HAPPY THANKSGIVING, and a message from MLM Skeptic

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US, where we are supposed to give thanks to the world and each other about having made it another year.

So here's best wishes to you, the reader, with a bit of help from a South Park meme... (look up "Craig")

"If I could get some real customers
instead of just friends and family needing
favors... I would be so happy." 

If you are in MLM, may you find real customers (who are NOT affiliates like yourself) and make a profit the way it's meant to be made.

If you are a victim of scams, may you find relief soon... and the wisdom to not fall for a reload scam or any other types of scams.

If you're neither, you get the generic "Happy Holidays" wishes. :D

ADMIN NOTICE: Comment reset

Due to some spammers spamming links and the inability of Google Plus to let me moderate my own blog's comments I'm moving back to the Blogger comment system. Unfortunately, this means a full comment reset as the older comments are now in Google Plus.

When in Doubt... Do Something, and LEARN FROM IT

A lot of readers seem to think I am a very... "negative" person, as I seem to see the world with jaundiced eyes, that every MLM that came along is a potential scam, so on and so forth. And I seem to sow doubt in people's minds.

(Then a few pundits ask if there's a scheme I actually endorse... the answer: NO!)

These readers failed to realize the purpose of this blog, which is to

• explain the potential (and real) problems in MLM
• explain the scams that takes advantage of MLM gray areas to ensnare victims
• explain the tactics of such scams, such as the lame excuses, the fallacies, and the bad arguments
• explain why certain schemes are ILLEGAL based on current caselaws and such

and so on

I point out signs that you do NOT want to see in a scheme, in hopes of teaching you, the reader, what are red flags you should avoid.

I point out the bad arguments defenders of suspect schemes use, so that

1. you spotting such bad arguments used to convince you when they shouldn't, and 
2. so you don't use the the same bad arguments when you try to win someone over

The problem here is not me, but the bad arguments people make.

Why This Blog Exists

Neo (The Matrix)
Does he know all the doors he can go through?
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I offer criticism of something as big and as pervasive, and as PERSONAL as multi-level marketing, I expected to encounter a lot of flak, much like a B-17 Bomber encountered over WW2 Germany.

What's interesting is even though most of my criticism are leveled at pseudo-MLM scams that disguised themselves as MLM companies, quite a bit of the flak is from "defenders" of the legal MLMs out there, somehow believing that I am bashing their "opportunity".

It is no surprise that many passionate defenders of their "pet scheme", whatever their reason, decided to share their opinion of my life, my hygiene, my mental status, and so on and so forth instead of trying to address the issues I raised regarding their pet scheme. Indeed, that was why I started this blog, to catalog the bad arguments and insults they used.

A common question among these defenders seems to be "why are you doing this?" Though they really meant it as a rhetorical question, since they already have an answer, such as

• "You must be employed by our competitor", 
• "You are just out to get hits for your blog", 
• "You must be bitter from your prior failures in MLM" 
• "Why don't you get a life?"
• and so on and so forth. 

But the real reason is actually quite simple.

I do this because I wish to open your mind.

Reader Question: Are you anti-MLM?

Ban Pyramid schemes, but not all MLMs are pyramid schemes (though many are)
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some readers have asked

"Are you anti-MLM? Everything you write seem to be anti-MLM."

This particular question has multiple levels of meaning depending on what else accompanies this question. Very often, this is accompanied by Ad Hominem attacks such as "sour grapes" (i.e. "you must have failed in MLM").

As sour grapes have been handled in a different post, I'll consider the question without any connotations, and answer it very clearly:

I am NOT anti-MLM. 

I am anti-pseudo-MLM scams

I am anti-badly-designed-MLM that is virtually indistinguishable from scams.

I am anti-recruiter-MLM Stars who abuse the MLM they join and turn it INTO a pyramid scheme instead of a proper MLM business. 

Introduction

Michael Shermer, famous skeptic
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A MLM Skeptic is a blog about skepticism, MLM, scam, and critical thinking.

I am an amateur scam tracker and learned a lot about MLM, as well as pseudo-science and skepticism, when I realized that most people don't approach MLM or income opportunities with enough skepticism to keep themselves safe, and they are lead on by people who are taught to use every unscrupulous tactics in the book ( and a few that are not) to exploit every type of cognitive bias in the brain to get people to commit and hand over their hard earned money.

James Randi, well-known skeptic
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The skeptic blogs, such as Skeptoid, Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, and Skepticality (all excellent), and even famous sites of Michael Shermer or James Randi, are mainly out to debunk pseudo-science and promote critical thinking.

The MLM blogs, such as MLM helpdesk, BehindMLM, MLM Watchdog, and so on, are mainly about MLMs, reviews of MLMs, news about MLMs, and so on. Some of them study MLM business models, but not necessarily any fact checking about claims and such.

I don't know of or can find any blog that covers critical thinking regarding MLM claims or scams.

I've previously written a paper on how I consider scams to be "pseudo-economics". So I thought, why not start a blog that features both together? Why not bust pseudo-economics using the same sort of critical thinking used by skeptics on pseudo-science?

Thus this blog is born.

I hope to incorporate reviews of businesses (both business model and marketing claims), as well as topics on critical thinking, cognitive bias, how scammers use cognitive bias against you, and so on.

So stay tuned.

EDIT: I did not include an email feedback address. That's intentional, as there's a lot of hate from believers of "scamworld".

However, if you insist on sending some love or hate my way, here's an address for you:

amlmskeptic
at
hotmail
dot
com

EDIT2:  Seems quite a few... doubters are asking what are my "credentials" to "attack" the MLM "industry".

First, never was in any MLM. I've been exposed to them, tried a few products, but never joined any.

Second, I am not aware I need any credentials to analyze something. Does football fans need any credentials to analyze football games? Surely not!

If you don't agree with what I wrote, feel free to comment, but you better back up your opinion with some facts or proper logic. If you just vent your spleen like "I hate what you said you #(*$^)&$#!"  I obviously reserve the right to not publish such comment on my blog.

EDIT3: Yes, I am aware that to be grammatically correct it should be "An MLM Skeptic".  (See grammar rule reference on a vs. an) I'm going to cheat a little, okay?