My Video Talk & When MLM is Immoral

So I fell upon this scam in reply to a Craigslist ad: the man who contacted me and his "business partner" wanted me to watch a video, and about twenty minutes later they would call me back. When they did, I told them "I have no interest in paying someone else just to go to work for them", and "you're product has about the combined functionality of Skype and Youtube: it's not very sellable."

Actually, their product isn't the product at all, but a diversion: their employment ad seeks someone to sell web solutions, but this is not what is being sold. Their video has that wonderful infomercial quality about it. A presentation filled with buzzwords designed for dupes: the stuff of which politicians' rehtoric is made of. Like most MLM (multi-level marketing) schemes, the product seems best suited for use by the distributors rather than businesses in unrelated markets.
It seems to be the kind of platform that relies on ignorance, so I am posting this here, spread it around: with Skype, Youtube, and a few other free tools online, you can not only get equivalent functionality, but more: check out Vimeo Plus, Pro, or even monetize videos you put on Youtube to not only get free hosting and streaming, but reap benefits for putting content online. An MLM scheme may operate within a jurisdiction without transgression of its laws, but a telling feature of such operations as scams and over-hype is that rather people they require them to pay in order to participate: they neither hire employees paid for their time and labor, nor do they attract salesmen who are given commission based on their merits, who don't have to pay first; they require payment prior in order to participate.

The significance of this is that those who run MLM's are not so confident in the product, but that there dupes who are willing to pay to get a share in profits supposed to come from "you selling a product that is fool-proof!!!" [Is anyone else thinking of higher ed., and their human output who become gate-keepers, who as product thereof feel that it is unfair to let-in the undegreed based on merits alone, and the very undesirable feedback loop this creates for society? I have been seeing "bachelors degree required" for courier jobs lately: we're doomed!] One must ask, of course, if the product were so fool-proof, why would they want to hire anyone but direct employees, and retain as much profit as possible for as long as possible from their fool-proof product about-to-become "a household name worldwide"?

The pyramid will ensure those up top have made a hefty profit off the losses of their recruits: it is not a company, but a cult: televangelists and all.

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MLM works honorably where real and useful products--equivalent to the working demonstration equipment or bottle of chemical or chemicals, are involved. Nevertheless, this is sage advice regarding regarding the nature of MLM:

Listen closely now….. it’s not about selling the product!

MLM as a business model is much more closely aligned to the wholesale buyer’s network business model, like a Costco.

Nobody joins Costco to buy products at wholesale and sell them in their store at retail, we all join and pay the membership fee just so we can get them cheaper. It is in fact, a wholesale buyers network that exists on self consumption.

Network marketing is exactly the same ballgame.

(retreived 2012-11-08 at 11:40 amMST from http://askmarcbarrett.com/mlm-reviews/my-video-talk-review-mlm-tech-disaster-or-the-next-big-thing)

But if someone wants to build business relationships and be relied upon for a good word, why would he begin to sell for someone whose offerings are already free (and may even pay) online? That would make one a bad consultant! A self-serving salesman! Pretentious. It's like all these "web developers" who promises riches for getting online, merely leverage a Wordpress template and host it for free on some Ukrainian servers, then charge your dad over two hundred dollars(!)--snakes.

You notice that the video at that site does not sell the product, but "the opportunity", nor does it encourage people to sell the product, but "tell your friends about this opportunity"? At first you might think otherwise with "total video solutions pak", but then you suddenly hear about those you've signed-up being "teams", e.g. "if you sign two people up, there are two teams", and being paid "for everything that happens on those two teams". (In Pyramid scheme speak--probably ripped off from legitimate sales talk--that's called "residual income".)

I hate these kind of people, who rely on desperation, or on hyping to an idiot (I don't use it too lightly: I have idiocy in plentitude), and getting their payment, nary a care whether that person will actually be benefited or not: or whether the benefit comes from providing actual value, or just perpetuation of a scheme to get more people to pass money along a chain. I abhor them: they are scoundrels. (They make good politicians.) I even hate the simplicity which people love, by which they remain easy dupes.

If everyone could make a fortune off video online, every Youtuber would be loaded: they aren't. If every businesses just needed a 24/7 live stream or show to succeed...they could use Youtube, actually (who have better servers and backing). The most needed skillsets and products online are probably those with the sophistication and experience to make selling thereupon, getting attention effectively (and, I hope, honorably), and making a site, its layout, text, and message all communicate, successful: to connect people with needed and desired products and services more efficiently and with mutual advantage. Such, however, requires more abstract thinking and skills (applied in practical matters), the stuff the small business owner doesn't want to hear about, "just put a site up and make it work"--something I have experienced first hand! There is hardly need for more video solutions, just as we hardly need more MLM's.