Myspam

I'm on Myspace, because if everyone else jumped off a bridge, I'd want to see the blog that made them do it.

Actually, I'm on Myspace to promote my weekly radio show, which airs on 91.5, WMFO, and has little or nothing to do with baked goods and everything to do with comedy and politics. It's called Hbee Inc. Radio, and it airs on Thursdays from 6-8 PM. It's also simulcast on the Web, and if you decide to tune in, be prepared for shouting, eclectic music, and the occasional joke that goes too far.

Myspace is a good place to promote this sort of thing. It gives me the chance to post four free MP3s and reaches millions. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the spammers caught on to this.

On Monday morning, I received an invitation to join a group from MySpace. These invites don't always tell you what the group is, and I know a few folks with groups, usually based around a comedy show, so I clicked the link and found myself in the "Get Paid to Take Online Surveys" group. Unlike all the other "Get Paid to Take Online Surveys" links I'd seen, this one promised to get me access to the surveys that really pay, complete with testimonials from folks who had quit their jobs and were now raking in $300 a day by filling out forms in their pajamas.

Man I'd love to have that gig. Too bad it's fictional. Folks, if you want to make $300 a day for an hour's work, here's how you do it:

1. Be born really funny.
2. Learn to be a great writer.
3. Spend 10 years losing your dignity and confidence five minutes at a time in comedy clubs.
4. Promote yourself relentlessly.
5. Develop an hour of material and hope that bookers and audiences like you.

If you can do that, you, too, can make $300 for a night's work, although it isn't really a night's work, more like a lifetime. That's how standup comics do it, and precious few succeed, though more people are actually making a living by doing this than by clicking on online surveys.

Myspace seems to be doing a good job stopping the spammers, as the group was deleted by midday. That didn't stop the spammer from setting up another group and sending me another invite, but that group was also deleted.

It'll be interesting to see how long Myspace can keep the spammers at bay. My guess: Not long. They always seem to find a way. At least I haven't been asked to join the "Help me transfer $10 million from Nigeria" group yet. That would be hard to resist.