Educate Yourself -- A perfect scam business model!

[Piggy]

Huzzah!

For a couple of years now I've been keeping an eye on Educate-Yourself (http://www.educate-yourself.org) and I'm glad to see it finally hit Randi's radar.

Don't believe the hype... you do NOT want to miss this one!

This is one-stop shopping, folks -- the Wal-Mart of woo! That's why Randi's interested in it.

But what makes it special for someone in my line of work isn't the mind-boggling array of BS on display, but the very calculated business model at the core.

Here's how it works: If you want a bogus device like, say, a succor punch (http://educate-yourself.org/dc/spindex.shtml) or a holy handgrenade (http://educate-yourself.org/dc/orgonegenindex.shtml), you don't purchase it.

No. You donate to the site and receive the item as a "premium" -- kind of like the coffee mug or tote bag you get for donating to PBS.

Bottom line: All the BS paranoid conspiracy ramblings you see on the site... that's just a draw. The purpose is to target enough folks who are willing to buy into the paranoia, and get them to "donate" to support the posting of this information (nudge nudge, wink wink) and in return receive devices to protect them from the mind-control (microwave) towers, chemtrails (contrails), and other assorted evils of the world.

But as long as Adachi isn't selling this stuff, just offering it as a donation premium, well.... I think you get the picture.

Sometimes even woo is not what it seems.

[Piggy]

Shameless bump.

Just wondering if anyone else is interested in the topic.

Any skeptics into the business side of the scam?

[ChristineR]

I have a sneaking suspicion that guy spends all his disability check making these gadgets and sells only a handful every year, mostly to art dealers and people with a sense of humor.

[Piggy]

Ken Adachi? You'd be wrong.

[ChristineR]

I will grant the possibility of my wrongness. But really, how many sylph generators can one person buy?

[Piggy]

I will grant the possibility of my wrongness. But really, how many sylph generators can one person buy?

Considering their cost, he doesn't have to move too many of them. And the market is huge, so he doesn't have to get a very high percentage of buyers (a fraction of 1%) to make it worth his while. But you're right that this isn't his primary income. He's into a number of things. I suspect that the primary purpose of the site is actually generation of "leads" -- "sucker list" names that he can sell, rent, and convert. If he gets your name, I guarantee you're getting book offers in the mail, for example.

[ChristineR]

That's a good point. I heard that suckers of that caliber go for over $4 each. On the other hand, the guy does not seem too rational to me.

[Piggy]

On the other hand, the guy does not seem too rational to me.

Oh, he just markets this stuff. I mean look at Kevin Trudeau (http://naturalcures.com/), the get-rich-quick guys, all those boys. They know what they're doing.