Do they see you as a huckster? aka: Be careful what you glorify...

I agree with you, TW. Too many folks on the internet are nothing more than glorified hucksters. No matter the 'deals' they offer, no matter the 'reasons you should...' the bottom line is transferring my money to their pocket.

There ARE good people out there with some altruistic motives but they're fewer in number than they used to be, I believe. Maybe it's just my perception but I think this 'shrinking of caring' attitude is partly why folks like me become jaded and fed up with the internet a lot of times. You can only be pushed so far, disappointed so many times, before one looks elsewhere for the good life. Been there, done that.

That's not to say that I will necessarily give up on the internet but it sure has changed my view of it and the ways in which I am willing to particpate. Perhaps that is the angle that needs exploring: just what are the consequences of too much hucksterism? Then, how do we caring, responsible, folks differentiate ourselves from the hucksters?

Interesting topic, potentially. Let's see what others have to say.

Sandi Bowman