Now It Pays to Read Junk E-Mail
Killing junk e-mail has become one of life’s daily annoyances. And just about the only thing that could make spam palatable, to me at least, is being paid to read it.
A new Web site is offering to do just that. Moneyformail.com collects consumers’ personal information voluntarily, then pays them cash to read e-mail advertisements targeted to their specific interests.
Members of https://www.moneyformail.com earn 20 cents to $2.50 for each message they read online, and, according to the company, personal information is never shared with advertisers. Instead, advertisers tell the company the type of person they’d like to reach, and Moneyformail.com forwards advertisements to the users whose profiles match. J. Crew and Amazon.com have already signed on.
“For years, companies have collected and sold information without asking us and without paying us,” said Moneyformail.com President Gerri Detweiler, a consumer advocate and author, most recently of “Slash Your Debt: Save Money & Secure Your Future” (Financial Literacy Center, 1999). “We believe it’s time for consumers to take control of their personal information, and the Internet is the perfect way to do that.”
My only question is this: How does the advertiser know a Moneyformail.com user is actually reading the e-mail? Is there a quiz at the end?
Detweiler said even if consumers don’t read every word, they retain something. And, they can’t get paid until they click on the hyperlink to the advertiser’s Web site.
Sounds like easy money to me.
*
Irvine is the most female-friendly place in the country, according to a survey of 200 American cities conducted by Ladies’ Home Journal.
“Our readers told us having a low crime rate was the No. 1 most critical factor, which explains why Irvine is at the top of the list but Los Angeles falls to No. 169,” said Margot Gilman, an editor at the magazine.
Besides criteria such as women in local government, quality of public schools and cultural resources, said Gilman, “we also looked at lifestyle issues: air and water quality, weather conditions and how they affect the skin. We even consulted a trichologist to tell us what climate conditions would be best if one is concerned with one’s coiffure.” (That’s it! Next time I have a big event, I’m going to Irvine to wash my hair.)
Two other SoCal cities--Thousand Oaks and Huntington Beach--made the top 10 in the magazine’s February issue.
And to all the New Yorkers who have been mouthing off about our earthquakes and fires for all these years, a big neener neener! Ladies’ Home Journal lists cities most at risk for natural disasters and the Big Apple ranks higher (No. 68) than Los Angeles (No. 103).
*
Sotheby’s is launching its Web site, https://www.sothebys.com, at a party in Beverly Hills tonight. But it’s the invitation to the bash--a tiny pamphlet embossed with the words “Little Black Book”--that is garnering attention.
“They must think something really sexy is going on,” said Laura Maslon, a spokeswoman for Sotheby’s. “The invite has drawn such a huge response.”
Paintings, jewelry, rugs, furniture, books and other collectibles have been assembled for auction on the site. Those who want to see the 1910 Marquetry “Erard” grand piano, expected to fetch at least $350,000, can get up close and personal with it as well as selected other pieces, at Sotheby’s in Beverly Hills through Tuesday.
Booth Moore can be reached at booth.moore@latimes.com.
