Inform Yourself: Sample Researching Guide

Here's a general list of steps I use to find out stuff about any topic. These can be changed to suit your needs, whether you want to see if a service is a scam or to find facts and/or myths about something. "Tabbed browsing" works nicely with this process.

1. Open up my browser to a Web search site.
   
2. Open a text file (new or used), and write the current time and date with a subject on one line.
   
3. Open one to three links discussing the good things about the topic in question. Copy and paste the links into my text file.
   
4. Open one to three links discussing the bad things about the topic in question. (If the topic is fairly new or is genuinely excellent, you may find few to no reported problems about the sites.) Copy and paste these links into my text file.
5. Count the number of references given (professionals, studies, etc.) for each of the links. If there's time, find out if each of the references have their own websites. Copy and paste the reference information (including the links) to my text file.
   

From here, I have a very good idea about the topic. Step 5 tells me which of the sites have proof of their information, which I consider then to be more truthful than sites that do not list references.

Once the positives and the negatives have been identified, I can make a more informed decision to ensure I'm getting what I need.

FFS Info Blog: Freedom From Scams

Hiyas! Welcome to my very first Freedom From Scams blog entry!

This blog is going to attempt to make research a lot of fun.

The thing about money-oriented opportunities is that they are very popular. They're so popular, in fact, that some people are willing to take advantage of people like you and me for their own economic gain. These 'schemes' become known as 'scams' once these people have been found out. Then they move locations, change names, and start over to get the next batch of suckers waiting for the next opportunity.

A vicious cycle indeed.

This blog is therefore designed for three purposes:

1. Uncover the scams behind schemes.
2. Offer helpful tips on arming yourself against scams.
3. Offer helpful links to other sites that provide further details.

As always, it's up to us, the individuals, to inform ourselves and prepare to be had. It may be useful to assume that it's going to happen, and prepare accordingly. The last thing anyone wants is to lose money to any scam.

I look forward to any and all comments to my posts. If you see something in error, please call me on it, because then I'm not practicing what I preach, and I prefer to keep my hypocrisy under control. <grin>

I trust you will enjoy your venture through the Freedom From Scams Info Blog.