The Process of Internet Addiction!
Stage 1 - Curiosity
It starts with just a glance, maybe at a "smart" popup, sign-up or even just a web page that caught your attention! It doesn't have to be much, just enough to peak your curiosity!
For me it was an email from Allan Gardyne, which lead me to the Affiliate Masters Course which I read intensely (leaving behind my other duties) for a full week.
At this point your friends and family think that this is too good to be true, but they don't want to hurt your feelings)
Stage 2 - Obsession
I must build a website; it must be great and attract tens of thousands, but I don't know html :) So you learn html as you go and you spend a good week (24/7) building your first website.
You learn all about software, html, editors, graphics, buying and registering domain names, web hosts, servers, email accounts, uploading, downloading, ftp, search engines and advertising! All in the least amount of time as physically possible!
(At this point your friends and family think you're on to something. They're curious themselves.)
Stage 3 - Overindulgence
This is truly the crazed stage! At this stage you buy and join everything in your sight. It doesn't all happen in a day. You buy and join one or two things in a few days and then tell yourself no more.
A week later something peaks your curiosity again and so you go on another little splurge.
Then you find yourself buying advertising for this and that. Before you know it you're trying to sell tons of items (which you justify because they are all related) and you've lost track of how much your monthly memberships costs :)
(Your friends and family think your nuts, think the Internet is all scams and think maybe you'll stop when you run out of money.)
Stage 4 - Controlled
In this stage you begin to weigh what works and what doesn't. You start dropping the things that haven't given you results. You decide to stick with a few programs that are earning you some cash. You've learned what advertising methods get results and which are a waste. You now know where and how to spend your money appropriately and you keep track of your monthly expenditures. Now things are looking promising.
(Your friends and family are waiting for your "so-called" checks to start rolling-in. When they see the $$ maybe they'll let you leave the rehab :)
Stage 5 - Boredom
Your bored and in a hurry to make some extra cash. You come up with a new ideal for a website that will benefit your other website or make you and everyone you know a ton of cash. Your off to Stage 2 again, this time you're getting more technical, your learning about cgi and php scripts! At least this time you can skip Stages 3 and 4 :)
(Your friends and family are starting to see some checks. Your spouse is bugging you to hurry so he/she can leave the day job. The rehab has released you, but you're on probation :) ============================================== ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Pam Splitt is the editor of The Beginner's Guide To Internet Marketing. Visit her website and subscribe today to her ezine at
http://www.ebook-and-software-club.com or take her Free 4 day course and start your own newsletter w/free tools mailto:15700@ez-optin.com. This article is copywrited © 2003 by Pam Splitt, and may be reprinted in it's entirety as long as this byline and copywrite statement is included.
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