BEWARE Snake Oil Salesmen!

I just received an email from a company which led to a link suggesting the prescribing of CPAP is a "knee jerk reaction" my the medical community, and claiming "facial exercises" and "herbal remedies"(which they sell) can cure apnea. I wanted to warn people about this dangerous misinformation! The link is http://www.resperate.com/cure-sleep-apn ... 298315685e

This information is almost as bad as xxyzx's

That link should be http://www.resperate.com/cure-sleep-apn ... -298315685

Pssst. Your signature may need updating.
The troll referenced is no longer on the forum.
#happyhappyjoyjoy

One has to wonder, if you view it as a scam, then why publicize it, just describe it, warn against it, but don't post the link. Posting the link just increases the ranking on google and other search engines.

Succès de scandale. Succès de scandale (French for "success from scandal") is a term for any artistic work whose success is attributed, in whole or in part, to public controversy surrounding the work. ... This concept is echoed by the phrase, "there is no such thing as bad publicity".

And yet he repeats it TWICE . . .
If only we could spam delete the link only!
This guy is not normally a spammer, but anyone can be used by the unscrupulous.

Maybe we need a snake oil salesmen/scam thread where names and treatments meeting those definitions can be posted for easy reference.

After this evening, I will probably want to add "Integrative Medicine" to the list, as I am meeting with them today.

BUT, I will listen with open ears....

palerider wrote:One has to wonder, if you view it as a scam, then why publicize it, just describe it, warn against it, but don't post the link. Posting the link just increases the ranking on google and other search engines.

Succès de scandale. Succès de scandale (French for "success from scandal") is a term for any artistic work whose success is attributed, in whole or in part, to public controversy surrounding the work. ... This concept is echoed by the phrase, "there is no such thing as bad publicity".

+1

Also, to the OP.....remove the annoying sig line. The troll is gone!

chunkyfrog wrote:Pssst. Your signature may need updating.
The troll referenced is no longer on the forum.
#happyhappyjoyjoy

"So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last
Howdy gay times
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

chunkyfrog wrote:Pssst. Your signature may need updating.
The troll referenced is no longer on the forum.
#happyhappyjoyjoy

Joy ... when did this happen

Monday, afternoon-ish.
See Johnny's new sticky at the top of the page.

I have actually had a chance to talk with Carolyn about posts like the above which contain links to products that aren't good ideas or good products but relate to sleep apnea in some form or fashion.
Warning posts like the above...and she feels that warning people and educating people about the not so good ideas is a good thing to do.
So on one hand we don't like to promote the link and give it air time for free but on the other hand people need to read up on the bad ideas and learn what is good and what isn't good.

I pretty much feel like Carolyn about stuff like this. She would probably let it stand and not do anything for the educational value...and for that reason I won't do anything either.

Mark55 wrote:

palerider wrote:One has to wonder, if you view it as a scam, then why publicize it, just describe it, warn against it, but don't post the link. Posting the link just increases the ranking on google and other search engines.

Succès de scandale. Succès de scandale (French for "success from scandal") is a term for any artistic work whose success is attributed, in whole or in part, to public controversy surrounding the work. ... This concept is echoed by the phrase, "there is no such thing as bad publicity".

+1

+2

I read the title of this thread as an actual warning.
LOL

Agreed.
The rest of the comment reinforces the feeling of distrust.

Pugsy wrote:I have actually had a chance to talk with Carolyn about posts like the above which contain links to products that aren't good ideas or good products but relate to sleep apnea in some form or fashion.
Warning posts like the above...and she feels that warning people and educating people about the not so good ideas is a good thing to do.
So on one hand we don't like to promote the link and give it air time for free but on the other hand people need to read up on the bad ideas and learn what is good and what isn't good.

I pretty much feel like Carolyn about stuff like this. She would probably let it stand and not do anything for the educational value...and for that reason I won't do anything either.

I think it'd be a good idea to obfuscate the URL a bit, so that search engines don't pick it up and increase the rankings of crap...

Part of the way google works is to look at how many other places a site is linked to and the more of those links it finds the higher ranked a page gets on search... so by quoting the url of a scam site here, that boosts the ratings of that site when google crawls this site.

palerider wrote:
I think it'd be a good idea to obfuscate the URL a bit, so that search engines don't pick it up and increase the rankings of crap...

I can do that but then people can't read the crap....what do you all want?
Maybe copy the message and post it and then block the link or simply remove it??

I can do that easily or jsielke could do that himself.

I see PR's point and like I said...I am a bit torn about giving them free air time...what do the rest of you want?