The Worth of Me -or- Does This Sell My Soul, or Just a Part of It?

In my previous post, I was feeling a little bit excited, hoping to make the most out of what I considered a 'free-time' effort: Taking surveys and getting a few bucks for doing so. Well, this is an update to that post. I have so far made nothing, but then again, I have invested nothing. Literally. "So whats the update about?", you ask. Here's my experience: The "surveys" presented so far(about 6 or so) have all required a token purchase with credit card or application for a credit card. Personally, I am not one to just toss my credit card out there 'willy-nilly' for a merchant to latch on to and (more than likely) sell my info later on down the road. I will say that some of the surveys were for well known products, and some I have never heard of. Regardless, I personally chose not to participate. My philosophy is this: My opinion itself ought to be worth something to the companies who value their product. In defense of Vindale's system, they are very up-front about possible costs incurred and the time it could take to complete a survey. They do not reimburse you, hence they credit your account. Note that some of the products you are asked to review are for subsription services. As for me, I would rather not bother with this stuff. Its not worth whoring myself out for the easy 5 or 10 bucks in my account, thats for sure.
I'm pretty picky about where I spread my personal info out on internetland. Personal info is easier to secure when I know it stays in my pocket.

Have you had an experience with online surveys?

Making Some Money on the Side

We all long for that magic crystal... The Secret Formula... The Winning Numbers... But lets face it, OK, I'm not one for get rich quick schemes... That's why I'm willing to do a little work to make a buck or two. I'm not looking to get something for nothing, but I will place a value on everything I do. So it came without any reservation that a few minutes of my time would be worth a few dollars, here and there. I took the leap and signed up with Vindale Research. Mostly known for product research and opinion surveys, I am filling out questionnaires for them. One at a time. My efforts are rewarded with a direct deposit to my PayPal Account. No fussing around. I'm on my way to make a few bucks, but I'm being realistic about it. You should be too. Everyone has an Opinion, right?

Check it out at: Vindale Research

Stay out of Social Site Hell - Here are 10 ways to do just that.

I belong to Facebook and Twitter. There - I said it. So once you get rolling in the hay with those places, its fairly easy to forget how much of a problem that one, tiny, itsy-bitsy cell-phone pic can cause. It was taken by so-and-so's cousin while you were at that summer party. You know- the party that you had a hard time remembering the next day.

I'm trying real hard to watch my step when walking through this vast world of connections-from who-knows-where. You need to be careful too. It's not just the pics that can come back to bite you. Everything you type can become fodder too - especially for prospective employers.

10 ways to stay out of trouble when you post to social networking sites | 10 Things | TechRepublic.com