I was just sent an invitation to connect with (which means you have to join) a former university instructor on Linkedin. It has become known as a site for professional job seekers and responsible employers to connect. What a surprise--when you join, it brings up people you might know already on its site--and there was SoftRock and its top three, owner Alex Difrawi, the girl who contacts you and sets up intervews, and a manager who guides you through setting up using your OWN e-mail to place phony ads for online universities that are ripping off US military for their education grants. People who join LinkedIn think they are joining an ultra professional site, but obviously anybody can call themselves anything and join so after seeing Defrawi on there, I have changed my mind and might unjoin it.

I thought I'd put this up because I wasted time and almost gave away information responding to all those ads offering to help with home loan refinancing, mortgage reduction. The first thing they all do is to ask for your info for a credit report and phone number to hassel you. Turns out, you don't need to bother with those. They are just spidering the information from the legitimate government site. This website is from the US government and provides details on how to get help for people who are in tough financial situations, even unemployed. There is a lot to explore but it is worth the time spent reading through it. It has 800 numbers to call so you can speak directly with an official representative. Good luck with solving your housing problems.

If you like to write and have a good grasp of English, Helium pays for articles, even creative writing. Writing is hard work and the pay is small compared to some of those internet site claims, but Helium does pay you for your work and is very careful to watch for fraud, scammers and plagiarizers.

I have been very satisfied with Amazon. I have bought Christmas gifts for my family and electronics for myself. I bought a Kindle and so far have been able to read for 0 dollars because they have so many out-of-copyright books. I had to return an item once that I bought by mistake and it went very smoothly. The shipping has mostly been free and the prices better than competitive.

This is a local website (has branches in many US cities). There are groups for people of all ages and hobbies, and just about any interest. Each group has their own page, photos, and message boards. I believe it's just about as safe as anything on the internet these days. There are regular activities and people meet in homes, restaurants, clubs, and at outdoor events. People get to know each other in person. It's also nice because at the holidays, which can be lonely for some, there are always get togethers.

I was so excited that I had gotten hired thru internet job apps. Now I don't think any of them are worthwhile. I filled out one or two and hundreds flooded into my Google mail account. Naive--I thought these were either jobs or employment agencies. SoftRock e-mailed me, scheduled a phone interview, I did a test for posting as a Media Buyer. Fell right into their trap--after first post Craig's List asked for a phone number to authenticate. I e-mailed SR & they said to use mine. Next job two days later, before I could post, Craig's List now asked for an e-mail response. Of course SoftRock had to do that because I was posting jobs thru their account. They wouldn't and Craig's put the account on hold. I saw the paycheck I thought I was earning flying out the window (they promised to mail me one but of course never did.) Unbelievable nerve--they sent me detailed instructions on how to set up a new Craig's account & said I would have to furnish another phone number because they didn't. Ridiculous!. I hope there is some way to shut them down. I don't know what it is exactly that they are doing but I hope Craig's List can keep them off its site.