Hi Linda and Peter, You were right, I'm sorry. There, that wasn't so tough. You can even cut and paste if that will make it easier. I admit I got enthralled by the hype and lure of easy money. I knew that you (and my dad) were right... "if it sounds too good to be true..." So why do I have a surf site in my signature? Because I think the premise is sound, as long as it's realistic and sustainable. I can't afford to buy RRSP's or government bonds, but I can afford the small investment necessary and the minimal time required to (hopefully) get a return from a responsible autosurf. By the way, Happy belated birthday, did you get everything you wanted? Bob

Hi Bob: ======================================== You were right, I'm sorry. There, that wasn't so tough. You can even cut and paste if that will make it easier. I admit I got enthralled by the hype and lure of easy money. I knew that you (and my dad) were right... "if it sounds too good to be true..." ======================================== lol. You never owed an apology, at least in my eyes - and simply because you never pretended 12DP was anything other than it was. When I was saying it was garbage traffic, you agreed. You knew the risk and you warned people. It's the folks that put 12DP and others on a pedestal and wouldn't entertain any opinion other than their own that owe their loyal followers an apology. But thank you for being as gracious as always. ======================================== So why do I have a surf site in my signature? Because I think the premise is sound, as long as it's realistic and sustainable. I can't afford to buy RRSP's or government bonds, but I can afford the small investment necessary and the minimal time required to (hopefully) get a return from a responsible autosurf. ======================================== It's like I said in my original 2 threads back in November. There's the ridiculous ones that cannot possibly be anything but a ponzi - and there are the ones that are legitimate. There are surf programs that pay people small amounts to actually look at websites. I have no problem with those. They're crappy traffic because no one is looking at the sites to shop, they're looking at sites to earn money - but there are those that are not ponzi schemes. The trick is to have the ability to look at them and figure out where the money is coming from. ======================================== By the way, Happy belated birthday, did you get everything you wanted? ======================================== Not yet. We'd need a bigger place. lol Good thing I have more birthdays coming every year. And thank you for the birthday greetings. : ) Linda

Linda and Peter, Without in any way disagreeing with your analysis or the potential for problems that all this has caused, I must nevertheless point out that being charged and being found guilty are not the same! If and when the guilty verdict comes down, and I have little doubt that it will, there are going to be a number of embarrassed and devastated people around here. I can think of at least one female Adland member who isn't the one you're thinking of, Linda, who will be among them. The one I mean didn't have any occasion to be unkind to visitors to any of her forums that I read, because no one challenged her. (I didn't read all of them, though.) I know how satisfying it is to be able to say "I told you so." I don't blame either one of you for feeling vindicated and even a little savage about the abuse you have taken. I just think it's sad for so many who, like Bob, saw it as an affordable answer. You have to admit that on the surface it was very tempting. Not everyone read your forums. Some who did decided it was acceptable risk. I hope that even though they may have been participating in an illegal activity (innocent until proven guilty), authorities will see fit to prosecute only those who knowingly perpetrated the scheme. And I hope that anyone who dodges that bullet will have learned their lesson and at least won't lead anyone else into another one. My advice to anyone who made a significant amount of money from it (more than $500 if a US citizen) would be to find a way to pay taxes on it by April 15 if you haven't already. Consult a tax professional! And maybe an attorney. Cheri

Hi Cheri; ======================================== I know how satisfying it is to be able to say "I told you so." I don't blame either one of you for feeling vindicated and even a little savage about the abuse you have taken. I just think it's sad for so many who, like Bob, saw it as an affordable answer. ======================================== To be honest, saying "I told you so" is not satisfying. Not one bit. That's why I so seldom say it. I could count on one hand the number of times I've said it in my 46 years. I do not feed vindicated, nor am I seeking to. The only thing I may feel marginally savage about is some of the stuff that goes on at Adland. In my dictionary, a "friend" is someone I treat with a level of respect. In my first post, I mentioned that there are 3 people that I doubt will have the parts to apologize. Not to me (in case that was unclear) but to the people they coaxed, bullied and encouraged to sign up and upgrade and upgrade... and upgrade again. And *put in everything you can* because this is hot. Those people do not owe ME an apology. They owe it to the people they brought in. They owe it to the people I do have sympathy for. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough on that. I can not begin to tell anyone the volume of personal messages I receive. (And I don't mind a bit, just so everyone knows.) There are a lot of people that messaged me about how they felt. There were a lot of people that got "personal assurances" that didn't amount to a hill of beans and trusted the people making those personal assurances. There are people that are losing homes and possessions based on a "friend's" assurances. And, there are people like Bob, who owe no apology because they were completely honest and up front about what it is. Yes, there were people that followed a "friend" and sucked up losses for it. It was a hard lesson learned for them. : ) Linda

Linda, You're a better person than I am, then. I do take satisfaction in the feeling of vindication when I'm right. So I'll take satisfaction in your behalf in regard to those who attacked you and Peter. I have a strong sense of righteous indignation over any injustice. It's hard for me to believe that people are so gullible and reckless that they would risk their homes or other important possessions, not that I doubt they did. I've seen the local broadcasts and interviews with people who were in serious financial trouble when the funds were first tied up due to Stormpay's actions. I live only a few miles from BYU, where the whistle was blown. Anyway, I'm still sad for everyone, those who are my friends here at Adland and those I don't know, but whose homes I may soon see on the foreclosure lists. It is indeed a hard lesson. Cheri