Note: If you know what I’m talking about, and want a good laugh, click here.

As I write this post, there is currently a multi-level marketing scheme being circulated on Twitter. What is multi-level marketing? It’s a scheme to build up ridiculously large numbers of something in a short period of time. Historically, one of the most notable MLM schemes took place a couple decades ago, when people were using the post office and Xeroxed copies of form letters. The letters contained a list of names. You sent $1 to every name on the list, and then removed the last name from the list and added yours to the top. The idea was that if you send this letter to 10 people, and they all send it to 10 people, the result is that in a few weeks, you’re worth a million bucks because like a pyramid, your name gets distributed to exponentially more people.

Of course, the scheme didn’t really work that way, and the few people who made any money doing it were grossly outnumbered by the people who sent out $10 and got nothing in return.  Because of these facts, and the severe taxing of the postal system that these letters caused, Multi Level Marketing, sometimes referred to as “Ponzi” or “Pyramid”  schemes were ruled a federal offense to send through mail. The Government went after and prosecuted the folks that they found, and the schemes slowly dwindled off the postal system.

So, let’ skip the history lesson about how the Internet brought this scheme back to the limelight, and jump straight to yesterday. A gentleman by the name of Gary Mccaffrey released the latest MLM scheme on the internet via a site called TwitterGetter. The site advertises that you can make tens of thousands of new followers by following a mere 6 names (as well as his, which is optional, but highly encouraged). Now, anyone with a modicrum of common sense will smell the fish in this and stay away, but in case you don’t know why to avoid it, here are just a few reasons.

-The only real winner is Mccaffrey. Conveniently enough, hi username is included in every tweet that gets sent out, so no matter how many or few followers you get, he benefits.

-It won’t work. The only way for everyone to win in this would be if there were an infinite, exponentially growing number of twitter followers. Of course, since the laws of science tend to point towards that being impossible, someone gets the short end of the stick.

-Three words: Non Targeted Followers. Okay, no matter what you’re tweeting about, you want to have followers that actually want to read what you write, right? Let’s say, for example only, that you like to tweet about good stuff from the republican party. With Mccaffrey’s system, the law of averages dictates that half of your new followers loathe your political view. That’s just great. Or what if you write about marketing and social media? That’s a niche that very few people out of your new following will ever care about. In short, even you get a bajillion followers, they don’t really care about you!

-You look like a sucker. Fortunately none of my friends have been so dumb as to jump on the twittergetter bandwagon yet, but if any of them do I will immediately try to get them to invest in my next shady business venture.

That’s a non-exhaustive list, and I’m sure there are many more reasons to avoid this scheme, but what I want to touch on is my prediction for what is to come. About 7 hours prior to the publishing of this post, a Twitter user going by esszeeeye sent this message: “@garymccaffrey ,can’t wait to see what you do next.” In response, Mccaffrey states: “@esszeeeye i’ve a few interesting viral things coming soon. weeks away at this stage though“

Given that snippet, here’s my predicton. One of the next innovations (and by innovations I mean thousand year old scams cleverly re-hashed) will involve money. Possibly investing in some of Gary’s prime Florida real estate? At any rate, he’s setting the stage nicely. His program has ensured that his name will be the most tweeted username on Twitter until they pull his plug.  So with everyone seeing his name all over, he’s in a place to really get some attention. I predict that in the coming weeks, if he’s not banned, we’ll see some money making maneuver come from the guy.

Let’s wait and see.

And for my regulars – sory to harp on the subject twice in a row. I swear, I’m done for now. The guy doesn’t need any more publicity.