are many others that offer 2 to 1 and even 1 to 1 ratios for free members. As a result, I find myself surfing the other sites much more often. The only reason I can see why Dragon Surf has so many members is that it's been around for so long, which is a tribute to it's management.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Dragon Surf, it's a very well run TE. I just feel like I waste too much time with the 3 to 1 ratio when I can get 3X the credits in the same amount of time at so many other sites.
spartan's comment on A.W. Surveys ...
No Surveys
I've been a member of AW Surveys for about 3 months now and except for the surveys I filled out when I first joined, there have been zero since then. It was free to join so I'm not out any money but at this rate it'll take years to get up to the $75 I need to accumulate before I can cash out. All this costs is time but in my opinion it isn't worth the time.
spartan's comment on Orange Leads ...
A bit confusing
I've been a free member of Orange Leads for 7 months. My first impression of the site was a very cluttered and busy home page that made it very difficult to take it all in and find what I wanted. I still find it difficult to find what I'm looking for and navigate
the pages. It does offer free leads but for free members you only get 7 at a time. Just like every other site, the more you pay for a membership, the more you get.
The functionality of the site leaves a lot to be desired. Every time I've visited I have to repeatedly sign back in after getting knocked out. After the first month I tried to upgrade my membership but because of some glitch in their system they were unable to upgrade me but they would work on it and get it corrected. After a couple of weeks I told them to forget it and keep me as a free member. To their credit they complied and promptly returned my money.
I think Orange Leads offers some unique approaches to marketing and advertising on line and if you're willing to spend some time figuring it all out it may be of value to you. I just find it all a bit confusing and haven't received any real value from my membership.
spartan's comment on Process Rebates Online ...
I feel foolish admitting I fell for this
When I first started looking for opportunities to make money online back in January, I came across an ad for processing rebates online. Not knowing any better I sent in my money and joined. In return I received a long drawn out and very confusing tutorial about paying for and setting up a web site with them for the very nominal fee of $48 a month along with expensive advertising campaigns for selling their products etc, etc.
I started getting phone calls from people offering "professional" marketing services to get my business started in return for payments ranging from $500 to several thousands of dollars. When I told them I couldn't afford that they said that this is what credit cards were for. At least I didn't fall for that one.
The more I worked on getting this started the more involved and complicated it got, there was always just one more thing that needed to be done, just one more thing to purchase to make it a huge success. Eventually it got through my thick head that this was nothing but a scam. There were no rebates to process. The only thing getting processed was money from me to them.
I finally called and cancelled the membership. I never got the original membership fee back and I had to close my PayPal account and block my credit card to keep them from trying to continue getting the $48 monthly payment.
This is a nightmare folks. If it says "rebate" or "process" take my advice, don't walk away... run and don't look back.
spartan's comment on TrafficHoopla ...
Good As A Reference
I've been a free member of Traffic Hoopla for about 5 months. I haven't received any benefit from it, but it does do what it claims to do. I believe the secret to gaining a benefit from a sight like this is that you have to heavily advertise the site itself to get sign ups so they in turn join all the other sites under you. I have not actively promoted the site, so I can't expect to profit from it. I think the best thing a person can get from this site is their independent ratings of the other sites. It serves as a great way to help you decide which sites are worth joining, and which ones aren't worth your time. I never expected to make any money from this site, so I wasn't disappointed, but I can see where their advertising is a bit hyped and may present a misconception for new members.
I believe this to be an honest site run by ethical people and that if you advertise and market this site you will eventually see a benefit. For me, the greatest value is to use it as a reference guide for the other sites.
spartan's comment on Viral URL ...
Cloaking is effective and useful
I've been a free member of Viral URL for about 5 months and have been impressed with the effectiveness and ease of the cloaking service. I originally joined for the cloaking service and decided to go with Viral URL over the others because of the income opportunities. I was never under the impression that I would make a lot of money. so I wasn't disappointed, but having the option to do so made it more attractive than just cloaking my links. I've had a few sign-ups, so I've made a few bucks which is what I expected, and it's more than I would have made using just a cloaking service. The main thing for me is that the system works exactly as advertised; it's easy to use and I've received excellent support from their Admin. I like being able to track the clicks, and the bar is a non-issue for me. If you're looking for an easy-to-use cloaker and a few extra bucks, I highly recommend this. If you're looking to make a lot of money, you should probably focus on a business geared for that purpose.
spartan's comment on Survey Scout ...
Another Waste Of Time
I've tried this site, along with numerous other survey sites, and they all seem to be the same. You spend a lot of time filling out information only to find out you don't qualify to take the survey, but you're always entered in some obscure sweepstakes that will take place at some time in the distant future. I'll stop short of calling this site a scam, but it certainly doesn't deliver what it advertises. Don't waste your time.
spartan's comment on GoDaddy ...
Very Positive Experience
Before setting up my website, I researched numerous services. I started with GoDaddy because frankly, it was the only one I had heard of. I researched numerous companies and services over the next several weeks but kept coming back to GoDaddy. In the end, I chose Godaddy because they offered the most for the money. I went with their basic package and even with this I received excellent customer service, and it included search engine submission, blog page hosting and every associated instruction and assistance you could ever want. I found the template selection and use in the basic package a bit restrictive, but eventually found one that would serve my purpose. Some of the tech support people are a little less knowledgeable than I would like, but they've never failed to find the answers I've needed 24/7. The feeling I have doing business with GoDaddy compared with some of the other companies is the difference between buying a watch from a jeweler compared to buying one out of someone's trunk.
spartan's comment on Global Domains International ...
Market Saturation
I've been a member of GDI for 5 months and have yet to recruit even one person. I've advertised and marketed this opportunity very heavily in every venue using their very excellent marketing resources with zero results. I see it advertised everywhere, so if can't recruit even one person using the excellent resources they provide, I can only conclude the market is saturated. I believe it's a legitimate and honest organization, but unless you were one of the first to join or are a recruiting genius, I believe there is very little chance to make any money with it. It does provide a very professional web site and excellent hosting but if this is all you're looking for, you can get the same thing from almost any website service for much less than $10 a month. I will be canceling my membership at the end of the month.
spartan's comment on TrafficSwarm ...
Keep it in perspective
I've been a member of Traffic Swarm for about 5 months, along with several others. I've found it to be one of the better ones and it's longevity is a testament to its' effectiveness. But after all is said and done, it is still a traffic exchange. You have to keep it in perspective. As long as you remember that advertising on a traffic exchange is like preaching to the choir, you won't be disappointed. Don't expect TE's to generate massive sales or traffic to your site. You're essentially advertising to other advertisers. TE's are a good way to get your site viewed to help with your search engine ratings but don't expect to get rich from them. They are just one of many advertising tools available for your use on the internet.