Online Junk.

The web is full of self-proclaimed experts in whatever niche they’re trying to convince you they are master of.

As a web surfer looking for information you can trust – how do you make decisions about, and choose the people online that you can trust?

Isn’t it really more a matter of weeding out who you don’t trust?

For me the process is more like that. I find it easier to eliminate untrustworthy people than I do to find trustworthy ones. Usually finding great people I trust is a process of sifting through the masses and coming up with a handful of people flopping around in the bottom of the strainer that I think I can trust. I do this for each niche area.

Here are some trust flags that I pay attention to… When I find someone doing these things it means my trust in them drops. Find one or more of these and the person probably falls right through the strainer into the pile of untrustworthies laying in the dirt. Only the best stay. I can’t trust major decisions in my life to those I can’t trust.

Trust Flags:

Anyone involved in “making money online” as part of their Title, Description, or Welcome message. John Chow says he makes money telling other people how to make money. When I first read that long ago John slipped right through the strainer. Some people have said great things about John. I only know he’s focused entirely on making money. I’m not interested in anyone that has that as a focus. I want to see some depth to the person. Sure, we all want to make money. Is that my primary focus online – nope. Really, I want to help others create businesses that are successful and help them to live more fulfilling lives. I really get a kick out of that. Maybe John does too but I wouldn’t know that from his site.

Too many ads or offers on their website. I don’t like to go looking for content once I arrive at a site from clicking a Google result. I’m not on a scavenger hunt. If there are ads all over the site I get disinterested – really fast. I’ve clicked off thousands of sites immediately because I just don’t care what the person has to say if I see 10+ ads in my face before I can find something of value. I leave immediately because I can’t see putting myself through that over and over – even if they have great content.

Exclamation points, large text, and hype beyond a factor of 2. Don’t tell me how great you are… let me find out. If you invented the question mark, link to your interesting story about it. Don’t throw it in my face in your header.

Outrageous claims. When someone says, “Best”, “Most”, “Biggest”, “Top”, etc. Already I’m calling B.S. in most cases. How many people do this and then don’t offer any concrete proof whatsoever of it? Nearly all of them. If you’re the best – you can say it – and give me a link to follow that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you ARE the best. I’ll respect that – and you might still get into my list of people I trust online.

Rocks. There are people I find online that are basically personality-less. They’re empty of personality – they could be a team of marketers putting the site together or they could be one person like Darren Rowse that is churning out amazing, fantastic amounts of very useful content. The problem is – I don’t see a personality, and that’s weird. Sometimes, at least x+1 times the person must show some emotion. Rocks don’t cut it with me because I see through a rock’s act. It’s an act in most cases and the rock is very good at playing the role of whatever he/she stands for – and the rock thinks that’s good enough.

For me – it’s isn’t good enough. I want to know you’re breathing on the other end of the cloud… I want to know you’re pissed off about something every now and then. I want to know where you stand on some of the junk practices that are going on online. You don’t have to call anybody out and have arguments ensue on your blog – but I want to see some shadow of a personality that shows me you’re human and not a rock. Rocks, and others that are too politically correct (PC) don’t usually make it to my Circle of Trust.

Blingers. People that use their site as an online magazine about – themselves. They’re blinging earrings, Rolex, Ferraris, Tesla, or some other moneyfellouttathesky cars. These people are showing you their latest iPhone, tattoos, piercings, cigar they’re pretending to smoke, and stacks of cash they made. I just don’t like the blingers and feel like if I trust them, I’m going to be a victim and they’ll make money FROM me, not FOR me.

Would you trust this?

Hype-ers. Hypers are those that use some combination of the more dramatic styles above – and in particular they’re trying to get your emotions going – and I’m not talking about the logical and rational emotions. They’re trying to make you scream out uncontrollably, “YES, YOU GOT IT! THAT’S WHAT I WANT! I GOTTA GET ME SOME OF THAT, H.U.A.! (a military achronim meaning, Heard, Understood, Acknowledged. Made famous by Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Pronounced, hoo-wa!)”

Posers. These are readily identifiable by their lack of a photo, name, or other contact information on-site. The other place it’s noticeable is on Twitter and comments in the Gravatar images.

Rather than put a photo of themselves big enough that someone could see them Posers use photos of their pets, cartoon characters, a logo, a food, or something they think is funny that they hope everyone ‘gets’. I don’t trust people that don’t have a face shots in their Gravatar. I don’t trust anyone that is hiding or afraid to show who they are.

Minimalists. There are some online that are trying to be the Michael Jackson’s of the online world. Once they’ve tasted some solid success they turn into recluses and release content once every couple weeks or when they have a new product they want to pimp. They keep their offers open only for 7 days or less so they can increase the idea that there’s a limited number of slots only for those that want them/deserve them the most. These guys are emarketing experts because they understand how to manipulate massive groups of people into idolizing them. There are a couple of these guys online now… S.G. and B.C. I don’t follow either one (anymore).

Frat Boys. Frat Girls, whatever. I don’t like the way fratbrats come off. I don’t like the language. I don’t like the fake, “lets be friends so I can put you in my network of other just-found friends so you all can make me some money.” It’s almost as bad as the next, and fittingly last, group.

MLM’ers. Mankind’s Lost it’s Mind’ers. Or, Mankind’s Lost Mother(bleeep)’ers. This group, as soon as I smell a hint of ‘em – I’m backclicking, closing tabs and saying Hail Mary’s to keep away the evil.

Is there anything in the history of business that has wasted more good people’s time than multi-level marketers? I cringe as I type that phrase. I’ve had so many bad experiences with these stupid groups and if I never meet another person involved in them I’m going to be:

1. A better person.
2. A smarter person.
3. A person that’s getting things done and doing something that matters instead of talking to one of them or reading their spew.

Ok, that’s it for now I think. I’ve worked myself up into an anger I’m almost embarrassed about here at this positive thinking blog. Sometimes positive thinking does that to a person. Heh-heh.

Start your online search for mentors and role-models in this way – eliminate the bad seeds above and see what’s left.

See if the person is speaking logically and is believable.

See if the person is selling a system that works, or selling themselves… are they selling what they’ve actually done? Score!

Those are the best kinds of people in my opinion. If I can see what the person has done, then those examples go a long way and if they’re careful they might just find their way into my Circle of Trust.

Remember: The Circle of Trust welcomes those that have walked and are walking the walk, not talking the walk or talking the talk.

Best of Life!

Vern
Hawaii – the paradise of yesterday, is still there today. Move to Hawaii just for a year. Don’t you owe it to yourself?

Related posts:

1. How to Build Your Online Business from Hawaii?
2. Want to Shoot Online Video for a Living?
3. In the Online World, What Type are YOU?
4. 15 Free Tools You NEED for Online Success…
5. 1% Chance at the Dream of Online Success
6. Why Creating a Successful Online Business is Like Reaching Nirvana