Hi Another pong thread. According to an article at CNN, the top searched word at dictionary.com this year is.... Integrity. Integrity?? Don't people already know what that means?? The first thing that popped into my head was the results of a Gallup Poll, in which people were asked to rate ethics - by profession. "Marketers" and "advertising people" ranked at the bottom; lower than lawyers, but higher than used car salesmen. Howard Luck Gossage, an adman who hated advertising, once said; "Trying to explain responsibility to advertising men is like trying to convince an eight-year-old that sexual intercourse is more fun than a chocolate ice cream cone." Personally, I believe that marketers and advertisiers have a responsibility to the consumer. A responsibility to help them make good buying decisions. When I look around me, I often believe I'm in the minority. And I think to myself, in a rather disjointed game of mind pong... I see what people think of politicians... I see what people think of government... I see less than half the population bother to vote anymore... I see priests sexually abusing kids... I see Jim and Tammy Faye... I see teachers sleeping with students... I see boy scout leaders charged with kiddie porn... I see people mistrusting and rejecting church and authority in general... I see what people think of marketers... I see what people think of advertisers... I see rampant get rich quick schemes... I see wildly popular pyramid schemes... I see debacles like Enron... I see websites with all the appeal of a used salesman... I see push button sales letters and automated customer service... and I wonder... WHY do people need to look up what INTEGRITY means?? But even more - I wonder if anyone dares to answer this honestly: Do you think you can have integrity and make money? Do you think integrity helps - or hurts - your profits in the long run? Thoughts? : ) Linda By the way, it means; Integrity -- Firm adherence to a code, especially moral or artistic values; incorruptibility.

I see... A one, a two, a 1 2 3 4... "I see, a bad moon a risin', I see trouble on the way, I see earthquakes and lightnin’, I see bad times today." Join in le-Bob... "Don’t go around tonight, Well, it’s bound to take your life, There’s a bad moon on the rise." BTW... Integrity? Linda, I just don't get it. How could that be the most searched word? Did George Bush use it in context or something? Did he confuse people with its meaning? I would have no idea why so many people would need to look up that word. It's pretty simple to me. You said: ================ "But even more - I wonder if anyone dares to answer this honestly: Do you think you can have integrity and make money? Do you think integrity helps - or hurts - your profits in the long run?" ================= I'll dare. I'll be honest. Answer #1 - Yes. I have been doing it all my life. Answer #2 - In the short run it probably hurts your profit. In the long run it definitely helps your profit. Gary Simpson

Integrity is vital to me. Other closely related words I would use are honesty, values and morals to name a few. That list of observations you posted sent chills down my spine Linda. It's all true. However, dwelling on the glass half empty can be depressing. It's unfortunate that we have that burden to bear in the advertising and promoting profession. Especially on the Internet. I guess the flip side is that those who do practice integrity will stand out from those who are mediocre. Of course, the out and out criminals are in a class by themselves. Will integrity hurt sales or success in marketing and advertising? I frankly don't know... But, I'll report back and let you know my opinion in the future. This is not just musing... It's really where I am right now in my marketing plan... My first step is to send out a survey. No website has been built yet. In Internet Marketing parlance, I guess I'm in pre-launch. But, I don't like that term either. And it certainly doesn't seem appropriate for my nich market; Finance, Investment, Trading. All the best marketing information I could gather advises sending a freebie to encourage the potential survey takers. I might do that. I'm not ruling it out. I may write a short report to send. Again, I think that may not be as important in my particular niche. I must admit that I've also been thinking the bonus for the survey taker is to be able to influence the development of informational pages and products which match their wants and needs- in itself an attractive enough reason to take the survey I would hope. Just imagine being able to influence the development of information, articles, reports, services and products that you want and need. All by answering a few questions. Isn't that better than having a free "nothing of interest" or something you've already seen a thousand times before given to you? I plan to do business with only the highest ethics, honesty and integrity. And I won't sacrifice that for a few more sales. I'll tell you the truth. If I slack off on integrity I'd be shooting myself in the foot. My business partner wouldn't stand for it. He has already stated to me flat out that he doesn't need to take on any more clients, or have a JV, to be successful. The fact is that he is open to taking on more clients because he wants to help people who do not have the ability to do for themselves what he does for them. People call that altruism, being nice, a good person and many other things. That's all fine with me. We are in business. Not workin for free. Snd not ripping anyone off either. He's a Christian and so am I. And, having a "code" as in the definition of integrity that Linda provided is where the basis for our business integrity comes from. Thanks for the thread Linds :) Larry

===================== WHY do people need to look up what INTEGRITY means?? ===================== I don't know . . . Probably for the same reasons that we heard: "Can you please define sexual relations" Everybody is looking for the limits maybe???? :-)

"Hope you got your things together. Hope you are quite prepared to die. Looks like we're in for nasty weather. One eye is taken for an eye." I am surprised too that "integrity" is the most searched word, I would have put money on "epexegesis" I've looked that word up a half dozen times myself. ================ "But even more - I wonder if anyone dares to answer this honestly: Do you think you can have integrity and make money? Do you think integrity helps - or hurts - your profits in the long run?" ================= I am trying to be truly introspective here and define times when I have left my integrity lapse in order to profit in one form or another. There was a time in my past when I had absolutely no integrity, I definitely made some good, easy money, and was the "big player" in the eyes of my peers, (who also were morally challenged). But it came with another price, respect of family and friends. I like what Gary said, short term versus long term, and I think that is spot on. Having integrity will sustain you over the long haul. One other thing, isn't one's integrity subjective? And maybe that's why it was the most looked up word. My defining of my integrity may fall short of your own personal values, but does that mean I have no integrity? For example, we've talked about surf programs and I "know" they are doomed to eventual demise, when I pitch them to anyone I tell them they will "probably" not last. For me this keeps my integrity intact, for some of you, it probably means I'm a low down dirty snake. You say tomato... Bob