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There seems to be a abundance of totally pointless sites trying to make money on the internet. I’ve compiled a list of shit types of site that we see far too many of these days, and their business models, which any self-respecting junior internet mogul will do well to avoid, when seeking a long term profit.

This list is vaguely in order of pointlessness, though some are nearer the top due to being excessive in number as well. Feel free to suggest more in the comments section…

Top Pointless Internet Business Models:

1. GetGoogleAdsFree Sites - NEW TO NUMBER 1!!! these sites promise what they can not possibly deliver, and prey on those who want to promote their own website for free. Did I mention free? You do know its FREE right?
2. Sites selling pharmaceuticals - totally pointless. Selling Viagra and Cialis should be left to health-care professionals, and, more importantly, every Tom, Dick and Harry on the internet is trying to do it, and blasting everyone with poorly written emails and comment spam. It’s neither big nor clever.
3. Selling Ringtones - Fuck off. I don’t want the latest Akon vibe on my ‘celly’, or however you want to put it. Moreover, using hacked MySpace bulletins to sell your “product” is a short term strategy.
4. Price comparison sites - this really gets me angry. I search for something I want to buy, and what are the top ten sites? Sites which compare the prices, and take a cut. You provide no ostensible service, and you steal all your content from the sites you are “promoting”. This leads onto hotels and travel sites:
5. Hotel/Flight/Travel comparison sites - totally pointless, I want a hotel in Sydney/New York/Edinburgh, why therefore, can I only find sites which will ‘take my booking for the hotel’ I’d rather contact the hotel direct and get it cheaper from them. Thanks.
6. Blogs / Sites with entirely copied content - these are springing up all over the place, they scrape all their ‘content’ from Google or Technorati, and load the site with so much Adsense that one can’t actually read anything. They are purely made to make advertising dollars. The charlatans.
7. Selling, or giving away MySpace profiles - Whilst I don’t have a problem with someone offering free MySpace profile enhancements, I do have a problem with those that offer it loading the said profiles with links to their own site, which either sells ‘key features’ or is loaded with more advertising.
8. Sites which feature only videos from YouTube - and are loaded with advertising. If I wanted to watch YouTube videos, I’d have gone to the YouTube website. It’s that simple.
9. Click here to get your free laptop! No thanks. I’d rather not fill out eight thousand forms to not receive a free gift. Filling out the form will only ‘guarantee’ one thing: you’ll have to change your email address in about three days. Similarly;
10. “You’ve Just won…” - stop lying. I haven’t. That’s called an advert.
11. Make money by filling out surveys - ok, but you forgot to mention I’d need to make $100 to get paid, by cheque. That’s about 70,000 ‘quick’ (25 minute) surveys. By my maths, I’d be better off actually getting a job.
12. Affiliate Sites - totally pointless. Someone else does the design, production, sales and distribution, and you do what? Provide a page chocked full of links. Do something useful and stop wasting everyones time and bandwidth.

I’ll add more as and when I find/remember them… Feel free to suggest. This may or may not become a definitive (black)list. My money is on not.