Simpler Living Weekly Nudge
Posted on: June 22, 2018
Simpler Living Weekly Nudge
June 22, 2018
I Got Scammed! How embarrassing. I’ve spent most of my life in communications. I promote media literacy. And I got suckered!
Here’s how it works so you’ll be forewarned. When I visited one of my favorite web sites, a survey popped up clearly labeled from that site. “Sure,” I thought, “I’d like to help my friends by answering a few questions. And they’re offering a reward, something that I could use.” So I answered 3-4 generic questions and then, to get the reward, I entered my credit card number to pay the postage for my reward. “Sure I can trust my friends with my credit card number. I don’t mind paying the postage.”
The reward arrived as promised. Everything’s fine. Except now I’m getting a very similar survey for several of my favorite sites. AND two weeks late a $190 charge on my credit card labeled “Subscription.” After calling the 800 number on the reward and waiting on hold, I actually talked to customer service. Yes, I have subscribed to an open-ended supply of vitamin supplements at $190 per month! Using my best phone skills and a great deal of persistence, I was able to get the “subscription” cancelled and a partial refund.
It turns out, a cookie had been placed in my computer which generates the surveys. By answering that I am male, the marketers pitched a male-oriented reward to me.
I’m telling this story partly for penance and mostly as a cautionary tale. Purge your computer’s cookies and search history regularly. Even the savvy of us can fall prey to to the con artists!
P.S. Avoid double underscored words. They’re links to ads inserted by a third party. Regular links placed by the author have a single underscore.
What’s NOW with SLW!
- SLW! Podcast #113–Bill Ryerson, part 1: Crises Caused by Exploding Population // COMING–part 2
- Early June Bonus Podcast–Bonnie Tarwater of Church for Our Common Home //
- Climate Crisis Drivers: Overpopulation and Overconsumption
- Our Daily Simpler Living Nudge
- June: Alternative Giving // Week 1: Contributions // Week 2: Volunteering // Week 3: More Alternative Giving // Week 4: Planning Christmas Festivals Early
- SLW! Blog Index | SLW! Podcast Index
- SUBSCRIBE to SLW! Podcast for free through iTunes, Stitcher.com or your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to SLW! Blog. Click “+Follow” at lower right of blog post, enter a name and email address. Welcome!
- Non-Conform-Freely Celebrations: May-Aug.
- Check out a few of SLW! thought-provoking, timely resources that might meet your personal, family or congregational/group needs. They’re all FREE. Visit Seasonal/Thematic Resource Index
What Others Are Doing – So Much Help! – Latest Posts
I gladly pass along links from simple living bloggers, podcasters, coaches and others. Some faith-based, some not. You needn’t read them all. Choose just FIVE links to investigate. COMPLETE LIST (Monthly Digest). For links to earlier entries, check the previous SLW! Weekly Digests or Monthly Digests.
What’s Happened
- Why We Podcast–We truly believe in the missions of SLW! and Jubilee OneEarth Economics! The mainstream corporate media — left, right or center — exist to sell us more stuff. Though we are only the tiniest whisper, we cannot stop offering an honest alternative to that MultiEarth message. There is no Planet B. Here’s a list of worthwhile media. And even more.
- Podcast Mini-Series Complete–Susan Taylor, author of What About Our Money? Part 1: Wrestling with Systems // Part 2: Matters of the Heart // Part 3: Giving and Investing
- Our Daily Simpler Living Nudge
- What It Is / How It Works / How to GET It – Subscribe by sending NUDGE to SimpleLivingWorks@yahoo.com. / How to SHARE It
- Jan.: Life Standards of Voluntary Simplicity
- February: Celebrating More Responsibly
- March: Global Justice
- April: Earth Care
- May: Earth Care
- 10 Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Celebrations
- Jerry’s Guide: Where to Get Books
- Healthy Political Practices & Spiritual Disciplines // Banishing Fake News READ MORE // Simple Living SANITY // READ MORE
- Previews of Simple Living Blogs, Podcasts and Sites // Collaborators & Champions
- Recent Responses to SLW! media
- Simpler Formats for 2018–The complete SLW! Monthly Digest on the SLW! site features the latest posts from colleague organizations and is updated weekly. Simpler Living Weekly Nudge will feature offerings from SLW! It comes as your free subscription to SLW! Blog. The Daily Nudge comes by email (send NUDGE to SimpleLivingworks@yahoo.com) or by Twitter @GeraldIversen. Choose the options that work for you.
- Subscribers to SLW! Podcast will receive The Common Good Podcast (TCGP)–which I produce and co-host–on the 1st of the month. Likewise, subscribers to TCGP will receive SLW! Podcast on the 15th as a BONUS. So, SLW! Podcast subscribers will continue to receive two episodes per month. This makes good sense since the missions of both SLW! and Jubilee OneEarth Economics are so complementary and the two work together closely. Your comments on these changes are welcome.
Podcast Reminder
You can access all SLW! podcast audio and the show notes either at SimpleLiving.startlogic.com/SLW-PODCAST or at SimpleLivingWorks.org (then click window #3). Complete Episode Index. Listen through your computer, iPod, iPad, iPhone (or equivalent).
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Peace, Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief SLW! Activist
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