I just received an email newsletter that I signed up for a couple of years ago.

In the beginning, the person behind the newsletter was one of my greatest mentors. But now, I see that person as having sold out to the almighty dollar.

In the newsletter, they explain why everyone should be blogging. How great it is for traffic to your site and how easy it is to generate a profit.

It goes on a bit further to say that it’s real easy when you purchase one program for $47 or the other for $139.95.

These programs are nothing more than what people like Darren over at Problogger and myself – just to name a couple are giving away for FREE!

If you’ll look through Darren’s archives, you’ll see that he is being blessed far more from the Big Guy for helping people in such a way – and he is the one that inspired me to help other mother’s who may be struggling to make an extra buck to buy her kid some cool shoes or pay for that skating party that she always had to say no to before.

Programs like the two I mentioned above (I won’t tell which ones, but they are just about as spammy and ripoffish as they can get) make me angry, make me feel sorry for everyone who buys them and makes me want to scream just a little bit louder to keep others from buying them.

Do NOT EVER purchase a program or book unless you’ve dug around through some of the more credible sites and found whether they are worth it or not first. Save yourself some money and some wasted time.

Ok, I’ve ranted enough now. It’s just that email has sent me right over the edge a bit.

Google will hire you to work at home!

No. They. Won’t.

Face it people, unless you have a website and work as an affiliate, Google is not going to hire you to work at home, but there have been numerous work-from-home scams promising just that.

Google Cash, Google Profits, Google Works, the list goes on and on and on. I can’t seem to do a single, valid search on work at home options without turning up a gazillion of these offers. I actually get quite a bit of traffic across my “work at home” topics from people looking for information on these promises scams.

I’m thrilled to report that Google has filed suit against the perpetrators of these scams. You can read the suit here.

As always, if you’re looking for information on work-at-home opportunities, consult a professional – there are plenty of seasoned bloggers who write on the topic – Including myself, who would be glad to help you investigate offers for validity.

Names to be wary of when it comes to Google work: Google Adwork, Google ATM, Google Biz Kit, Google Cash, Earn Google Cash Kit, Google Fortune, Google Marketing Kit, Google Profits, The Home Business Kit for Google, Google StartUp Kit, and Google Works.

When I first began working from home, I spent hundreds of dollars on hard sell sites for those amazing packages that would teach me everything I needed to know to start making 10k in a month.

Boy was I stupid!

All I ever seemed to open was a package that told me how to sell the same exact product I was sucker enough to buy, in much the same way.

In case you don’t know what I mean by hard sell sites, I’m talking about sites that look like this:

Or this:

The thing that gets me is:

1. The look of the site — If they’re making so much money, why not pay for a quality site that isn’t cut from the same pattern as every other cookie cutter hard sell site out there?

Though I suppose it’s good that they look like they do, it does make them much easier to spot.

2. The automation — The automation that is set up to make it seem as if the special promotional price will end the minute the visitor clicks away from the site. I’ve taken a couple of screen shots below to show what I mean.

Notice the date on this hard sell site? Where it says “One-Time” Offer?

Now take a look at it from a web designers perspective (view source):

You can clearly see the “One-Time” Offer at the top. Go further down the code and you’ll see how it’s set up to show the date specific to the visitors arrival to their website.

I don’t condemn a person for trying to make money. I do, however, think there is a great deal to be said for the initial appearance of a website that lets a person know it most likely can be trusted.

For me? When I happen on one of these websites that is nothing more than an obvious hard sell internet infomercial, I keep on moving on!

When I happen on websites that are trying to teach me how to make more money online and the author has affiliate links to these sites, I find myself not wanting to trust the author so much, because I know they are trying to regain the money they lost on the hard sell investment.

Most times I experience a moment of pity for them and then move on!

In all fairness, I’m sure there are valid sites out there.  I just wish they’d take some of that 10k they’re earning each month and invest in a web design that’s a bit softer and more believable.

Have you fallen prey to the hard sell tactics? What was your experience? What would you tell others who are looking at the hard sell sites or looking for the best ways to make money online?